Over the past few years, we’ve lived through the rise of trimflation, where car companies ditch base models and focus on more expensive trims to juice profits in times of shortages. However, since inventory shortages wouldn’t last forever, this seemed like a plan that could work temporarily at best. As automakers started to run out of customers looking to buy high-margin models, surely base trims would return, right? As it turns out, yeah, that’s exactly what’s starting to happen, and here’s the latest example. For 2025, the base Ford Bronco returns to the lineup, but before you rush out to buy one, you might want to hold your horses for a second.
Cast your mind back to 2023, and if you were lucky enough to secure an allocation for a base Ford Bronco with no options whatsoever, you were looking at a price tag of $36,785. Not bad for a proper off-roader that’s much more refined on the highway than a Jeep Wrangler. However, fast forward just two model years, and the returning base Bronco now starts at $39,890 including freight. It’s not unusual for cars to climb a few hundred dollars in price every year due to inflation, but $3,105? Where’s the price hike coming from?
Well, there are a few more standard features this time around than there were in 2023. The partially digital gauge cluster has been replaced by a 12-inch all-digital cluster borrowed from the Bronco Raptor, while the infotainment screen now measures 12 inches in size, as it did for the 2024 model year. Ford also touts the addition of extra sound deadening, and additional interior lighting, but that’s really it.
Now, if the competition was also engaging in substantial price hikes, I could see an argument for Ford keeping pace with the market, but here’s the thing — a base two-door 2025 Jeep Wrangler Sport starts at $33,990 including freight, and that’s before any incentives are factored in. That $5,900 delta between a base Wrangler and a base Bronco ought to grow once your local Stellantis dealer realizes they have a chance of actually moving something off of their lot. Granted, it is an extra $1,795 to get a hardtop on a base Wrangler to match the security of the standard top on the two-door Bronco, but even with that box ticked, you’re still looking at significant savings.
The return of the base Bronco also does some weird things to the two-door lineup. See, the two-door Big Bend, or one-up-from-base, trim is gone for 2025, meaning the next-cheapest two-door trim is the $51,990 Badlands two-door. So, you can either have a two-door with base-spec creature comforts or a two-door with all the creature comforts, but nothing in between. While the take rate for these short-wheelbase models is fairly low, if you’re looking for a two-door Big Bend, you might want to check inventory before they’re gone.
However, if you’re shopping for a four-door model, because let’s face it, most are, the 2025 base Bronco isn’t a bad deal. It starts at the same price as the two-door model, and since a four-door Jeep Wrangler Sport stickers for $38,590 including freight, the $39,890 Bronco is still in the ballpark. Sure, it’s still $1,300 more than a comparable four-door Wrangler, but for most people who aren’t looking to spend every weekend off-road, a $1,300 premium for substantially better highway manners is one likely worth paying.
So, base Bronco four-door? Not a bad deal. Base Bronco two-door? Maybe look at a Wrangler, because several grand at this end of the market is a huge delta. Still, base models are returning to lineups, and this is just the latest.
(Photo credits: Ford)
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Having driven both the two door Wrangler and Bronco, I think they both have great road manners. The trouble I have with the Bronco is it is quite isolated and not really all that engaging to drive. Where as the Wrangler feels more raw and connected, making it the more fun driver.
Both variants I have driven were two door manuals.
My dream would be a base bronco, green, two doors, white wheels. That’s all I ask for!
While yes, the base Wrangler is several thousand cheaper, it is also much more base. As pointed out, the Bronco comes with a hard top and the Wrangler does not. The Bronco also comes with power windows, locks, and cruise control. There are probably a few other amenities I am missing. A more comparable Wrangler would be Sport S with a hard top, which rings in at $39,185 MSRP, which is not all that different than the Bronco at $39,890.
So, if you want the cheapest off-roader, the Jeep clearly wins on price. But it’s a little less clear if you want to compare similarly optioned vehicles.
The base 2dr was originally $28500, now that was a value buy. Over $11k price increase in just 5 model years
I don’t know what it is about the Bronco, but when I see it in pictures (both the 2dr and 4dr) I think, “Ooh, I want one” but then I see it in real life (both versions) and I think, “Why does that thing look so cheap and ugly?” It’s weird…
I usually have the opposite reaction to cars (not the Bronco specifically, just cars in general). Something will look odd and half-baked on screen, but in person it’s just fine, or even good. Maybe it’s the same sort of effect.
The CT5 is a good example. Terrible in photos, nice live.
I feel like the real story here is why the heck is there almost a 5K price premium to go from 2 to 4 doors in a wrangler?
