Latest / In Wheel Time Podcast / Exploring the 2023 Ford Bronco Heritage Edition: A Modern Take on a Classic Legend
Transcript
- 0:11Speaker 1: All right, Mr Mars got a chance to review the new Ford Bronco.
- 0:15Speaker 1: We're waiting to hear what you got to say, Mike.
- 0:18Speaker 2: I have to say right up front I got the most comments on this vehicle than any vehicle.
- 0:24Speaker 2: I've ever driven including the Hellcats and stuff.
- 0:26Speaker 2: I mean, it's just, people recognize this vehicle.
- 0:29Speaker 2: It is so well done with this heritage model.
- 0:32Speaker 2: Now, this is the 2023 Ford Bronco.
- 0:34Speaker 2: It is the Heritage Edition.
- 0:36Speaker 2: This is the two-door model.
- 0:38Speaker 2: It is a truck-based SUV.
- 0:40Speaker 2: You can get seven different models of the Bronco.
- 0:44Speaker 2: This is the sixth generation of it.
- 0:46Speaker 2: It's part of it, but this version they've got two different levels of the heritage and it is a four-pasture vehicle, two-door, just like you remember them, and they've just done it extremely well to make it look the same.
- 0:59Speaker 2: But it is obviously much bigger.
- 1:00Speaker 2: The one I had came with a race red, so it had the white removable top, had the white grille, the white 17-inch wheels on it and it's just really well done.
- 1:12Speaker 2: It had LED headlamps up front that are automatic high beams.
- 1:16Speaker 2: The wheels are a 17-inch Oxford white aluminum wheel that's made to look like the old steel wheels.
- 1:22Speaker 2: Just really nice looking.
- 1:24Speaker 2: Now, when you get to the inside of this vehicle, again, this is a four-pasture model.
- 1:28Speaker 2: They don't even try to make it a five.
- 1:30Speaker 2: We had the plaid cloth seats.
- 1:32Speaker 2: They're very supportive.
- 1:33Speaker 2: The front buckets are heated.
- 1:35Speaker 2: The split rear seats that fold are also folded in the plaid cloth.
- 1:40Speaker 2: We had the eight-inch center stack in the front and it's always nice to have a little bit bigger, but this one was very good.
- 1:47Speaker 2: And the dash on it we had the white dash all the way across.
- 1:51Speaker 2: Almost looks like it's plastic.
- 1:52Speaker 2: It's not, but that's part of that heritage, look that goes with it.
- 1:56Speaker 2: We also had the eight-inch digital screen for the driver to have all the controls and all the information that the driver needs there Locking glove box on it.
- 2:09Speaker 2: We had the grab handles.
- 2:10Speaker 2: One thing I wanted to note the grab handle coming in off the passenger side, because it is set up.
- 2:15Speaker 2: It is a lifted-type vehicle.
- 2:17Speaker 2: It's up on the console close to the center stack.
- 2:21Speaker 2: It's a reach.
- 2:22Speaker 2: It's not up on the pillar where you would think it would be like in a lot of Ford vehicles.
- 2:26Speaker 2: So it's.
- 2:28Speaker 2: My wife found it a little inconvenient.
- 2:30Speaker 2: It worked, but it would have been so much easier and better if it had been up there on the pillar.
- 2:36Speaker 2: Now, up under the hood, we had the 2.3-liter EcoBoost 300 horsepower, 325 pound-feet of torque.
- 2:44Speaker 2: It is a V6 option that will get you the 330 horsepower.
- 2:47Speaker 2: Main thing about the V6 is the 415 pound-feet of torque.
- 2:51Speaker 2: Now I drove this.
- 2:55Speaker 2: We were backed by a seven-speed manual transmission.
- 2:58Speaker 2: I think it's got more than enough power to go any place.
- 3:00Speaker 2: You want A manual transmission.
- 3:02Speaker 2: It took first.
- 3:03Speaker 2: When I first got in it was dark and I wasn't looking and I went down there and I pushed on the brake and I hit the start button and it wouldn't start.
- 3:09Speaker 2: I realized it was a manual so I had to have the clutch, everything in, so it was very unusual to get into one that's new from the factory.
