[vt100]

Originally Posted by BYEIL

You really think Ford is putting all this R&D into the Bronco and going to let themselves fall short of the Wrangler?



“One of the key things that reduces the flexibility of an independent suspension setup is the stabilizer bar, which links the two front wheels together to reduce body roll. The Bronco has an available electronic disconnect on its front stabilizer bar, allowing way more travel—on an RTI ramp, which measures a 4x4's suspension flex, a Bronco Badlands goes from a score of 560 with the stabilizer bar connected to 700 when disconnected.

Finally, while independent suspension used to mean limited wheel travel, Ford says the Bronco's suspension has 17 percent more travel than the Wrangler. You can also get Bilstein position-sensitive dampers on every trim of the Bronco, which get stiffer toward the top end of their travel. That means more on-road comfort around town with better composure in challenging high-speed terrain. Combined with the inherent advantages of independent front suspension, the new Bronco should easily feel more refined and stable than the Wrangler, especially in the on-road driving where most owners spend the majority of their time.”

They conveniently don't mention which Wrangler they compare it with And I assume it is not Rubicon but most likely a regular Sport. While on Bronco side they use their top of the line config.

[BMWBear]

Originally Posted by vt100

They conveniently don't mention which Wrangler they compare it with And I assume it is not Rubicon but most likely a regular Sport. While on Bronco side they use their top of the line config.

Yeah you’re right. Ford is going to take one of the most highly anticipated auto relaunches since the Camaro and release some half-ass build that won’t even beat their one competitor.

[Socal_R8]

not the 392, but excited as heck to be flying out in the morning to pick up my first Jeep.

figured I'd save $30K and just get the 2.0 Turbo version....Don't plan on drag racing her anyway

[N8N]

Originally Posted by BYEIL

Most people drive it on roads more than offroad so it would only make sense to improve road manners. At least Ford understands this logic.

They should keep a straight axle version which im guessing would only make up a small percentage of sales. It would keep the "hardcore" guys from throwing a tantrum.

But that is the appeal of the Wrangler. If you want something on road oriented, but with good light off road capability, they offer the Grand Cherokee. Two different vehicles.

[BMWBear]

Originally Posted by N8N

But that is the appeal of the Wrangler. If you want something on road oriented, but with good light off road capability, they offer the Grand Cherokee. Two different vehicles.

I have a Wrangler and would like something more road friendly to drive around the wife and kids but like the endless possibilities to customise. Something between the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler. I had a Grand Cherokee and it got boring real quick.

[vt100]

Originally Posted by BYEIL

Yeah you’re right. Ford is going to take one of the most highly anticipated auto relaunches since the Camaro and release some half-ass build that won’t even beat their one competitor.

Any architecture has its limitations. IFS is much harder and way more expensive to make suitable for rock crawling. Then reliability will also be worse - check how often folks need to replace axles on IFS They literally carry spare axles all the time with them. And bending lower control arms happens all the time too.
And customization and lifting will be much much harder and more expensive comparing to SA.

[dgoldenz]

I need one

[BMWBear]

Originally Posted by vt100

Any architecture has its limitations. IFS is much harder and way more expensive to make suitable for rock crawling. Then reliability will also be worse - check how often folks need to replace axles on IFS They literally carry spare axles all the time with them. And bending lower control arms happens all the time too.
And customization and lifting will be much much harder and more expensive comparing to SA.

Aftermarket parts for the Bronco will be just as available and abundant as the Wrangler over time and pricing will be competitive. Just like anything else the higher quality of parts the less chance of failure. If you’re going rock climbing then you should expect to break something even if you’re a goat.
My needs don’t include rock climbing and I’d say that’s true for 90% of owners if not more. I’d prefer the additional comfort.

[keg97]

Anybody on here own or have owned one of these?

I'm looking for a fun supplemental vehicle and I've always wanted a Jeep. I've driven the 2.0 and 3.6 engines and they're just rough. I'm too used to our German engines! I've had a 4xe for a rental a few times and actually liked the instant torque. But they have major recalls and safety issues. I test drove a 392 yesterday and wow. The engine. The exhaust. It actually rides quite nicely too.

[dgoldenz]

I had one, great daily except for the gas mileage. Needs a bigger tank. Would def get another one.

[keg97]

Originally Posted by dgoldenz

I had one, great daily except for the gas mileage. Needs a bigger tank. Would def get another one.

Great feedback- thanks! How many miles did you put on it? Any issues?

I know that mileage is rough and looked up the gas tank size as well. Our Escalade's poor gas mileage wasn't nearly as bad with the 30 gallon tank since you didn't need to visit a gas station quite as often.

[JerseyM3]

Originally Posted by dgoldenz

I had one, great daily except for the gas mileage. Needs a bigger tank. Would def get another one.

How'd it handle? I know its a jeep and I realize its not a track weapon, but as someone who has a Rubicon and has owned 5 wranglers before it can attest the worst things about these rigs are the poor handling at speed and the brakes. So throwing 400hp in one seems insanely fun 😁 but I just gotta know.

[dgoldenz]

Originally Posted by keg97

Great feedback- thanks! How many miles did you put on it? Any issues?

I know that mileage is rough and looked up the gas tank size as well. Our Escalade's poor gas mileage wasn't nearly as bad with the 30 gallon tank since you didn't need to visit a gas station quite as often.

I bought it new and put about 10k miles on it before selling, didn't have any issues. The gas tank is like 18 gallons so I was stopping for gas every 3 days.

