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The Ford Bronco is a legendary SUV that has finally made its return. The Bronco was one of the most anticipated SUVs of 2021. Does the 2021 Ford Bronco First Edition live up to the hype?

The 2021 Ford Bronco First Edition is glorious

The rare 2021 Ford Bronco First Edition has huge shoes to fill, and it fills them well. Motor1 gave the Bronco First Edition an overall 9/10 score. The Ford Bronco delivers all the thrills that the nameplate is known for and then some.

The Bronco First Edition’s technology and connectivity received a 10/10 from Motor1. This is important because tech and connectivity bring the Bronco into the future. Now fans can experience some of the same old perks of the renowned SUV along with modern conveniences. The 2021 Ford Bronco First Edition comes standard with a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system and an eight-inch instrument cluster display.

Motor1 gave the 2021 Ford Bronco First Edition a 10/10 for performance and handling. Part of the Bronco’s original charm is its perky powertrain and excellent handling. It uses a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 engine that makes 310 horsepower. The Bronco First Edition has proven that it is capable both as a daily driver and an off-roader.

The highly-anticipated Ford SUV also excels at keeping occupants safe. The Bronco First Edition includes plenty of safety features like emergency braking with pedestrian detection and blind-spot monitoring. Ford has done a fantastic job at highlighting the Bronco’s original strengths and adding modern tech upgrades to bring the nameplate up to speed with the current times.

The 2021 Ford Bronco First Edition’s drawbacks

A yellow and a blue Ford Bronco are parked off-road.
Two Ford Bronco SUVs | Ford

The 2021 Ford Bronco is awesome, but it has its drawbacks as well. Motor1 gave the Bronco First Edition a measly 3/10 score for fuel economy, and with good reason. The Bronco only gets a combined 17 miles per gallon, which is horrible for an SUV of its size by today’s standards.

The next area that the Bronco fails in is pricing. The base model 2021 Ford Bronco is supposed to retail at around $30,000. Getting a base model Bronco for 30K is a dream. The First Edition model will run you upwards of $60,000, but resellers are jacking up the prices even higher. Some owners are auctioning off their First Edition Broncos with a starting bid price of $90,000.

Is the Ford Bronco everything that we’ve been waiting on?

A red Ford Bronco on a test track during the Motor Bella event in Pontiac, Michigan on September 21, 2021.
A red Ford Bronco on a test track | Jeff Kowalsky via Getty Images

The 2021 Ford Bronco’s lack of availability is heartbreaking, but it’s tough to hold its exclusivity against the SUV’s overall performance and appeal. Ford gave consumers precisely what they wanted, unfortunately only a select few consumers will experience the Bronco. The 2021 Ford Bronco First Edition does live up to the hype. We can only hope that Ford will produce enough models for the rest of us.

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