The Ford Bronco Everglades Is Worthy of the Badge: Review

You most likely cannot inform by trying on the image above, however I am standing in about six inches of water. My ft are soaked, fish are swimming round me, and there is a stench coming off the floor that I’d deem regarding.

However the Ford Bronco Everglades was made for this kinda stuff. Not essentially a flooded paved highway with six inches of water on it—which it plows by means of unphased—however the thousands and thousands of acres of unspoiled swampland surrounding it. This SUV is nicely deserving of the Everglades badge.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

However first, a fast geography lesson.

The Florida Everglades covers about 1.5 million acres of land throughout South Florida. It reaches as far south because the Gulf of Mexico and as far north as I-75—also referred to as Alligator Alley—which connects Florida’s east and west coasts. Additional north, there are thousands and thousands of acres extra value of nationwide forest and wildlife preserves dotting the middle of the state all the best way as much as Disney, with huge waterways like Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee River bisecting them.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

One of these terrain is hard going for any off-roader. Regardless that the Everglades solely averages about one foot of water all through, there’s additionally deep mud, thick cypress forest, and sketchy wildlife to look out for. However when Ford designed the Bronco Everglades, engineers took all these issues under consideration—sure, even the wildlife.

A small sliver of nationwide forest runs up the southwest coast of Florida, and it is the place I took the Bronco for this take a look at. Reducing by means of the Caloosahatchee River, it is the perfect proving floor for placing the Bronco Everglades by means of its paces. Flooded trails and all.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Professionals: Vastly Succesful, Wonderful Manufacturing facility Equipment, Nonetheless Good To Drive

The Everglades mannequin is well distinguishable from different Broncos. It is solely out there as a four-door hardtop, however it has trim-specific cues like a topography map graphic on both fender with the phrase “EVERGLADES” stamped clearly on high—and it may well assist measure water depth, apparently sufficient. It additionally has customized 17-inch wheels wrapped in 35-inch Goodyear Territory M/T tires, which provides it 11.7 inches of floor clearance—barely higher than every other Bronco moreover the Raptor (13.1 inches), even the Sasquatch (11.6 inches).

The Everglades mannequin can also be the one Bronco that comes customary with a Seon 10-S Warn winch rated at 10,000 kilos, and it was added particularly for getting your folks—or your self—out of sticky conditions. Say you’ve got wandered too deep right into a patch of flooded forest and also you want a cypress tree to assist yank you out. Ford even designed a customized snorkel particularly for this rig that runs excessive up the passenger-side A-pillar and comes with a novel two-way directional inlet; Merely swap out a number of plates to make it front- or rear-facing.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Here is the kicker, although: The Bronco Everglades is barely out there with the bottom four-cylinder engine. In order for you the high-output 2.7 or the highly effective V-6, look elsewhere. The Everglades mannequin makes use of the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder making 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, paired solely to a 10-speed automated transmission. So no guide, both.

However whereas the V-6-powered Raptor was made for racing by means of Baja and the two.7-liter engine presents a bit of additional energy on-road, the two.3 is genuinely wonderful for low-speed mud crawling. There is a ton of low-end torque, the throttle is responsive and straightforward to modulate, and by no means as soon as did the engine really feel prefer it struggled at freeway speeds. That is genuinely spectacular for a 5,296-pound SUV.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Cons: Solely Will get The Base Engine, Heavy, No Entrance-Dealing with Digicam, You Can’t Purchase One Anymore

Tick over to the Mud/Ruts drive mode—one of many seven out there by means of the Bronco’s GOAT mode operate—and it mechanically prompts the rear locker and kicks on 4Hi all-wheel drive. That is the place it will get enjoyable. The Bronco Everglades claws by means of mud and simply crawls over rocks. Even in deeper puddles it barely shrugs; With a 36.4-inch water-fording functionality, you must journey actually deep into the thick of it to get anyplace close to that quantity. Solely the Bronco Raptor is healthier, at 37.0 inches.

If you happen to do take the Everglades mannequin rock crawling, one vital function is lacking: A front-facing digital camera. On this case, Ford determined {that a} winch was extra vital than a front-facing digital camera. In all probability the proper choice.

On the highway, there is not a lot to complain about. As with every off-roader, the knobby tires are loud and the roof rack lends itself to extra wind noise. In any other case, the Everglades mannequin is about as compliant as every other Bronco; it has a pleasant trip, a cushty cabin, and it is respectable within the corners. Extra respectable than any Wrangler, a minimum of.

Inside, marine-grade seats and rubber fixtures imply the inside is ready to get a lot muddy. The Everglades additionally has the identical 12.0-inch touchscreen discovered on different upper-trim Broncos working Ford’s newest Sync 4 interface. It seems clear, it is simple to make use of, and it runs wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Photograph by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Sadly, you’ll be able to’t purchase a brand new Bronco Everglades anymore. Manufacturing led to August of 2024, and Ford has no plans to maintain the trim round for 2025. If you happen to do handle to search out one nonetheless sitting on a supplier lot, the Bronco Everglades had a beginning MSRP of $54,595. That made it the second-most costly Bronco behind the Raptor ($91,930).

The Bronco Everglades is nicely definitely worth the asking value, although. With the winch and snorkel alone, it has extra package than any Bronco south of a Raptor. The bottom engine is completely fitted to peddling by means of puddles, the inside continues to be good, and it is not so ridiculously rugged that you may’t drive it day by day.

Fellow Florida women and men, your excellent off-road rig is right here.

38

Jeff Perez / Motor1