Compare | Farmington, MO Both come apart for summer and both love dirt. The real difference shows up in how you drive the other six days of the week. Spend a Saturday at St. Joe State Park in Park Hills and you'll see plenty of both. Around here, a Ford Bronco with the roof off is about as common as a boat trailer in June. So is a Jeep Wrangler whose doors are stacked in the garage back home. They get compared all the time because they're after the same buyer, somebody who wants real four wheel drive and the roof off in summer. They just go about it differently. And the differences matter most on the commute up US 67 and the gravel road to your place, not only on the trail. Quick answer: The Ford Bronco uses independent front suspension, so it rides better and steers sharper on pavement and still handles serious trails. The Jeep Wrangler keeps solid axles front and rear plus a folding windshield, and hardcore rock crawlers like that. If you split your time between gravel and daily miles in Southeast Missouri, the Ford Bronco is often the better fit. Ford Bronco front end Independent front suspension Jeep Wrangler front end Solid front axle Both offer Removable roof and doors, true 4x4 In this post Daily driving Trails and St. Joe Roof and doors Inside the cabin Ownership and fit Which Rides Better Every Day, the Ford Bronco or the Jeep Wrangler? This is where they split the most. Every Ford Bronco has independent front suspension, and the Jeep Wrangler uses solid axles at both ends. A solid axle is tough and simple and keeps the tire planted over big rocks. On pavement, though, it tends to make the ride busier and the steering vaguer. Edmunds ran them head to head. They found the Bronco more comfortable with more precise steering on the road, and called off road capability a tie. The real difference shows up in how you drive the other six days of the week. If you drive to work in Festus or the St. Louis area, you'll feel it on every commute. Both have real four wheel drive with two speed transfer cases. The engines are where they go separate ways. For 2025 the Bronco offers a 2.3L EcoBoost and a 2.7L EcoBoost V6, plus the Bronco Raptor's 3.0L V6, with a 10 speed automatic on all of them and a 7 speed manual offered with the 2.3L. The 2025 Wrangler lineup includes a 3.6L V6 with a 6 speed manual or 8 speed automatic, a 2.0L turbo with an 8 speed automatic, the 4xe plug in hybrid and the Rubicon 392 V8. How Do the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler Handle Local Trails and Gravel? St. Joe State Park has about 2,000 acres of riding with more than 50 miles of trails, built on old lead mine ground. Park rules have kept full size four wheel drive vehicles in the tailings area, the open sand flats, and off the wooded trails the ATVs and UTVs use. You'll need an ORV permit, and anything other than a motorcycle needs a flag mast at least 72 inches tall with an orange flag. Rules change, so check the state park site before you go. Soft sand wants steady momentum and good tires, and both of these SUVs are built for it. With the Bronco's G.O.A.T. Modes you pick a terrain setting and it adjusts throttle, traction and four wheel drive behavior to match. The Wrangler uses Command-Trac, Rock-Trac or Selec-Trac depending on trim. Bigger tires and hardware For 2025, Ford offers the Sasquatch Package on the Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks and Badlands, and the Badlands can be optioned with HOSS 3.0 suspension and FOX internal bypass dampers. Jeep offers 35 inch tire packages on select trims, including the Rubicon. Either one can be built well past anything most local trails will ask of it. Park Hills driver tip Air down a few PSI before you hit the sand at St. Joe, and bring a compressor to air back up before you drive home on MO 32. Sand that feels easy at lunch gets softer and deeper as the afternoon heats up. Plenty of our customers live on gravel county roads. That's where you notice the Bronco's independent front end, with less washboard shake coming through the wheel. How Do the Removable Roofs and Doors Compare? Open air driving is half the reason people buy either one. The doors come off on both, and you can get a soft or hard roof on either. Ford Bronco: removable roof panels and doors on two door and four door models, with soft roof and hardtop options depending on trim. Jeep Wrangler: a soft roof comes standard on most trims, with two hardtop choices and the Sky One-Touch powertop available. Doors come off, half doors are offered, and the windshield folds down. The folding windshield is a Wrangler tradition, and it's a real plus if you want it as open as it gets. Most folks around here leave the windshield up and just pull the roof panels for summer, and both handle that fine. The real difference shows up in how you drive the other six days of the week. Shop Ford Bronco Compare Side by Side What Is It Like Inside the Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wrangler? Both cabins are made for people who come home muddy, with a big touchscreen front and center. For 2025, Ford made a 12 inch digital gauge cluster standard