Another Bronco vs 4Runner-Crawl Control

[dflowerz]

2021 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road vs. Ford Bronco Badlands - YouTube

No doubt the Bronco is superior for more challenging off road stuff, but I was pleasantly surprised that the 4runner crawl control was better than the Bronco.

Of course with the Bronco you can turn on two diff locks and do a sway bar disconnnect and you are rolling on 35s so really no contest. Maybe they did not work on their crawl control feature because most people would just use the other goodies.

Still, score one for old school tech!

 

[BorotHex]

I would expect Ford to come out with a lot of enhancements over the life of this first new Bronco. I’m sure a crawl control is coming as they need more and more packed in to keep the numbers up.

 

[Hemoglobin]

Hyperbole and all, There's probably a Ranger that can eat the Bronco.

 

[Jeremy556]

In the 8 or 9 years I have had my 4runner, crawl control has been used all of once. It's not even any good for rock crawling, it's way too fast. Give me 35s, a sway disco, an extra locker, 100+ ft lb torque, or better departure angle any day over crawl control.

 

[spartacus]

The lowest gear in the manual seven speed Bronco is labeled 'c' for crawl control and a collar has to be lifted to engage it reducing the risk of inadvertent engagement.

 

[jrandom]

To be frank this is a stupid comparison. How about comparing a Bronco to that new dumbass humvee? (Sorry I let my opinion slip on that )

That new Bronco is well thought out and really pretty specific for a particular market, much like a JK.

A 4runner is a well priced all-in-one, even modest by comparison.

If I had an extra 65k lying around damn straight I’d buy one of those horses :llama: ahhhh scratch that LC 70 series (haha 65k yeah right) :

Crawl Control is okay for what it is. I have used it quite a few times, and it functions well for some circumstances, definitely not at all ideal, and damn the racket the brake actuator makes drives me nuts. There is no replacement for proper gearing, that’s for sure.

 

[Ripper238]

2021 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road vs. Ford Bronco Badlands - YouTube

No doubt the Bronco is superior for more challenging off road stuff, but I was pleasantly surprised that the 4runner crawl control was better than the Bronco.

Of course with the Bronco you can turn on two diff locks and do a sway bar disconnnect and you are rolling on 35s so really no contest. Maybe they did not work on their crawl control feature because most people would just use the other goodies.

Still, score one for old school tech!

Good video find. 4Runner is superior to the Bronco. lol

Many decades of refinement is an advantage for the 4Runner and crawl control. Plus you save 10k that you can put into your 4R. O what i could do with an extra 10k.

I would also note KDSS simulates sway bar disconnect.

Interesting that the Bronco actually has lower clearance than the 4R if the same size tire was on it.

 

[Xtremluck]

2021 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road vs. Ford Bronco Badlands - YouTube

No doubt the Bronco is superior for more challenging off road stuff, but I was pleasantly surprised that the 4runner crawl control was better than the Bronco.

Of course with the Bronco you can turn on two diff locks and do a sway bar disconnnect and you are rolling on 35s so really no contest. Maybe they did not work on their crawl control feature because most people would just use the other goodies.

Still, score one for old school tech!

Crawl control is a useless for real off-road use for just about anything outside of deep sand. This comparison was pretty mind numbing, the Bronco is a superior vehicle when it comes to efficiency, tech, features and off road capability. The only thing that is questionable is durability but we will see how that shakes out.

 

[Nick Nostril]

Looks like a good off-roader, just like the Rubicon. I'll take the all-rounder that's 90% as capable and more than likely, 90% more reliable (time will tell). Front locker on the 4R would be nice, but the rear locker and A-Trac will probably suit me going forward.

Since my 4R is new, I used my crawl control while on vacation just out of curiosity. Was off road on a grassy hill, and man does it make some ugly noises. I don't see using it much if any in the future. Maybe for hill descent as I gain confidence off road.

 

[lewdog998]

left this for them on the comments of the video

DS tv...I thought your channel was relatively neutral. Not a toy fan boy, but the bias is pretty clear with this video. I will say that I would agree based on specs with bigger tires, front and rear lockers, more articulation, the Bronco should be more capable. BUT. You gave the Bronco a second change on the Crawl test even though it clearly lost. In the tow test the 4r was squared up against the stump and the Bronco was not. You also engaged the front locker on the Bronco and did not engage Atrac on the 4r, which simulates a front locker. And to answer your question...trying to climb a hill under load against a stump vs no stump.......YES, that does make a difference. You all seem to try and make the comparison even, but you missed on this one. No you may not be able to match tire size, articulation etc, but you could have easily picked the same line and pressed the atrac button. I will continue to support your channel in the hopes that this improves.

 

[IrishRover]

I used crawl control in Moab on fins n things. Couldn’t get traction going up a steep, solid rock. Turned on CC and it walked right up no problem. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[MAST4R]

Crawl control is great for me when I descend rough spots, especially since my spotter is 14 yo.

It really allows me to focus on steering and get my head out to see if needed.

I have never used it uphill.

But you cannot beat it downhill or in flat. Say what you want, but no human can be so precise over any distance beyond a yard or two.

Of course, the Bronco will be much more capable. Both its purpose and the fact that it is 11 years newer would have made anything less a hilarious proposition.

Now Toyota has a big choice to make. Will it let the 4R degenerate like the USDM Land Cruiser? Or will it keep up with the Bronco and Wrangler? Anything less than a factory 35" option on the new 4R will be a big disappointment.

