I've been driving cars for a really long time and have owned over a dozen different vehicles throughout the years. I love all the modern features and additions, but I have to admit, there's something about some of the earlier designs that still has more wow factor than modern look-alike vehicles. This is particularly true with SUVs. Yes, they're the most popular category on the road, but they sure do end up looking alike. Sometimes it's only the badging that tells you it's a Mazda, not a Toyota or Honda!
That's one big reason I've been a big fan of the reintroduced Ford Bronco. It had peak visibility when OJ drove one down the 405 in Los Angeles, but then there was a 25-year hiatus when it just wasn't part of the Ford lineup. It returned in 2021 with a wonderful, nostalgic design hiding all the latest safety features.
When Ford reached out and offered me a chance to check out the 2024 Ford Bronco "Everglades" 4-Door 4x4, I was ready to drive it up into the Rockies and slot it into my daily life. It did not fail to impress me, though with its big snorkel and premium front winch, it's a bit more rugged than many of the other Bronco options and trim kits. The Everglades edition comes in a beautiful Azure Gray Metallic Tri-Coat (with Onyx White seats):
It's hard not to notice that winch, right? The exterior definitely focuses on being ready for some 4x4 adventures. Those tires are huge, they're LT315-70R17 and they're about $350 each. If you're unsure how to read tire designations, these are light truck (LT), 315mm (sidewall to sidewall. 315 is big!), 70 is aspect ratio (so sidewall is 70% of its total width), R indicates it's a radial tire, and 17 inches is the matching wheel size. Millimeters and inches in the same designation? Isn't a lack of standards wonderful? 😉
More seriously, the Bronco has great curb appeal already, and the Everglades package offers some fun additions to the standard design. You can see the snorkel in the above picture (edge of the far side of the windshield) but there are also heavy-duty decals just behind the front wheels too:
It's subtle, but the center portion has a picture and says "Sasquatch". Does the cryptid Bigfoot drive one of these? We may never know, but it's a fun element that definitely starts conversations.
Swinging inside the vehicle, the dashboard has a touch of retro, but is ultimately quite modern:
The buckin' bronco emblem of the Bronco shows up in a number of places in the vehicle, but I particularly like this one that's in the center of the steering wheel (the Mustang has a running horse, as opposed to this bucking horse graphic). There are a lot of subtle truck features that are tucked away here too, including the netting that offers an expandable driver's door storage space. The Bronco is a 4x4 ready for off-road adventures, and you can see the GOAT dial just in front of the gearshift. Here's a closer view:
The GOAT (Goes Over All Terrain) knob offers easy access to 2H, 4L, 4H, and 4A, along with some additional modes. I was cursed with perfect weather for the week of my loan so was unable to really test any of these features. Notice also on the center console that the window controls are behind the GOAT knob. Unlike just about every other car on the road, the Ford Bronco has a cluster for all window controls, and, surprisingly, doesn't allow rear passengers to open or close their windows. Great for parents!
The drive experience is solid and sure-footed, powered by a 2.3L EcoBoost I-4 Engine with an impressive 10-speed automatic transmission. It has a long list of safety and convenience features, and the overall drive is much more truck than sportscar. Still, I felt very safe in this vehicle and always appreciate the "slightly above the other cars" altitude of the driver's space.
I also really like the classic design of the forward/backward gearshift. No complexity, no strange pattern to negotiate, no hunt for the gear shift buttons, just a design that would have worked just fine fifty years ago too. Retro, right?
The main gauge display is an interesting hybrid of classic (speedometer dial with a needle indicating current speed) along with modern digital displays. I never once looked at the speedometer, much preferring the bar graph showing current speed and engine rpms. Notice also here that my average miles per gallon was 19.7. Curious because the EPA ratings for this SUV are 18/17 (yes, it does better with city driving than on the highway, probably because it's not particularly aerodynamic). It offers a decent 3,500 pounds of towing capacity too.
A few aspects of the driver's experience seemed a bit odd. With only one stick coming out of the steering column, Ford has jammed a lot of different features onto the windshield wiper controls:
All of this is mostly hidden behind the steering wheel, so it takes a bit of practice to figure out how to manage all of the many controls.
Look up in the cabin and something else really cool is revealed:
You can remove the ceiling panels. However, since the vehicle also has a roof rack, the process is quite complicated because you have to remove the rack (tools included), then pop out the panels. Ford estimates it'll take approximately 30 minutes. You can store everything in the back seat, but there's no special clips or anything to keep them secure as you bounce down that ravine, so my expectation is most people leave the panels in their garage or somewhere similar.
The downside of these removable panels is that the vehicle is noisy. It's not too bad at regular road speeds, but I took it up to about 80mph on the highway (don't worry, it was posted 75mph!) and it was loud enough that a conversation with a rear passenger would involve raised voices. Then again, you can't hear them complain that they don't have rear window controls either, so it's a trade-off.
The front seat design has a definite truck vibe, as you would expect from the company that has the bestselling pickup truck in the world.
I found it quite comfortable, but I did have a friend who needed assistance getting in and out of the passenger seat due to its height from the road. Make of that what you will. 🤪
Rear legroom was decent: the above is with the driver's seat pushed far back. Better than rear legroom in many of the midsize SUVs I have reviewed, another plus for the Bronco design. The rear seats are also a 60/40 split design, as you can see from this shot of the cargo space:
Notice that the rear door swings sideways, and the rear window flips up. You do need to be careful in a tight parking lot because the rear door tends to swing beyond the 90º mark and could ostensibly whack an adjacent vehicle. Lots of cargo space, as you can see, and tucked under the floormat is a really interesting slide-out rear tailgate. It's basically a table, but perfect for, well, tailgating!
And we can't forget that rockin' winch:
Personally, I've never needed to winch a car out of a ditch or my own car out of a culvert, but whether or not it's going to be used, it's sure cool looking. You will need to remember it's there when you're parking in a tight spot!
I really enjoyed the Bronco Everglades quite a lot. Sure, it's noisy, and there are some surprising quirks like the lack of automatic seats and window controls for rear passengers, but that's more than eclipsed by the fantastic design, great drive experience (I did feel like I could drive through any terrain or weather I encountered), and fun touches throughout that stand as an excellent reminder that the best American car companies can more than rival their Asian and European competitors. If you're hunting for a mid-size SUV and want to demonstrate that you don't just follow the pack, I would highly encourage you to check out the Bronco, in one of its many quite varied trim options.
2024 Ford Bronco Everglades 4-Door 4x4 with 2.3L EcoBoost I-4 Engine and 10-Speed Automatic Transmission. BASE PRICE: $55,720.00. Options included: Floor Liners, Premium Paint. AS DRIVEN: $58,770.00.
Disclaimer: Ford loaned me the Bronco for a week in return for this candid writeup. This article originally appeared on PlanetDave.com with the title Retro and Rugged, the 2024 Ford Bronco Everglades 4x4.
