Is The 2023 Wildtrak The Best Ford Bronco Yet?

Oct 16, 2023

While it might not have the numbers like the Raptor, the 2023 Wildtrak has serious on-road and off-road prowess according to Sarah -n- Tuned.

The 6th generation Ford Bronco has quickly become a massive hit with off-road and SUV enthusiasts since its introduction in 2021. The Blue Oval brand already has a stellar history of building massively capable and fast-selling offroad vehicles with the F-series pickup and has begun to re-establish itself in the mid-size off-roader segment.

Ford now offers over 10 trim levels for the Bronco, so you can fulfill whatever your budget and your off-roading demands might be. YouTuber and Ford Bronco owner Sarah -n- Tuned has been checking out Ford's latest offering with the Bronco Wildtrak to see how it stacks up against the rest of the Bronco line-up.

While there have been reports about the 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost engine being unreliable, Sarah says that this was only on the early 2021 models and is fortunately no longer the case. Fuel economy is not great, though, coming in at only 13 MPG combined.

The 4-door Wildtrak, despite weighing a hefty 4,935 lbs., retains the standard towing capacity of 3,500 lbs and this is due to the suspension setup. The Wildtrak has the full Sasquatch pack offered as standard and includes Ford's HOSS 3.0 suspension complete with Fox Racing internally bypass dampers as well as a 33 mm front and 17 mm rear sway bar and independent a-arm front suspension from the Raptor. `

The Wildtrak also sits on 17" wheels wrapped in 35" Goodyear Territory Mud-terrain tires all around with 12.2" rotors in the front and 12.1" rotors in the rear with 2-piston and single-piston calipers, respectively.

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While Ford has made much of the interior upgrades to the Wildtrak, Sarah says that the seats still offer poor bolster support, and the materials are still subpar.

Taking the Wildtrak off-roading, Sarah says that it still retains its supreme capability and the front and rear differential locks, along with the G.O.A.T. drive modes give the Bronco even more scope to go off the beaten path.

Coming in at a $54,320 base price, Sarah says that the Wildtrak is one of the best Broncos you can buy. With that in mind, she says that unless DIY is not your forte, you should stay away from the options list as prices can soar to nearly $65,000.

Based on the Ford T6 platform, the Bronco can come in either a 2-door or 4-door variant and has either a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine or, as is the case with the Wildtrak, a 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged 6-cylinder EcoBoost engine.

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The twin-turbo V6 engine itself has a graphite-iron block, aluminum head, forged crank and rods, and cast aluminum pistons, resulting in 330 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque - which can be further boosted by a factory Ford Performance tune.

The Wildtrak does only offer the 10-speed Auto transmission, though, so if you want a manual you’re out of luck.

Callum MacHugh is a petrolhead in love with all things automotive. Growing up in the North of Scotland, his passion began at age 2 watching Rally Cars tear through the Highland countryside very, very sideways. Since then, he has become an avid motorsports fan and will cancel any and all plans to watch the latest round of the IMSA Weathertech Championship. Callum also has an honours degree in Journalism and has previously written about JDM tuner cars, various motorsport categories, and sim racing.