I’ve been a Jeep owner for almost a quarter century now- first a 1999 Cherokee Sport, and then a 2012 Grand Cherokee that I still drive. As any Jeep owner knows, it’s a love / hate relationship. I loved my Sport, and had it at a time in my life I did a lot more off-roading than I do now. Then I ‘upgraded’ to a Grand Cherokee, and while I liked that it had more amenities and a smoother ride than the Sport, it’s had its share of problems, including something like 8 recalls over the years.
I’m thinking about giving my current Jeep to my son, who is going to college in Michigan’s U.P. In the Fall, and getting a new vehicle. I like the look of the new Broncos, and I have access to an employee discount through the in-laws. So I’ve been wondering if maybe a Bronco might be acceptable, or even better, quality-wise? Online research has been confusing. Edmund’s reviews seem to rate the Grand Cherokee and Bronco fairly on par, and give a price range for the Bronco that’s quite a bit higher than the Grand Cherokee: https://www.edmunds.com/ford/bronco/ https://www.edmunds.com/jeep/grand-cherokee/
That’s not the case when I actually price them out, though- the Bronco comes out as quite a bit cheaper.
But the Bronco is also described as a direct competitor to the Jeep Wrangler, not the Grand Cherokee. I’m confused, and still kind of leaning toward the JGC.
What I’m looking for in a vehicle:
4x4 off-road capability- though I do little off-roading these days, I want a vehicle that is capable of it, and can handle Michigan winters and potholes.
Towing capacity- I’ve towed a boat, I tow a trailer now sometimes, and I might want to get an RV someday.
I don’t need anything too fancy, but I do like the smooth ride of my current JGC, and I’ve read Broncos have a very truck-like ride, and loud wind noise at highway speeds. Not a dealbreaker, but….
Cargo capacity- I haven’t checked, but I assume the Bronco is roughly the same.
So i’m looking for any and all opinions. Hey, I’ll add a poll too!
I will say in the latest Consumer Report New Car Buying Guide–all the Jeep vehicles were ranked last in the classes. I don’t have the issue in front of me --but me and my sister were shocked they were ranked so low because the original XJ Jeep Cherokee was received very well and is still prized today by many 4x4 enthusiasts,
FWIW, I’m very happy with my 4-door hardtop Badlands. Unless you are completely in the cult, I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t like the Bronco. But - there’s a reason why both exist. Drive one and see how it fits you.
Took me a beat…you need good quality footwear if you drive a Jeep, because you’re likely to be walking. Haha!
That’s great! What do you like about your Bronco? How do you use it? Do you tow with it, go off-road at all, highway drive? I’d love to hear plusses and minuses.
Well, I kind of am, but not quite at Tom Cruise levels
It’s my “daily driver.”
I got it because I needed a vehicle big enough to take me, my wife, the three dogs, and supplies (including dog crates) up to our place up north. I also figured I could use a 4WD for getting around in snow, or off-roading.
So far, it has performed very well. I’ve taken it to the Grand Canyon after several big snowstorms, and it handled the snow well. I’ve done some easy off-roading (no rock crawling, but narrow, slippery backroads in Colorado. I managed to get myself stuck in 2’ of snow once, but used the hidden winch I installed to pull myself back onto the road (that was dumb - I was alone, and had no cell service).
I plan on doing more off-roading this summer, when we are up in Durango.
Well, I’ve broken that rule many times, because I’ve driven my Jeep to Lake Superior, to Key West, and to the east coast. So pretty much as far north, south and east as is possible to go in the U.S.
Cool, great info! One more question if you don’t mind- what year is your Bronco- is it a newer model?
Haven’t driven a new Bronco myself, but I’ve heard good things about them, especially regarding cargo capacity. I like the looks of the ones with the heritage trim package.
I’ve never understood why they insist on comparing the Wrangler to standard SUVs…of course it’s going to be a completely different experience from a Lexus or whatever because they’re built for different purposes, and that’s not a bad thing!
I have a 4 door Bronco Wildtrak. The new Bronco is compared to the wrangler because the roof and the doors come off just like the wrangler. It’s built to be an off-road vehicle. Mine is my daily driver also. Mine drives very smooth, not like a truck, but it also has an extra heavy duty suspension. There are several trim models of the new Bronco, some with the basics with a relatively low price point and all the way up to the highest trims with the bells and whistles.
The one difference between the Bronco and the Wrangler, is that the side mirrors on the Bronco are mounted near the A-pillars instead on on the doors. So when the doors are removed, the mirrors are still there.
Also don’t confuse the Bronco with the Bronco Sport. The Bronco is based off of the Ford Ranger frame and is built in Michigan. The Bronco Sport is based off the Ford Escape frame and is built in Mexico. Two different classes of vehicles.
I started my Jeep experience with a 1988 Comanche pickup. Wish I still had it. Then went to a Cherokee, a Grand Cherokee, a Cherokee, and another Grand Cherokee. Which is where I stopped because they quit making Cherokees and Grand Cherokees SUCKED. Goddam maintenance hog. It’s one thing to have your AC go out on a road trip in the summer, but on the same trip, the power window controls go out - while the window was down! Gas gauge would randomly read zero, 50 miles from the nearest gas station (It wasn’t empty, but you had to shut off the truck and restart it before it would reset.)
I don’t think new GCs are any better. The ONLY thing GC are better than Broncos is towing. I don’t think a Bronco could pull my camping trailer.
And I thought you were comparing jeep Jeeps to Broncos. I think modern Broncos stock are better at off roading than Jeeps, but you can definitely make a Jeep a total off road badass. You’d probably not want to drive it 1000 miles to Utah, though. A Bronco will do both well, in comfort.
Towing is a surprise-- how much less the Bronco can tow vs. the JGC. The Bronco tows 3,340 - 4,500 lbs (depending on engine choice) vs. 6,200 lbs for the JGC (with one engine choice). The site linked below says:
In terms of towing capacity, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is clearly the choice over the Ford Bronco for pulling heavy loads. The Ford Bronco has a little less horsepower than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
But the most powerful engine choice for the Bronco is the 418-hp, 3.0-liter, V6 Cylinder Engine, which I assume is what gets the high end of 4,500 lbs. for Bronco towing. That’s much more HP than the only Jeep engine choice, 293-hp, 3.6-liter, V6 Cylinder Engine, which gets you 6,200 lbs. of towing. I assume there’s some other factor in towing capacity beyond mere engine HP.
I’m looking for a daily driver that has off-road capability for the few times I will be off-road, and the many times I will deal with Michigan bad weather, potholes and poorly graded dirt roads. I do want decent towing and hauling capacity.
