BEHIND THE WHEEL

If you’re a regular RC Car Action reader, you already know we’re pretty big fans of the TRX-4. It’s won a shootout, been on the cover three times, and was our 2017 Truck of the Year. And so it’s probably not a spoiler to cut right to it and say we’re also big fans of the Bronco—in fact, let’s go ahead and call it our favorite of the TRX-4 styles. And the key word there is “style”—we just love that Bronco look, especially with Sunset stripes. The look also scores performance points by shedding a bunch of rear-hung weight compared to the spare-tire-equipped Land Rover and Tactical versions, and the shorter wheelbase that accompanies the Bronco body tightens up the turning radius. Will you notice under light-duty, scale-terrain conditions?

Nah. But when the going really gets gnarly, the Bronco gains an edge when those last grams of weight transfer and millimeters of clearance in tight spots make the difference between clearing a section and getting stuck or rolling over. When the trail calls for less than 100 percent of what the Bronco can deliver, it drives like the other TRX-4S. With the diffs locked and the transmission in Low, you’ll find the Bronco is an excellent trail performer that can go head to head with anything on the trail—we’ve found it even compares favorably with heavily breathed-on 1.9-inch rigs. A big part of that are the high-rise portal axles, which significantly raise ground clearance to keep the Bronco cruising over obstacles instead of mashing its diff cover into them. What really puts the TRX-4 over the top is when you exploit the T-lock diffs and High/low. Being able to remotely lock and unlock the differentials and shift into High are party tricks other trucks just can’t do, and they come in handy for tighter turning and a quicker trip when you need extra wheel speed or a few more mph. And don’t forget Cruise Control; being able to hold throttle position without cramping up your trigger finger is a nice plus when hiking with the TRX-4. Now, if I could also thumb-steer with the TQI transmitter, that would really make it the ideal long-haul setup. But like the Axial Trail Honcho I also tested in this issue, the wheel is just a little too far from the grip for the average thumb to reach. It looks like I found my one thing for the “Minus” column.