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One of the hottest vehicles of the past few years is the Ford Bronco. The 2022 model brings exciting and nostalgic designs, a fun character, and fully capable prowess off-pavement. But as the industry reviews rolled in, there were apparently a few setbacks about this beefy SUV.

Before you explore your Bronco-buying options, keep reading. Here are three reasons you might want to avoid buying the 2022 Ford Bronco. While there seems to be plenty of love, there are some notable distinctions that might have you thinking twice.

An orange 2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak off-road SUV model with option HOSS 3.0 climbing over a hill of rocks
2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak climbing over rocks | The Ford Motor Company

2022 Ford Bronco specs

Fans were excited to see the return of the iconic Ford Bronco, and for a good reason. It’s a worthy contender, chock-full of available options and extras. As Edmunds outlines, you have your pick of seven core trim levels – the Base, the Big Bend, the Black Diamond, the Outer Banks, the Badlands, the Wildtrak, and the Everglades.

You can choose either a two-door or four-door version, too. And the personalization options seem endless, making it a great fit for convenience, luxury, and off-road preferences.

Entry-level trims come with the still impressive 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with output benchmarks of 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. The 2022 Ford Bronco’s optional engine, which is a notable favorite, is the 2.7-liter V6, harnessing 330 horses and 415 lb-ft of torque.

New owners can also expect decent tech, too, including digital instrument panels, push-button starts, satellite radio, Wi-Fi hotspots, and five driving mode terrain management selections, all as standard equipment.

Depending on how you outfit your 2022 Ford Bronco, you can expect to pay anywhere from $31,300 to $68,500, offering great affordability flexibility for consumers, too. But despite all these pros, there are a few cons to consider before you buy.

1. Poor build quality

MotorTrend spent some quality time with the 2022 Ford Bronco. And while the reviewers had plenty of pats on the hood for the Bronco, one of the most significant letdowns came in build quality.

Reviewers cited that the latest Bronco “struggled” in engineering excellence. The overall feel of the quality is “underbaked,” suggesting the Bronco just isn’t up to par for today’s mainstream vehicle-buying consumers.

To be fair this is an area that is difficult to make a judgment on without a few more years of evidence. Time will tell how well the 2022 Bronco holds up, but it isn’t a good sign this is an area already being mentioned by critics.

2. Poor ride quality

Here’s another caveat to consider that might sway your Bronco-buying decision. It’s noisy. In fact, it’s noisier at higher speeds than even the notoriously windy Jeep Wrangler.

The MotorTrend team says the Bronco’s ride quality is flawed even further with its faulty roof panels. There’s little about this beefy, fun off-roader that inspires ride quality confidence. And it certainly doesn’t feel “Ford Tough” on rigorous drives.

3. No manual transmission available on the ‘big’ 2022 Ford Bronco engine

One of the biggest pros about the 2022 Ford Bronco that the MotorTrend team shared was just how fun and responsive the manual transmission was to drive on the lower-level trims. So, you can imagine the disappointment when they found out they couldn’t have that shifting fun with the larger engine.

Ford’s 2.7-liter engine only comes with the 10-speed automatic transmission, which is a major disappointment considering just how great the manual performs with the base engine configuration.

There have been a few other cons on the various “pros and cons” lists out there for the 2022 Ford Bronco. The fuel economy isn’t all that impressive, the wind noise can be distracting, and some of the interior materials feel a little cheap, at least according to some industry critics.

But the previously outlined three negatives seem to be more prominent among them all. And in the end, you might be dissuaded from buying the 2022 Ford Bronco as a result.

Thankfully the ride noise and manual transmission issues are two potential issues that can you can see for yourself before you buy.

RELATED: The Latest Ford Bronco Sport Recall Is Causing Significant Delays

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