Ford Bronco Sport vs Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk - Finding the Ultimate Off-Road Crossover

[@chrislewis947]

The best thing about the Broncos is that it is going to force Jeep to re-evaluate itself and we all will benefit from them both improving each other. Whichever one you choose you can't go wrong.

[@TruckKing]

Agreed.

[@doolittlegeorge]

Certainly not a no show but trying to bring value to the notoriously overpriced SUV segment. Toyota is still King for trucks and SUVs so everyone will be waiting on the 2022 redesign of the entire lineup but absolutely for this Year 2021 the Ford Bronco series has been the biggest serious market mover for any model since, well...the full size Toyota Tundra came out almost a generation ago. Sales have shot through the roof for all vehicles to start 2021 as well so that should create a lot of confidence to create a vastly better vehicle for the price as everyone plunges into the market for scarce US Buckys.

[@deviouslaw]

@@doolittlegeorge Don't know where you get that Toyota is king of anything with their outdated lineup

[@hotrod7603]

@@doolittlegeorge Toyota King of SUV's and trucks lol, Ford be like Kids these days 😂😂Toy otas SUV's and trucks are boring junks , another taxi fankid

[@MyCrippledWings]

When a base model Subaru Forester or Outback could out perform both of these. They have to do a little more than re-evaluate. Plus I find it funny as fuck, when both Jeep and Ford compare these factory pieces of shit to something like a toyota 4runner. 😂

[@b-radt5514]

Just bought my very first Jeep and it's a '17 Cherokee Trailhawk. Absolutely love it!! Have tried a lil trailing around with it and it's been nothing but excellence.

[@PaDutchRunner]

Same. I bought a 2014 just a few months ago. I’m blown away by how rugged the platform appears to be. Very capable.

[@sbond1963]

Make sure you get the extended warranty. These things fail often and when they do, it’s thousands and thousands to fix it. If they have the parts that is. At the Day I write this they are out of PTU and rear diffs

[@off-roadingexplained8417]

2017 and 2018 are the best years you can buy I think.

[@Libertatem_Vel_Mortem]

​@off-roadingexplained8417 naw. '97 to 2000. Are the best for cherokees. Especially since they had the 4 liter inline 6 in them. Much hardier back then.

[@wejumpedin]

In snow, use the sand / mud option. It lets you spin. Or, use sport mode and full traction off. Push the traction button AND HOLD till it says full off. Then you'd be up the hill easy.

[@20bassmaster]

Thaaaaaank you. Was hoping I wasn’t the only one.

[@stressedout291]

Mine 08 grand cherokee has that and it work great I hold the traction button about 9 second and it turn it off completely

[@aqua.scape69]

@@20bassmaster exactly.

[@300bhpton]

Funny how these systems designed to make it easy are so insanely complex for the user. You need to be an expert on the ground & conditions to know which mode to use, then you need to be an expert on the vehicle to know the secret button pushes or less than obvious modes to use. Somehow old fashion levels and a manual diff lock suddenly seem so much more user friendly!

[@patbraddy8375]

​@@300bhpton i LP

[@ChrisParayno]

These guys are just so wholesome. Even their complaints are more like educational critiques. Keep up the great work.

[@JeremySmith-rw3sx]

I drove the sport alot during this nasty pa winter this year on some pretty icey/snowy untreated mountain roads because i do alot of hiking in areas most people dont go. Put myself into some situations where i thought i was going to get stuck but managed to get it out ok. I am happy with it so far. It is not for hard core off roaders of course. Fits my needs perfectly though. I have the big bend version. Little lower and a less power but is getting the job done.

[@tiredofit4761]

Love it.

[@titanx04]

I feel that you drive the jeep faster through the ruts when the Bronco was stopped.

[@F.P.E.7211]

Absolutely

[@JayElement13]

Yep

[@genesishep]

He stopped both of them mid rut and only the Jeep made it through even though the sun had softened the trail more by then.

[@djgino7948]

@@genesishep Plus the Bronco dug out the ruts deeper....

[@YoFool.1506]

Cherokee had a/ts in the mud. Makes all the difference.

[@TheBronco67]

for the ruts i would have liked if you actually stopped the Cherokee while going through them like you did with the Bronco Sport. You often say momentum is king but for one you allow it to have some momentum while the other you tell your dad to stop and make sure there is none. Now i like the Cherokee but lets compare apples to apples and not apples to oranges.

[@themagician7734]

Yeah, they also didn't try Trail Control mode on it. Felt like it held up and they stopped, versus powering through on the Cherokee.

[@robg6696]

Because he was looking for a specific result. He didn’t let the Bronco Sport have anymore than one attempt and on the hill he gave the Cherokee three shots, while cheering it on, and then having it towed out. Then claimed the Cherokee the winner. People will argue it, but that’s the facts of what we just watched.

[@TheAeswein]

Agreed, and it was the first vehicle to break through the ruts... the snow could have been a little icier when the Bronco Sport drove through vs. slightly thawed out when the Cherokee went through. Would have been interesting to see the Bronco AFTER the Cherokee went through. Both good little vehicles!

[@fasteddie5388]

He made a complete stop on the rut with the jeep at 11:30.

[@WilliamStewart1]

@@robg6696 He did stop though? I think YOUR bias is poking it's nose here made that the result wasn't what YOU wanted and are now projecting your own thoughts on them. Hypocrite much?

