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While the Jeep Wrangler still outsells the Ford Bronco, the latter is not too far behind in the contest and capabilities.
The Jeep Wrangler has a long heritage as a full-blown off-roader, and with the recent models, it has become much more suitable and premium for the urban environment. For a long time, the Jeep Wrangler existed as a niche offering at home in both urban and actual jungles. However, the dynamics changed when Ford introduced the all-new Bronco in 2021.
The Jeep Wrangler and the Ford Bronco are icons in their respective lineages. Both are proper off-roaders from the word go and are available with multiple variants and powertrains to suit everyone’s preferences. And both can be customized using numerous options to go that extra mile in visual appeal and performance.
Jeep also recently launched the mildly-updated 2023 Wrangler with a couple of new colors and very minute cosmetic changes while mostly remaining the same. Here, we compare these proper, go-anywhere modern off-roaders head-to-head to know how these two SUVs fare against each other on every parameter.
Related: Off-Road SUVs: 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Vs Land Rover Defender V8
Both the Wrangler and Bronco take forward the legacy of their predecessors in a modernized form, which is evident in how these SUVs look. In comparison, the Wrangler looks more nostalgic with the iconic vertical seven-slat grille with rounded headlamps on the edges. However, the Bronco looks bolder and fresher with the wide-looking ‘Bronco’ lettering across the front grille.
Both SUVs get similar design elements, though in their respective forms – rounded all-LED headlamps with daytime running LEDs, flared wheel arches (squared in Wrangler and rounded in Bronco), angular pillars, and squared window panels. Other common elements are the tailgate-mounted spare wheel and off-road spec bumpers with tapered edges for better approach and departure angles.
While the design is purely subjective, and both the SUVs here have tremendous road presence, the Bronco looks modern and fresher, considering that the Wrangler has now become too.
Both the SUVs here are available with multiple roof options like a removable hardtop or a convertible-type soft top, removable doors, and rubberized floorings with drain plugs. Even the dashboards in both have upright layouts, which help in the vision ahead during careful off-roading. The Ford, however, aces in the space it offers, with more legroom, knee room, headroom, and even cargo space.
If you compare the cabin of these two SUVs, you will instantly realize how the Bronco looks way more modern than the Wrangler, which has begun to show its age. The full-TFT instrument console and the standard 8-inch touchscreen (option of bigger 12-inch touchscreens in higher variants) make the cabin of the Bronco feel more new-age compared to the Wrangler. Jeep offers the 7-inch and 8.4-inch units for the touchscreen infotainments (depending on variants), though the center console looks a bit old-school due to the plethora of buttons. Apart from these touchscreens, the list of other features is also longer in the Bronco.
Both these SUVs get various potent engine options, though it is the Wrangler which offers varied choices of engines, including a plug-in hybrid and a diesel which are not there in the Bronco.
There are two main powertrain options to choose from in the Ford Bronco – a 2.2-liter inline-four EcoBoost (275 hp of power and 315 lb-ft of torque) with a 7-speed manual or 10-speed automatic and a 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 (315 hp of power and 410 lb-ft of torque) with only the 10-speed automatic. The full-blown Raptor trim gets an exclusive 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 paired to a 10-speed automatic.
The Jeep Wrangler offers a wider choice of powertrains across its lineup. The range starts with a 3.6-liter naturally-aspirated V6 (285 hp of power and 265 lb-ft of torque) with a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic. Then there's a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine (270 hp of power and 295 lb-ft of torque) with an 8-speed automatic. This engine is also available in the plug-in hybrid form in the Wrangler 4xe, where it is paired to a 17.3 kWh battery pack and makes 375 hp of power and 470 lb-ft of torque.
Then there are two more potent engine options in the lineup – a 3.0-liter diesel V6 (260 hp of power and 442 lb-ft of torque) and a 6.4-liter V8 (470 hp of power and 470 lb-ft of torque), the latter of which is only available in the full-blown Wrangler 392. Both these powertrains get the 8-speed automatic as standard.
Related: Small SUV Showdown With A 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer And 2022 Ford Bronco Sport
Both the SUVs come standard with a four-wheel-drive system across the lineup, which makes them focused off-road vehicles, no matter which variant you select.
The Ford Bronco has a part-time four-wheel drive system with 2 Hi, 4 Hi, and 4 Lo modes. Though, if you want it to be more hardcore, you can opt for the Sasquatch package, which includes raised suspension, bigger 35-inch all-terrain tires, and front and rear locking differentials. The top-spec Bronco Raptor pushes the envelope further with 13-inches of ground clearance, 37-inch all-terrain tires, and specialized off-road shock absorbers as standard. The Bronco also gets selectable terrain modes, with the higher trims also getting mud/ruts, Rock Crawl, and Baja modes.
On the other hand, three types of 4WD are available in the Jeep Wrangler. The regular variants have the options of a part-time 4WD system and a Selec-Trac 4WD with automatic 4WD. There’s also a Rock-Trac system, which is exclusive for a few Rubicon variants, including the Wrangler 4xe. The Rubicon variants offer front and rear locking differentials, front stabilizer bar disconnect, and a lower final-drive ratio. Finally, an optional ‘Xtreme Recon’ package for the Rubicon variants (excluding the Rubicon 392 and Rubicon 4xe) adds 12.9-inches of ground clearance, 35-inch off-road tires, and Beadlock-capable alloys.
Hailing from India, Jeo has grown up dreaming about a red-colored Porsche 911. This fascination led him to study more about cars and their functionality in his automotive engineering days from the past. His passion for writing about cars directed him towards blogging, which he has been doing for almost a decade.