bronco vs wagoneer
Popular Mechanics

Now anyone can be a weekend explorer.

If your kidneys are hardy enough to take the jouncing of off-the-road driving, your first step should be to buy a four wheel-drive car. But which one?

There's a new one on the market, the Ford Bronco. And there's an old one that's undergone a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality change; the Jeep Wagoneer is now stuffed full of 250-hp V8. Both cars do essentially the same thing, but in different ways.

The Bronco is a simple, unembellished workhorse. The basic model, a roadster, has no top or doors; but by bolting on the appropriate top, in minutes you can convert it into a station wagon or pickup with styling suspiciously like the sturdy, trail-tried International Harvester Scout.

The Wagoneer is far more civilized, but comes only as a station wagon. However, the Jeep Gladiator, which comes with a variety of truck beds, is basically the same animal.

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Popular Mechanics

The Bronco comes only with a threespeed manual transmission, mounted on the column. All three speeds are synchronized-handy if you bog down in second while climbing a hill. A floor stick sprouting from the transfer case allows you to shift from two- to four-wheel drive and back without stopping-unless you want to get into or out of four-wheel-drive low range, in which case you must come to a near stop.

The standard rear axle is conservatively rated at 2780 pounds capacity. An optional axle raises this figure by 520 pounds. Other hairy-chested options include underchassis skid plates, heavy duty suspensions, power takeoffs and winches.

The Wagoneer, on the other hand, is more of a dual-purpose vehicle, with a long list of luxury options and with styling that's more apt to impress the Joneses. Take it hunting Saturday, drive it to the country club on Sunday. In fact, you can even get a two-wheel-drive-only version.

Our test Wagoneer had four-wheel drive and the optional Rambler-built V8. Aside from these, it was the all-out sissy model, with automatic transmission, full carpeting, radio, power brakes and steering, and—so help me—airconditioning. My wife usually reacts to a four-wheel drive car as she would to a dead mouse, but she loved the Wagoneer.

wagoneer
Popular Mechanics
A plywood 4x8 won’t lie flat in the Wagoneer because of wheel-well interference. Nevertheless, deck is roomy, considering modest wheelbase. 
jeep wagoneer
Popular Mechanics

In the rough, the Wagoneer did well, despite its longer wheelbase (110 inches versus 92) and greater rear overhang. Both cars climb like scalded baboons, the Bronco being able to manage a 72-percent and the Wagoneer a 60-percent grade.

On paved roads, the Wagoneer enjoys a distinct superiority. Its ride, though firm, is less bouncy than the Bronco's. It did 0-60 in 12 seconds flat when the automatic was shifted manually (or 13.1 seconds in Drive), while the Bronco roadster, with windshield lowered, took 19.8. Both cars corner well; set them up for a turn in two-wheel drive and then slam into fourwheel drive to pull through stably.

The Wagoneer's power steering felt numb, but the manual setup may be better. The steering was also slower, and its turning circle, at 44.6 feet, made it less maneuverable than the Bronco's, at 34.

bronco
Popular Mechanics
Station wagon top mounts on the Bronco with a few bolts, but it takes two men; in fact, three aren’t too many. Ribbing on roof prevents drumming.

The Bronco we drove had optional bucket seats that were extremely comfortable; and worthwhile, especially since the high sheet-metal floor hump and transfer-case lever leave no room for a third front-seat passenger. In the Wagoneer, the transfer-case lever is farther forward, out of the way of passengers' feet. However, the action from high to low range and back in four-wheel drive was unbelievably stiff, though the KaiserJeep people assured me that fully broken-in units work more smoothly.

The Wagoneer had more gauges, but they were less legible. The Bronco offers a full set at extra cost.

Neither car suffered from drive train noise in two-wheel drive; in four-wheel drive the characteristic whine was there.

One of the biggest differences is price. The four-wheel-drive Wagoneer, stripped and with overhead-cam Six, starts at $3716 ($5267 for the equipped model we tested). Though no price has been announced by Ford, the Bronco is expected to be competitive with cars such as the International Harvester Scout-which would put its base around $2350.