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Will 2020 Bronco bring stray blue blood back to the fold???


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I've not been on Blue Oval News for many years. Let me start out to say that deep inside my blood has ran Ford Blue for as long as I have begun to fantasize about vehicles. Henry Ford was a child hood hero and Ford has always had a place in my passion for vehicles. I have owned and customized Escorts, Mustangs, Broncos, a Bronco II, F-150s, E-250s, and an Excursion. My wife and I met over 20 years ago from a discussion about Broncos.

 

That being said. My current "fleet" is all Mopar (I hear the hissing in the background). I drive a 2005 Rubicon Unlimited and a 2016 Challenger Scat Pack. My wife drives a 1999 Durango and 2016 Challenger Scat Pack Shaker. We both have been passionate Ford people in the past, but a 485 hp 5 seat muscle car and an off road worthy platform Jeep has lead us astray. I must admit, when I bought my Challenger, I test drove 2 Mustangs first, and I thought they were great, but still having 2 kids at home that wouldn't fit in the back seat....

 

So my reason for being on this forum... I have been looking at the 2017 Dodge Power Wagon. I love the locking solid axle format like my Rubicon and the 6.4 motor, but getting the same mileage as my Jeep and not needing the pick up bed, I thought, "Man, I just want my old 79 Bronco (swapped a 460 in it .....best truck ever made!!)". My wife said, "Why not wait to see what the 2020 Broncos will be?" Well..,.maybe....

 

So I wanted to voice an opinion about this new truck. I know it is set and most of what it will be is designed, but as a former owner of 3 full sized Broncos, a Bronco II, and an Excursion (closest thing to the Bronco in the last 20 years) I thought Id reach out and try.

 

I will give up my Challenger, but my Jeep.... a Bronco could sway me... if it was a similar no nonsense outdoor any weather hard working SUV like it's grand pappy and father. Id like to see a 2 door (not as marketable I know) with vinyl floor and maybe even vinyl seats. I dont care about power everything, I want a work boot work glove sort of truck. Sure I'd like a 6.2 gas with solid axle super duty platform, but I know that's not the platform the 2020 will be on and I'm ok with that, but a rock solid drive line with locking axles and a rock solid transmission (yes a manual would be fantastic but not likely) and transfer case connected to a dependable and strong motor with enough low end torque to crawl up a mountain path like a goat. I have owned a 2013 Escape with the 4 cyl ecoboost and it was a great car, but boring. I love to drive and to me a Bronco needs to be something that makes you come up with excuses to drive it, like the Challenger and Jeep I own now.

 

I'm just one man and "aint got no say", but I miss the Blue Oval and wonder if the 2020 Bronco could be the vehicle that will bring the Blue Oval back into my garage and heart.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Good write up...your not alone as i have mucho lust for the 2017 power wagon as well..i dont want the bronc hosed up by ford....im not sure how much foot traffic on sales floor it will generate...i for one am kinda exited to see what ford does with the bronc...if ford foists a pink dyed poodle bronc on us u can bet i will greatly enjoy directing an i told you so...

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.... a Bronco could sway me... if it was a similar no nonsense outdoor any weather hard working SUV like it's grand pappy and father. Id like to see a 2 door (not as marketable I know) with vinyl floor and maybe even vinyl seats. I don't care about power everything, I want a work boot, work glove sort of truck. Sure I'd like a 6.2 gas with solid axle super duty platform, but I know that's not the platform the 2020 will be on and I'm ok with that, but a rock solid drive line with locking axles and a rock solid transmission (yes a manual would be fantastic but not likely) and transfer case connected to a dependable and strong motor with enough low end torque to crawl up a mountain path like a goat.

I believe there is a market segment that would like to see Ford go "head to head" with this type of vehicle. I had a Sport Trac for a short time. The kids drove it most of the time, but they really liked the cocoa floor mats over the rubber floor and the small bed. I would have bought another but Ford saddled it with a weak V6 and a weak transmission.

 

Hopefully the marketing folks agree with us.

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I know anecdotally there is ALOT of interest in the Bronco coming back...the salesman who helped us with my Wife's Escape said he's been getting lots of questions from people from his church group and my wife has been saying that lots of her former classmates from High School are very interested in it.

