With winter in full effect both in the mountains and the Front Range, let’s shift our attention to a burly, all-season machine that’s making in-roads in traditional Jeep, Toyota and Subaru territory. The Ford Bronco hasn’t quite cracked the top 25 in vehicles sold in the U.S., but it’s a versatile and stylish alternative that does an effective job of fusing 1960s and 1970s looks with modern tech.

For 2025, the remarkably expansive lineup of Ford Bronco trims has been simplified, just as the Ford Explorer has also lost its rugged Timberline and its ultra-leathery King Ranch trims. As a result, the $56,000 Everglades edition I drove a few weeks back is no longer offered, nor is the Wildtrak I drove almost three years ago. The Black Diamond and Heritage Limited Edition are also kaput.

Instead, you’ll have access to a $38,000 Base model, as well as the Big Bend, Badlands, Heritage Edition, Outer Banks and the $90,000, 455-hp Raptor trims of the Bronco. There’s also a bright-orange, white and blue Stroppe edition, named after 1960s Baja racing legend Bill Stroppe. And, like every other vehicle sold in America, a new black appearance package is also coming.   

My sticker-laden 2024 Everglades trim was pretty high up in the old pile, appearing to me as a four-door model with the smaller 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, good for 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque, and about 20.5 mpg during my drives. No seven-speed manual, sadly, but quite a few additional bits and the Sasquatch package, adding the 35-inch all-terrain tires on 17-inch wheels, a snorkel and a winch.

Adding a set of doors doubles the Bronco’s cargo room, with a tray/rack system in the back, and it also features a (not easily) removable hard top, plus the doors can also be removed. The frameless window glass and removable front-cabin roof panels do also mean a lot of road and wind noise, at all times.  

Like the Wildtrak many years ago, some drivers may be less than impressed by the relatively unadorned plastics found in the cabin, especially on the center console, with its centralized window controls. Like the Jeep Wrangler, the simplicity of a base model is great, but when $20,000 extra still means chunky plastics, that seems a little weak.

The Bronco did bedazzle the owner of a new Ranger, who marveled at the handsaw-styled grab handles, the oversized navigation screen and a storage bin on the Bronco’s dash.

The emphasis here is a chunky presence, so maybe drivers won’t notice. I took my vehicle loan provider’s “no driving off-road” warning a little too literally and concentrated on pavement, discovering that the big tires are indeed a handful for cornering. But with nuanced inputs, you can cruise along comfortably, and the ride is not as awful as other dedicated off-roaders, partially thanks to that added wheelbase.

It’s also relatively easy to park, thanks to a rear camera that pokes out of the tail-mounted spare tire.

Those who get to drive theirs on dirt have the multi-mode Go Over Any Terrain (GOAT) knob for easily adjusting to different terrain, plus front and rear electronic locking differentials and even a single-wheel-dragging trail turn function. The 360-degree camera will provide better agility both in parking lots and on trails, and the low-speed trail control system also helps regulate speeds while banging around on rocks.   

At night, the LED headlamps very subtly dissolve from high beam to low beam light; the heating system didn’t blow my socks off, so you might have to bundle up in the back seat during a High Country drive. The 2025 models promise better vents for rear passengers and more sound insulation, as well as a new 12-inch digital instrument cluster and an available 12-speaker audio system.