During the 1970s, my age ranged from two to 12 years old. The car in our driveway? A burnt-orange Ford Gran Torino Country Squire with fake wood paneling. The music playing in our house? Shaun Cassidy and the Bee Gees. The clothes in my closet? Bell-bottom jeans, graphic T-shirts, and sneakers. My favorite car at the time? Pontiac Trans Am with the screaming chicken decal on the hood. My hair? Feathered, parted in the middle, and way too long.
Do I remember this era fondly? Not really.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
However, I sure dig the 2025 Ford Bronco equipped with the new Free Wheeling option package. In the late 1970s, Ford offered a series of models with a Free Wheeling appearance package that added vibrant red, orange, and yellow stripes and other frippery to the automaker's trucks, vans, and SUVs. Ford even sold a Pinto Cruising Wagon with a similar treatment.
For decades, society swept this era of cringe under the carpet. But now those stripes are back, baby! And I am so here for it.
The new Free Wheeling package is one of several changes to the 2025 Bronco. Ford has returned the Base trim to the lineup, discontinued the two-door versions of the Big Bend and Heritage Edition, and added a new two-door Stroppe Edition. The Black Diamond trim level is now an option package.
Ford also offers a new beadlock-capable wheel design, modifies the available paint colors, and adjusts the standard and available equipment lists. In addition to the Free Wheeling package, you can now get Black, Black Diamond Graphics, Sasquatch Graphics, Raptor Shadow Black, Raptor Code Orange, and Matte Film Protection appearance packages. The SUV also offers a new black-painted hardtop option.
With the deck shuffled for 2025, let's summarize the lineup. The Bronco 2-Door is available in Base, Badlands, and Stroppe Edition trim levels. The Bronco 4-Door is available in six trim levels: Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks, Badlands, Heritage Edition, and Raptor. The base prices range from $41,990 to $81,990, including the destination charge.
For this 2025 Bronco review, Ford provided a test vehicle equipped with Big Bend trim and the following significant options:
The test vehicle's manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) was $58,315, including the $1,995 destination charge to ship the SUV from the Wayne, Michigan, assembly plant to your dealership. The price does not reflect any current rebates, incentives, or price adjustments since Ford manufactured the test vehicle.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Available only on the Bronco Big Bend, the Free Wheeling package adds more than just reflective sunset stripes. The grille and door handles are silver, the grille lettering has exclusive white and red detailing, and the seats feature matching stripes on fabric inserts with marine-grade vinyl bolsters.
Gloss black 17-inch steel wheels are standard with this package, but if you pair it with the Sasquatch package, you get the retro turbine-style wheels seen in the accompanying photos. They have a red-stripe wheel lip that matches some of the interior detailing in the cabin.
The test vehicle had side steps, which can impede entry and exit for a person with long legs. The shorter members of my household used them every time, as well as the robust grab handles. Once aboard, everyone was comfortable in the Bronco, which seems roomier inside than a Jeep Wrangler and more open to the outdoors than a Toyota 4Runner. Notably, the test model's hardtop offered removable roof panels over the front seats and a third panel over the rear seat, allowing all passengers to enjoy the convertible driving experience.
Speaking of those equally rugged, competitive off-roaders, the Bronco's cabin looks and feels better than those of the Jeep and Toyota. All three have a utilitarian nature designed to get wet and dirty, but the Ford's surfaces and components display a higher level of quality. Like the Wrangler, the view over the Bronco's hood sparks nostalgia, and like the 4Runner, the dashboard features an industrial design. Yet, it boasts a distinct retro look, despite featuring digital instrumentation and a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Ford includes stereo volume, radio tuning, and temperature control knobs with rubber grips to make them even easier to use. The automaker also encases the steering wheel buttons in rubber-surfaced pads, presumably to make them more weather resistant. There is more storage space available in a Bronco compared to a Wrangler, and the test vehicle had an accessory water bottle holder that effortlessly accommodated a 32-ounce HydroFlask.
