Going Off Road, On Ice, Where the Bronco Shines – RoadandTrack.com

Few vehicles have arrived to fanfare like the revived Ford Bronco. Returning to the SUV segment after more than a quarter-century, the Bronco is unquestionably the 4x4 of the moment. In order to better highlight just how capable these machines are, Ford invited us to the desert around Las Vegas for a full day of off-roading. While the automaker chose to head west, in search of improved terrain and weather, nature had other ideas.

Its only fitting that my first proper off-roading experience in the American West was to take place behind the wheel of the new Bronco. I spent many days as a kid shuffling the steering wheel in my fathers 89 Bronco, dreaming of skipping along the sunny open desert. What I hadnt expected was for the sky to dump a bunch of snow on the desert the night before our outing.

As we began an early-morning ascent of Nevadas Mt. Potosi, the carnage of the prior days snow storm and subsequent freeze-thaw was evident. We passed several vehicles that had been abandoned by their owners, unable to trek back to the highway. Our transport driver joked that these machines would be forced into hibernation at the current rate. I worried my sheer inexperience might put me in a similar situation.

The summit looked more like Salzburg than Sin City. While the automaker hadnt intended for this trip to involve icy conditions, the team wasnt that put off by the powder. If anything it seemed like the engineers and executives were excited to show off the full breadth of the Broncos chops.

I selected a two-door Wildtrak trim, complete with the 2.7-liter V-6 and 10-speed automatic. Once the First Edition offering fades away for the 2022 model year, this Wildtrak will slot just below the upcoming Bronco Raptor as one of the range-topping models. The SUV comes loaded with a ton of hardware for dominating trails, including the much-desired Sasquatch Package. This off-road package includes upgrades such as 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, larger 35-inch all-terrain tires, monotube shocks from Bilstien, upgraded differentials at both ends, and a unique 4.7:1 final drive ratio among other tweaks. Its a far more serious piece of kit than the old 89 I had sitting in the barn as a kid.

Our day was set to begin at Fords Off-Roadeo site, after which wed make our way out across the open desert and over the hills of the surrounding Bureau of Land Management property and the adjacent state land. While the lower elevation outside of the park itself would help eliminate the snow piles, the early part of the morning was unavoidably icy. This made our first challenge of the day, an articulation course over some bouldered terrain, nerve-wracking. While I knew the Off-Roadeo course wasnt going to push the limits of the Broncos suspension, sliding off your planned course was inevitable: the initial drop-in for the articulation test was completely iced over. We were essentially told to send it over edge and fight the urge to adjust the wheel until we stopped. At the precipice of the hill, it was determined that the Broncos Trail Control systemeffectively off-road cruise controlwould be key. While unable to fully fight against the ice, Trail Control effectively modulated wheelspin down the hill. That said, the drop-in was as close to an automotive luge experience as Id like to have. After coming to a halt inches from both a tree and a large boulder, I was at the start of my first articulation course.

From there, I was completely out of my off-roading element. Large rocks dotted both sides of the trail. Wheel placement became ever more crucial thanks to the weather conditions. With some help from the nifty front-facing camera and the G.O.A.T. modes, I slowly began to work my way through the course. I say slowly, as I routinely found myself fighting to catch up with the pack. Years of trying to keep cars in control on pavement worked against me, as excess counter-steering foiled the trucks ability to rise and fall with landscape. One of the Off-Roadeo trail guides popped by to drop a bit of wisdom.

You just have to trust the truck can do it.

Its not a revolutionary sentiment to someone in the know, but it was all that I needed to get settled in. Watching the line of Broncos ahead of me crest each obstacle, I began to feel more confident. As the articulation course came to an end, I was ready to let the Bronco do the hard work. Leaning on the expertise of my fellow drivers, we made our way into the open desert. After an hour or so of rolling, the Bronco fell into place in my head. Like the Wrangler with which it does battle, the Bronco is far more capable than most owners will have the pleasure of knowing. Its a machine for challenging your own limits, pushing personal boundaries, and experiencing the world less traveled. More than anything the Bronco is just plain fun to use on the trails, even if youve never done anything quite like that before.

Six-year-old me wouldve adored this thing, but not nearly as much as the adult me does.

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Going Off Road, On Ice, Where the Bronco Shines - RoadandTrack.com