[@thebeddoctor4273]

I saw a baby bronco in real life today. Pretty nice I must say

[@alexanderbarcenas6224]

@Jonathan Spier They have,it's just your bad luck,I've seen three bronco sports,one new defender,and no trx.

[@alexanderbarcenas6224]

@Jonathan Spier ok?,I think you mean,"rebodied" escape,"rebadging" is when you take a car from one company and turn it into a car from a whole different one,apparently you don't know the difference.Also,who cares?,it's more rugged than the escape,looks cooler,and has better options,it's a baby bronco after all,and I honestly would want one over a crappy,hole in the wall fca product.

[@thebeddoctor4273]

@Jonathan Spier it wasn't the real big bronco. It was the baby bronco sport i saw.

[@20bassmaster]

@@alexanderbarcenas6224 guessing you haven’t spent much time behind the wheel of recent fca products. Might change your tone if you did. Guessing daddy wasn’t a mopar guy? Lol

[@alexanderbarcenas6224]

@Jonathan Spier ok,still won't change my mind

[@sunnyvalentino]

Followed you here from TFL. Seriously, you keep killing it with the best off road reviews. You really push the cars in useful ways to point of failure. It helps people like me decide what to buy vs marketing. You dad is a great addition, straight shooter, no drama. Hello from Seattle!

[@ChrisParayno]

Yes! I can barely bwatch TFL now a days. I'm not sure what it is, but this I feel has better content.

[@angiemccoy7639]

Agree, enjoy the to the point, useful commentary.

[@pevans475]

Cherokee also comes with crap tires. Toss the Firestone and put a set of ko2 and it's a different beast again.

[@vettle1]

The more I see reviews and videos on the Sport, the more impressed I become.

[@paulsumpter9573]

Took my wifes '19 Trailhawk on a deep snowy Jeep trail with my Jeeper friends and they were amazed how well it did.

[@frh-freerangehuman]

I would say that considering the Sport is not meant to compete with the Cherokee, but instead the Compass and Renegade, it did pretty well by comparison. Definitely an advantage to have real lockers. Already bought the Badlands, the styling is far more appealing to me that the jeep.

[@mblake0420]

Lol 😆u bought one of those

[@Cyberman86]

I agree, this video doesn’t show a fair comparison. The Sport competes with the Compass not the Cherokee Trail Hawk. That’s just a baby Bronco, the full size Bronco is a total beast.

[@garys2157]

I think Ford meant it to compete with all three small Jeeps, as there is overlap in all four vehicles in size and prices, power.

[@CC-gt3ro]

The badlands with off road all terrain tyres will do it. Thejeep seems ro have all terrain tyres, the test is not fair. Off road tyres are for mud and rock, it is well known. The badlands is better.

[@CC-gt3ro]

@@Cyberman86 they should start by putting all terrain tyres to the bronco. The test is false. The jeep has tyres for mud. The bronco has winter tyres that i have on my pontiac vibe.

[@jns66jns]

You literally just pulled the bronco into the ruts until it got barely stuck and then backed it back out, you didnt give any effort and called it a fail. Then the cherokee got stuck on the hill the bronco climbed with ease!

[@jaymesnin]

He called the bronco a cross over. Lol. Edit- To me the bronco is a SUV/Sport Utilty Vehicle. A cross over is like a Pontiac Aztec. Buick Redevous or whatever. Ford focus sport hatchback. It's like an SUV/Van/Car put together. An abomination LOL. No the Bronco Sport is a new version of the 90' Jeep Cherokee. Mini 4×4. Like a Jeep Patriot. Land Rover. Sport Utilty Vehicles. Just my opinion. I guess you could say it's a cross over from the escape and full size bronco. But it's an SUV

[@daveroe8612]

When I told him it was the worst job of reviewing, he had a smart are answer saying show me. So I posted TFL truck's review and another both well done. He won't have my views anymore not that he cares. Lots of other quality reviewers outthere....happy veiwing.

[@hayden8693]

@@daveroe8612 kick rocks

[@endocry]

Yeah I actually agree...they got the Bronco stuck in a pretty bad spot in those ruts and seemed to make a minimal effort to get it out. I say the Bronco won this and I have no brand bias.

[@hayden8693]

@@endocry bronco Isn’t even rated to carry 100lbs on its roof, it’s a cheap pile of shit

[@FearlessTrailhawk]

Yeah...SNOW TIRES had zero influence in this test....lol. My guess is you had the Cherokee in "snow mode"...which is a very aggressive traction program. Sand/mud would have been your better option. I've never had the nanny shut me down trying to get through a mud bog or up a loose hill. I only use "snow" mode on pavement. It does everything it can to prevent wheel spin, including starting off in 2nd gear instead of 1st. Put it in sand/mud and manually shift to keep the revs down and you woulda been up the hill no problem. Granted, snow tires definitely would have helped the cherokee climb that snowy hill!

[@josiaevans]

I was just gonna say that!!

[@jingbow7496]

Right, snow mode is supposed to be used on flat ground, and too much spinning is considered a dangerous situation. On the hill with soft snow like mud, sand/mud mode should be a better choice.

[@naturemusic88]

Just got a Trailkawk CHEROKEE 2019. Love it! Drove highway 45 m; and serious dirt, mud, 6 miles, very rutted and it rides like a sedan. My first car I leaned to drive was my dad’s Bronco in 1976.

[@chrisreed3579]

You have to hold the traction control button down on the cherokee for 10-15 seconds to fully disable it. Then you can hold it against the rev limiter without it cutting power.

