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Brought home a 2024 Wrangler Rubicon in US: Why I chose it over Bronco

25th July 2024, 10:05 by Ananth Iyer

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Independent front suspension is okay and results in a relatively good ride quality on the paved surface but I was going for a hardcore 4X4 so solid front axles were a plus for Wrangler

BHPian Vikram_Arya recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

What I like

The way it looks and the imposing stance (You don’t have to strain your eyesight to find your car in a parking lot with 300 cars)
The 3.6 ltr. V6, an all-aluminum, Double Overhead Cam, 24-valve naturally aspirated & port injected engine with 285 horses (This is the fourth 6 pot motor in my current garage; there is one inline 6 though, stayed away from gravelly sounding 2 ltr. Turbo, no offense intended to the 2.0 ltr. Turbo owners)
Powerful brakes (Not something that I was expecting so that’s great)
Surprisingly pliant ride quality (After a Gypsy my expectations were low but was, I surprised)
Infotainment: Stallantis has finally hit it out of the park with a 12.3-inch screen which is very responsive and crisp
Factory-fitted remote start with 330 ft range (Believe me, in -35°C, it is a boon and the most important feature)
Factory installed four auxiliary switches (two rated at 5 amps and two at 15 amps)
Comprehensive safety suite with six airbags including side curtain airbags that were missing till the 2023 MY (2024 update - Did you ever imagine, a radar-based adaptive cruise control on a Wrangler)
Minimal Noise levels even on 110kmph highway speeds (Hard to believe but my BMW 330i is louder)
Fully floating Heavy Duty Dana M220 rear axle (Something that only features on military-grade vehicles or class 8 trucks & this has improved the towing capacity of Wrangler Rubicon (only) to 5,000 lbs.)
Front & rear locking differentials & electronically disconnecting sway bar (Would I ever require those is a million-dollar question)
Factory fitted 275/70R17 BFG KO2 (These are Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rated so I don’t have to buy a separate tire/wheel set for the winter and thank God for that, I already have 3 sets in my garage)
A whopping 10.8 inches (275 mm) ground clearance

And then some not so much

A bit disappointing steering: I know it’s a Recirculating ball setup up but come on the steering on my Gypsy feels better
On a vehicle that costs close to C$80,000 on road, it came with fabric seats which are good but…
A second/auxiliary Li-Ion battery for the ESS (Electronic Start Stop) - Known to die in 2.5 to 3 years
Slightly jiggly ride: I know, now I’m nitpicking; it’s a body on frame, solid axle platform so…
Fuel economy: I’m currently getting about 8.2 kmpl and that’s with air-conditioning on all the time with mostly city driving, so no reason to complain.
Unlockable fuel tank lid (I mean, really Jeep....)
Dealership experience, well that has nothing to do with the vehicle, or is it?
Parked at the dealership waiting for delivery

Here we go again...

It has been a long hiatus away from the forum however I’m glad to be back. Most of us (at least the BHPians) often buy vehicles that tug at our heartstrings; more often than not, these are emotional and not rational decisions.

Some of you may know that I bought a Gypsy King back in 2016 (and I’m glad that I got one brand new as the vehicle went out of production sometime in 2018). Gypsy remains one vehicle that is closest to my heart (yes, I love it more than the German twins) for it reminds me what it was like to drive back in the day when I taught myself how to drive on a CJ-3B (yes, I’m a self-taught driver); the pure mechanical, visceral feel of solid axles (front & back), body on frame with a low range transfer case that could climb up a tree if enough traction was available. Gypsy is actually a much more refined experience (relatively speaking) but retains the same driving characteristics albeit a tighter steering and more powerful engine than the CJ 3B.

So the story starts with my endeavour to get an SUV for my wife (she currently drives a Hyundai Santa Fe V6 which is getting old and giving us grief). The only vehicle under consideration was a Lexus RX350 (the older generation) and she was fine with getting a 2-year-old car as she does not like the looks of the current generation and the fact that it now comes with a 4-cylinder engine. We went to a Lexus dealership test drove 2021 with about 40K on the clock and liked it very much. Just one day after that when I was downtown for a meeting, I saw a brand spanking new Wrangler parked right next to my 330i; I looked at it and that stayed with me after I came back home.

These pictures were taken on my way home

In the last 18 years, I had never considered a Wrangler as I found it to be too rough around the edges; now the Jeep purists might say that it’s a part of the package/appeal however it somehow did not work for me. Back in 2018 I did test-drive a JK at a local dealership but came away unimpressed; the noise levels at the highway speeds were atrocious and the overall feel of the vehicle somehow did not speak to me so that was that.

