2026 Ford Bronco Reviews, Pricing & Specs

With an upright stance and a standard 8.4 inches of ground clearance on the four-door models, the Ford Bronco was designed to be a direct off-road competitor to the Jeep Wrangler. The large windows and lower beltline create great sight lines in off-road situations, and while the rear-mounted spare tire looks cool, it also provides easy and functional access in case drivers get a flat on the trail. Our test vehicle was a four-door model, but the Bronco still offers a two-door option in the Base and Badlands trims.

The interior is an interesting combination of high-tech features such as 12-inch digital cluster and infotainment screens, as well as rugged materials with easy-to-clean surfaces, rubber trim pieces, and weather-proof surfaces. While we wouldn’t want to get caught in the rain with all the roof panels off, it’s good to know the interior can deal with the elements and live to drive another day.

We were impressed with the build quality of our test vehicle. All the touch points inside and out felt tough, and we appreciated the solid thwap when the doors closed. The one point of contention we had on our test vehicle was the optional sound-deadening material added to the roof panels. It looked like a glued-on afterthought, and, frankly, didn’t seem to help much.

Our test vehicle had the 60th Anniversary package, and the eye-catching off-white paint stands out in a crowd. However, opting for this package means buyers also have to add the Sasquatch and Outer Banks Lux packages, which collectively add at least $15,000 to the bottom line. In other words, it looks great and has phenomenal off-road capability but costs a pretty penny.

Four-wheel drive (4WD) is standard on the 2026 Ford Bronco, and the base powertrain is the 300-horsepower, 2.3-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine. The test vehicle, however, had the super-smooth 330-hp, 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, which we consider a thing of beauty. It provides fast and seamless acceleration for highway merges and passes, and the low-end torque is great for low-speed maneuvers on an incline.

Our city garage has a 22-degree ramp with a narrow opening, so we were able to test the Bronco’s low-speed capability in the urban jungle. Where a lot of vehicles can be herky jerky up the ramp with some reverse rolling, our tester provided effortless power, and combined with the tight turning radius, maneuvering was easier than we expected.

At lower city speeds, the Bronco is relatively quiet with either powertrain, but the compromises begin on the highway. The tire, wind, and road noise creeping into the cabin is significant, and when making phone calls via the hands-free Bluetooth system, we felt like we were yelling at the person on the other end of the line. Plus, we had to crank up the volume on our podcasts to be able to hear them. The all-terrain tires add another level of impracticality at highway speeds, and we could feel the vibration they produced in the steering wheel.

If buyers can get over the noise on the highway, the Bronco is decently comfortable. The ride itself won’t set their teeth clattering, the Bronco handles road imperfections well, and the front seats are comfortable.

We didn’t have the opportunity to leave the tarmac this time, but we have previously driven this vehicle off-road and consider it one of the best off-roaders around. With better visibility out of all the windows than the Jeep Wrangler and an available surround-view camera system, drivers have more confidence navigating tight trails. We also appreciate that the side mirrors are attached to the A-pillar rather than to the doors, so drivers get to keep them for better all-around visibility even if they remove the doors.

While our test vehicle came with the 10-speed automatic, the Ford Bronco is one of those rare birds that still offers a manual transmission. Buyers can only get it paired with the base engine, though, itself only available on the base, Big Bend, Badlands, and Heritage Edition trims. The Bronco’s Jeep Wrangler rival also offers a manual transmission option.

Whether buyers intend to use the Ford Bronco as a dedicated off-road vehicle or as a daily driver, there is a number of standard and available features that make it more practical. We liked the interior storage spaces, including the armrest and glove box cubbies. Plus, we really appreciated the netting on the door, instead of inflexible plastic, that will easily hold multiple sizes of water bottle in place. Our test vehicle had the available lockable center console storage, which is great for a wallet or a phone.

Maximum cargo space for four-door models is solid at 77.6 cubic feet with the hard top or 83 cubic feet with the soft top, but that drops significantly to 52 cubic feet for two-door models. We found in the four-door model that, even with the rear seats up, there is plenty of space for luggage or gear. A stroller or walker will fit back there just fine, but the lift-in height is a bit high for those on the petite side. Those planning on car camping by putting a mattress in the back with the rear seats folded should know that the load floor isn’t flat, so they'll be on a bit of a downward angle with an awkward bump in the middle.

