SUVS

Ford Bronco Resale Value Leaves Jeep Wrangler Back On the Trail

They’ve been bickering over who will become the off-road king of the hill since Ford brought back its heritage SUV nameplate a couple of years ago. While the two are evenly matched, the Bronco has unseated its rival in one crucial category: resale value.

With the Wrangler now late, Ford’s resale value has shot up the charts at the Kelley Blue Book.

has released its expected higher resale value models for 2023. The 2023 Wrangler ranks below the 2023 Bronco, according to the report.

That’s not to say the 2023 Wrangler is a failure, far from it. Kelley Blue Book estimates the Wrangler will return 61 percent of its value to owners, placing it in the top 10 new-model 2023 list.

The top 10 ranking for expected resale value shows how much value the nameplate carries. The off-roader is a perennial resale value behemoth, commanding impressive prices on the used market. This is exactly why some may find its location behind the Bronco surprising.

Bronco ranks fourth in resale value among all models

Ford Bronco | Bloomberg, Getty Images

KBB’s projected 2023 Ford Bronco resale value is a hefty 65.4 percent. That number places the Bronco behind only the Tesla Model X, Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Tundra. Count it up, and that’s number four of all new 2023 models, not just SUVs.

The resale value of KBB’s Ford Bronco outperforms more off-road rivals than the Wrangler alone. The 2023 Toyota 4Runner (another resale titan and stiff off-road competitor) falls two places lower than Ford. And Subaru’s gutsy 2023 Crosstrek ties the Jeep Wrangler with an estimated 61 percent MSRP retention.

Why are Ford Broncos selling so much?

The red Ford Bronco rolls down an assembly line in front of a blue Ford Ranger.
Ford Bronco 2023 | Bill Pugliano, Getty Images

Check out the used market and you’ll find that used Broncos largely support Kelley Blue Book’s resale value claim. Drivers request Broncos and prices reflect that.

The industry’s off-road trend certainly has a role to play. The Bronco boasts outstanding horsepower for all-terrain operations: body-on-frame, high ground clearance, impressive approach and departure angles, lockable differentials, standard all-wheel drive and more. Ford specifically designed it for off-road use, and there are enough different packages to suit a range of performance preferences. Play directly into today’s off-road popularity.

Nostalgia is also a great value driver. Ford launched the first Bronco in the 1960s, and as of 2021, drivers haven’t seen a new one since the mid-1990s. After nearly three decades, restoring the license plate has proven to be a strong strategy for Ford. It slips it neatly into the view of lifestyle shoppers.

Finally, there simply aren’t enough Broncos out there to satiate the market. For the past three years, supply chain crises have limited automakers’ production capacity, and Ford hasn’t been immune. Now, it’s a question of supply and demand. People want Ford Broncos. There are only so many on the market. So, used prices remain high. Ford even offered to buy other models.

There is no perfect crystal ball to predict the resale value of a vehicle. But considering the circumstances, it seems Kelley Blue Book’s projections for the 2023 Ford Bronco are likely to be true.

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