Photo: Nick Maslow
What It Is:The new Ford Bronco SUV
Level of Difficulty:On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being easy and 10 being exhausting, the Bronco is a 3 to drive — unless you count the price tag, which clocks in at about $61,440.
I’m a city dweller without much use for a car of my own, but even I have to admit I was mesmerized when Ford unveiled the new Bronco. And when I got the opportunity to drive one into New York’s Catskills in pursuit of thePerseids meteor shower, I jumped at the chance.
After all, as a PEOPLE Human Interest editor, I cover all things astronomy (check back for the next supermoon)andmy boyfriend Scott and I were overdue for a getaway. When Ford offered the chance to take one for a road trip during the weekend of the much-anticipated Perseids, it seemed like the perfect excuse to go.
And while I was excited for some stargazing, I was mostly jazzed to get behind the wheel of the Bronco, which I’ve loved since my Florida childhood in the ’90s, when a family friend used the truck for everything from towing his boat to school carpools. But Ford discontinued the two-door SUV in 1996, citing decreased sales; other than an occasional sighting (or a mention of that infamous car chase), I never gave the model much thought.
Cut to 25 years later, whenFord relaunched itto much internet excitement in July 2020, with fans crashing the reservation system at one point. We were all bored at home, desperate for adventure, and I too dreamt of jumping in the new Bronco and speeding away.
Dreams came true when the Ford PR team dropped the keys off at my apartment and told me to take it wherever we wanted, though they recommended the Catskills foroptimum viewing. Challenge accepted.
Nick Maslow
The questions from friends and family soon began pouring in.
What color? Carbonized Gray Metallic.
Which model? There are a few options, but we had the 2021 4-Door Advanced 4X4 Wildtrak.
Does the roof come off? Yes, and however intimidating that sounds, it’snot a complicated process.
Taking the Bronco for a spin.Nick Maslow
As for how it drives? I could tell this was a powerful V6 as soon as we merged onto the freeway and quickly reached the speed limit. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that the Bronco’s fuel economy isn’t stellar, at up to 20 miles per gallon in cities and 22 on highways, per Ford.
As the world faces the ever-worsening climate crisis, I had hoped there would be an electric Bronco. Ford already manufactures an electric truck, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, so perhaps an electric model isn’t too far off on the horizon.
The Ford Bronco’s massive display.Ford
“How cool — put that in your story!” Scott told me, impressed.
I’ve also been advised to mention how spacious the Bronco cabin is — at 6'3", Scott usually complains about leg and head room in vehicles. That wasn’t the case here.
Kaaterskill Falls.Nick Maslow
A newbie to the Catskills, I was eager to get out of our hotel room and truck and experience what it has to offer. We kicked off our first day with breakfast at the adorable Catskill Mountain Country Store, where we dined on omelettes and banana pecan French toast.
After posing in front of the establishment’s barn to get Bronco photos for this story (as one does), we took a long drive to the Kaaterskill Falls. This was the highlight of the trip for a couple reasons. First, I can’t exaggerate the beauty of the waterfall at the end of the long hike from the parking lot. Second, there were moments on the hike when all we heard were chirping birds and a babbling brook. It was much better than the sound machine I have at home.
I’m not going to act like we did everything you can do in the Catskills. All the hiking left us exhausted in the evenings, but we managed to stay up late enough to search for the Perseid meteor shower in the clear night skies. Here at PEOPLE, we do lots of stories about celestial events, and being able to witness one gives me a deeper appreciation for the wonders of the universe.
View on a hike in Hunter, New York.Nick Maslow
Days after we gave the Bronco key back to Ford (“We thought about telling you it was stolen,” I joked with the guy who picked up the truck), I find myself randomly thinking about how traveling through the Catskills' winding roads feels like a fun rollercoaster in the Bronco.
The Verdict:The new Bronco is the sweet spot between a Jeep and Land Rover, its two most obvious competitors. Usually mountain driving makes me nervous about worst-case scenarios — I am a news editor, after all — but with the Bronco’s agile steering and suspension, I felt in control and safe behind the wheel, which is exactly what you want when you’re up for an adventure.
source: people.com