The Bronco does not come standard with running boards or side steps, but they are available on all trims, and buyers will want them if they're small or have mobility issues. The nice thing about the Bronco is that it has a number of hand grips in logical locations both for the first and second rows that give a helping hand to those accessing the cabin.

One more thing to note is the location of the window and mirror controls. Instead of being on the door, they're located below the armrest on the center console. This may seem odd, but it’s really practical, because drivers can access the controls if they decide to remove the front doors.

Even at its base level, the Ford Bronco has a lot of tech features as standard, including a 12-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12-inch infotainment screen. Sync 4 is the standard operating system, and that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as a 4G modem, a three-month trial of SiriusXM satellite radio, and a one-year trial of the Ford Connectivity Plan. At the time of writing, Ford was offering a one-time purchase for a seven-year connectivity plan that includes an unlimited Wi-Fi hotspot, audio and video streaming, voice assistant, and other entertainment features. For $745, we think that's a good buy.

Since all versions of the Bronco have off-road chops, G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) modes are standard and include Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, and Sand modes. Higher trims add Baja, Mud/Ruts, and Rock Crawl modes. Other available off-road tech features include Trail Control low-speed off-road cruise control, Trail One-Pedal Drive, and Trail Turn Assist that can tighten the turning radius.

Additional tech features on higher trim levels include dual-zone automatic climate control, a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, ambient lighting, and a keyless entry keypad. Other optional tech features we appreciate are the surround-view cameras—available with the Lux Package starting on the Big Bend trim—and the 400-watt Pro Power Onboard, which can power small equipment and is excellent for tailgating or camping.

The 2026 Bronco comes standard with high-beam assist, hill-start assist, post-collision braking, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, dynamic brake support, and a rearview camera with backup assist grid lines.

Ford covers the basics with its standard driver-assistance features, but there are a lot of advanced features that aren’t available on the base trim, such as blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, evasive steer assist, front and rear parking sensors, and a surround-view camera system.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hadn’t released crash-test ratings for any version of the current-generation Ford Bronco at the time of writing and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the 2026 Bronco mixed ratings. It received Good crashworthiness scores in the small front overlap and side tests but only scored a Marginal rating in the moderate overlap front test. Crash-avoidance and mitigation tests yielded Marginal and Acceptable ratings, and the LATCH ease of use rating is Acceptable.

The 2026 Ford Bronco is not a bargain off-roader. While buyers get a lot of great tech and features for their money, the starting price for the base trim is $43,290. In contrast, the base Jeep Wrangler Sport starts at $38,030. Interestingly, however, Jeep charges $3,005 for upgrading to a four-door model, whereas Ford makes four doors a zero-cost option. The Wrangler also doesn’t offer the options of blind-spot monitors or a surround-view camera system because its side mirrors are attached to the doors.

Other Bronco competitors include the Toyota 4Runner and the Land Rover Defender. The 4Runner is the closest in price when comparing base models, but also has more standard safety features and gets better IIHS ratings for crash avoidance and mitigation tech. The Defender is the luxury option, adding a lot of premium amenities and about $20,000 to the bottom line. Neither the 4Runner nor the Defender offers removable doors or a removable roof, so if an open-air experience is important, they're out of the running.

For our money, we’d opt for the Bronco Outer Banks model with the Lux Package. This trim comes standard with heated front seats, rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitors, and dual-zone automatic climate control. The Lux Package adds a surround-view camera system, adaptive cruise control, front parking sensors, and an upgraded Bang & Olufsen audio system. That brings the price to $53,010 without other options or premium paints. While it looks cool, we’d forgo the pricey 60th Anniversary Package and accompanying Sasquatch Package, which brought the price of our test vehicle to $69,065.

The Ford Bronco is not cheap but compared with its most direct competitor—the Wrangler—we think buyers get a lot of value for money. But there are other off-road vehicles out there with more standard safety tech and quieter interiors.