 

I'm not even an SUV fan, but its my #1 interest for a replacement for my SHO in about 3-4 years. I'm looking it as something more practical when I have to go to Home Depot and pickup larger items for the house

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I know anecdotally there is ALOT of interest in the Bronco coming back...the salesman who helped us with my Wife's Escape said he's been getting lots of questions from people from his church group and my wife has been saying that lots of her former classmates from High School are very interested in it.

 

I'm not even an SUV fan, but its my #1 interest for a replacement for my SHO in about 3-4 years. I'm looking it as something more practical when I have to go to Home Depot and pickup larger items for the house

 

We hauled a 10' piece of pipe in our Flex when I was between trucks. The front of the pipe was resting on the little notch by the radio display, but it fit! :)

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  • 2 months later...

I agree with you that there is a gap in the Ford line-up; while I see that a uni-body SUV was the way to go for a mass-seller for the Explorer, the Explorer just doesn't appeal to me. However neither does the Edge, I rented an edge and really liked how it drove, however in my opinion someone is actually trying to make that vehicle look as bland as possible. Sit it next to a Jeep GC and the Jeep looks much, much, much more upscale. There just nothing distinct about it at all, the Explorer marginally better. So with the new Bronco I hope that the engineering staff brings in an exterior designer that comes up with a front end design that moves the Bronco forward - perhaps the whole Ford line-up for that matter. I have posted before that can we get the effort that when into the exterior of the S550 or the Fusion on the SUV exterior. Why does a Ford have to look plebeian next to a BMW, Jeep, Audi etc?? I do like the idea of the Bronco and if it looks as good as it performs, I'd buy it, however at the Jeep GC is it's competition and it's not restricted to capability - a Jeep looks good, very good, let's not have a bland Bronco.

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I like the Jeep GC but I don't agree with your assessment of the Explorer and Edge in comparison to it and others. I think Explorer and Edge look just as good if not better. I've mistaken a few Explorer sports for Range Rovers and vice versa.

 

Not saying your personal preference is wrong but I don't think that it's shared by a lot of others based on the current vehicles. Also, when talking about Audi or BMW you need to look at the MKX and I'll put the current MKX styling up against Audi or BMW any day. MKX makes the Audi look bland.

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Nice start to a promising message thread that hopefully won't get sidetracked with unrelated matters. The Bronco is another of Ford's legacy models that has tremendous potential if given the right dedication to design and its mission statement. Appearances are what attract us at first, so the design has to be bold, distinctive and worthy of the Bronco name and it has to have the power and off-road capability to get the job done. It also has to be available as a basic work vehicle yet also be available to meet the needs and wants of the upscale buyer. It's been widely reported that the target market is the Jeep Wrangler. If so, Bronco needs to offer a 2-door version. Bronco is another opportunity for Ford to be bold, aggressive and to take chances in order to create another distinctive success story!

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The Bronco is another of Ford's legacy models that has tremendous potential if given the right dedication to design and its mission statement. Appearances are what attract us at first, so the design has to be bold, distinctive and worthy of the Bronco name and it has to have the power and off-road capability to get the job done.

.

.

.

It's been widely reported that the target market is the Jeep Wrangler. If so, Bronco needs to offer a 2-door version. Bronco is another opportunity for Ford to be bold, aggressive and to take chances in order to create another distinctive success story!

WOW ! Excellent summary and you hit the nail on the head ! I think there is room for a 2 door and a 4 door.

 

I am hoping the new Ranger will have a 4 door short bed similar to the Sport Trac. I loved the version of the Sport Trac that had rubber flooring and cocoa mats on top. Easy clean up and when the mats get shabby, you buy new ones !

Edited by theoldwizard
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I like the Jeep GC but I don't agree with your assessment of the Explorer and Edge in comparison to it and others. I think Explorer and Edge look just as good if not better. I've mistaken a few Explorer sports for Range Rovers and vice versa.

 

Not saying your personal preference is wrong but I don't think that it's shared by a lot of others based on the current vehicles. Also, when talking about Audi or BMW you need to look at the MKX and I'll put the current MKX styling up against Audi or BMW any day. MKX makes the Audi look bland.

I think you're heavily biased towards Ford, the MKX does not make an Audi look bland, artfully done perhaps, bland no. I disagree you have to look at Lincoln vs. a BMW, Audi. An X1 / X3 or Q3 / Q5 can be had priced in the same range as an Edge if paying MSRP.