across the Bronco lineup, next to the 12 inch touchscreen that showed up the year before. Four door Broncos got rear AC vents too. The 2025 Wrangler comes with a 12.3 inch touchscreen running Uconnect 5, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. If you want exact dimensions and cargo space by trim, our Ford Bronco comparison page puts the Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner side by side. Which One Fits Your Life in Southeast Missouri? You buy it in a day. Then you own it for years of oil changes and tires and the odd repair. Every new Ford sold at Sam Scism Ford comes with Warranty Forever at no charge, covering listed powertrain parts for as long as you own it when you keep up with maintenance. Service is right here on Flat River Road, and Ford Mobile Service can handle some routine work at your home or job. Fits you if Ford Bronco You drive a lot of highway or commute miles and want a smoother ride Gravel county roads are part of your daily drive You want G.O.A.T. Modes and a Sasquatch option for sand and trails You plan to service close to home in Farmington Fits you if Jeep Wrangler Solid axles front and rear matter to you for rock crawling A fold down windshield is high on your list You want a plug in hybrid option in this body style Most of your miles are short trips and trail days You can't go far wrong with either one. Drive them back to back on the roads you use every day. Come take a Bronco out on US 67 and a stretch of gravel and see how it feels. Warranty Forever Every new Ford Bronco sold at Sam Scism Ford includes Warranty Forever at no charge. It covers listed engine, transmission and drive axle parts for as long as you own the vehicle, no matter the miles, as long as you keep up the customary maintenance and hang on to the records. See the dealer for details. How it works Ride and Daily Driving Is the Ford Bronco more comfortable than the Jeep Wrangler? + Edmunds found the Bronco more comfortable with more precise steering on pavement, mostly because of its independent front suspension. Drive one on your own commute and you'll feel it. Which is better for a long commute to St. Louis? + People who rack up highway miles tend to like the Ford Bronco's smoother ride and steering. Road noise in either one comes down to roof and tires. What engines does the 2025 Ford Bronco offer? + The 2025 lineup includes a 2.3L EcoBoost, a 2.7L EcoBoost V6 and the Bronco Raptor's 3.0L V6. A 10 speed automatic is available on all, and a 7 speed manual pairs with the 2.3L. Trails and Off Road Can I drive a Ford Bronco at St. Joe State Park? + Park rules have allowed four wheel drive vehicles in the tailings area with an ORV permit and a flag mast. The Missouri State Parks site has the current rules, so look before you head out. What are G.O.A.T. Modes on the Ford Bronco? + They're terrain settings you pick from. Each one changes throttle, traction control and four wheel drive behavior for things like sand, mud or slick roads. Does the Jeep Wrangler's solid front axle help off road? + A solid axle flexes well and holds up over rocks, which is why a lot of rock crawlers like it. On sand and gravel, both setups do fine. Roof, Doors and Open Air Do both the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler have removable doors? + The doors come off on both. Jeep also offers half doors, and the Bronco pairs removable doors with removable roof panels. Does the Ford Bronco windshield fold down like the Wrangler's? + That's a Wrangler thing. Bronco owners get their open air from pulling the roof panels and doors. Which roof options come on the Ford Bronco? + It depends on trim and body style. Our sales team can show you which roof is on each Bronco in stock. Features and Technology What changed on the 2025 Ford Bronco? + Ford made a 12 inch digital gauge cluster standard, expanded Sasquatch Package availability, brought back the Base model and added rear AC vents on four door models. What screen comes in the 2025 Jeep Wrangler? + A 12.3 inch touchscreen with Uconnect 5 is standard, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Where can I see full specs side by side? + Our Ford Bronco comparison page lines up the Bronco against the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner, including dimensions and features by trim. Buying and Ownership Does a new Ford Bronco come with Warranty Forever at Sam Scism Ford? + It does. Every new Ford we sell includes it at no charge, covering listed powertrain parts for as long as you own it, as long as you keep up the customary maintenance and records. Can I trade in my Jeep Wrangler for a Ford Bronco? + Sure. We take any make, so get an online value through Get Your Trade Offer or bring the Jeep in for an appraisal. Where can a Ford Bronco be serviced near Farmington? + Right here at our service center, 5019 Flat River Road, for maintenance and repairs. Ford Mobile Service can also do some routine work wherever you are. Drive a Ford Bronco See the Ford Bronco models in stock now. Shop New Inventory Look at certified Broncos See certified pre-owned Fords in stock now. Shop Certified
