2023 Ford Bronco Outer Banks 2dr SUV 4WD (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
Ford knocked it out of the park with styling and pre-release hype.
Unfortunately, as is typical with Ford, they dropped the ball on execution.
I was one of the lucky ones when it comes to timing. First day reservation, order placed in Jan/2021, took delivery in Nov/2021. Mine was a 2-door Outer Banks with 4-cyl in Area 51. The Bronco I received was for a Big Bend with 6-cyl in … Antimatter Blue. But my biggest disappointment was yet to come...
The Bronco looks great and feels good to drive, and that's seemingly why so many owners are willing to forgive its numerous faults. Namely, I found several exterior fit and finish flaws. The audio system is inexcusably bad for any modern vehicle. Sync 4 is glitchy. Brakes are so spongy, I actually felt unsafe until I got used to them. The rear seat folding mechanism is difficult if you want the extra cargo room. The interior is excessively noisy and gives an overall feeling of below-average quality. (I am aware it's an offroad vehicle with removable top. I drove a Wrangler for years and the Bronco is worse) The noise-deadening headliner sheds fibres. The gas shock on the swing-gate feels like it's always fighting against you when trying to open. Rear seat leg room, and access to get to it, which I didn't expect to be great, still fell short of expectations.
The 4-cyl is more powerful and much smoother than expected, even though it sounds awful. Steering is great. Seats are *just* adequate.
Essentially, the Bronco is a good choice if your primary purpose is to look cool or if you need a good off-road vehicle. Otherwise, there are better choices.
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