[@erniearruda8861]

Next time do bronco sport and Jeep Compass trail hawk 👍🏻👍🏻

[@crimsonsamuraiftw]

Unlike the Cherokee with the better engine options, the Compass at roughly the same curbweight is garbage and would've failed multiple attempts.

[@Celik9313]

@@crimsonsamuraiftw Compass great car

[@adrokk2515]

I have a 2020 Trailhawk. I was offroading in soft snow and slush and mine was doing the power drop thing too while in snowmode. I hit the traction control button to disable it, and it turned into a little snowplow...no power loss. Snowmode must keep the traction control on.

[@nathanm6143]

It does keep traction control on because snow mode is made for icy paved roads to prevent slip. When off roading, sand/mud mode is the only way to go because you want wheel spin

[@danburroughs9611]

Thanks for the review. I bought the Jeep Cherokee TRAILHAWK!!! Thanks for what you do.

[@fireant1272]

I have a 2017 jeep Cherokee and i must say it's a great suv. I live on 2 miles of rough rocky roads and the jeep handles the roads great year after year with no problems. Has 80k miles already.

[@langdeezy4681]

As soon as my 2015 trailhawk hit 90000 miles about a month ago several things went out at once including the PTU. cost me 5200 bucks and that was far less than what the dealership would have charged me. Now I'm worried how long this zf transmission will hold up..

[@drscopeify]

@@langdeezy4681 Looking on the website carcomplaints it looks like by 2017 all of the issues were solved so 2014-2016 had issues at least according to that website.

[@jakey20022]

V6 ?! Or 4 cylinder?

[@KTMcaptain]

@@langdeezy4681 Imagine how bad the Bronco will be for its PTU. The Cherokee TH has a 2 speed PTU that gives better gear torque multiplication to protect the coupling. The Bronco wetlands was given water cooling. That doesn't prevent heat from building up, it just manages it. Slipping clutches = heat.

[@maxdonner6085]

@@langdeezy4681 I had a 2014 CTH with 205,000 miles. Only thing that went out on it was the CO2 sensor. Traded it in Nov 2020 for a GCTH.

[@Weouthere805]

Thank you for actually taking vehicles off road! Saw you at tfl good luck with your channel!

[@TruckKing]

Welcome!

[@adamsecord5954]

I feel like you sent the jeep harder than the bronco threw that hole.. I don't know.

[@OGMrpackman]

This is a great video. It answered a lot of questions I have had about different trims of the Bronco Sport for a long time. Very informative :)

[@txvet7738]

Finally the video I’ve been waiting for y’all to post...lol! I think if the Sport would have had A/T tires that it just might have made it through the mud hole by the looks of it. Thanks y’all for completing my day!! I think I would still get the Baby Bronco!

[@Autigers2013]

I think if you put the transmission in manual mode in 1 it would have pulled the hill with ease!

[@benven6933]

This is ridiculous! They really want people to believe that the Bronco Sport could not do it when there is plenty of reviews that shows it can manage this kind of terrain easily!

[@lightningdan]

I enjoyed this, I bought a '19 Trailhawk that I really love. Nice to see em in action.

[@pkgreens_9998]

The Cherokee also didn’t have someone telling them to stop in the middle of the rut. Definitely not a non bias review 😂

[@paulm6481]

That Bronco sport is sure doing some Matrix alternate reality work on us. I know it’s not the real Bronco, I know it is not as capable as real Bronco, but still looks like a real Bronco. Me wants it bad. Easy win Bronco sport, not even close irrespective of capability. Coooool.

[@Hooner77]

Having driven both within the last month I would buy the Bronco Sport. I think the interior fit and finish is better in the Ford. I also like the looks. The Cherokee looks like every other CUV. Even though the Bronco Sport and the Escape share the same platform I prefer how the Sport drives. If your going to spend a more time off-pavement then the locker and 4wd low range in the Cherokee could prove to be a better choice. Just looked at nearby inventory. A fully loaded Cherokee Trailhawk MSRP at $45,245 usd. vs Bronco Sport at $38,320 fully loaded.

[@JS-qi1ou]

Not to mention reliability and costs, I don't know what or if there will be any issues with the bronco platform but jeeps are constantly in and out of the shop.

[@Hooner77]

@Ryker Lockhart I think I stated that if spending more time off-pavement the Cherokee would be the better choice. When I drove these I was looking for a replacement for my 2006 Forester that does not go off-pavement.

[@TouVang1]

Baby Bronco bet your Cherokee! You've proven that!

[@MalcolmDesigns]

I had a 2014 Cherokee Trailhawk for 4+ years that I really enjoyed. Then I got a 2019 Cherokee Trailhawk Elite 2.0 Turbo and really fell in love with this vehicle, it can go through anything and never gets stuck with the correct air pressure in the tires. If you're driving in snow, ice, mud and sand and don't lower the air pressure you're going to get stuck. I agree with others, Ford's Bronco Sport / Bronco is going to push Jeep to do better and vice versa. I'll keep my Trailhawk over the Bronco Sport, but I do love the styling of the new Bronco (2 doors)!

