It’s really, really tough to make off-roading look hard on camera. Scale translates poorly in two dimensions, and the rocks in the photo above look a lot bigger in person. I tried my damndest, but a friend managed to do it. I was too busy keeping a white-knuckled grip on the wheel while the nose of this Ford Bronco Stroppe pointed ever skyward as we clambered up the loose, uneven hill that accompanied the below view. About another six inches to our right, and that view would’ve gone something like: Sky, ground, sky, ground, sky, ground, nothing. The moral here, really, is always bring a spotter off-road, no matter how confident you are in your ride. Credit where it’s due, I was justifiably confident in the Ford Bronco, and after ten hours off-road, that confidence in the brand’s off-roader has only grown.
Daniel O'Donnel
Backing up for a moment, it’s worth providing some context. The Ford Bronco Stroppe Edition is basically the most extreme, off-road-ready two-door Bronco money will buy. I didn’t know who Bill Stroppe was until the car showed up. The man was noteworthy enough in Ford’s off-road racing program to have merited this special edition in honor of his Baja racing efforts. For practical purposes, it’s also the only way to get the Bronco’s big turbo V6 in a two-door model, and its flashy paint job isn’t nearly as relevant for off-road work as its included Sasquatch package.
Chase Bierenkoven
Chase Bierenkoven
Two big items make the Bronco Stroppe what it is. The first is something you can get on every other Bronco: the Sasquatch package. This adds a litany of serious off-road items to the roster, including huge 35-inch tires on 17-inch wheels, a lift, locking front and rear differentials, a shorter final drive ratio for better off-road acceleration, and larger fender flares to accommodate said tires.
The Stroppe Edition, in honor of ol’ Bill himself, adds a suspension package on top, dubbed HOSS 3.0. This means 2.5-inch Fox internal bypass shocks on top of the Sasquatch package. Other Stroppe additions are cosmetic, including the insanely noisy paint job and requisite special edition badging found on the fenders and inside.
Chase Bierenkoven
These upgrades result in a genuinely cushy ride both on and off-road. Big, squishy tires help level out the jarring to-and-fro motion often associated with shorter SUVs like this and the Wrangler. The Bronco’s disconnecting front sway bar may just be its most underrated feature. Not only were we able to unhook it from the cab to gain greater wheel articulation in a boulder field, but it also smooths out the ride over bumpy sections of trail like the above.
Chase Bierenkoven
It used to be you could snag yourself a two-door, V6 Bronco in a few different trims. Not anymore, and thus, this is the only way to get the smallest bodystyle and the biggest engine. It makes the Bronco Stroppe immediately cooler, and the absolutely hilarious 330 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque really do feel like too much for both the chassis and the brakes. That is, I suppose, its own sort of fun, providing you can ignore the abysmal fuel economy.
As for grip, the Bronco’s big 35-inch mud terrain tires will give you all you could ever want. Mechanical grip off-road is aided by electronic lockers, both front and rear, which add a considerable amount of capability to the Bronco. It feels as if there’s always one more button to press, one more drive mode to change over to. Speaking of, there’s plenty, and most will alter the Bronco’s traction control systems to allow more or less slip depending on the surface on which you find yourself. While facing the horrifying drop-and-climb routine at the top of this story, I noticed you cannot use these drive modes and turn on traction control, something I desperately wanted while climbing up a face I couldn’t see with that huge drop just inches away.
Chase Bierenkoven
Chase Bierenkoven
In all, the Bronco Stroppe proves to be fun and just about unstoppable. After ten hours of off-road driving (and a quick shot down the highway home), I remain convinced the Bronco’s off-road skill ceiling is higher than my own. It had better be, because the Stroppe is laughably expensive, slotting in under the Bronco Raptor within the lineup. Ours totaled $77,665. On its own, that’s a huge number for a car with an armrest that flexes when you put some weight on it. Plus, graphics aside, nearly all of the Stroppe’s options are available on cheaper Broncos, including that special Hoss 3.0 suspension.
Chase Bierenkoven
Chase Bierenkoven
Chase Bierenkoven
The Bronco’s litany of camera angles, software, and off-road features makes it one of the most complete and capable off-road machines you can get from an automaker today. Perhaps even the most capable. The glaring pricing problem aside, the SUV had the off-road chops to get us off a treacherous cliffside obstacle, through some of Colorado’s toughest trails, and back home again in comfort. At no point was I ever worried about having to back down an obstacle, which is perhaps the greatest compliment I can pay a vehicle with an off-road skillset that so handily out-classes mine. Like an accommodating parent, it put up with every wrong line, every misplaced tire, and every smack on the rock rails we threw at it.
Chase Bierenkoven is a US-based journalist with more than five years of experience covering the automotive and transportation industries. From his home state of Colorado, he writes news, features, and reviews of new vehicles, with his work appearing in outlets including Edmunds, AP News, CarBuzz, and AutoGuide. In addition to his writing, Chase manages his own YouTube channel and regularly appears on camera for the publications he contributes to.