Originally Posted by JerseyM3

How'd it handle? I know its a jeep and I realize its not a track weapon, but as someone who has a Rubicon and has owned 5 wranglers before it can attest the worst things about these rigs are the poor handling at speed and the brakes. So throwing 400hp in one seems insanely fun 😁 but I just gotta know.

Handling is as you'd expect (bad). Weirdly, it rode better on the highway than the 6-cylinder one I had, maybe because of the different suspension setup.

[keg97]

Originally Posted by JerseyM3

How'd it handle? I know its a jeep and I realize its not a track weapon, but as someone who has a Rubicon and has owned 5 wranglers before it can attest the worst things about these rigs are the poor handling at speed and the brakes. So throwing 400hp in one seems insanely fun 😁 but I just gotta know.

So I was on a test drive so I couldn't really wring it out but it was surprisingly good. The 392's have dual stage Fox shocks so those plus that engine weight must help with settling out some of the ox-cart like handling. Tires likely have a ton to do with the handling and I'd imagine the off-road type tires these come with don't help much.

I'm as much interested in ride quality as handling, while recognizing it's a doggone Jeep. Interestingly, all the reviews when it came out speak very highly of all of the above, with several noting like you did, 470 HP in a Wrangler sounds like a complete misnomer.

[Bumpinjeep]

Originally Posted by keg97

Anybody on here own or have owned one of these?

I'm looking for a fun supplemental vehicle and I've always wanted a Jeep. I've driven the 2.0 and 3.6 engines and they're just rough. I'm too used to our German engines! I've had a 4xe for a rental a few times and actually liked the instant torque. But they have major recalls and safety issues. I test drove a 392 yesterday and wow. The engine. The exhaust. It actually rides quite nicely too.

Which 392 variant did you drive?
Rubicon 392/Final Edition
MOAB 392
Willys 392
The basically all offer the same on road but vary with pricing. The main difference is that the Willys being the cheapest, doesn't have a front locker nor electronic swaybar disconnect (easy fix).
It's on my short list of vehicles when I replace my current 4Xe lease (I also love the way the 4Xe has instant power/torque, but with values dropping, there's no point in buying out my lease).

[keg97]

Originally Posted by Bumpinjeep

Which 392 variant did you drive?
Rubicon 392/Final Edition
MOAB 392
Willys 392
The basically all offer the same on road but vary with pricing. The main difference is that the Willys being the cheapest, doesn't have a front locker nor electronic swaybar disconnect (easy fix).
It's on my short list of vehicles when I replace my current 4Xe lease (I also love the way the 4Xe has instant power/torque, but with values dropping, there's no point in buying out my lease).

Rubicon 392

[Bumpinjeep]

Originally Posted by keg97

Rubicon 392

If you're not into rock crawling, I would take a look at the Willys 392 then. You're only giving up a front locker and electric sway bar disconnect (you can buy a manual one for cheap) and you're saving over $30K on the original Rubicon 392 MSRP.

[vt100]

Just thought it would perfectly blend here in this topic:

It's a Jeep thing!

[bimmer456]

Amazing how this thread has managed to come back in 2026 from 2021.

[keg97]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

Amazing how this thread has managed to come back in 2026 from 2021.

As the one who brought it back, it made more sense to me than create a brand new thread.

[JerseyM3]

For those of you interested in buying one, I am on my 5th. Love them. Yeah they are quirky. Yeah the handling sux. Yeah its 60-0 in about an hour. Yeah all those things. But theres nothing like it, maybe the Bronco. But my bro inlaw has one. The Outer Banks trim. Tbh, its a pos. Plastic everywhere. Drives marginally smoother then the RUBI I have. But my Rubi as well as entry level wranglers have a nicer interior. The dash isnt plastic. The seats are more comfortable and the new display is nicer too. Now I haven't been in the Raptor version so I can't compare. But nothing like pressing a button on a gorgeous day and 90% of the roof rolls back. And if you need more to air out your shorts, take the doors off. Hell, drop the windshield too.

[keg97]

Originally Posted by JerseyM3

For those of you interested in buying one, I am on my 5th. Love them. Yeah they are quirky. Yeah the handling sux. Yeah its 60-0 in about an hour. Yeah all those things. But theres nothing like it, maybe the Bronco. But my bro inlaw has one. The Outer Banks trim. Tbh, its a pos. Plastic everywhere. Drives marginally smoother then the RUBI I have. But my Rubi as well as entry level wranglers have a nicer interior. The dash isnt plastic. The seats are more comfortable and the new display is nicer too. Now I haven't been in the Raptor version so I can't compare. But nothing like pressing a button on a gorgeous day and 90% of the roof rolls back. And if you need more to air out your shorts, take the doors off. Hell, drop the windshield too.

5 Jeeps? You're one of those guys! Years? Colors? What's been your favorite?

I had a brand new blue pearl manual '95 (yeah I know square headlights) that I begged my parents to let me buy in college from good ole Flemington Jeep/Eagle. I rolled that thing doing stupid college kid driving inside of a month and I was back in my '86 toyota camry before my parents could choke me. I've yearned for one since but with 3 kids, driving 40K/year, etc., it hasn't been in the cards. The 392 just keeps calling my name. I've started looking preowned to curb the fussing from the wife who will surely balk at a 80-100k sticker for a "toy".

It is amazing how all the 392 reviews are all so positive. It's almost the big engine calms down the typical negative jeep driving experience.