Is the 2021 Ford Bronco Adventure-Worthy?

By @ChapEJF

So, is the 2021 Ford Bronco adventure-worthy? Let’s find out. My name is Everett, and I want to share with you why I believe the new Ford Bronco is adventure-worthy for me and why it might be for you as well. Now, I am a late 50’s male who will soon retire from the military. I will work for a few more years and then fully retire. My new Ford Bronco will serve as my RAV –– my Retirement Adventure Vehicle. The purpose of this vehicle is to facilitate my planned and unplanned adventures as I remain active into retirement. To determine if the Bronco is adventure-worthy, I first had to define what I meant by adventure: After all, what is mundane to one person is an adventure to another. So after some deliberation, I see adventure for me in four different scenarios. I want to share with you how I believe the Bronco will facilitate these adventures for me and how it might work for you as well.

Adventure Scenario 1

Everyday: I know what you are thinking, is everyday life really an adventure?! I truly do believe that in our fast-paced life on crowded highways with often less than considerate drivers, the “everyday” is an adventure in and of itself. My Bronco will have to serve as my daily driver. The challenge here is to facilitate my life without getting in the way. It has to provide ease of use, comfort, drivability, and as much safety as possible. I have driven a Volvo XC60 for the past decade, so I know and appreciate the role of modern safety technology. Let me add that it has spoiled me with the best drivability and ride of any vehicle I have ever owned. So, its replacement has some big shoes to fill. I do not expect the Bronco to drive like a European SUV, but I do believe the Bronco will outperform the comparable competition.

So, what are the features of the Bronco that will facilitate my everyday life? I believe that the Independent Front Suspension, the safety features, and tech amenities are the main ones for me. They will provide a more than acceptable level of drivability, survivability, and comfort as I go about my life. And I cannot wait to jump into my Bronco, place my phone in the console, have it wirelessly connect to Apple CarPlay and tell the vehicle what Podcast to play for my daily commute.

Adventure Scenario 2

Escapes: What I am referring to here are day trips, overnight camping trips, or any emergency scenario that I might encounter. Sometimes the adventures are planned, and sometimes they are not. I want my adventure vehicle to transition well from normal daily duty to rugged capability. The challenge is for it to be constantly postured to handle the unexpected and unplanned. Now, I am not a hardcore prepper, no offense if you are, but I know the value of being ready for the unexpected. I have spent my life as a soldier, and to live as a soldier is to have a constant awareness of your ability to respond to the unexpected and the unknown. It is a posture that I believe the Bronco will provide for me and my family in my everyday life.

So what are the features of the Bronco that fulfill this requirement? First of all, it is the true 4WD drivetrain, rugged construction and the on-demand capability to “Go Over All Types of Terrain.” I believe the Bronco provides the capacity to get off the beaten path at a moment’s notice and the confidence to face the extremes.

Adventure Scenario 3

Excursions: When I say excursions, I mean a planned trip of up to a week. Something like heading to North Georgia to drive the Georgia Traverse and camp a few nights in the beautiful creation our Lord has provided. After retirement, I want to do a trip such as this about once every three to four months. They will take more planning and put greater demands on my retirement adventure vehicle. In this scenario, I see the main challenge being for the Bronco to serve as my support vehicle to facilitate the excursion. It will involve long stretches of highway driving while safely conveying all that I need to subsist. Some might call this overlanding or car camping; I don’t really care what anyone calls it. My main motivation is to get away, relax, and experience nature.

So what are the features that I need the Bronco to fulfill for me to experience these type of adventures? To me this goes more toward the Bronco’s design and the integration of its systems. I believe that the versatility, adequate (not great but adequate) payload, and configurable design reveal a blank slate that I can craft to facilitate what I need to truly enjoy my excursions.

Adventure Scenario 4

Expeditions: An expedition is a journey to a particular place or along a certain route that usually involves a greater purpose. These treks are usually lengthy, arduous, and can often be life changing. In 2014, Heidi Hetzer from Berlin, Germany set off to drive around the world. What made her expedition so compelling were a few amazing factors. Heidi was 77 years old when she began; her driving companion abandoned her not long into the journey so she continued alone; she would drive across parts of six continents; and her vehicle was a 1930 Hudson Great Eight Touring Car. Oh, and halfway through her journey she was diagnosed with cancer, went home to Germany, kicked cancer’s butt, and resumed her expedition. Now, few of us have the luxury of taking this type of expedition, but Heidi’s story inspires me, and I hope it does so for you as well. That combined with an insatiable wanderlust motivates me to begin planning for a few very important expeditions for my retirement like the Trans America Trail. My Bronco will be my RAV, my retirement adventure vehicle.

So what are the challenges that I expect to face for my Bronco as I set forth on these expeditions? Really, I believe it will be a combination of all the previous challenges mentioned but over an extended period of time. It will have to be drivable, configurable, durable, and serviceable. There is no perfect vehicle, but I cannot wait to receive my new Bronco and start my next chapter of adventure.