Back in 2010, the 4R may not have been a rock crawling competitor to the Rubicon but it absolutely smoked the Wrangler at everything else. Now the Bronco is coming for both though the fact that it is a Ford is already a big red flag as far as I am concerned

 

[ElectroBoy]

left this for them on the comments of the video

DS tv...I thought your channel was relatively neutral. Not a toy fan boy, but the bias is pretty clear with this video. I will say that I would agree based on specs with bigger tires, front and rear lockers, more articulation, the Bronco should be more capable. BUT. You gave the Bronco a second change on the Crawl test even though it clearly lost. In the tow test the 4r was squared up against the stump and the Bronco was not. You also engaged the front locker on the Bronco and did not engage Atrac on the 4r, which simulates a front locker. And to answer your question...trying to climb a hill under load against a stump vs no stump.......YES, that does make a difference. You all seem to try and make the comparison even, but you missed on this one. No you may not be able to match tire size, articulation etc, but you could have easily picked the same line and pressed the atrac button. I will continue to support your channel in the hopes that this improves.

Ha! Yeah that stump thing. Afterward he thought better of it but then he tried to blame it on not having a front camera.

And notice that he used the often-criticized 4R “tie-down” hooks for recovery. They worked just fine.

 

[Nalcyon]

In the 8 or 9 years I have had my 4runner, crawl control has been used all of once. It's not even any good for rock crawling, it's way too fast. Give me 35s, a sway disco, an extra locker, 100+ ft lb torque, or better departure angle any day over crawl control.

I agree with this man, although I'll trade your 100 ft/lb torques for factory 4.55 gears. The only thing I have experienced crawl control do well is force the vehicle to drive slow enough on the trail... a problem that wouldn't exist with proper gearing.

I feel the same way about MTS. The ATRAC button is sufficient, I have used the MTS extensively and can say it is pretty gimmicky. It does... things... but there is no need for all the nuance. I've never been in a situation where I was climbing a hill in sand/mud and thought I needed to change to "loose rock" to get up the hill. At least you have the option of using mud/sand in 4hi.

 

[Gecko]

This comparison was pretty mind numbing, the Bronco is a superior vehicle when it comes to efficiency, tech, features and off road capability. The only thing that is questionable is durability but we will see how that shakes out.

Not so sure all of that is true... take a peek over at the Bronco forums. How does 12-14MPG on a 4 cylinder sound to you?

Yes, the Bronco is built out of the box with better approach and departure angles, optional bigger tires and some trick off-road hardware, but the beauty in the 4Runner compared to something like a Wrangler has always been reliability, the total package, and being a lot more livable day-to-day. It doesn't seem like any of those things are the Bronco's strong suit so far, so while there is going to be some shopping overlap, they also seem quite different.

 

[Gecko]

Now Toyota has a big choice to make. Will it let the 4R degenerate like the USDM Land Cruiser? Or will it keep up with the Bronco and Wrangler? Anything less than a factory 35" option on the new 4R will be a big disappointment.

Back in 2010, the 4R may not have been a rock crawling competitor to the Rubicon but it absolutely smoked the Wrangler at everything else. Now the Bronco is coming for both though the fact that it is a Ford is already a big red flag as far as I am concerned

This is one of those times where it's important to separate what enthusiasts want and what the other 95% of buyers want, and then set expectations accordingly. I see the Bronco as much closer in execution to the Wrangler than the 4Runner, and while off-road folks like to loop them all into one class because they're "midsize" and BOF, they're really quite different.

We can sit here and desire solid front axles, 35"s from the factory, manual transmission, a bare bones model, less electronics, etc... but guess what? None of that is what MOST people who buy 4Runners want.

4Runner is a great starting point for enthusiasts to build from, but it will never be a Wrangler or Bronco in execution because that's not what 95% of 4Runner buyers want. People buy 4Runners for different reasons - they want reliability, a nice ride, decent handling, a car that's comfortable for a road trip, one that will go for 200k miles with no problems, tow well, and also one that's workable on forest roads and some camping trails when it's needed. THAT is the core 4Runner buyer... 35"s from the factory and solid front axles are not.

Of course Toyota can and probably will offer a factory lift on the next TRD Pro model with bigger tires and some trick hardware, but Toyota isn't forgetting that most 4Runners are bought by soccer moms, sorority girls and dads who don't want a crossover, so we can't either.

I think what you're really asking for is the return of the FJ Cruiser, which I think is definitely something Toyota should do to directly battle the Wrangler and Bronco while letting the 4Runner do what it's good at. If they veer too far off the proven 4Runner formula, they risk losing buyers and at that point, Toyota will probably just retire it in favor of the Highlander like they've been trying to do for over a decade.

 

[Whippersnapper02]

Both are just mall control. The brake lock up for tight turns on the Bronco is cool but 99.9% of owners will not use any of it.

 

[L1011]

Not to thread hijack but the Wrangler and now the Bronco makes me wish Toyota had a true competitor to those vehicles, except with the legendary reliable-as-the-sun Toyota quality. I'd love to see Toyota bring back the true FJ's of the 70's in a modern package to compete with the Bronco & Wrangler. I know that Toyota sort of tried with the FJ Cruiser and while there are many people who liked that vehicle, I continue to hate it to this day. I basically want a Toyota Wrangler

 

[02SE]

I wanted to like the Bronco. I even got the chance to drive one equipped with the 2.7, front and rear lockers, 35's, etc.

It felt cheap, even compared to the relatively basic 4Runner. I don't think I'll be selling the 4Runner anytime soon.