2023 Ford Bronco

To start off with, every trim gets a standard 2.3l EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine which can be coupled to a 10-speed automatic or a cool 7-speed manual transmission. If the regular 4-pot isn’t enough for you, Ford has got you covered with their 2.7L EcoBoost V6 as an option or even a 3.0L EcoBoost V6 unit with the Raptor. All trim comes in AWD as standard with a minimum of 5 G.O.A.T (Go over Any terrain) modes and features like high clearance Bilstein dampers, automatic on-demand 4X4 system, front/rear electronic locking axles, and 35-inch mud terrain tires can be equipped even from the base trim. Put in more money and you would be served with equipment like A FOX internal bypass damper set, 35-inch mud terrain tires, full-length external snorkel, power winch, and even a full underbody bash plate depending on the trim chosen. The table below has a brief summary of the equipment (*only highlighted features*) on each trim to give you an idea of what to expect.

The available packages for the 2023 Ford Bronco include the Sasquatch package available across the board except for the Raptor model, a “Mid package”, a “High package” and a “Lux package” in selected trim. Going for a higher package includes all features from the lower/preceding packages as well.

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If you are looking for a decent single-purpose, weekend off-roader, the base or Big Bend trims would be enough. This saves money for specific packages and options that you might require on the vehicle depending on the trial it is taken to. On the other hand, if you need your Bronco to double up as a daily driver or commuter, you might need to look at the Outer Banks or higher trims as those bring in more comfort and safety-oriented features like heated seats, leather upholstery, and premium Audio, 360-degree camera and blind spot/ rear cross-traffic alert systems to the table.

Release Date

Ford has not officially made a statement about the release of the 2023 Ford Bronco, but unofficial spy pictures and model data leaks suggest that the launch is imminent. Expect an official launch statement before the tail end of the third quarter this year.

The 2023 Ford Bronco is available in a few engine options and each one of them is likable in its own way. The base 2.3L 4-cylinder EcoBoost is a very spritely unit and has lots of meat in it even from lower revs. It has been rated for 275hp on regular gas while premium gas churns out nearly 300 ponies out of it. Acceleration figures are irrelevant here, but it does manage to pull off a 0-60 run in almost 6.1 seconds, with the quick 10-speed automatic of course while the cool 7-speed manual is a bit of a workout and would take at least half a second more to hit the same speed marker.

If that doesn’t sound good enough, you could always opt for the available 2.7L EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 that puts out almost 330hp and 415lb.-ft. of torque. It sounds a whole lot nicer and feels more effortless than the 4-pot when tackling tricky situations. However, the highway performance of both the engines feels almost similar owing to the 10-speed automatic, and we would go on to say that the 4-cylinder might even feel a bit more refined in this situation. All said, if you want to go all out on performance, there is always the Raptor with its 3.0L EcoBoost V6 rated for 418hp, but sadly we still won’t be seeing a Coyote V8 coming in as the new F-150 Raptor, as it is reserved for the DR edition on this SUV.

If you are looking at outright pace here, the 2023 Ford Bronco, even with its comparatively underpowered 2.3L motor does come on top of the competition thanks to the quick and snappy 10-speed automatic transmission. Though the Land Rover Defender has the second most powerful engine here, the near 5,000-pound curb weight including the driver, just eats into performance, essentially making the base 110 the slowest SUV here with a recorded 0-60 time of 7.7 seconds. The Jeep Wrangler does have the biggest motor here, but the dated tech, lack of forced induction, and slow transmission only help it post a 7.3-second run despite weighing in the least.

2023 Ford Bronco Ride and Handling 

Riding on 30-inch tires at the bare minimum spec, the 2023 Ford Bronco, you would think, is not the sort of vehicle that you would be wanting to drive around on the tarmac, on a daily basis. However, to our surprise, the 2023 Bronco with the standard all-season tires behaves better than expected on the roads. The electrically assisted power steering is dead from start, but the effortlessness is real and does hide the mass of the vehicle. Body motions are on the higher side, but it does not feel unsettling at high speeds, and doing 60 all day wouldn’t be a problem.