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I think you're heavily biased towards Ford, the MKX does not make an Audi look bland, artfully done perhaps, bland no. I disagree you have to look at Lincoln vs. a BMW, Audi. An X1 / X3 or Q3 / Q5 can be had priced in the same range as an Edge if paying MSRP.

 

Here we go again, comparing a larger Ford to a smaller luxury brand. That makes no sense. If the X1 is ok then you should be looking at an Escape for comparison, not an Edge. I don't know anyone who says "I can spend $40K and I don't care how small or large it is." In addition to the difference in warranties there are differences in available equipment. Why not keep it apples to apples?

 

I went back and looked at the Audi Q5 compared to the MKX and they're more similar on the outside than I remembered. But I certainly don't think the Audi looks MORE upscale than the MKX inside or out. And I sat in the Audis at the auto show last year.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Here we go again, comparing a larger Ford to a smaller luxury brand. That makes no sense. If the X1 is ok then you should be looking at an Escape for comparison, not an Edge. I don't know anyone who says "I can spend $40K and I don't care how small or large it is." In addition to the difference in warranties there are differences in available equipment. Why not keep it apples to apples?

 

I went back and looked at the Audi Q5 compared to the MKX and they're more similar on the outside than I remembered. But I certainly don't think the Audi looks MORE upscale than the MKX inside or out. And I sat in the Audis at the auto show last year.

I find making excuses never gets me anywhere, fact is a Ford Edge Sport starts at about the same price as an X3 or Q3. And I am one of those that love Ford, and am not a believer in the "two brands" concept, sure Lincoln can exist however Ford should not be intentionally reducing content in a Ford brand vehicle to "give space" to the Lincoln. If there is price overlap they are competitors, plain and simple.

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There is price overlap between a F150 and a Mercedes C class - are they competitors? I think not.

So you've lost the argument now you're getting off topic. An Edge and a X3 or Q3 are in the same vehicle class, a Mercedes C class and F150 clearly aren't. This is someone with issues' way of agreeing, I recognize and appreciate that.

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So you've lost the argument now you're getting off topic. An Edge and a X3 or Q3 are in the same vehicle class, a Mercedes C class and F150 clearly aren't. This is someone with issues' way of agreeing, I recognize and appreciate that.

 

Not off topic. I was exagerating to make the point that you shouldn't go by cost since the F150 and Mercedes C class can cost the same.

 

The X3 and Q3 are smaller and have more luxury features not available on the Edge including the longer warranty. You need to compare those with the MKC which is the same size and has the same luxury features and warranty.

 

They may get cross shopped just like I once cross shopped a V8 Lincoln LS sedan, a V8 Mustang GT and a 4 cylinder Mercury Cougar - but that doesn't mean those vehicles are direct competitors.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Bronco was a tough truck not a lot of frills and came in at a price within $100 of the Pinto and Maverick.

What a deal. I love the concept Bronco but I fear what Ford might come up with. I could easily see it become crossoverized (the marketplace does not have enough of those yet) I could see it become bloated to a four door and priced just a little under a Raptor.

If they decide to produce a tough nimble Bronco like the concept looks to be and keep the price well under $30,000 they would sell a ton of them.

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  • 5 months later...

I've not been on Blue Oval News for many years. Let me start out to say that deep inside my blood has ran Ford Blue for as long as I have begun to fantasize about vehicles. Henry Ford was a child hood hero and Ford has always had a place in my passion for vehicles. I have owned and customized Escorts, Mustangs, Broncos, a Bronco II, F-150s, E-250s, and an Excursion. My wife and I met over 20 years ago from a discussion about Broncos.

 

That being said. My current "fleet" is all Mopar (I hear the hissing in the background). I drive a 2005 Rubicon Unlimited and a 2016 Challenger Scat Pack. My wife drives a 1999 Durango and 2016 Challenger Scat Pack Shaker. We both have been passionate Ford people in the past, but a 485 hp 5 seat muscle car and an off road worthy platform Jeep has lead us astray. I must admit, when I bought my Challenger, I test drove 2 Mustangs first, and I thought they were great, but still having 2 kids at home that wouldn't fit in the back seat....

