The Ford Bronco has been at the Wrangler’s throat ever since it was conceptualized. Targeted to take it on from all the sides, the Bronco came out all guns blazing. However, Jeep has made some smart and methodical strikes to some of Bronco’s most vulnerable areas that have skewed the results back in balance. For starters, there was the announcement of the V-8 Wrangler hours before the Bronco’s much-anticipated debut. Then there was the adoption of electrification in the form of the Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid. While you can get the V-8 conversion, you can’t get a plug-in hybrid setup installed on the Bronco, thus giving the edge to the Jeep product.
While the off-roading prowess of the Bronco is as good as – if not better – than the Wrangler 4xe, the on-road performance is not. To test this out, the folks at The Fast Lane Car decided to test this out by pitting the two for a series of straight-line races.
How Much Power Do They Make?
The Wrangler 4xe is powered by a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine and an electric motor that’s mounted on the transmission. The engine makes 270 horses and 295 pound-feet of torque, whereas the motor produces 134 ponies and 181 pound-feet of twist. Combined, the Wrangler 4xe puts out 375 horses and 470 pound-feet of oomph, making it the most powerful Jeep Wrangler ever.}
The Bronco seen here features a 2.7-liter, V-6 EcoBoost engine. It is rated at 310 horses and 400 pound-feet of torque, but the company recently gave it a little more heart.
The only thing where the Bronco holds an advantage over the Wrangler 4xe is the weight. The Ford Bronco weighs 5,200 pounds; 350 pounds lighter than the Wrangler 4xe.
What Happened In The Race?
The Bronco seemed to have better reaction time, but the Wrangler flew past it in no time to claim the victory. The official time was not revealed, but there was a difference of around two seconds at the finish line. The Wrangler 4xe sprinted from 0-60 mph in just 7.09 seconds here, whereas in a solo 0-60 mph test before this race, the Bronco recorded a 0-60 mph time of 10.21 seconds.
Before going up against the Wrangler 4xe, the Bronco went up against a Toyota FJ Cruiser! The Japanese makes 260 horses, but the Bronco beat it just by the nose. It would’ve been quite embarrassing for the Blue Oval product to have lost to a discontinued product.
Conclusion
Straight-line sprints aren’t what off-roaders are supposed to do and you can’t discredit the Bronco only on the basis of this. But, if you do account for those, then the Wrangler is the better product as it beat the Bronco even in the standard form.
If you were to choose one of these two for your needs, which one would it be – the Ford Bronco or the Jeep Wrangler 4xe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section after watching the video below.