- 3:16Speaker 2: So the EPA says you should be looking for 16 in the city, 18 on the highway, with combined about 17.
- 3:23Speaker 2: I happened to get across 301.5 miles, 19.2 miles for the guy in this thing and I was very impressed with that and, like I say, it has more than enough power.
- 3:33Speaker 2: I don't really know why you would want that.
- 3:35Speaker 1: Did you rev it up to like 7,000 RPM?
- 3:37Speaker 2: before you shifted it.
- 3:38Speaker 2: Nah, nah, no point.
- 3:41Speaker 2: I mean, this is not what that vehicle is made for, so, but I wish there was some place around where we could do a little rock crawling or something.
- 3:47Speaker 2: The other thing we got is a little mud and a little sand.
- 3:50Speaker 2: And again, I don't know why you would want a V6 in this vehicle.
- 3:54Speaker 2: I think the inline four has got plenty of power.
- 3:58Speaker 2: Now, driving this vehicle out on the road, it's got a little bit of noise.
- 4:02Speaker 2: It's got a removable hard top on it, the doors are where you can take them all off, so there's a little more road noise.
- 4:08Speaker 2: But it's a little bit heavier and it's bigger, I think, than a lot of its competitors.
- 4:12Speaker 2: So it rides surprisingly well with those 17-inch of those big tall tires on it.
- 4:17Speaker 2: That part of that is because it's got an independent front suspension which helps with the steering and everything.
- 4:21Speaker 2: Now the pricing on it.
- 4:25Speaker 2: Now, this is based.
- 4:26Speaker 2: The heritage model that we had is based on a mid-trim level.
- 4:29Speaker 2: There is another one that's based on the upper Top of the line model.
- 4:34Speaker 2: It will cost you another 20-25 grand, but the base model for a Bronco, according to the press kit, because the Mineroni doesn't have any pricing on this vehicle pre-production type vehicle but from the press kit, 34245 is where you can start on a Bronco.
- 4:49Speaker 2: Now the one-wheel drive, the Heritage model, starts at $44,305, which really surprised me for what I was driving.
- 4:57Speaker 2: The best I can tell the Heritage model is going to start at about $49,000, trying to figure out what all was on it and what wasn't on it and put it in there.
- 5:06Speaker 2: So sub 50 is what I would think.
- 5:08Speaker 2: If you want the top of the line model, it's 66.5, but that's based up there with the Raptor.
- 5:14Speaker 2: The only real competitor I thought was applicable was the Jeep Wrangler and I found a Sahara for $45,925, so about in that same range of $49.50,000.
- 5:25Speaker 2: And I think if you're looking, you really need to go look at this particularly.
- 5:30Speaker 2: Like I say, if you like the old school Bronco.
- 5:33Speaker 1: This is definitely something to look at.
- 5:34Speaker 1: Well, I'll tell you that Ford loaned me one of those.
- 5:39Speaker 1: It was a yellow with the white wheels and white top it was.
- 5:42Speaker 1: I loved it and I was very thankful that I got a chance to drive it from Chicago up to Wisconsin and back, and it was great, and I've already reviewed that and I said the same thing it was great.
- 5:57Speaker 2: Now, mine didn't have the manual transmission, it was automatic, but whatever, yeah, I probably wouldn't go for the manual just because if I was rock crawling or something in the sand, you know the manual is a little bit tougher than the automatic.
- 6:08Speaker 2: But again, and surprisingly, most of the comments I got were from women.
- 6:12Speaker 2: I could hear it.
- 6:13Speaker 2: You know wind is down.
- 6:14Speaker 2: I'd be going by like left the grocery store.
- 6:16Speaker 1: Oh, I like that, Mike.
- 6:16Speaker 1: Oh, look at that.
- 6:17Speaker 2: Bronco oh Mike, oh hi Mike.
- 6:20Speaker 2: No, they were saying.
- 6:22Speaker 1: isn't that Bronco Billy?
- 6:23Speaker 1: Hey, this program is available 24-7 on iHeart Radio.
- 6:28Speaker 1: Just look for In Wheel Time Car Talk, Maybe also.