As we found out on Monday, the 2021 Ford Bronco will be even more powerful than we initially thought. That’s the kind of news people can get excited about—higher output, better performance, and cool features like 35-inch tires. That all comes at a price, of course, and it’s usually paid at the fuel pumps.
It looks like this will be the case with the new Bronco. A post on the Bronco Nation blog shows a high watermark of 21 miles per gallon combined, which Ford confirmed to The Drive as official from the EPA. For reference, the Jeep Wrangler’s best is 23 mpg with two doors, the 2.0-liter engine, and the automatic transmission.
If you want the most fuel-efficient Bronco money can buy, get the Bronco Sport. Kidding! Well, kinda. The two-door full-sizer with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost is best in this case, netting 20 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. It doesn’t matter if you equip it with the seven-speed manual or 10-speed automatic; what does matter, though, is whether or not you spring for the Sasquatch Package.
Once you factor in the Sasquatch’s 35-inch tires, 17-inch wheels, locking front and rear differentials, and upgraded suspension, those fuel mileage figures start to fall. A 2.3-liter Bronco with the package equipped tops out at 18 mpg across the board, while Sasquatch models with the optional 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 can only muster 17 mpg.
You’d probably see a similar decrease if normal Wranglers were offered with 35-inch tires; the V8-powered Rubicon 392 is hardly anything to go off here given its huge engine.
Here’s the entire table for Bronco models:
And another showing the Wrangler’s numbers:
A Ford spokesperson had this to say when contacted about the Bronco’s newly release mileage numbers:
“Bronco brand customers demand the highest-levels of off-road capability and performance. With off-road competition-proven EcoBoost engines and class-exclusive transmission offerings, our all-new Bronco two-door and four-door models deliver the best four-cylinder horsepower and torque, and the best available six-cylinder gasoline horsepower and torque in its class.”
Folks who plan on using their Bronco for around-town runabouts better not bank on passing too many Shell stations.
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