[@TheRandomINFJ]

I'm a year late but omg what? Sometimes i cruise around and see a road i wanna go down on a whim. If it's muddy or whatever, do i just pull over and air down? Lol yea I'm a chick. Just got a sick '20 Trailhawk with no idea how this all works 🤦

[@BillyBobTup]

@@TheRandomINFJ You probably won't see this, but, yes, unless it causes you to lose to much ground clearance, airing down a bit will greatly increase traction. It will also give you more flotation, helping to keep you on top, so that you don't dig in so much so as to high center. Also, if you dig deep holes, they are harder to drive out of. I once was struggling in deep sandbwith an 84 4Runner, in 4wd with Gleason Torque Sensing differentials front and rear. I lowered the tire pressure from low 30s to maybe 20, and drove thru with ease, even in 2WD! So, airing down can make a big improvement( depending on conditions), just make sure you don't go low enough for the tire to come off the rim. And make certain you have a way to air back up before you get back on the highway!!!!!! OTOH, most of the time these guys do NOT air down and they ge by OK even on some really tough trails. You can definitely handle moderately tough trails and snow without airing down. I rarely aired down and went on some moderately hard but awesome trails and roads and thru deep snow all the time. Whether with the 84 4runner, or 83 S10 Blazer with G80 rear locker and good tires, or the 1st gen Nissan Pathfinder. Just try to figure how deep a mud hole is and make sure you have the clearance to get thru it. A deep enough mud hole can trap ANY 4wd vehicle. Even a highly modified Jeep Rubicon. Aired down or fully inflated. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZO9cmWKebZ3qMU

[@jeanpierrekamel4797]

I'm going to buy 2014 Cherokee trailhawk but from my last search online😢 isn't reliable. Can you give me your opinion plz.

[@MalcolmDesigns]

@@jeanpierrekamel4797 I had no problems with mine. I serviced it every year doing the usual maintenance. Then I got a 2019, it's an upgrade with a 4-cylinder turbo. I'm still driving it and love it.

[@IntothewestOkotoks]

That up hill snow battle in the Jeep was like my driveway yesterday here in Alberta with my Ram lol. Love watching your reviews!

[@TruckKing]

Thanks 👍

[@vincentseholm5209]

We love our 2016 KL Trailhawk. It’s primarily my wife’s daily driver. To work and back during the week, to the mountains of the beautiful PNW and back on the weekends. It’s plenty capable off road and quite comfortable on. I appreciate Fords retro nod to the first Gen Broncos in this latest generation, other than that I know very little about the new Bronco beyond what you’ve shared. Every time I see a comparison test up against a Trailhawk I’m intrigued to see if another crossover is a worthy opponent. To date, I would say some come close but all seem to miss the mark in one way or another. Love your channel. Great content. Thank y’all for sharing it with us.

[@WildEpic_KL]

The Cherokee is stopping because you are trying to pin the accelerator in “snow” mode, which limits throttle to avoid wheel slip on icy roads. “Sand/mud” would keep wheels spinning and high rpm on the engine. But honestly, just leave it in “Auto” and drive it in manual, leaving it in first, problem solved ✌🏼

[@noelebbert9322]

with aftermarket tires and lifts for the bronco sport that i've seen out already, yeah i'll take Bronco sport any day. It's no wrangler, but with after market tires and a lift it can be a DD and a great camping rig.

[@GINGERCHI87]

Just got home camping with mine. Did great

[@DevTheBigManUno]

Except for rock riding if a Wrangler can go somewhere an equivalently modded Cherokee can too. Another thing to consider is the bugs have been worked out for the Jeep line. Modding a Bronco right now would almost certainly just lead to a damaged vehicle.

[@lmc_motorsports]

Yes finally someone that sees things like I do

[@justincesarski314]

This is what I've been thinking

[@justincesarski314]

@@lmc_motorsports seeing the same

[@aleksivanov4673]

I bought a Bronco sport in the badlands package. I noticed an inaccuracy in the low clearance. It constantly touches the walls, thresholds and very carefully you have to drive along a deep rut and mud. Stuck in a puddle, sat completely on the bottom, due to low ground clearance.

[@User-cc6cq]

The KL Trailhawk V6 is really in a class by itself. And they handle pretty well on road, too.

[@johnfrantz5885]

I’m concerned about the longevity of that 3.2 though, idk why they didn’t just put the 3.6 in it that engine is way more proven

[@AnthonyKopah]

@@johnfrantz5885 It's the same Pentastar engine, but with thicker cylinder liners. The engine is fine, the 9 speed transmission is more of a concern. They had some issues in the earlier model years, which seem to have improved later on. That transmission is still the weakest part of an otherwise excellent vehicle though.

[@alexgarcia3900]

Great crossovers and they definitely performed very well for what they are.

[@jakey20022]

AGREED 100 percent

[@kennethcurtis1856]

@@johnfrantz5885 I love the 3.2. Great engine for the Cherokee.

[@HiThere-jl8uh]

I just bought 2021 jeep cherokee trailhawk elite, with cash yahoo no payments. Love it. I had jeeps for last 10 years, sticking with it

[@zachjg98]

Great comparison, but feel like the Bronco Sport better compares to a Compass rather than the Cherokee

[@charlestaylor8832]

Hopefully I can help with the technical explanation on the Cherokee’s performance. Low is not really a low range. It just holds the trans in first gear. So you hit the rev limiter and killed the power. I remember this feature from the SAE program when the Cherokee launched. Also, I noticed in the mud and ruts section Howard was going slower than Stephen. At a similar speed the Bronco Sport would have likely made it through. I love the content Truck King provides. Thank you, for all you do.

[@jcollins0615]

That's the Trailhawk version it has a two-speed transfer case for true low range.

