The Wrangler is a favorite with drivers for various reasons, but the Ford Bronco continues to snatch customers away. How close is Ford to overtaking Jeep as the best off-road vehicle? Close enough, but neither automaker seems very concerned. The war between the Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wrangler continues in 2023.
Jeep Wrangler sales are down in 2022, while Ford Bronco numbers are up
Many people like the , which has kept it on the market for decades. It has always been a best seller, but times have changed since the Ford Bronco hit the market. According to , Ford Bronco sales increased 25% from 2021 to 2022, while Jeep sales declined by the same amount. Jeep’s lead over Ford was only 913 in November and 470 in December.
and the Ranger truck at the same facility in Wayne, Michigan. Even though the Ford SUV had many orders to fill, it didn’t have the space to ramp up production. This was a contributing factor to sales.
Erich Merkle, US sales analyst for Ford, said January and February are generally slow compared to the end of the year. “We are a thin coat of paint away from overtaking the Wrangler. We are working hard to fulfill the orders,” Merkle told the newspaper.
Richard Deneau, spokesman for Stellantis, told the Free Press that the Wrangler was the best-selling off-road SUV in 2022 and Jeep has no plans to let that title slip. “Nearly a quarter of those sales (24%) were for the Wrangler 4xe, America’s best-selling plug-in hybrid,” Deneau said.
The good news is that consumers have more than one off-road SUV to choose from
Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars, says both brands have a distinct advantage. Jeep has been around for a long time and has a lot of experience finding and keeping buyers. However, Ford has the advantage of offering a new vehicle with new technology intended to attract buyers. “The best news is that after decades of only one really cool and capable 4×4 SUV being offered by one domestic automaker, there are now two,” Brauer said.
Likewise, the Ford Bronco Sport and the Jeep Compass battle it out in the smallest SUV category. Competition is good for everyone, especially when it comes to Jeep Wrangler sales versus Ford Bronco sales. If Ford can continue ramping up production, Jeep could have a serious problem as 2023 rolls on.
