2021 Ford Bronco Road Test and Review

2021 Ford Bronco Off Road ・ Photo by Nicole Wakelin

The Ford Bronco is finally back after a long hiatus. This SUV is available as a two-door or four-door with impressive off-road capabilities. It has standard all-wheel drive and features that let off-roaders tackle everything from water to mud to rocks. It also offers an open-air driving experience with removable doors and a removable roof.

Two powerful engines and a choice of manual or automatic transmissions are available. There’s a wide range of standard and available safety features along with a comprehensive infotainment system. There’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as large infotainment screens that make SYNC 4 easy to master. The all-new 2021 Ford Bronco has a lot to offer whether you plan to go off-road on occasion or as often as possible. Let’s take a closer look at this new SUV to see if it’s the right choice for you.

Choose From Seven Capable Trims

There are seven Bronco trims starting with the two-door Base at $28,500. It has a 2.3-liter engine, 7-speed manual transmission, 8.0-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and five drive modes. The Big Bend at $44,385 adds LED fog lamps, 6 drive modes, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and 32-inch wheels. The Black Diamond adds rock rails, bash plates, overhead auxiliary switches, heavy-duty front bumper, and rubberized washout flooring for $36,050.

The Outer Banks is $38,995 with signature LED lighting, electronic locking front and rear axle, front stabilizer bar disconnect, and suspension upgrades. The Badlands is priced at $42,095 with a more powerful 2.7-liter engine, 10-speed automatic transmission, and marine-grade vinyl-trimmed seats with rubberized washout flooring at $42,095. The Wildtrak adds unique exterior accents, 7 drive modes, and the Sasquatch package for $46,890. The First Edition, priced at $56,915, combines features from multiple trims to create a capable and luxurious experience.

Photo by Nicole Wakelin

Two Powertrains With Plenty of Horsepower

The base engine for the Ford Bronco is a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder with 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. This is paired to either a 7-speed manual transmission or a 10-speed automatic. It’s a responsive engine with plenty of horsepower to get the Bronco moving, whether it’s accelerating up to highway speeds or trying to navigate off-road terrain.

There’s also an available 2.7-liter V6 engine that delivers 330 horsepower with 415 lb-ft of torque. This is paired only with a 10-speed automatic transmission only. The increase in horsepower is modest, but there’s a big jump in torque. This makes the V6 a much more aggressive and engaging option. Accelerating up to highway speeds and finding the extra power for passing slower vehicles is no effort. The extra torque also makes this a better choice when tackling challenging off-road terrain like larger rocks.

Photo by Nicole Wakelin

Impressive Off-Roader with Unique Features

You can take the Bronco wherever you like, but where it shines past the pavement. There’s standard four-wheel drive and the Terrain Management System with G.O.A.T. and its seven available drive modes. This stands for "Goes Over Any Terrain," and that’s exactly what the Bronco does off-road. Deep mud, steep inclines, and slippery wet rocks are no challenge. Even driving through muddy water and then tackling a slick, rock slope is easy.

Drive modes and skid plates are part of what make off-roading easy, but there’s also up to 11.6 inches of ground clearance and the ability to ford up to 33.5 inches of water. There are also available front and rear electronic locking differentials, a semi-hydraulic sway bar disconnect, and a unique trailer turn assist feature. This makes tight turns easy, nearly pivoting the Bronco on one wheel. If you plan to off-road, the Bronco is hard to beat.

Photo by Nicole Wakelin

Off-Road Focused With On-Road Manners

The Ford Bronco has plenty of features for going off-road, but that doesn’t mean that’s where you will spend all your time. It still needs to manage daily drives on pavement. On-road, the Bronco smooths out rough pavement and is easy to maneuver through city streets and country roads alike.

The ride is a bit bouncy thanks to the Bronco’s off-road capabilities, and you will feel large bumps and dips. But they’re not jarring; handling is composed with centered steering that doesn’t demand too much of the driver. It’s easy to pilot the Bronco through twisting roads or longer highway drives. The Bronco is well-suited to on-road driving while still having all the capability you need for off-road adventures.

Photo by Nicole Wakelin

A Comfortable Interior

The Bronco is available as a two-door with seating for four people or as a four-door with seating for five people. Front seats are supportive and comfortable regardless of the body style. It’s easy to get a seating position that lets you see high over the hood for off-roading or relax for a road trip. Rear seats are also comfortable, but not as easy to access in the two-door version. While two adults can fit, they have to be agile. 

Those who plan on regularly using the rear seats should consider the four-door Bronco. It has plenty of room for two in the rear seats and three on all but the longest drives. Overall, the ride is smooth with a bit of bounce, but not enough to bother. There is noticeable wind noise, more so with a soft top, but it’s a small sacrifice for being able to take the top off.

Photo by Nicole Wakelin

Cargo With a Unique Door Storage

The Bronco has plenty of room for cargo with up to 35.6 cubic inches behind the rear seats and 77.6 inches behind the front seats. It can also tow up to 3,500 pounds of additional cargo. There is a wide range of available accessories that let you configure the interior to suit your personal cargo needs. Roof racks, interior rear door storage with built-in tables, and two-level dividers for the cargo area let you make the most of the Bronco’s cargo capacity.

The four-door also has a unique system for holding one bit of cargo that can be a challenge – the doors. Rather than having to take them off someplace where they can be safely stored until you return, the doors have protective carrying cases. Those cases slide neatly and securely behind the rear seats so you can take the doors off anywhere, anytime.

Photo by Nicole Wakelin

Infotainment With Large Screens and Great Features

Standard infotainment for the Bronco includes SYNC 4 with an 8.0-inch touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also an available 12.0-inch touchscreen and wireless charging. A 6-speaker audio system is also standard with the option for a premium 10-speaker B&O audio system on select trims.

SYNC 4 is easy to use with large touchscreens, even on the base trim. This makes navigating through menus easy and is particularly handy off-road. The trail cameras display a clear image of the terrain around the Bronco with multiple views so you can more safely navigate around potential obstacles. Standard wireless smartphone connectivity, which is often found only on top trims of a vehicle, keeps the interior neat and tidy without the need for cables to stay connected. SYNC 4 is a strong offering with large touchscreens and key features standard.

Photo by Nicole Wakelin

Extensive Standard Safety

The 2021 Ford Bronco has not yet been crash tested by either the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. There is, however, a long list of standard safety features on the Ford Bronco as a part of Ford Co-Pilot 360. This includes auto high beams, pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, and dynamic brake support. There’s also hill start assist, a rearview camera with gridlines, and hill descent control on models with the manual transmission.

Additional available safety features include blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, lane-keeping alert, driver alert, forward collision sensing system, and adaptive cruise control. The Bronco’s wide range of standard safety features make it an SUV you can drive with confidence.

Photo by Nicole Wakelin

Final Thoughts

The Ford Bronco is a welcome addition for the off-roading enthusiast. It comes in a wide range of well-equipped trims, all with impressive capability, and it has available features that make more advanced off-roading easy. There’s also the ability to remove the doors and the roof for an open-air driving experience that takes full advantage of your time off-road.

It combines that capability with a choice of two-door or four-door body styles and a wide range of standard safety features. Infotainment is also solid with large touchscreens that make navigating through the menus easy. The Bronco badge is one with a long history. The all-new 2021 Ford Bronco lives up to that legacy with its combination of off-road capability, key safety and infotainment features, and open-air driving that off-road enthusiasts will love.

Photo by Nicole Wakelin