[@DevTheBigManUno]

Finally someone throwing a Cherokee into the mix. Ppl forget how capable it and it's Grand Cherokee and Renegade sibling are.

[@ryanminshall2516]

I have a 2019 jeep cherokee trail hawk and love it. I have gone through snow above my front tow hooks in snow mode

[@turboes29]

Love your vids man. Hello from NB. I have a 2015 Trailhawk, it has 31" Duratracs on it. I have owned a ton of offroad vehicles and this little thing shocks me everytime I take it out. I go places far worse than anything I've seen on KZbin (east coast ATV trails, etc) and it impresses me every time...I've made wranglers look bad in a few spots...only limited by ground clearance but even that is rarely an issue with the right lines. Little tip, the ESC can be shut off completely by holding the button for several seconds....also, snow mode is junk...just makes it start off in 2nd gear....sand/mud is the superior mode offroad....even AUTO is better than snow mode. Give it a try ;) Keep up the great work, cheers.

[@danieldalluge9435]

Agreed snow mode sucks.

[@cedynski]

about that hill climb.I noticed that when your Jeep feels too good on a hill climbd it tends to switch to higher gears. very often it ends with the gear being too high which will stall the engine. to sort that out you have to lock you gear manualy by pushing gear leaver and keep it locked (4th will hold your power even on a steep hill) while flooring the gas pedal. suddenly it stops cutting the power and just rams thourgh things ;)

[@davesworld6206]

Interesting how the jeep got so many tries to go up the hill while the Ford got one crack at the mud rut. Then you end up having to tow out the Cherokee out of the snow after a complete failure uphill and somehow you conclude that the Cherokee is the winner. I would take the Bronco sport based on the limited test but I would want to see more rock, sand, water testing for a legitimate comparison.

[@tonypaoletto]

I agree, I think the Bronco won this one.

[@weekendwarrior8179]

The jeep was running that trail in the afternoon, where all the snow had melted... That's why it won.

[@tinycampergang572]

@@tonypaoletto the bronco wouldn’t have made it to that trail in the afternoon

[@Bloodflowers29]

@@weekendwarrior8179 So if you live with snowy winters I guess you need to buy a tractor with your jeep.

[@weekendwarrior8179]

@@Bloodflowers29 Coming from Colorado and driving to Illinois for Christmas... I can tell you that Cherokee will never leave you wanting a tractor.

[@dillonnichols4486]

20k mile review of the bronco sport. Water pump has started leaking and there is a strange leak from the trans which appears to be coming from nowhere. Never been off-road

[@BottomFeeder10]

Nice comparison video 👍🏽 The bronco sport looks amazing in that blue colour!

[@SM-yi9lv]

Area 51. I just got a First Edition Bronco Sport in Area 51 a couple of weeks ago. People rip on them, but they are great little SUVs and very capable!

[@dustit9315]

The trailhawk in 4 low only partly shuts off traction control. You have to hold the button for 10 sec to fully shut it off and if it's in snow mode it won't let you shut it fully off.

[@Rcalderon518]

The reason that the cherokee probably cut power is because you can only go like 15 mph or less while being locked in the rear. Probably jeep has a safety shutoff to power when you are trying to go over certain speed to protect the PTU

[@sprint395]

I think his wheel speed was way to high. If he used moderate throttle it probably would have made it.

[@fasteddie5388]

The safety shut off just disengages the 4wd. His forward collision auto braking went off thinking the snow was something solid he was about to hit.

[@joel.7372]

I disagree with the 15mph theory. I would have to agree with the forward collision theory. I have a '19 Trailhawk and the only difference btw mine and the tested one mine doesn't have the forward collision warning. I just been with mine in snow in similar condition and haven't experienced power cut like that.

[@agiosKatastrof]

I have a 2016 TH, and I thought the same. The stock firestones also aren't so great.

[@danieldalluge9435]

I have a 2019 and have run 4 low and locked up to 35 mph in 8" of fresh powder... It is the only way it ever gets into 9th gear. LoL The locker does disengage at higher speed. I agree with the fwd collision cutting the power. Also, not sure what mode he was in at that point.

[@SubieandFriends]

My Outback has an open rear dif and yet could also split power side to side with torque vectoring….same for the front diff in addition to dynamically split power front to back

[@jreagins1]

So the Jeep is better because it has nice tow hooks? I guess we'll never know about the Ford's tow hooks, since you didn't have to use them. This was an off-road test, right? Seems having to be towed would be a disqualifier.

[@20bassmaster]

How exactly do you thing they got it out of the ruts?

[@benlzicar7628]

@@20bassmaster they backed out of the ruts, the Bronco self recovered. Had they actually had drove through the ruts with any sort of power they would have never got stuck, but they were going a baby pace. Not sure why they didn't give it a second go with more momentum? The Bronco clearly has no issue keeping power up when you floor it.

[@genesishep]

@@benlzicar7628 Self recovered? The Bronco didn't self recover, it had to skip the ruts altogether because it had no chance of getting through them.

[@genesishep]

So the Bronco having to skip the ruts completely that the Jeep walked through shouldn't have been a disqualifier?

[@benlzicar7628]

@@genesishep self recovery means getting yourself unstuck under your own power, which is exactly what it did. Had they put as much gas going into the ruts as backing out, they might have made it.

[@ultrafuel2559]

The difference going up the hill was the tires. Bizzaks are far superior to ATs on ice and snow.