 

So my reason for being on this forum... I have been looking at the 2017 Dodge Power Wagon. I love the locking solid axle format like my Rubicon and the 6.4 motor, but getting the same mileage as my Jeep and not needing the pick up bed, I thought, "Man, I just want my old 79 Bronco (swapped a 460 in it .....best truck ever made!!)". My wife said, "Why not wait to see what the 2020 Broncos will be?" Well..,.maybe....

 

So I wanted to voice an opinion about this new truck. I know it is set and most of what it will be is designed, but as a former owner of 3 full sized Broncos, a Bronco II, and an Excursion (closest thing to the Bronco in the last 20 years) I thought Id reach out and try.

 

I will give up my Challenger, but my Jeep.... a Bronco could sway me... if it was a similar no nonsense outdoor any weather hard working SUV like it's grand pappy and father. Id like to see a 2 door (not as marketable I know) with vinyl floor and maybe even vinyl seats. I dont care about power everything, I want a work boot work glove sort of truck. Sure I'd like a 6.2 gas with solid axle super duty platform, but I know that's not the platform the 2020 will be on and I'm ok with that, but a rock solid drive line with locking axles and a rock solid transmission (yes a manual would be fantastic but not likely) and transfer case connected to a dependable and strong motor with enough low end torque to crawl up a mountain path like a goat. I have owned a 2013 Escape with the 4 cyl ecoboost and it was a great car, but boring. I love to drive and to me a Bronco needs to be something that makes you come up with excuses to drive it, like the Challenger and Jeep I own now.

 

I'm just one man and "aint got no say", but I miss the Blue Oval and wonder if the 2020 Bronco could be the vehicle that will bring the Blue Oval back into my garage and heart.

 

I am glad to see the Bronco coming back, I am landowner and active outdoors - like to drive out on the beach, etc and need a 4x4 with ground clearance. I have test driving the new Explorer twice now and just don't like it, I wish Ford had put the new V6 in the old body Explorer one year before sunsetting that model, as IMO that model was far superior to the current one. The new Explorer is coming out and I hear it's put an a platform that was designed for an SUV and as a RWD, though in looking at the spy photos it doesn't have the ground clearance I do need. So while I was skeptical of the body on frame Bronco - and I think there is still room for for to make a dedicated performance SUV, I am going to consider them when they come out. These days my truck is so big for the parking spots, etc I love having a bed and while in the city a truck seems big, once I get out to lesser populated areas and all I've got it was I brought with me, it starts to look small.

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Not off topic. I was exagerating to make the point that you shouldn't go by cost since the F150 and Mercedes C class can cost the same.

 

The X3 and Q3 are smaller and have more luxury features not available on the Edge including the longer warranty. You need to compare those with the MKC which is the same size and has the same luxury features and warranty.

 

They may get cross shopped just like I once cross shopped a V8 Lincoln LS sedan, a V8 Mustang GT and a 4 cylinder Mercury Cougar - but that doesn't mean those vehicles are direct competitors.

 

The X3 and Q3 are within the ballpark, both need a longer warranty because both BMW and Audi are known for vehicles with high maintenance costs. There are some details you don't know, though are out there if you look. Ford dealers report a good amount of business comes from former BMW or Audi owners, that are tired of their vehicles being in the shop, and that is a normal situation both. If you haven't been in a Platinum Edge they are actually really nice, sure the most extreme X3 and Q3's have nicer stuff however have a look at the X3's and Q3's on the roads most are not the loaded versions, most are at best mid-level. I was seeing more and more Edges in my neighborhood - I live in one of the top 4 richest counties in the US, I had a platinum for a week long ski trip, I loved that vehicle by the end of the trip.

You're a Ford fan - go check out an Edge you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Edited by meyeste
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If you haven't been in a Platinum Edge they are actually really nice, sure the most extreme X3 and Q3's have nicer stuff however have a look at the X3's and Q3's on the roads most are not the loaded versions, most are at best mid-level. I was seeing more and more Edges in my neighborhood - I live in one of the top 4 richest counties in the US, I had a platinum for a week long ski trip, I loved that vehicle by the end of the trip.

There is no such thing as a Platinum Edge.

Edited by sullynd
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You're a Ford fan - go check out an Edge you'll be pleasantly surprised.

A - I owned a 2008 Edge for 6 years.

B - I own a 2016 Lincoln MKX

C - I’m a moderator on both the Ford Edge forum and Lincoln MKX forums

 

I’m somewhat familiar with the Edge and MKX!

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