In the last 6 years, I have acquired two Germans and so my need for speed has been quenched to quite an extent. I do go out hiking/camping at least 3-4 times a year however have never ventured off the beaten path owing to the kind of cars I drive. Given the fact that I live one hour's drive away from the Rocky Mountains with one of the best scenic landscapes and I would like to do some sort of off-the-pavement driving (would refrain from calling it the oft-abused term “off-roading”) to get to that elusive/scenic mountain perch, I felt it was about time to get a 4X4, no not an AWD cross over but a proper SUV.

So, what were my options:

2024/25 Land Cruiser: the local Toyota dealer told me that there’s a 2-year waiting period, so it was crossed out from the list of contenders; the six-cylinder engine recall on the Toyota Tundras put paid to my enthusiasm.

2025 Toyota 4 Runner (a distant cousin of the Landcruiser Paro): well, it’s almost cartoonish looking and comes with a Turbo 4-cylinder engine. Additionally, the incoming lot in September of the current year is likely to be marked up by greedy dealers.

2024 Ford Bronco: I did go to the Ford dealership and looked at a couple of Broncos parked outside. I did not test-drive the Bronco. The fact that the dealership staff showed the least amount of interest towards a walk-in customer was disappointing; a shame because I own (passed on to my daughter in 2020) a Ford Edge that now has 230,000 km without an issue so far. Here are some of the aspects that did not work for me as far as Bronco is concerned:

Bronco is big, almost the size of a full-sized SUV, and barely fits the standard parking lot, especially in downtown where the width of the lots is even less
On narrow forest trails, size is a major issue, especially when giving way to a vehicle coming from the opposite side. The width of the vehicle seemed a bit much, something that can be a hindrance on a trail.
I did not like the large swathes of plastic in the cabin
The placement of rear AC vents under the front seats is a bad design; we know the laws of Thermodynamics so that cold air is going nowhere
Independent front suspension is okay and results in a relatively good ride quality on the paved surface but I was going for a hardcore 4X4 so solid front axles were a plus for Wrangler
Ford Broncos’s Eco Boost 2.3 & 2.7 ltr. Turbocharged Direct Injected engines did not particularly appeal. Either you get the Eco or the boost, you don't get both. The 3.6 ltr. Pentastar is an all-aluminum, Double Overhead Cam 24 valve naturally aspirated & Port Injected & I dislike Direct Injection (though I have a Direct Injected B48 powering my 330i, I don’t like it). I have heard far too many stories of Caron deposit on intake valves, timing chain wear, fuel dilution & LSPI (Low-Speed Pre Ignition). This engine easily lasts up to 400,000 km before it needs major work. 3.6 ltr. Pentastar engine has been in service since 2012 and Stallantis has made millions of these over the last 12 years. All the TSBs have been issued and all the kinks ironed out

And finally the weight; Broncos on average are 500 to 650 lbs heavier than a similar spec’d Wrangler. Bronco Wildtrack is 870 lbs (almost 400kgs) heavier than the Wrangler Rubicon which is unfathomable and was a big negative.

Even if the Lan Cruiser & the 4-Runner were available, there is very high probability that I would have gone for the Wrangler for it spoke to me parked right there on the lot and that my friends is what a vehicle needs to do (at least for me & I'm sure for many of you out there) and then only it is a worthwhile vehicle that will give you some semblance of satisfaction and pride of ownership.

Now comes the question of which variant: There are 18 models (2 & 4 door) available with three engines and two transmission options including a few PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid) models however I was very clear that it is going to be a Hard Top Rubicon with the V-6 and 8 speed automatic ZF transmission. With winter temperatures dipping down to -35°C, the soft top or the Sky One-Touch Power Top was never an option so that was settled.

Going back to the search for an SUV for my wife, I negotiated that we would replace her vehicle next year. Finally, earlier in July I started my search for the right dealership to talk to and zeroed down on one. Visited the place test-drove the Wrangler, and instantly fell in love. Closed the deal within a couple of days and the delivery date was set for July 8th. My daughter dropped me off at the store and brought the Wrangler home by evening. July is also my birthday month so let’s say I gave myself a very expensive present. With 5 cars we have run out of parking space with 2 in the garage and 2 on the driveway so now my daughter’s car has to be parked on the street and she is not very happy about it however I’m planning to sell off the 330i and the Santa Fe so parking situation should soon improve.

Let’s talk about the kit.

As mentioned earlier this one is a Rubicon with the 3.6 ltr. V-6 that puts out 285BHP and 260 Ft lb (353 NM) of torque. It has an 8-speed ZF transmission which is butter smooth. Exclusive to Rubicon is the famous Rock Track (NV241OR) transfer case (Low Range 4.0:1) and a 4.10:1 Final Drive Ratio that translates into a 77.24:1 mind-boggling crawl ratio. Standard fitment on the Rubicon includes Front & rear locking differentials and electronically disconnecting sway bar.

On Day 3, about 70 clicks from home in the countryside