[@freedom_foz_6337]

Good review! So many people don’t understand how different snow can be week over week or day over day

[@The2001cobra]

I just bought a bronco sport based on the HRG tv channel. The thing works best in rock crawl mode. It wouldve pushed its self out of those ruts no problem unless it was plowing the early morning ice it just broke.

[@tonyk7899]

The other thing about those clutches is that if worked to hard the pcm will unlock your clutches until they cool. Not something I would want while going through deep snow or terrain getting to my property. Proper transfer case is the better bet.

[@candycane1921]

I just brought home a 2017 trail hawk a couple days ago. I love it 😻

[@Jonatron503]

It would’ve been nice to see the bronco sport go back through after the GC had trouble. Just to see if the BS can handle the snow after softening. Make it more of a fair comparison. I prefer the BS authentically, but it’s nice to know that the GC is the most competent off road!

[@wildbill23c]

That's a Cherokee not a Grand Cherokee.

[@Marco-fi6gv]

It also would have been nice to see the sport hawk go first and open up some of those ruts to see if it could have handled clearing the way and then have the Bronco go through after, just to make it more of a fair comparison.

[@danielriverafigueroa]

I'd like to see the Transit Connect mounted on that AWD platform.

[@numbnutz9398]

Pretty sure the winter tires on the Bronco helped a lot on the hill. Those DMV2's are my new favorite winter. I've been amazed at the traction and control on ice, snow and slush.

[@Funkbass85]

I’ve been wondering if this is a thing, as in if this is deliberately done because these are paid sponsorships. Every video comparison video I’ve seen has the bronco in proper tires for the challenges, be it snow tires or A/T, while the other car will have All Seasons or some other ridiculous tire. The broncos always come out on top. Tires pay a massive critical role, especially in off-roading, and it is by no means a fair comparison when both cars have completely different sets of tires.

[@devonletourneau3600]

If you exceed 35mph in 4x4 low I believe the jeeps will cut engine power to stop it from grenading the transfer case. My grand Cherokee does the same thing. It’s an annoying but necessary nanny

[@fasteddie5388]

No it does not. Only safety mechanism is if the PTU gets too hot it will automatically disengage 4wd until it cools down. What most likely happened was he had forward Collison auto braking on, and it thought the snow was a solid object he was about to hit.

[@orovalleyview8103]

I’ll take the bronco sport

[@james2042]

The whole point of 4low is to get the torque without having to Rev to redline

[@Marco-fi6gv]

I agree with what some of the others have said - it would have been much more fair if you had not completely stopped the Bronco and dug some ruts just to test the locker system. Yeah I know the Jeep stopped as well, but you stopped the Bronco completely a few times more than the Jeep and in different spots. In addition to that you stop that and then dug some ruts just to test how well their locker system worked. That wasn't exactly fair. And before anyone says anything, yeah they should have run the Bronco after the Jeep on the snow in order to see how it did. I think the results would have been the same on the hill. Gave the Jeep every opportunity, they wanted to make sure it went up that hill but they still ended up getting it towed. Didn't seem like they really tried that hard on those ruts and they only did it once. Not really sure how you can make that absolute pronouncement based on what they did there. Anyway, everyone has their preferences I'm not going to change anyone's mind I just wanted to bring up those points

[@nektiap2738]

It would be good so see some more input on this comparison. 1. Price including options 2. Consider on road a little too since thats the primary use 3. Tyres are pretty key, can you put matching types? Did you deflate them at all? 4. Run them at the same time when you know conditions are changing (tough on videoing I know) or alternate obstacles. Thanks for the videos though this one was a bit perplexing. Bronco got stuck on one and handled the other two well then you drove the Trailhawk differently through the ruts and it failed the next two. Tough to see how the Trailhawk won it...

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

Yeah. He is comparing a crossover to the competition of the Wrangler. This is BS.

[@job38four10]

I dont know but seems to me you dont put your foot to the floor in low range or you'll have the engine beyond red line and a blown motor.........

[@arthursoctomah9175]

Try it in sand mode ...in snow mode, the 4 low , lock rear mode still makes use of traction control...

[@GreghouseVanBouten]

This one's going to make a lot of people's buying decisions easier. Good stuff guys.

[@jstrig]

Personally, I don't think it really did

[@GreghouseVanBouten]

@@jstrig So, Information = bad Got it.

[@jstrig]

@@GreghouseVanBouten Well, what do you think you learned from this? The Bronco Sport was on snow/ice tires designed for streets and got stuck in the mud ruts after the driver stopped in the middle of the ruts. The Cherokee Trailhawk made it through the ruts no problem, but never stopped in them and also had more appropriate tires for that terrain. Then the Cherokee Trailhawk got stuck driving around in the snowy uphill that the Bronco Sport went up easily earlier that morning.

[@Offshore1977]

@@jstrig in my old Jeep club there was a guy with a new Cherokee Trailhawk and that guy was able to go through some very thick mud. Much mor capable than many would think.

[@jstrig]

@@Offshore1977 That also applies to the Bronco Sport Badlands

[@aronmcinnes8313]

I have had my Cherokee sink in the snow like that. Could not touch the ground with the tires. Dug it out in about 15 minutes and once it could get traction, it was back up and over everything. I have had 2 Cherokee Trailhawks that I put over 250,000km on each. I was just in an accident with the second one, and I think I am buying a third one. It is too bad they aren’t making them anymore.

