We Finally Got Our Ford Bronco. Here are the 7 Things That Immediately Struck Us.

Not to be outdone by the Wrangler, with its inconspicuous silhouettes of a classic Jeep sprinkled throughout the vehicle, Ford added a bunch of hidden Easter eggs to the Bronco. Some are in plain sight but easily missed, such as the engine-start button that looks like one of the Bronco’s headlights. Others are harder to spot. For example, the supplied toolkit (which you’ll need to remove the doors—more on that later) includes a ratchet that has “Bronco” engraved onto it, a nice detail. Open the fuel flap and if you look closely, you can see three generations of the Bronco depicted above the fuel filler. Other cool features include the lassos carved into the plastic that holds the cargo tie-downs; a plaque on the center console that looks like the front fascia, with screws as the headlights; and the “Est. 1966” on the windshield.

As with the Wrangler, you can take off the Bronco’s doors and roof. We found out that removing the doors is neither a difficult nor a long process; it’s a bit harder to put everything back on, though. 

Here’s all it takes: After undoing the easy-to-reach electrical connector, remove two bolts per door. (You can use the ratchet in the supplied toolkit.) It’s helpful that the doors stay resting on the hinges without the bolts in place. Then simply lift the doors off using the designated grab handles. They are pretty heavy, but they’re easier to manage than the Wrangler’s, due to the frameless-window design. 

It took us only 6 minutes and 40 seconds to remove all four doors on our first attempt. Of note, the Bronco owner’s manual states that door removal is “for off-road use only,” and there’s a decal in the doorjamb with the same message. 

Putting the doors back on is more of a challenge, taking more than 11 minutes on our first attempt. It can be tricky to line up each hinge while maneuvering the door, especially if you’re trying to avoid chipping or scratching any paint. We’re confident both procedures will become a little quicker with practice. The job doesn’t require two people, but the doors are heavy (close to 50 pounds) so having an extra spotter might be a good idea.

Taking the three roof panels off is also extremely easy, though the latch levers take some serious elbow grease to open or close. And while the two panels over the front occupants are quite light, removing the rear panel is definitely a two-person job.

In our short time with the Bronco so far, we think it’s a much better daily driving vehicle than the Wrangler. As one of our testers put it, “The Bronco offers the rugged styling and 95 percent of the Wrangler’s off-road cred while being much more livable day-to-day.” 

We’ll go into more detail in our upcoming First Drive, but we can report that the Bronco has a considerably more comfortable ride and much more responsive handling than the Wrangler. Our test vehicle’s optional 310-horsepower, 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 delivers plenty of civilized giddyup, along with smooth shifts from the 10-speed automatic transmission.

The side-hinged tailgate swings open to the right-hand side of the Bronco. This brings several disadvantages over the upward-lifting tailgate of most SUVs. First, unloading curbside is a cumbersome affair, because you’ll have to carry your luggage around the door to bring it to the sidewalk. This becomes even more difficult if there’s another vehicle parked directly behind the Bronco. Second, the door needs to be swung out at least 90 degrees in order for the glass rear window to clear the spare tire when lifting it up and open. Finally, the tailgate’s gas strut feels like it’s working against you, making it harder and slower to open than most tailgates. The Wrangler has a similar setup but it’s easier to use.

We’re happy to report that all Broncos, regardless of trim, come standard with forward collision warning (FCW) and automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection. This holds true for the seven-speed manual-transmission models. Blind spot warning (BSW), rear cross traffic warning (RCTW), lane departure warning (LDW), and lane keeping assistance (LKA) are optional. Much of this is in stark contrast to the Wrangler, which doesn’t come standard with any active safety features, and pedestrian detection, LDW, and LKA aren’t available at all.

As with many new vehicles these days, and thanks to a low supply of automotive parts and raw materials, dealer lots aren’t exactly brimming over with Broncos. To make matters worse, we’ve seen some ridiculously marked-up models, to the tune of close to $50,000 over the total MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price). 

But don’t be deterred by these local—and ludicrous—markups. Most people aren’t paying anywhere near what the dealers are advertising. Based on recent transactions, 2022 Ford Broncos are currently going for about 1 percent over MSRP, which isn’t terrible considering the hype and demand surrounding the Bronco, not to mention the extremely limited supply of new vehicles in general right now. Also, don’t forget that a car-buying service, like CR’s Build & Buy, can help get you a fair deal.