Bronco was first announced over a year and a half ago, but since then—owing to production delays and manufacturing defects—only a few have made it into dealer lots.

Rather than tarnish the SUV’s reputation, these delays have increased the hype around the Bronco, with some customers paying far more than the sticker price to get their hands on one.

Production is expected to catch up with demand in the next few months, and people are wondering if it has been worth the wait.

Consumer Reports set out to answer this question, and its initial findings suggest the Bronco is an excellent car, capable of real off-roading but comfortable enough for everyday use.

In fact, the Ford Bronco is so good that Jeep may be forced to improve the Wrangler (its iconic 4WD off-road SUV), or risk falling behind the competition.

The Ford Bronco is a pleasure to drive both on and off the road.

What does the Ford Bronco do better than the Jeep Wrangler?

Consumer Reports

(CR) has yet to put the Bronco through an in-depth road test, but first impressions were very good.

CR’s reviewer enjoyed finding Easter Eggs dotted around the vehicle, including etchings of three older generations of the Bronco hidden under the fuel flap, just above the fuel filler.

The roof and doors come off easily—for people who like that sort of thing—and it’s off-road setting (one of seven different driving modes) handles almost any terrain with ease.

Most impressively though, is the way the Bronco operates as a daily driver. CR reports that the rugged SUV boasts a more comfortable ride and has much better handling than the Wrangler.

The turbocharged V6 engine offers plenty of oomph, while the 10-speed automatic transmission is exceptionally smooth.

This suggests Ford has noticed (and successfully addressed) one of the main issues plaguing recent off-road SUVs, including the Jeep Wrangler:

They look cool and are extremely adept at off-roading, but not refined enough for everyday use.

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Jeep may have to make some changes to the Wrangler

MORE: The Jeep Wrangler Ranks Amazing in 2 of the Categories that Matter Most

The Bronco’s general driveability is likely to put pressure on Jeep to make improvements to the Wrangler.

It’s not that the Wrangler is a bad car, far from it, but Jeep will have to improve the comfort levels afforded to its off-road fleet, or else Ford will make them look bad by comparison.

In addition, Ford has impressed everyone by including forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking for all trim models. Blind spot warning, lane departure warning (LDW), and lane keeping assistance (LKA) are optional extras.

The Wrangler, by comparison, doesn’t include any active safety features on base models, and LDW and LKA are not available on any trim.

Consumers will be hoping that Jeep is forced to follow Ford’s lead here, too.

Ford Jeep

Written By

Alex Healey · Expert Insurance Writer

"Alex Healey is an insurance writer specializing in car insurance and personal finance. Alex’s mission is to create informative, just-in-time content for car owners and buyers. Alex has written articles for Jerry on topics ranging from hybrid vehicle rankings to used car costs. Before joining Jerry, Alex worked as a digital content specialist and editor for brands including InsuranceHotline.com, Rates.ca, and Booking.com. When not writing for Jerry, Alex continues to build his freelance digital content portfolio in the insurance and automotive industries. "

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