{"id":28598,"date":"2022-01-13T10:28:27","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T14:28:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=28598"},"modified":"2022-01-13T10:28:27","modified_gmt":"2022-01-13T14:28:27","slug":"payne-ford-bronco-sasquatch-vs-land-rover-defender-90-in-the-dirt-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/payne-ford-bronco-sasquatch-vs-land-rover-defender-90-in-the-dirt-bowl","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Ford Bronco Sasquatch vs. Land Rover Defender 90 in the Dirt Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"

Holly<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 What\u2019s better than taking an off-road beast over snowbound Holly Oaks ORV Park? Taking two off-road beasts.<\/p>\n

I flogged the Land Rover Defender 90 and Ford Bronco First Edition two-door models over southeast Michigan\u2019s premier adventure park for grins \u2014 and to see how the two warriors compared. The Bronco has wowed in comparison tests with its arch-rival Jeep Wrangler.<\/p>\n

But so good is Bronco that it also matches up against His Highness of Rugged Royalty, Land Rover.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s good to have the Brit and Bronc back. They are iconic names that disappeared from the U.S. market for years. Defender last sold here in 1997, the Bronco 1996. Credit Wrangler\u2019s wild success as a brand halo for Jeep in the Age of Ute for bringing these two legends out of retirement.<\/p>\n

Like Wrangler, Defender and Bronco have their roots in World War II. They were first built as rugged, battle-ready General Purpose (GP \u2014 or Jeep for short) vehicles. But the Brit and Yank have diverged dramatically since then. Aimed at Land Rover\u2019s First Class clientele, Defender now rides on a \u2014 la-de-da \u2014 air suspension and crisp\u00a0unibody SUV chassis contrary to the truck-based bruiser of safari legend. The Americans are still based on ladder frames and can be stripped naked of their doors and roof to get even closer to Mother Nature.<\/p>\n

Wrangler and Broncos are natural predators and will be hunting each other for years across Holly Oaks and other U.S. adventure parks. But, in a challenge to Jeep, Bronco has updated the off-road formula with state-of-the-art tech \u2014 rotary mode shifter, single-button sway-bar disconnect, fully digital instrument displays, independent front suspension.<\/p>\n

Its sophistication not only challenges Jeep \u2014 but puts it in the same neighborhood as Land Rover for $20,000\u00a0less.<\/p>\n

A consistent theme of these columns is how the electronics age has shrunk the gap between luxe and mainstream (see Mazda CX-50 vs. BMW 2-series, VW Golf R vs. Audi S3, Corvette vs. Porsche), and Rover v. Bronco is another example. Game on.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Punching the Rover 90\u2019s 395-horse, supercharged-and-turbocharged inline-6 across Holly Oaks’ frozen tundra, I slewed the 5,000-pound beast into The Sandbox \u2014 an undulating sea of sand that tests vehicles’ stability and strength. The Defender was solid as a rock (despite an eerie wail from the brakes which my pal, Tom \u2014 riding shotgun \u2014 surmised was sand in the discs) on its unibody chassis.<\/p>\n

The unibody choice raised eyebrows at the Rover\u2019s introduction in 2019 \u2014\u00a0Heresy! Off with the engineers’ heads!\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 but it’s more rigid than the old ladder frame and never flinched through Holly Oaks’ unsparing terrain.<\/p>\n

Defender knows its clientele. For all its off-road chops, Land Rovers are show horses. They spend their time ferrying its occupants to country clubs, not ORV parks.<\/p>\n

Roll out onto the Holly Oaks battlefield and Rover intuitively recognizes the incongruity of the task at hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cUm, do you really know what you\u2019re doing? I\u2019ll take it from here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

What ensues is a heavily managed trip around the grounds, the 90\u2019s electronics always present to ensure you don\u2019t get too far over your skis. For clearance over rocks Defender\u2019s air suspension rises to 11.5 inches.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The big rotary dial on the dash allows easy access to Defender\u2019s multiple modes: AUTO, GRASS\/GRAVEL\/SNOW, MUD, SAND, ROCK CRAWL. But no matter the mode, Defender won\u2019t let you tune the nannies off. As our friends at Car and Driver put it: \u201cNon-defeatable stability control occasionally stifles off-roading.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bronco wants you to push the envelope. Four\u00a0exposed tow hooks come standard \u2014 on the Rover, exposed tow hooks are optional. That tells you something.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Bronco achieves its 11.5\u201d ride height the old-fashioned way \u2014 by slapping on huge\u00a035-inch Goodyear Territory tires, part of a Sasquatch package that includes dual-locking differentials and performance shocks.<\/p>\n

