SPD Writes Forza Horizon 5's Car Of The Week: Week 104 - Ford Bronco
There's a festival churning far away, Bronco buddy. And you're the star of today's reunion party.
Let's preface first by showing the differences between my kind of writeups here, and in Gran Turismo 7.
First of all, these things take me 3 hours tops unless I get sweaty with the time trial. Second of all.. this is a 160 GB game that I have to redownload, so if this isn't by the weekend, don't be surprised (post edit SPD: get spanked past SPD, for it's barely the weekend when this came). Not to mention some changes I want to adapt from the GT7 variation such as a more streamlined writeup for the analyses.. don't worry, it's not Candy's Bizarre Adventures with The Mythic Verses. That stays there.
So, let's begin by saying.. I've a real.. interest for a lot of American Fords. From the GT, to the Mustang, to the Raptor. And the new Bronco is no exception. Designed by the pair that got Ford recognized by the Mustang in Donald Frey and Lee Iacocca, the Bronco was an off-roader whose sole purpose is to enter Ford into the compact off-roading market, ala the Jeep CJ.
The Bronco would have 3 versions: a roadster, half cab, and the now iconic wagon form. That latter form is what survived to the future. Unintentional pun incoming, as the Bronco would have a rough road to traverse with a rather primitive offering to the class. It was meant to be adaptable thanks to the many additions Ford was able to provide with the car.
The Bronco would move on 5 generations, however ending with the fifth in 1996. And outta nowhere, just like with the thread and my writing plans, it came back with a sixth: the one on the stage this week. Albeit with a 25 year gap, but it's back. And it followed Ford's mantra with taking a hint to the past to make do with the future. Carrying a classic modern redesign, the car was to, once again, take a jab at Jeep with the compact off-roader gimmick it's dominated since its resurgence.
With big wheels and a bigger need to show its stuff, the Bronco comes with a bevy of engine choices. The one we have is the best one at the time: a 2.7L EcoBoost V6 with 310 horsepower at your command through a 10 speed automatic. It's also quite a heavy fella for a compact off-roader, with big radials contributing quite a heft to its total 2.2 ton load.
Placed in the good center of the Pick-up & 4X4s chunk, the Bronco shines on with a PI of 560. This makes it a.. yup: middling C-Class car! Anyone who's gone through my words knows these would be my favorite bunch of the game to compare with. In it's class, the Bronco's many rivals include the Tundra TRD Pro, Silverado Trail Boss, the 2019 Raptor, and of course.. COTW classic Rambo Lambo.
Anyone who's been welcomed to the Festival should have a Bronco at the ready. But spares come at a price tag of 55,000 credits from the Autoshow. While there's a potential for better savings, I feel a walk into the Auction House is going to be scam after scam with relations to Car Mastery.
I'm glad I'm not doing theme songs here, because.. that song when we started the game diving this out of a cargo plane comes to mind. For the most part it's one of the subpar elements of Forza Horizon 5.
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For a car that's destined for not on the road, it's appropriate enough that the Bronco goes off to ride on two different places: one with some road, and one without.
The first of that is
Desierto Trail: the locale that, as I remember, birthed the combo that compounded the greatest Sleeper of all: the Volkswagen Corrado VR6.
This is MINI One, and that is MINI Two, together again. Like Fred and Ginger, and Lester and Earl
"A dusty trail that picks its way through the rocky desert and alternates between paved and dirt roads, finishing at the main Horizon Festival Mexico Site."
I love Desierto Trail. It's fast, it's got fast 90 degree turns that test speed and off-road traction. And it's a Dirt Racing event, so Barry R's on the loose about if you're feeling domesticated.
For this first adventure, the question today is now.. is the Bronco unhinged or tamed?
For the time being, I'm ditching cockpit review. It's not interesting enough to warrant a stay. Or maybe this is me saying I forgot to do it, and for this week I'll let it slide.
But let's take on the braking: it's not racing car brakes you're going to exhibit here. They're fine, on and off the road. But once you brake, you're going to get a feeling that's consistent with the car: the weight shift. No, it's not loose on the rear, nor is it loose at all. It can brake. It has power on all 4 wheels. And the tires are right on the money for the pace it's on.
Sounds like the perfect kind of car? Heck no. I mean, I even forgot there's launch control in this game until I looked back at the Barbie Corvette. Thankfully it's not needed here anyways. Due to its sumo wrestler upbringing (not diet, that's for BOP), the car's 2.2 tons is going to be the main source of the character it offers. This is especially notable on a track like Desierto where taking every speedy corner needs you to be on your feet, only that if you're in something like the Bronco or certain other big machines, it's more of a 'on your moose hooves' instead.
Thing is the car's turning is in a spot where if you get the angle down too far, it'll lose pace. Fortunately the car's quite balanced and grippy enough for it to be minor, but if every second counts, you gotta watch your turn inputs. It'll weave and nae nae about otherwise, and it's an odd.. clumsy but also alluring kind of experience. A soft, cushy shift that's like being in a bouncy castle: it's getting you outta control, but you can't help play around as long as you like with no desire to get your ass out. It's quite nice, sometimes, though in a world like Rivals, it's not quite what you want.