[@MrCh1cken]

I think you should have run the Bronco Sport again after the Cherokee and you should used the same driver for all tests. For all we know your dad is simply a much better driver than you and that is why he got up the hill so easily. I also would have liked to have seen the Bronco Sport with Falken Wildpeaks that we get down here. All that said, you guys have a great channel.

[@KTMcaptain]

AT3W? There are too many wildpeak variants to count

[@justhays]

The Bronco broke the trail for the Jeep!

[@eddiekowalczyk8151]

Great video again gentlemen!! My wife& I had 3 jeeps 2 2015 trailhawks & 1 2016 trailhawk due to too many issues with my wife 2015..we had nothing but transmission problems with the 9 speed zf transmission & some electric issues too..I bet ya the transmission once bogged down trying to climb that one spot stopped the jeep from the mph sensor...sorry to say that 9 speed zf transmission is troubling..we traded both jeeps due to vast amount of problems with less than 30k on each..

[@TruckKing]

Thanks for sharing!

[@bananarific2024]

Sooooo when an engine cuts out on you in the middle of a climb....that makes it a better off road machine? interesting...

[@baldeagle2128]

Rofl

[@20bassmaster]

It only does it when you have it in snow or auto mode. Mud/rock and sand will give you all the onions until it blows up. I’m assuming he had it in snow mode, mine cut power in snow mode all the time. Things you learn living with it.

[@vi8946]

@@20bassmaster yes you are right

[@eduardsokhin2568]

Hello from Ukraine guys! We have a saying, The cooler your jeep, the further you have to go for a tractor. Thanks for the video, I watched it with pleasure.

[@N1GHTMARE141]

bought a bronco the other day so far its been great

[@jared_mcfarlin]

Same here, wanted the Cherokee Trailhawk for a while now but now I'm in the Bronco sport badlands and couldn't be happier.

[@zodac1976]

I had the same power cutting issue with my Jeep Cherokee TrailHawk and it was a software issue that was causing it to cut power. when I got it fixed by the dealership it stopped doing it.

[@autumnembers777]

Never been stuck in my 2019 V6 Cherokee Trailhawk 🤔 Fun video to watch tho

[@autumnembers777]

@Eternal Cowboy I don’t trail. I just have a family that needs reliable transportation in an all season state. Not sure why you felt the need to say that. I just wanted to let others know that my Cherokee Trailhawk hasn’t gotten stuck in the elements and I think it’s a great SUV.

[@supergmx1046]

With regard to tire size @ 1:18 you claim the Bronco has 28.5" or 29" tires. That seems a little high to me. I just googled tire size and I find 16"-18" tires. Perhaps i do not understand something here but are you talking about the outer diameter of the tire? I have never heard tires referred to that way.

[@soktin3413]

The off roading community usually measures whole tire diameter as it correlates to ground clearance. 225/235 65 17 that comes on bronco sports are about 28.5 or 29 in

[@Pontiacse93]

I would buy the bronco. The bronco has the look for me and the 2.0L with the turbo has good power for it size.

[@johnhmielewski1230]

Good choice Randy the look is the most important factor in getting you out of most jams and obstacles 😂

[@prestonspendelow4827]

I own a 2018 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, I have never had the issue of power being cut while in 4x4 low. Still great review

[@awakenedone7577]

Probably didn't spin the tires a lot in snow

[@AnthonyKopah]

Low range doesn't cut power, but the traction management while in Snow Mode does (not the correct mode to be using in this terrain as Snow is meant for preventing slip and here you would instead want to power through).

[@pouryalalee1256]

Both are great soft road crossovers but bronco has better approach and depart angle in my opinion because of the design it also appears to be shorter it’s truly an amazing car to driver I’ve tested it and I was happy

[@nathanm.9971]

I would try the Bronco Sport in the ruts in Sand mode. That one seems to do it all.

[@seanwatson3790]

I'm confused by this. I have the 2.0 liter turbo trailhawk and have had it almost 2 years, off-roaded it a ton and have never had it cut power like what it did for you. I wonder what drive mode you were in? Rock is too agressive for that terrain and so is snow. Sand mud should have let you spin til the cows come home.

[@DrivenHard]

im thinking its cause he said he had his foot all the way to the floor, some times the systems will shut down prematurely when you do that, since you should never have your foot all the way to the floor in 4Low. Have you ever done that with yours Sean?

[@seanwatson3790]

@@DrivenHard maybe once or twice, but not generally. If I want to be buried to the floor it's in sand mud and I have red lined a lot , bit at the same time if I do that I am never in 4 low. ( And usually only cuz I'm doing donuts in parking lots like a kid lol). For that hill he should have been half throddle maybe . Least that's where it is on my turbo Jeep, but at the same time my peak torque is significantly lower than the v6 so I don't have to be at the top of the band to get full power. Weird

[@DrivenHard]

@@seanwatson3790 there is almost no situation for an experienced off roader to be full throttle. I get these are press vheciles and they like to have fun but it kinda kills the joy of the test imo

[@seanwatson3790]

@@DrivenHard I mean that's a good point...

[@tcv4]

It's probably limited. They state in the manual not to exceed 25 mph, but obviously he wasn't moving that quickly. His wheel speed was probably well over that, though.

[@kl_trailhawk3320]

I know this is old, but try putting identical tires on each one, and then try it again. I have the Trailhawk with Cooper at3-4s, and in the deep snow, I've never been stuck(knock on wood, lol.).