The SUV does turn in nice and the roll amount feels perfectly in control at a normal pace. Apart from the size and maybe the compromised rear visibility, the 2023 Ford Bronco is one SUV we wouldn’t mind lugging along to the office daily, at least in the standard suspension and wheel/tire combination. Though it won’t match price comparative road going mid-sizers in poise, we can definitely confirm the fact that it drivers better than a Jeep Wrangler. So if you are looking for a hard-core off-roader that doubles up as a daily, the 2023 Ford Bronco would be a better option.

2023 Ford Bronco Braking Performance 

With around 4,500 pounds to carry around even in the base trim, some decent brakes are a necessity for the 2023 Ford Bronco. Having driven it around for some time now, we got to say that the brakes on the 2023 Bronco are just average. With the brake rotors measuring in at just 12.2-inches and 12.1-inches at both ends, the Bronco does take its own sweet time to come to a halt. Teat figures show that it actually takes over 140 feet to come to a halt from 60mph, which is rather lavish and probably messing with the limits of what the law actually allows. There is nothing to complain about the pedal feel here, but the biting force from this unit does feel super mediocre.

The Land Rover Defender, with the biggest hardware in the class, manages to stop the best, posting a low 129-feet halt from the point of application of the brakes. This does come in quite surprising as the Defender weighs at least 400 pounds more than the second heaviest vehicle in this comparison. The 2023 Ford Bronco comes a distant second with a best-recorded distance of 144 feet while the Jeep Wrangler, though sporting decent hardware, takes a lavish 157 feet, something which has been rated as the worst performance on a consumer vehicle in recent times.

Housing a tiny 2.3L mill that has been boosted to push out nearly 300 horses, fuel economy is the last thing we expect from the 2023 Ford Bronco. Not to our surprise, the 2023 Bronco has some of the least efficient small capacity engines for any class, except for maybe a Defender. Managing a best 21 MPG out on the highways, the most range you would squeeze out of the bronco is around 437 miles on a tank full of gas and the small 20.8-gallon gas tank isn’t doing it any favor as well. Though the city and combined economy numbers are each rated at 20 MPGs, expect a real-world number around the 5-17 MPG mark and even lower if you start pushing it in the elements. The V6 motor takes it further back with a combined efficiency rated for a maximum of 17 MPG, with zero chances of you hitting that figure in actual usage.

Even though the 2023 Ford Bronco might look a bit inefficient on its own, it definitely does better than what the Land Rover Defender returns. Rated at a combined efficiency of 18 MPG, it comes out as the least efficient vehicle in its class or any small displacement mainstream engine. However, the huge 23.8-gallon fuel tank helps it regain ground in tank range, comfortably beating or coming on par with the other SUVs here. The Jeep Wrangler on the other hand, though struggles a bit in the city, comes out on its own on the highways with rated gas mileage of 23 MPG which is by far the best figure. That said, if it's overall economy numbers you’re looking at, the 2023 Ford Bronco is the clear winner here.

The interior of the 2023 Ford Bronco is as you would expect. It is clean, ergonomic, and robust. However, we cannot say that every aspect of this place is as appealing because the quality levels on some of the elements are damn near nil, even on the top variants. Though we are aware that the basic requirement here is to hard-wear, we just can’t take our eyes on the plasticky elements in the cabin, with uneven fit/ finish and even creeks when you hard press or pull on certain points, minding the fact that some trims push the sticker prices to over 55 grand. This is something that we thought Ford would fix this year but unfortunately, they have done little.

