All of these new vehicle reviews I conduct are informed by my own car ownership experiences, and out of the 41 vehicles I’ve owned, four are Jeep Wranglers. It’s what brought me to this site initially, I wrote an article about seeing the newly released Ford Bronco for the first time as a Wrangler owner. So, with that in mind, I’m always interested to check out the latest Bronco. I was impressed with Ford’s Wrangler competitor from the beginning, and the only thing that kept me from buying one has been early issues with availability and markups around the D.C. area.
Ford dropped off the latest Bronco Heritage edition for a week, and I decided it was time to see what’s what for prospective buyers to consider. Is the Heritage Limited version worthy of the top (non-Raptor) spot in the Bronco lineup?
It costs how much!?!
Yeah, bro, it’s not cheap. A four-door Heritage Limited, not to be confused with just the regular “Heritage” trim level, is $71,105 for the 2024 model year. If you were wondering, it actually is “limited,” with just 1,966 examples of each of the two-door and four-door variants. Yep, just like the year the Bronco was born. Nice touch, Ford.
It’s built off of the Badlands Bronco with the Sasquatch package, then adds a white roof and grille, plus unique wheels, leather and vinyl upholstery and a few other special interior and exterior bits unique to the trim. So, like my uncle Steve, it’s pretty loaded. Let’s get into more detail about what you get for your 70-large.
A great engine and all the fun off-road stuff
Well, maybe not all of the off-road stuff, but most of it. With its larger engine and suspension upgrades, the Bronco Raptor looms larger on the horizon. Still, the Heritage Limited gets plenty of off-road goodies to keep you highly entertained when the pavement ends. It has all of the fun Sasquatch stuff like beadlock-capable alloy wheels, some fun retro 17-inch “dog-dish” style high-gloss black wheels with — is that a white wall? You also get the rest of the ‘Quatch package, including 35-inch mud-terrain tires, a lifted suspension, a shorter final drive ratio with locking front and rear axles and some cool fender flares.
It also comes with Ford’s Advanced 4×4 with Automatic On Demand Engagement with all of the “G.O.A.T.” modes. The quick series above is about as far off-road as I got, but the Heritage Limited will likely do well on your favorite trail. I particularly like placement of the handles on the hood so you can see the outer corners easily. That would be great out on a trail, particularly since the Bronco is so wide. For reference, it’s just more than 2 inches wider than a 2023 Wrangler Rubicon, not including mirrors.
Thankfully, a top-spec Bronco also has a top-spec engine, specifically Ford’s turbocharged 2.7-liter V-6 EcoBoost. It’s good for 330 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque and comes mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. OK, yeah, the Raptor’s 3.0-liter V-6 produces more power (418 horsepower and 440 pound-feet), but that’s pretty solid. I found the turbo 2.7-liter was great around town, with plenty of merging and passing power.
It’s surprisingly comfortable
One aspect of Jeep ownership I accepted was that it wouldn’t be as comfortable as the average SUV. Between the ride and the interior materials, it’s just something you live with as a Wrangler owner. It’s clear Ford invested a lot of time trying to one-up the Wrangler. Almost everything inside is larger and cushier, and the Bronco would be a great long-distance road trip vehicle. The wide and well-bolstered seats keep you from sliding around too much off-road. I am a sucker for plaid on an interior, and if anything, the Bronco Heritage Limited’s plaid inserts are a bit too subtle.
The rear seats are roomy, with 36.3-inches of legroom, and they sit up a bit higher than the front seats, theater-style. That’s a decent amount of space and good enough in most situations, though it’s worth noting that the latest four-door Wrangler has another two inches of rear legroom. Also, some materials on the inside could be a little better; in particular, the place where my hand rests during traffic on the bottom of the steering wheel has a hollow sound when you tap on it. Overall, though, it’s pretty impressive inside, and I never had negative “really, this is a $70,000 vehicle” thoughts.
Lots of tech, too
The Heritage Limited has all the technology upgrades you can get in a Bronco. That includes the larger 12-inch infotainment touchscreen and 360-degree camera system (from the High package) as well as the Bang & Olufsen 10-speaker sound system, wireless phone charging and navigation (Lux package). So yeah, it’s loaded, like I said.
The wireless charging pad is fantastic, it sits just the right distance away, and holds the phone in a good spot so that you can actually see it. It’s a little thing, but I like the ledge it has right in front of the touchscreen, which is very sizable. The screen is sizable, not the ledge, well I guess the ledge is, too. Anyway, especially if the road was rough, you could use the ledge to study your hand and press the button you are hunting for. I’m not sure how I feel about the soft touch buttons on the steering wheel; but I guess they are better than haptic feedback buttons (looking at you, Volkswagen). One thing is sure: I would constantly play with the auxiliary switches if I owned this Bronco. They make an excellent click sound, and the light changes color on the switch. I felt like I was firing up a battleship or something. Click, Click, Click, not annoying at all.
The bottom line
The Bronco Heritage Limited isn’t for everyone. It’s pretty expensive and only comes in two colors: Yellowstone (light yellow) and Robin’s Egg Blue. So, if you aren’t a fan of either of those or the significant amount of white trim, you can save some money and get a Badlands with a bunch of options. I liked it, though. It has personality. My teenage kids even liked it. They thought the color was cool and liked the interior.
Overall, the Bronco still holds up well compared to the Wrangler. I like the size and packaging better than the Jeep, the Bronco feels a little more substantial. Ford took a Wrangler and slightly overdid everything but in a good way. So, if you want a family hauler that is a bit more interesting and don’t do a double take at the $70K+ price tag, check out the Bronco Heritage Limited.
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