(WWJ) “You’re not stuck," said the man trying to guide me out of a deep rut. "You’re momentum-ly challenged.”
Overcoming those challenges, the point of a vehicle like the Ford Bronco. And, when it comes to test driving a vehicle like that--even Michigan's potholes aren't enough of a test.
My first impressions of the Ford Bronco, an awesome vehicle on-road and off. It's one I could see many people buying for the looks, and driving exclusively on road.
But, if you want to learn what it can do off road, Ford is giving buyers a day and a half at one of four "Off-Roadeo" sites. You provide the transportation. They provide the instruction and some very difficult courses.
Ford taking me to the first site near Austin, Texas. And, that's where the adventure begins.
“It’s amazing what these vehicles can do,” says Bronco Cheif Engineer Eric Loeffler. “They can climb over huge obstacles the size of the vehicle and get you where you want to go.”
My momentum was challenged twice. Both times through operator error. When I used the right settings, the Bronco got through just about anything that was put in its way.
You would expect that with a course set up by Ford. But the challenges were immense, rock-strewn paths heading up steep hills, water over thirty-inches deep, and the occasional boulder.
This place has three different trails, with Texas style names--Jalapeño, Habanero and Ghost Pepper.
Now for somebody who doesn't like his food spicy, that was a bit of a warning. But, with some help from experienced guides, I learned what I could do, and what the vehicle could do.
Even though the style harkens back to a bare-bones utility that debuted in the sixties, underneath it all, the Bronco is as modern a vehicle as you’ll find.
You can choose which kind of terrain you want to handle with the turning of a knob. You push buttons to engage locking differentials, a trail control mode to allow you to control everything with the accelerator…or let the vehicle do the moving while you steer. Another button engages a system that tightens your turning radius.
It’s called GOAT, which harkens back to the original Bronco.
“GOAT was the code name for the very first Bronco back in the sixties,” says Ford Consumer Marketing Manager Mark Gruber. “It stood for goes over any terrain.”
I was impressed with small details. Side view mirrors are put on the body, not the doors, so that when you take the doors off, the mirrors stay on. The doors are designed to come off easily and store in the back of the vehicle.
Ford also promises good crash tests ratings. That can be an issue with vehicles like this.
But can it be your daily driver? I was impressed with the on-road handling in a two hour drive around some pretty windy streets near Austin. Not as smooth as a crossover, but a lot better than most vehicles that are designed for off-road use. Storage area was o.k. Back seat room a bit tight.
Ford already has 125,000 orders for the Bronco, and they are making their way off the assembly line in Wayne, heading to dealers.
In a world where SUV’s are everywhere, the Bronco offers a different look and instant off road credibility.
"For a while it was kind of unique when you had an SUV, there was a coolness to it,” said analyst Karl Brauer of iseecars.com. “Well, now everybody has an SUV. Now what you have to do is have a really capable off road SUV.”