Ford Bronco vs. Jeep Wrangler: Ultimate Showdown

The battle for off-road supremacy comes down to two legendary names: the Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wrangler. If you are looking for an SUV that can tackle dirt trails on Saturday and cruise the highway on Monday, choosing between these two American icons is a tough decision. Let us break down exactly how they compare.

Pricing and Trim Levels

Both Ford and Jeep offer a massive variety of trims to fit different budgets and driving styles.

For 2024, Jeep dropped its prices slightly on entry-level models. The base two-door Wrangler Sport starts around $31,995. If you want the legendary off-road capability of the Wrangler Rubicon, expect a starting price near $47,330 for the four-door model.

Ford eliminated the base trim for the 2024 Bronco. The entry-level model is now the Bronco Big Bend, which starts at $39,630. If you want Ford’s direct competitor to the Rubicon, you will look at the Bronco Badlands. The Badlands trim starts at $50,095.

Engine Performance and Power

When it comes to engines, both brands take entirely different approaches to getting you over the mountain.

Ford gives 2024 Bronco buyers three turbocharged engine choices:

2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder: This standard engine makes 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. You can pair it with a 10-speed automatic or a 7-speed manual transmission.
2.7-liter twin-turbo V6: Upgrading to this engine gets you 330 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. It is only available with the automatic transmission.
3.0-liter twin-turbo V6: Exclusive to the $90,000 Bronco Raptor, this engine delivers a massive 418 horsepower.

Jeep fights back with variety and electrification for the 2024 Wrangler:

2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder: Produces 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.
3.6-liter Pentastar V6: The classic Jeep engine offers 285 horsepower and allows you to choose a 6-speed manual transmission.
Wrangler 4xe Plug-in Hybrid: This powertrain pairs the 2.0-liter turbo with electric motors to make 375 horsepower. It also gives you 21 miles of all-electric range.
6.4-liter Hemi V8: Found only in the $92,000 Wrangler Rubicon 392, this engine pumps out an aggressive 470 horsepower.

The Trail Test: Suspension and Hardware

The biggest difference between the Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wrangler is how they handle suspension mechanics.

Jeep builds the Wrangler on solid front and rear axles. Solid axles are incredibly durable and offer massive wheel articulation. When you are rock crawling in places like Moab, Utah, a solid front axle helps push your tires down into deep ruts so you maintain traction.

Ford took a different path with the Bronco. It features an independent front suspension (IFS) paired with a solid rear axle. The IFS gives the Bronco a massive advantage during high-speed desert running. It absorbs bumps and washes out impacts much better than the Wrangler at 50 miles per hour.

Both vehicles offer extreme factory upgrades for serious buyers. Ford sells the Sasquatch Package for about $6,000 on most trims. It adds 35-inch Goodyear mud-terrain tires, electronic locking front and rear axles, and high-clearance Bilstein shock absorbers. Jeep matches this with the Xtreme 35 Package. Available on the Rubicon and Willys trims, it gives the Wrangler 35-inch BFGoodrich KO2 tires, a 1.5-inch factory suspension lift, and a specialized 4.56 axle ratio.

Interior Technology and Features

If you are paying over $40,000 for an SUV, you expect modern technology inside the cabin.

Jeep gave the 2024 Wrangler a massive interior update. Every new Wrangler now features a standard 12.3-inch center touchscreen running the Uconnect 5 operating system. It includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Jeep also integrated the Trails Offroad digital guide directly into the dashboard, giving you access to over 3,000 mapped off-road routes.

Ford equips the Bronco with a standard 12-inch touchscreen powered by the Sync 4 system. The screen is highly responsive and features an incredible 360-degree camera system. This camera acts as a digital spotter, showing you exactly where your front tires are pointing when you are cresting a steep, blind hill.

When it comes to open-air driving, Ford wins on pure design. The Bronco mounts its side mirrors to the base of the windshield. When you remove the doors, your mirrors stay perfectly in place. Jeep mounts the Wrangler mirrors directly to the doors themselves. If you take the Jeep doors off, you lose your side mirrors and must buy aftermarket replacements to stay street-legal.

Highway Driving and Comfort

Driving these SUVs to work every day requires compromise. Because they are shaped like bricks and feature removable roofs, both vehicles suffer from heavy wind noise at highway speeds.

However, the Ford Bronco steers much better on the highway. The independent front suspension prevents the steering wheel from wandering out of its lane. It drives very much like a modern Ford Ranger pickup truck.

The Wrangler steering feels notoriously loose on paved roads due to the solid front axle. You have to constantly make small steering corrections to keep the Jeep driving in a straight line at 70 miles per hour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for daily driving, the Bronco or the Wrangler? The Ford Bronco is better for daily driving. Its independent front suspension provides smoother, tighter steering and a more comfortable ride on paved highways compared to the solid-axle design of the Jeep Wrangler.

Can you take the roof and doors off the Ford Bronco? Yes. Just like the Jeep Wrangler, you can remove the doors and roof on the Ford Bronco. Ford offers both hardtop and soft-top configurations for the two-door and four-door models.

Does the Jeep Wrangler get better gas mileage than the Ford Bronco? It depends on the engine, but Jeep wins in the hybrid category. The Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid offers up to 21 miles of fully electric driving and gets an estimated 49 MPGe. The standard gas engines for both the Bronco and the Wrangler average around 18 to 20 miles per gallon combined.