Review 2022 Ford Bronco Everglades Digs Deeper Off-Road
With the $54,595 (including $1,595 destination fee) 2022 Ford Bronco Everglade in the lineup, the already capable Bronco was more capable than all but the more expensive and powerful Bronco Raptor in deeper water They now have the ability to get into and handle mud. They can also climb over obstacles, climb hills, and get unstuck, thanks to their standard winches.
A day's adventure on Drummond Island, Michigan, revealed that Everglades has taken its place in Bronco's toy box.
The most notable feature of the Bronco Everglades is the snorkel mounted along the passenger side A-pillar. This lifts the air intake and feeds it into the new intake system through holes in the front fenders.
Sorry if you are not an Everglades owner, but the snorkel is not just a plug-and-play part to add to your Bronco. However, Bronco Program Manager Mike House told Motor Authority that the team is looking into ways to offer snorkel setups through the Ford Performance Accessories division.
The snorkel is important, but it's not the only element that raises the Everglade's immersion capacity from 33.5 inches to a whopping 36.4 inches on other Broncos equipped with the Sasquatch package. The driveline vent tubes also help. Ford raised the transmission, front differential, and transfer case vent tubes by 3.4 inches and the rear differential vent tube by 2.2 inches.
The non-Sasquatch Bronco can pass through 31.5 inches of water and the Blapter 37.0 inches, mostly due to the latter's massive 37-inch tires.
The Everglades add 8.6 inches of width to the Desert Runner, allowing it to fit through trees and on trails where the Blapter cannot. Kids, size matters. Drivers need to choose the right tool for the job, in this case a bronco.
Standard with the Sasquatch package, the Everglades has full-time four-wheel drive, locking front and rear axles, a 1.2-inch lift (from the base Bronco), and a suspension with Bilstein dampers with end-stop control valves, 67.8:1 crawl ratio, 35-inch Goodyear mud-terrain tires, and skid plates on the engine, transfer case, and fuel tank.
Falling trees were not a problem because Everglades mounted a Warn Zeon 10-S winch with 100 feet of synthetic line on the front bumper. The winch is controlled by a 12-foot wired remote. According to Vehicle Dynamics Engineer Chris Bertin, the wireless remote is less accurate and has a slight time lag in response to control inputs, whereas the wired remote responds more instantly.
Everglades can perform their own recovery or move trees off the trail to clear the way for less capable off-roaders. We cleared the trail twice, but during our day-long adventure, the broncos were seemingly unstoppable and did not need to perform a recovery.
The winch is not an off-the-shelf Warn system. Ford powder-coated the housing, changed the fasteners, and altered the fairings to increase durability.
It should be noted that Ford installed the winch in Everglades and crash tested it to make sure it was safe. This is one of the benefits of plant consolidation.
Inside, the Everglades has a 12.0-inch touch screen compared to the Black Diamond Bronco's 8.0-inch unit, marine-grade vinyl seats with wide, comfortable cushions that are easy to wipe clean, and rubber flooring.
The Bronco's base 2.3-liter turbo four (300 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque) is the only engine option and is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. It has more than enough power for both street and off-road. I drove nearly 7 hours in the mud, water fording, rock crawling, etc. and never once did I feel like I wanted more power.
The snorkel has a blocking plate that can be moved either forward or backward on the snorkel. With the blocking plate mounted in the front, when I stepped on the throttle, the turbo revved up so loudly that I could hear the engine sucking air into the snorkel near the passenger window. When I opened the window, it was a big deal. Some might find this annoying, but I'm not that type of person. For those who don't like to have fun, moving the blocking plate to the rear of the snorkel eliminates about 80% of the turbo's spooling noise, according to House.
As we approached a section of trail that looked like a river, the radio chirped "Jeep spotted."
A JK Wrangler was coming toward us through what must have been three feet of water. The jeep was on ridiculously large wheels with all-terrain tires and was moving very slowly through the water. Once through, the jeep turned around and went back the same way. It was as if to say, "I'm here too, guys." Cute.
In our bone stock, factory-built Bronco Everglades with 35-inch tires on 17-inch wheels, we drove as fast as we could on this river-like trail without hurting the trail. We aimed to run light. Nature is beautiful and we shouldn't destroy it while enjoying it. Even a modified Jeep might not have been able to keep up with our pace.
Doing the math
, the Bronco Everglades costs $54,595, $2,940 more than the equivalently equipped Black Diamond model; according to Warn spokesman Andy Lilienthal, the retail price for just the winch without Ford's fine tuning is $1 ,807, and does not include installation or winch mount. Then there is the snorkel and air intake integration, winch safety system integration, and factory warranty. Also important is the breather tube for the drivetrain, including a 12.0-inch touchscreen and upgraded lighting, which Black Diamond does not have.
Everglades is not just a break-even proposition if that is the type of setup Bronco buyers want. It is actually a fair deal out of the box. But for 2022, it is available exclusively for current reservation holders. Ford did not comment on Everglades availability for the 2023 model year.
With the addition of the Raptor and Everglades, the Bronco lineup now consists of eight models. The Everglades, however, has earned its place. It allows you to venture deep into nature, enjoy it, and safely restore yourself and others, all with a factory warranty.
Ford covered the cost of airfare, two-star hotels, and off-road access for Motor Authority to bring you this raw report, and swatted a lot of black flies on the trail.
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