Since most of the money has gone to exterior hardware, cabin features are also a bit scarce on the 2023 Ford Bronco. Spending 33 grand on the base trim doesn’t get you climate control, auto-dimming inside mirrors, or even a leather-wrapped steering wheel. You need to step up your options to get your hand on one of those features as amenities like power heated seats, leather upholstery, and dual-zone climate control are only available as standard on trims that cost over 50 grand. Coming to comfort, the seats themselves are really good and well contoured, but the compromised ride doesn’t help them take advantage of what they have got to offer in comfort. The overall cabin space is rather decent and fits in five comfortably. The 38.3 cu.-ft. the cargo hold is also really accommodating and you could also drop down the rear seats in 60/40 splits to increase the area even more.

The overall exterior size clearly defines what each SUV has got here to offer as interior space. The Land Rover Defender, being the massive one of the bunch has the most room to offer inside the cabin and definitely feels that war as well. It also has the best ride and road mannerisms of any SUV here while also offering easy ingress and egress in comparison. However, the seats have eaten up haul space as the trunks measure in at a teeny 27.1 cu-ft., which is the smallest in the class. The Ford Bronco has the second airiest cabin here, but the longer wheelbase has helped the Jeep Wrangler eke out a better compromise in legroom at both ends. The bronco also has the biggest cargo area measuring it at 38.3 cu-ft., while the Wrangler has a middling 31.7 cu-ft. of it.

Some standout interior features of the 2023 Ford Bronco include:

• 8-inch Part Digital instrument cluster
• 6-way manual front seats (10-way driver/8-way passenger power-operated units available)
• Cloth seating surfaces (leather-trimmed available)
• Heated and power-operated front seats (trim dependant)
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob (trim dependant)
• Manual climate control (dual-zone available)
• 60/40 slip rear seats

How intuitive is the 2023 Ford Bronco’s infotainment system?

The standard 8-inch SYNC 4 system is nothing to write home about and is an evolution of Ford’s software that we have been seeing for quite some time now. The screen feels sharp and decently responsive for its class, with the brightness just right that it does not cause glare in the dark. Features like wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto come in as standard while the audio is played through a mediocre 6-speaker standard audio system. However, the optional (standard on selected trims) 12-inch unit steps up the game rather nicely. It is easy to use, super crisp, and snappy as an iPad. It comes with voice-assisted navigation and you could also equip it with a 10-speaker B&O premium audio system, which sounds way better than the flat standard audio hardware. If you ask us, this is definitely a must-have feature, but the catch is that you have to opt for one of the nicer trims to even get it as an optional upgrade.

Standout infotainment features available with the 2023 Ford Bronco include:

• 8-inch SYNC 4 infotainment system (12-inch unit available)
• Standard wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay connectivity
• 6-Speaker standard audio system (10-speaker B&O premium system available)
• Bluetooth audio streaming
• Voice recognition feature (available)
• Navigation (available)
• Dual front and rear USB ports/ wireless charger (available)

The Ford Bronco, in our options, is the absolute definition of looking “Cool”. If you ever thought the Jeep Wrangler looked macho, then it’s time to rethink again. Ford just knocked it out of the park with the Bronco’s design and has decided to not mess with what is not wrong, carrying over the entire identity for the 2023 model year, except for some shuffling in exterior shades and minor visual details. The circular headlights with the intersection horizontal running light is now a characteristic trait and there is no mistaking the Bronco for anything else. The rear looks a bit dull for all the drama at the front end, but at least, it looks purposeful and is the only place we could find a Ford logo, which is a nice touch.

The base model with the 16-inch steel wheel setup is an eyesore but thankfully has shod them with some sizable 30-inch tires so that it does not look disproportionate, albeit with all-season rubber than the all-terrain rubber that the rest of the pack got. However, there is always an option to upgrade which is the case with the ugly steel wheels as well. Configurable LED DRLs, front/rear tow hooks, front bash plate, heavy-duty bumpers, roof rails, and heated mirrors with power adjustment are standard options while other equipment like LED fog lamps/ signature lighting, full underbody bash plate, tube step, privacy and power winch are only available on selected higher trims as standard fitment or options. A Bilstein PSD high clearance suspension setup is a standard optional update while FOX internal bypass dampers are reserved for specific trims.

