4runner vs the new Ford bronco

Just for entertainment purposes and to draw some conversation ...thoughts on this competition
https://www.caranddriver.com/rivian/r1s

I do think for horsepower and towing this is a real competitor for those wanting an suv with power but not the off roading features.

 

No. Will not be offered on the Sasquatch model from the factory.
Ford racing team is testing this stuff to bring it back to the Ford Performance catalog. That's what I gather at least.
Ford has listed on their future accessories to have upgraded half shafts, upgraded drive shafts, and an off road lift that are slated for release in Q4.
I can only presume the race team is testing those products.

 

Ford owns a large stake in Rivian.

 

I highly doubt they will go unibody on the 4runner. At that rate they would just stop making them because it would compete with the Highlander.

Hybrid I see happening regardless, because despite what some of the old school guys think, the market wants more fuel efficiency.

I imagine the 4runner will be one of the last vehicles to go full electric.

 

Toyota knows EV hybrid.
I am sure whatever they release will be good.
I think it will come on the 4Runner for sure. Look at the Jeep 4Xe. Still early on that, but progress.

 

Stop saying such horrible things!

I still doubt they'll go unibody with it, as the plan was to build it on the same platform as the new Tundra.

I don't think they'll discontinue it as they sell like hotcakes. Toyota isn't going to throw away all of that money. The Bronco will probably take more Wrangler sales than 4runner sales.

 

The next generation will surely see some changes. But, anyone who thinks the Bronco is going to kill the 4runner is way off. It will compete more with the Wrangler. Most 4runner owners don't need 35" tires, and don't want a removable roof.

If Toyota over-thinks it and makes extreme changes, THAT could kill sales. But, I bet the next generation will get some more creature comforts and a more efficient drive-train, and otherwise be pretty similar to what we have now.

 

I'm with you. LOL In 3 months I'll be 71. Next month, trading in my 2010 FJ for a 2021 4R/ORP. Want the same drivetrain and reliability that I had with the FJ. And depending on my DNA it may be my last vehicle. LOL

Rick

 

Yes the problem with ford is they will make this great truck, then it will get forgot about. The customer support at Ford sux. The technicians at the Local Ford dealer will not have a clue how to repair them, and you will have to find a 4 wheel drive repair shop and fight with ford about their warranty. I work with a guy who has tons of problems with Ford fixing his F150 Raptor. The local Ford dealer sees a handful of Raptors every year, 99% of their repair work is on the Edge ,Focus, escape & explorer( they cannot even fix the explorers right...recalls and problems galore.)

 

Bronco will have way more on the road than the Raptor. Shouldn't be as big of an issue.
What problems did your buddy have that Ford was unable to fix and what mods does he have?

 

And...off to a good start. We don't need no stinking rear suspension bolts!

https://www.autoblog.com/2021/02/19/2021-ford-bronco-sport-recall-loose-suspension/

 

So shocking!! My dad just traded his Ford Flex because there was a recall on the rear suspension.

 

1,666 units affected. How many have been sold to date?

 

So... first post. Been driving Rubicons for the last decade. Ford trucks for a decade and a half before that, alternating the domestic 3 for two decades before that.(BTW... rumors of Jeep’s poor road manors are 100% true, while their excellent off-road chops rumors are also 100% true... very fun around town and on trails. Makes you regret putting it in drive heading out for a 30+ minute road trip.) Anyways, I was excited for the Bronco. Was fortunate enough to get one of the first 3500 First Editions (that a week later was bumped to 7000). Fast forward to early February when ordering books opened. Ford released the residuals. They are terrible. Started looking at getting a new Wrangler instead, just based on resale, so research began. Reliability, I was finding, was in line with my decade’s worth of experience - mediocre. Found it was always compared to 4Runner, and not even a close matchup. I couldn’t believe the ratings by professional reviews and actual owners alike on the 4R... one of the highest ratings of ANY vehicle not just a BOF vehicle class I was shopping. Then I researched their residuals. Also the highest. So I went and test drove. Then another. Now, I’m waiting on my order for a Lunar Rock TRD Pro...

a decision I already know is better than any GM, Ford, or Stellantis based on reliability, dependability, resale, and driving comfort based on 6 months of research and one old guy’s personal opinion.

 

Is the Bronco Sport available for sale now? I've yet to see one on the road around here.

 

It's been out since late last year.

 

This looks more horrifying than that one level in World 7 of Super Mario Bros. 3 where you had to scale the pipes to go up through the level.

 

I saw one on the road. It was so small I couldn’t even believe it. Just a tiny vehicle. And i can’t say it looks like a truck. I’d say it’s more akin to a Honda CRV or Toyota RAV4.

 

Yes, those are the Bronco Sport's direct competitors.

 

That's what happens when you outsource building vehicles in Mexico. My company built a plant in Mexico due to super low labor and construction costs. It has been a nightmare every since with millions of dollars lost in faulty products being made, theft, and multiple recalls.

A Ford built in Mexico has to be a total crapshoot in terms of reliability.

 

1667

 

Stumbled across a video today of some annoying yuppies testing the new Ford Bronco on some pretty technical trails.

I gotta say, I was very, very impressed with the Bronco. It was the package that I had picked out if I was going to get one. It was a Black Diamond model with the Sasquatch package, which came in at about $40,000.

The amount of computer controls on that thing was both amazing and terrifying. One comment on the video stated that the new Bronco was going to save him so much time, since he no longer had to go off-roading because the Bronco could do it without him. Scary close to the truth.

Which begs the question; just how reliable can this thing be with more computer controls and programs than any Ford in history? I mean, buying one and then learning all of the settings and programs and capabilities would take days. I believe the test driver said Ford had free clinics ready to go around the country for new owners so they could learn how to use all of the features. That's just too much tech...

But, it did do very well off-road...

 

Nice! I can already tell by the brim of the hat in the video screenshot that they're annoying.

 

Very impressed with the technology.

 

I hate too much technology. There are too many points of failure on these new vehicles.

 

Kind of like the rover on Mars, if they get it right it’s great, if they don’t?

 

I finally saw a Bronco sport yesterday. I almost wanted to puke. It is very small. The lines did nothing for me. It is like the old Bronco II. Just bad.
That said I really like everything I have seen about the Bronco but I haven't seen one & there is a lot that could go wrong.

I told the Toyota dealership that they should hold classes (like they talk about in the video) but that idea probably went nowhere. Imagine the local communities Toyota could create & they get all the feedback etc...
Ryan.

 

I just added some 4runner comments on their page. They are comparing the Bronco to the Jeep........I suggested they try comparing it to a 4 runner TRD PRO..........no one else thought of that yet?

 

I've wondered that as well, and, it seems like some don't even consider the 4Runner as a true Off-road vehicle. They just don't even consider comparing them at all. Now granted, the Bronco and Jeep are direct competitors, but, contrary to what some believe they are not the only two off-road vehicles in existence.

 

They don't want to compare them to a reliable vehicle.