The Bronco's cargo area configuration is just like the Jeep Wrangler's. First, swing the lower tailgate to the right. Second, lift the rear glass window. That provides access to a roomy, cube-shaped cargo space measuring 38.3 cubic feet. Fold the back seat down, and you can expand the capacity to 77.6 cubic feet. Yes, the tailgate design can be a hassle in tight parking situations or when parallel parked at a curb. Additionally, with the oversized spare wheel and tire mounted on it, the tailgate is heavy.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Every 2025 Bronco has a 12-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12-inch touchscreen Sync 4 infotainment system. The highlights of this tech include:
Additionally, this year, the 2025 Bronco Big Bend now includes the previously optional Mid package as standard equipment. With that change, a connected navigation system is now standard, accompanied by a complimentary one-year trial subscription to the service.
Sync 4 is not Ford's latest and greatest infotainment system. That designation goes to the Ford Digital Experience technology that debuted in the refreshed 2025 Explorer and has started rolling out to some of the automaker's other models. That newer system is mighty sophisticated, but the older Sync 4 setup in the Bronco was so good that I did not miss it.
The flat 12-inch touchscreen nestles into the Bronco's equally flat dashboard and looks perfectly natural. I did not notice any problems with glare and reflection, but the weather during testing was overcast much of the time.
Main menu selections are available at the bottom of the display, and the Home screen offers a data split to emphasize one aspect while minimizing another. For example, you might wish to display the navigation map on most of the screen while keeping an active window for the radio or preferred media on the right side. Separate stereo, radio, and climate controls located underneath the display minimize your screen time while driving. Overall, it is exceptionally easy to use.
If you decide to use the native cloud-based navigation to find a point of interest or a specific address, know that Sync 4's conversational digital voice assistant is outstanding. It quickly and accurately responded to my test commands, including successful filtration of all medical facilities to only hospitals when I said that I needed to go to one. It also adjusted the cabin temperature, but did not activate the seat heaters.
Some Broncos offer a 12-speaker B&O sound system by Bang & Olufsen. The Big Bend is not one of them, so you cannot combine impressive audio quality with those groovy stripes. That is a shame, really. When you are discoing out to "Stayin' Alive," you need speakers that can flawlessly replicate Barry Gibb's signature falsetto.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Ford equips the Bronco with a standard turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine. It generates 275 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque, and is well suited to moving the Bronco. Four-wheel drive (4WD) is standard, and some versions of the SUV are available with a seven-speed manual gearbox. Otherwise, a 10-speed automatic is optional or standard, depending on the model.
The test vehicle's 4WD system offered 2-Hi, 4-Hi, 4-Lo, and 4-Auto settings. Most of the time, I drove the Bronco in 2-Hi, but during light rain and when off-roading, I switched to 4-Auto. The standard Terrain Management system had seven G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) driving modes. They include Normal, Slippery, Eco, Sport, Sand, Mud/Ruts, and Rock Crawl. I used Normal mode almost exclusively.
Key capabilities include up to 11.6 inches of ground clearance when fitted with 35-inch tires, 33.5 inches of water-fording capability with the Sasquatch package, and a towing capacity of up to 4,500 pounds. The approach, breakover, and departure angles depend on whether you get a two-door or four-door model, the trim level, and the options you select. Broncos equipped with the 10-speed automatic transmission include a Trail Control off-road cruise control system and Trail Turn Assist, which tightens the Bronco's turning radius to get around sharp switchbacks.
One of the great things about the Bronco, especially when equipped with the Black Diamond and Sasquatch option packages, is that it inspires exploration for no particular reason. You know you can go places other vehicles cannot, and safely get back out. That is how my family discovered a spot we had never been to, one accessible mainly to vehicles with serious off-roading capabilities. While some parts of the climb looked challenging, the Bronco effortlessly trudged up, over, and through.