The 2023 Ford Bronco is definitely one sizable machine. Though the wheelbase is shorter than the jeep Wrangler, the overall proportions actually are ever so slightly more, making it visually larger. However, the Land Rover Defender dwarfs both SUVs here when it comes to sheer size, with every single exterior measurement comfortably beating both the local off-roaders. However, this size also translates into more heft as the Defender is, at minimum, 400 pounds heavier than the second heaviest SUV here, compromising its outright performance. All said, with close to 10-inches of clearance at disposal, the Jeep Wrangler clearly has the highest ground clearance here, which is something this class yearns for a better break-over angle.

Some of the standout exterior features on the 2023 Ford Bronco include:

• Full LED automatic headlamps with DRLs/ LED tail lamps
• LED fog lamps (available)
• 33-inch all-season tires/ 32/35-inch-all terrain tires (available)
• 16-inch steel wheels/ 17/18-inch high glass finish wheels (available)
• Heater/ power adjusting exterior mirrors
• Powder-coated tube step (available)

Ford has not compromised the safety of the 2023 Ford Bronco as this SUV can be equipped with most of the safety system in the book, which includes a blind spot monitoring system, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree camera, and advanced/bespoke trail control system for when you are hitting the rough stuff. However, the catch here is that all of these functions are available or can be equipped only on higher trims. Base models have to do with basic amenities like an Automatic Emergency brake assist system and rudimentary in-house roll control software. However, all passive systems have been covered and you wouldn’t miss out on any of that. As for safety rating, the IIHS did rate the 2021 Bronco an average “Good” except for head restraints/seats and headlights, while no crash data is available from the NHTSA.

Some of the standout safety features available with the 2023 Ford Bronco include:

• Auto emergency braking
• AdvanceTrac roll stability control
• Blind-spot detection (Available)
• Adaptive cruise control (Available)
• Lane-keeping system (Available)
• Rear cross-traffic alert (Available)
• Trail control/trail turn assist (Available)
• Multi-angle rear-view camera

2023 Ford Bronco vs 2023 Jeep Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler is the only hard-core and price completive rival the Ford Bronco has and probably aims for as well. For that reason, Ford has made sure that they do everything better in every department than Jeep given that they had a lot of time on their hands to study the segment. In daily, use. It shows it as well, as the Bronco is the nicer car to drive around daily, with a better cabin, nicer ride, and more equipment. We can’t be the judge of their off-road capabilities, but as an overall package, the 2023 Ford Bronco might just be the better option with a wider, punchier, and fuel-efficient range of powertrain options. However, being the benchmark that it is, it is hard to complain about the Wrangle, but it definitely is high time that they update the platform.

2023 Ford Bronco vs 2023 Land Rover Defender

Straight off, the 2023 Ford Bronco has a massive base price advantage over the Land Rover Defender in base pricing. This might be deciding factor for many, but our question is will a Bronco buyer even consider buying Defender? Probably not as the Defender has an altogether different niche even though the purpose stated might come common. Even though Land Rover markets it as an out-an-out off-roader, it essentially has its road-based roots and you will see more of it running on tarmac than on trails. As to that, it does offer significantly better comfort, luxury, and driving mannerisms than the Bronco, which it should. So the boundary has been set clear it is on you to decide whether or not to spend the additional 20 odd grand.

If you are on the lookout for a single-purpose, hard-core trail munching machine, the 2023 Ford Bronco is one of the best SUVs the market has on offer now. With a plethora of trims, powertrain, and customization options, you would never be at a point where you would run out of fun with the Bronco (well mostly). This along with the lowest starting prices of the class makes the 2023 Ford Bronco an exciting option for those looking for an entry to the segment without breaking the bank. Shortcomings like cabin quality, middling fuel economy, and unfair spread of equipment across trims might seem a bit odd initially, but we can surely say that you would easily look past it, once you bring this beast of a vehicle to its preferred elements.