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

As someone who wheels with Cherokee Trailhawks, this confirmed what I was guessing. The Bronco Sport won’t be as good off-road for my purposes. Still, I’m glad for a new player in town. Great review, but something was wrong with the Cherokee as they absolutely embarrass my rubicon on snow/snowy climbs. I’ve never seen one cut out like that and we do snowy climbs all the time.

[@CarefreeRambler]

Old school! Lol, I know what he's saying. I'm way younger than this gentleman, but I really enjoy what I'm seeing.

[@michaelwdagle7410]

Let's be perfectly honest here. 99% of the buyers that purchase one of these will never take it off road

[@christhekook6748]

I take my trailhawk offroad weekly

[@ElectricDanielBoone]

@@christhekook6748 me too. It does great in the snow too!

[@aqua.scape69]

My wife has a 2019 TH and she loves it. Takes it off-road every chance she gets.

[@redchristensen7921]

Three people replied, that don’t 😂

[@kendralynn6925]

Too bad I cant post pictures I take my bronco off roading the other day it was a champ so I guess I'm part of that 1% 😅

[@Sfcgoben]

Did you even have the snow mode on my 2016 don't have problems like that

[@PlayWaves1]

You're getting on the Bronco sport for having the same platform as the Escape. The Cherokee literally uses the same platform as the Dodge Dart economy car.

[@jrayzin]

Which happens to be an alfa romeo platform. Take from that what you will.

[@Albuermeduardo]

Many people complaining on the CVT ignoring that is what gets you over 30 mpg. The Forester is bigger and yet gives you better fuel economy. You can throw in a lift kit, a new set of A/T tires and skid plates and still be paying less than the Bronco Sport Badlands.

[@Channel-yq6qy]

Jeep originally ran the Cherokee Trailhawk through the Rubicon during the testing of the prototypes, with a actual low range and locker, it's in a different league off road. The Bronco Sport really matches up more with the Compass which I think it (Bronco Sport) solidly wins against. That being said for what most people actual use their SUVs for the Bronco Sport probably has all the capability that they will ever need.

[@4x4nerd80]

Thats very true, I scrapped my front bumper pretty badly on the Rubicon Trail with my Cherokee Trailhawk, but definitely wouldn't have taken a Compass or Renegade on the trail without significant off road alterations.

[@rodgood]

@@4x4nerd80 Just your bumper? LOL

[@4x4nerd80]

@@rodgood The sides where the tires were, two exhaust brackets which were easy to replace. The clearance issue was resolved with an aftermarket bumper though.

[@rodgood]

@@4x4nerd80 how was the little sluice?

[@4x4nerd80]

@@rodgood Not too bad, the only time i've had issues is when I can't use the rock rails to push the vehicle from the side if that makes sense, like trees that are angled from top to bottom or same with boulders

[@duckdave6409]

Since no Ko2s we’re involved, this test is meaningless. I have that BS. Everyone in our family runs Ko2s. You know, the Baja Champion Ko2s!

[@sandbar521]

You need to make sure that the traction control is fully off because when you just put it in different modes the traction control only turns halfway off. You need to hold the traction control button for around eight seconds until it says fully off on the dashboard then you won’t have any power cut.

[@dylanfisher5847]

I have a bronco sport badlands lifted 1.5" with 30.5s it is awesome off road

[@R.Nelson]

Hey Truck King!!😎 Hey Howard 😎

[@4x4nerd80]

For some odd reason i've ran into similar issues with the Cherokee. It seems to be something with the shifting points, but if you go into manual mode, 2nd gear is the sweet spot where you can floor it without it cutting power. It seems to do it when its trying to shift into the upper gear if you are flooring it in those type of situations.

[@TruckKing]

Thanks for the tips!

[@smarticus6384]

Honestly if you would have driven the Bronco Sport as hard as you did the Cherokee through the ruts I think it would of handled it just fine.

[@fabulousoffroaddesigns5080]

I agree. The Bronco was run at 1 mph with forced stops, while the Cherokee smoked through the ruts "Non-stop" at 11 mph. Not the same at all! Also the Bronco broke trail while the Cherokee tram lined on an opened track.

[@JackDaniels350]

Pay attention guys, he brought the Cherokee to a dead stop just after 11:30 in the video right where the bronco got stuck.

[@fabulousoffroaddesigns5080]

@@JackDaniels350 he stopped well after the hard part where his Dad chose to back out. The father wasn't really stuck either. He backed right out. It just didn't have the traction to climb out from a dead stop in holes dug while checking the difference between locker open and locked. With momentum it would have sailed right through too.

[@CC-gt3ro]

And the blizzak tyres winter tyres for city against all terrain tyres is not fair. If i take the badlands i would take the off road tyres.

[@robertyoung8289]

Comes down to what POS you prefer.

[@robertchapman4488]

You definitely hit the ruts with a lot more momentum with the Cherokee than the Bronco the Bronco would have made it just like the Cherokee if you were driving it the same way

[@williamnickel8132]

He told his dad to stop so he could see if the locker was engaged, in doing so the Broncos sport lost all momentum and got stuck. The Jeep he just powered it through.

[@visearms5774]

Glad I'm not the only one who noticed that

[@fasteddie5388]

@@williamnickel8132 You must have been watching a different video. He completely stops on the rut with the Jeep and talks for like 20 seconds before driving through it.

[@alexmuela92]

@@fasteddie5388 he stopped before the worse part of the rut unlike in the bronco

[@trevorkolmatycki4042]

The 4cyl Turbo available for Jeep is the shizznik! 270hp, 295lb-ft and very fuel efficient