The heck with air suspension, these balloons with teeth not only jack up the car, they can claw up Rushmore\u2019s face. Ford encourages its drivers to play with the firepower on hand. High on the dash are buttons to turn off stability control, disconnect sway bars, turn on lockers, even toggle Turn Assist for extra-tight turning radius.<\/p>\n

The Ford swaggered up to Holly Oaks\u2019 intimidating, snowy, slick Mt. Magna rock face. With 43-degree approach angle, lockers on\u00a0and sway bar disconnected, I waltzed up Magna as easy as Gretzky stuffing a power-play goal.<\/p>\n

The Defender struggled. Never mind its lack of suspension articulation (the Defender doesn\u2019t offer sway bar disconnect), traction control forced multiple attempts to find grip. Its 37.5-degree approach angle and 32-inch Goodyear Wrangler tires also were relatively limited.<\/p>\n

Oh, how I pined for Bronc\u2019s button controls and Territory 35s. The sequence repeated itself across Holly Oaks \u2014 the Ford attacking, the Rover managing. Ultimately, the Bronco\u2019s incredible capabilities took me places the Defender wouldn\u2019t dare.<\/p>\n

How different might \u201cNo Time to Die\u201d have turned out if the bad guys had Sasquatch package to pursue Bond?<\/p>\n

The beauty of the Ford is that, thanks to modern electronics, its controls are as easy to use as Rover’s. The Bronco\u2019s horizontal\u00a0all-digital dash is surprisingly similar to the luxe Rover \u2014 then Bronco ups the ante with a giant center screen and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Drive modes \u2014 NORMAL, ECO, SPORT, MUD\/RUTS, SLIPPERY, SAND\/SNOW, ROCK CRAWL, BAJA, and MARS (just kidding about that last one) \u2014 are accessed via similar rotary dial. No muscling a second transfer case shifter as in Wrangler. Modes are then refined using the aforementioned dash buttons.<\/p>\n

Bronco also matches Rover for visual drama. The two-doors are athletic looking \u2014 the Defender in Pangea Green, the Ford in Area 51 Blue \u2014 compared with\u00a0four-door models. Bronco\u2019s Sasquatch package made my truck pal Scott\u2019s knees weak when he saw it in the parking lot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gotta take a picture for my daughter,\u201d he smiled.<\/p>\n

Yeah, chicks dig these brutes. But those 35s come at a cost to comfort. On road, Defender is noticeably quieter. Put your right foot down and the Defender\u2019s 395-horse supercharged-and-turbocharged inline-6 will get you to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds.<\/p>\n

\"Big<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Hit the gas in the 330-horse Bronco and the turbo V-6 hits 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, but with a roar:\u00a0WAAUUURRGHH!<\/em><\/p>\n

If you want a rugged-looking Land Rover, the $66,000 Defender is the summit. If you want to go off-roading, the $49,000 Bronco is the bomb.<\/p>\n

And you can put the 17 grand you save toward\u00a0a $21K\u00a0Ford Maverick pickup.<\/p>\n

2021\u00a0Ford Bronco First Edition Advanced<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type: Front engine, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger\u00a0two-door compact SUV<\/p>\n

Price: $49,180, including $1,495 destination fee as tested ($31,490 for standard two-door)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 2.7-liter twin-turbo V-6<\/p>\n

Power: 330 horsepower, 415 pound-feet torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: 10-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.3 seconds (Car and Driver); towing capacity, 3,500 pounds<\/p>\n

Weight: 4,871 pounds<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: 17 city\/17 highway\/17 combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Off-road beast; easy-to-use controls<\/p>\n

Lows: Hard-top leaks; noisy ride<\/p>\n

Overall: 4\u00a0stars<\/p>\n

2021 Land Rover Defender 90 First Edition<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel drive, five-passenger\u00a0two-door compact SUV<\/p>\n

Price: $66,475, including $1,350 destination fee as tested ($50,050 base model)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 3.0-liter supercharged turbo-inline 6-cylinder<\/p>\n

Power: 395 horsepower, 406 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: 8-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.7 seconds (mfr.); towing, 8,201 pounds<\/p>\n

Weight: 5,000 pounds<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA, 17 mpg city\/22 highway\/19 combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Standout style; composed ride on- and off-road<\/p>\n

Lows: Undefeatable off-road nannies; no wireless Apple CarPlay\/Android Auto<\/p>\n

Overall: 3 stars<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Holly\u00a0\u2014 What\u2019s better than taking an off-road beast over snowbound Holly Oaks ORV Park? Taking two off-road beasts. I flogged the Land Rover Defender 90 and Ford Bronco First Edition two-door models over southeast Michigan\u2019s premier adventure park for grins \u2014 and to see how the two warriors compared. The Bronco has wowed in comparison […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28598"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28598"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28599,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28598\/revisions\/28599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}