If I had to guess, a barebones 2-door Wrangler might be offroaded or otherwise treated roughly. A 4-door sounds like it’s a family car first and an offroader second, so there could be a bunch of features rolled in there beyond the body and seating changes?
“Introduce low and quickly jack up the price” seems to be Ford’s pricing strategy lately, at least for anything that gets popular. Which is honestly not a bad tactic from a business perspective. I suspect a lot of people still think of the Maverick as a $20k vehicle even though you haven’t been able to get one for that in years.
Certainly better than the Stellantis strategy of “Introduce high and increase from there” which has resulted in most of their models sitting on car lots.
However, fast forward just two model years, and the returning base Bronco now starts at $39,890 including freight. It’s not unusual for cars to climb a few hundred dollars in price every year due to inflation, but $3,105? Where’s the price hike coming from?
From “FU, we know what we got!!”
(AKA “Market Adjustment”)
Or, it’s just market inflation and everything is more expensive. According to inflation calculators, the 36,785 2023 price equates to 39,631 today (I technically converted from 2022 to 2024 dollars, the model years are 2023-2025 but obviously 2025 inflation data doesn’t exist)
The fed knows what they got too.
But, it’s worth the extra money over the Jeep for the reliabilit…eh, the independent front suspension.
This makes me wonder if someone made an error on a media pricing sheet or something, because why would they do this?
Economies of scale is my guess. It may work out that putting a two door model on the line costs them the same as a four door even though the materials cost is less.
That’s true for all their products, but the higher trim Broncos are cheaper as 2 doors, F series trucks are cheaper as 2 doors, and so on. It would surprise me more if they decided to account for the economy of scale on one trim level of one model vs just making an error in the info they released to journalists.
Not quite the same since it was a “package discount” but it reminds me of this old Caravan ad where Dodge advertised a Grand for no additional charge over the short-wheelbase van.
No Hybrid for 2025? They can’t sell these things and they think dropping a base model that’s a few grand less than the lowest 2024 trim will do the trick. Somebody get Ford from whatever alternate reality they are in.
To buy a base Bronco is to have this car as god intended. Once you kit one out you’re pretty much in Land Rover/Lexus GX territory and at that point you’re probably better off with one of those as long as you’re leasing the Rover. This is meant to be a no-frills, roof off, off road capable, purely fun experience.
If I were to buy one I’d probably get the most base model I could find, and in manual. Is the manual still available on the low trims or have Ford gone and pulled an Acura and paywalled the stick? I hope not….
I think Ford will always allow more option flexibility than Honda/Acura but I also suspect a Bronco buyer – or an SUV/truck buyer in general – are more likely to buy a lower-spec model manual than a car buyer.
I mean, I’m only looking at the 2024 configurator (2025 not out yet) so take this with a grain of salt, but 4 of the 9(!) trims (Big Bend, Black Diamond, Heritage Edition, Badlands) come standard with a manual transmission. (although personally, I’m a little miffed because it looks like the manual transmissions are mated to a 2.3l turbo I4 while the automatic transmissions get a 2.7l turbo V6.
Manual is completely unavailable on the other 5 trims, but that list of four above includes the cheapest two trims, so I think that addresses your concerns.
2025 configurator has been live for several days now, actually. Manual is still available on Base for sure and, in a change from prior base models, is now available on the four-door. Previously, if you wanted the cheapest 4-door Bronco with a stick, you were forced into a Big Bend.
I’ve got a ’22 with the stick. I have zero performance complaints about the 4 banger. Plenty of power – iirc around 300hp/300lbft
2 door base manual sasquatch
Will Wrangler cut base Bronco shoppers from the herd? Some, maybe. I’m not convinced these groups cross shop as much as some think, and then it is more likely at higher trim levels. I’m basing this on a pretty small sample size of Wrangler and Bronco owners I know.
The Bronco does seem to have broader appeal in my experience, and at the end of the day it’s just a better car in most applications.
This. The vehicles are similar but there are enough differences between them and their shoppers that there isn’t much overlap.
I know a few people in the market who have Jeeps and been burned by Stellantis “quality” and will never go back. For them, the Bronco is the only real alternative.
On the flipside, my parents bought the Bronco purely because they liked the looks. They’d never owned a Ford before, and very rarely even buy American makes.
As a Jeep owner myself (albeit a very old Chrysler YJ), I wouldn’t buy a new Jeep either. I love the concept of the 4xe, but they have so many issues I won’t touch those.
All my Jeeps were pre-Chrysler CJs and an MJ, and a Willys MB for which I had much love. I have no interest in the Wrangler. I would consider a 2-door Bronco, but, honestly, they’re all too big.
For us, the cross shopping stopped when we saw the physical size of the Bronco. It made our Gladiator look small.