Ford Bronco
flares. The High-performance Off-road Stability Suspension is known by its uber-appropriate acronym, HOSS.
For the 2022 and the 2023 model announced last fall, the Bronco Everglades model features Desert Sand Green and Eruption Green Metallic exterior paint. Its siblings are available in three additional exterior colors, including Area 51, the light-blue/gray mix. The SUV’s off-road persona is further accentuated by an air intake snorkel and a Warn winch with a 10,000-pound pulling capacity.
The Bronco is offered standard with a 2.3-liter, 300-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission. A recently introduced Raptor version has more than 400-plus horsepower, a twin-turbo V-6, a heftier suspension and available 37-inch tires. All Broncos are four-wheel drive. Gas mileage averages for the Everglades trim are 18 miles per gallon in city driving, 17 mpg on the freeway. The MSRP is just under $55,000. Acceleration is modest at best.
Frameless doors result in so much wind noise, Bronco occupants can communicate only at near shouting levels. But it fits the Bronco’s rugged ways, further defined by the necessary contortionist skills or leaps of faith to enter and exit the vehicle. (Where are the side steps?)
If the doors are removed, they can be stored in extended-wheelbase models. Marine-grand vinyl upholstery and rubberized flooring protect the cabin. Sectional hardtop section storage bags have small, designated diagrams for easier, non-jigsaw-puzzle use.
As for Young, when the Youngbloods moved their base from New York to the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s, the singer’s Plymouth Barracuda couldn’t negotiate the winding roads of Marin County. According to an article on Motortrend.com when the muscle car without a suspension finally expired, Young purchased a new 1968 Datsun pickup truck with a 1,300 cc engine. He paid $2,000 in cash.
James Raia, a syndicated automotive columnist in Sacramento, publishes a free weekly automotive podcast and electronic newsletter available on his website, www. theweeklydriver.com. He can be reached via email: james@ jamesraia.com.