Whether you are off-roading or not, it is easy to tell where the Bronco's corners are, especially in front. The low windowsills also make it easy to see down to the sides. This excellent outward visibility pays dividends on the trail, as well as when parking the Bronco.
On the pavement, acceleration proves quick enough, though when you punch the gas pedal for mid-range passing power, it can feel in short supply. Also, in Normal mode, I noticed a slight delay in response to input from my right foot. However, the 10-speed automatic is brilliant and never got a shift wrong.
In the city, the Bronco's ride is firm and trucky. You feel the road, and while I like it, some people will not. Also, whether blazing over speed humps and speed bumps, or simply crossing the heaves, holes, cracks, and dips common in urban and suburban settings, the Bronco feels stout and sounds structurally robust. It does not seem easy to break, and the massive 35-inch wheels and high-riding suspension mean that crunching an air dam or curbing a wheel is of little concern.
On the highway, the Bronco has a rough ride and is noisy inside, despite the headliner inserts in the removable overhead panels. However, the on-center steering feel is impressive for this type of vehicle.
I drove the Bronco on numerous twisty two-lane mountain roads. Unexpectedly, it can hustle thanks to its decent steering and brakes that are easy to modulate. But this SUV is not fun to drive in the traditional sense. A Bronco encourages exploration, consideration of your natural surroundings, and a slower pace. In that way, it can be relaxing, and you might notice things along the drive that you might not otherwise.
As for fuel economy, well, let's just say you will need to stop more frequently to fill it up than with a typical crossover SUV. The official Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gas mileage rating is 18 mpg in combined driving. I observed 18.3 mpg on my evaluation loop.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Ford gathers its safety features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 umbrella. A basic, stripped-down version of this collection of driving assistance systems is standard on the 2025 Bronco. It includes:
Move up to the Big Bend trim level, which has a newly standard Mid package, and the Ford Co-Pilot360 collection adds:
Choose the Bronco Outer Banks or Badlands, and a Lux package is available. It gives you:
The Bronco Stroppe Edition and Raptor come standard with all these safety features.
My test vehicle did not offer ACC and lane centering assistance, so I cannot comment on the effectiveness of those semi-autonomous technologies. However, I did not miss them. The tech included in the Big Bend operated as expected without much trouble. Occasionally, the lane departure warning and lane keeping assistance systems were inaccurate, but not frequently enough to irritate. Overall, their behavior was smooth and refined.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 2025 Bronco rates four stars out of five for frontal-impact protection, and three stars out of five for its ability to resist a rollover. As of this writing, the NHTSA has not assigned a side-impact crash test rating to the 2025 Bronco.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) assigns a mix of Marginal, Acceptable, and Good ratings to the 2025 Bronco. The least favorable marks are for occupant protection in a moderate overlap frontal-impact collision, the performance of the pedestrian detection system, and the effectiveness of the headlights.
According to the JD Power 2025 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Ford Escape ranks highest in the Compact SUV segment. The Jeep Wrangler and the Nissan Rogue are the next highest-ranked models.
According to the JD Power 2025 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, the Nissan Rogue ranks highest in the Compact SUV segment. The Buick Envision and the Mitsubishi Outlander are the next highest-ranked models.
Other 2025 Bronco competitors include the Jeep Cherokee, Subaru Forester, and Toyota 4Runner.
If I had to choose between a Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, and a Toyota 4Runner, I would pick the Bronco. It blends the Jeep's top-off and doors-off capability with the Toyota's sophistication and advanced technology, and I thoroughly enjoyed driving it. And though the new Free Wheeling package reminds me of my angst-ridden pre-teen years, I find those sunset stripes and turbine-blade wheels to be irresistible.
Christian Wardlaw is a veteran automotive journalist with 30 years of experience in the field and has held automotive editorial leadership positions at Edmunds, JD Power, and The New York Daily News. Today, Chris owns a content agency called Speedy Daddy Media, and in addition to JDPower.com, his work appears on Capital One Auto Navigator, CarGurus, and Edmunds.
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