Now for what the Bronco isn't so good at: the acceleration. The engine may pump out 300 horsepower, but that amount of torque is so itty bitty tiny, you're going to see the car feeling bogged on places like the second track the car's going on. The 10 speed auto too isn't much help: you're more likely to end up using up to the 7th gear unless you're highway racing, and you shouldn't even be doing that!
Plus, here we go again: 2.2 tons! That's quite a load to bring about. Though, big weight and low power means traction is an afterthought, and so is the difficulty factor for the car until you get the engine swapped. It'll never reach the top of A unless you get rid of the EcoBoost. It'll give you a hint to change gearboxes should your PI budget permit you.
We're back at Desierto, and I still remember this is a place about cutting. The best line of the track isn't on the trail: it's around it. And that's how you're going to get the best time around here: just generally taking a piss on Barry R who's doing a terrible job at protecting the unseen best line. Still, some of the 90 degrees turns can clip you with said Barry R, especially with Bronco boy here being quite large for a Jeep sized off-roader.
But what's stopping you from enjoying the Bronco? Not me. It's definitely a rhythmic car. Get the flow right, and you're unstoppable. Otherwise.. well, you gotta find it. And here it's an easy one to find. No wonder it's a starter offering.
It's time to announce the time, and for the Bronco that's a.. a..
2:39.612. Let's face it: I forgot having manual with clutch is quicker in this game, and I can't be bothered to learn it despite all my days here.
Kowalski's analysis would say this is a time I can definitely push further more, but I did have a goal in my head to slaughter 2:40, and that's that. My educated guess is that I can cut a second more, but I'm risking hours I'm due elsewhere if I need to undertake that.
It's the right track, for this kind of car. But I'm feeling.. it's just such a hog to bring it around some of the corners. A cross country circuit is where it'll strive even better.
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Which leads me to this segue: for part deux, the Bronco goes off-course into the sands of the
Baja Cross Country Circuit.
I'm so unremarkable to say people forget there's a second form of the infamous blue Countryman. It's also my favorite off-roader in the entire game, and that's BEFORE.. you know what
I have a bad feeling about this. There's a lot to fret about when I have plans akin to making the mother of all omelettes.
If you thought the Horizon Baja Scramble wasn't brutal enough, this Cross Country Circuit spills over into the open desert, bounding through massive sand dunes.
Nuff said, for what good Horizon Baja has to offer, I hate this place. It's not.. Cathedral Circuit bad or going through anywhere in Guanajuato, but it's another example of how bumps can cause unpredictable results.. mainly through the tough as nails desert dunes and jumps about with the tight turns. Anyone knows we don't do chaos here in driving fast. But maybe the Bronco can change that opinion? Maybe..
When you heard the term of asking if pigs can fly, I'm glad for the existence of pegasi to fill that image in the real world, despite it's fictional relation.
There's usually never a second analysis segment in Mini Mexico. Nor is there a Tuner's Analysis Segment. This game is wild about developing what kind of car you want. I have an offroading Chiron and 918 Spyder for S1, for instance. This is advice I can't give unless I'm getting paid a meal worth's of money to write.
So, to me, the Bronco lives in this kind of venue better than anything from Horizon Wilds. It comes with how the car handles bumps real good, and the fact it can take a hit from a jump that usually kills the driver, but as I usually say: kids are cruel.
You'll probably notice too of that gearbox. I then notice the fact that such a transmission is used for going down the volcano. It reminded me of the F-250 Super Duty's main selling point.. could it also be found here too?
Since there's nothing more I would like to say, time to take on the track.. and boy: I thought it was a mess, and it is.. until you learn it. There are segments with jumps on one side, and it'll be your objective to find yourself on the other side.
Moreover, on the whole run, you will be stuck on the 5th to 7th gear of the Bronco. That rhythmic talent of the car kicking in. This is where you'll find it better than in Desierto. From finding the right line, and finding the right gear: you're usually using the 7th by the initial downhill segment, then sticking to 5th when heading back to the dirt track.
I find myself getting a best of
1:42.082 this time around.
I also just remembered the lesser known meme around here that SPD sucks at cross country and dirt in general. Or I'm really rusty. Both are valid answers.
Plus the fact that I'm not a fan of this place, but like what forced runs on Bathurst has done to me, I think I can tolerate it for future revisits.
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Well, if you're expecting it, for the time being don't be. Give me some time to get things rolling here again so I can get Showcases, Throwbacks and The Tests back in action.
There's that challenge though. Fine, let's have a quick jab at it..
And here you go. Completely forgot to record it, so you gonna have to take my word on it.. (or check for it on the leaderboard if you're bat[BLEEP] insane).
So, what is the Ford Bronco? It is..
A certified bad horse.
Not bad as if it's terrible. To me: it's the best kind of starter anyone needs if they need to go off-roading. The performance is just right. The handling is.. just right. The things you can do with it is more than just right. It's right up there with the other two starters, but this one's for the surface that's more prevalent around Mini Mexico.
Like it's fellow starter brethren, I'm going with
Sleeper. Even though it was one time a meta choice, it's one I don't quite see so often no more. It's a good way to define what you're expected to do to a car in Horizon, and it's one of the lucky ones that's not stuck at a high PI.
The Bronco is a car I do adore in real life, and won't mind getting one if I had the chance..
But on another note.. you're as beautiful as the day I lost you.
.
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