Newer ford broncos

[Alumacraft]

I'm looking at a newer vehicle possibly a '22-'24 Ford Bronco just curious if anyone owns one? I'm concerned about towing a boat with a 3 cylinder engine? I have a 16.5sc  2001 alumacraft magnum with a 90hp 4 stroke Yamaha. Anyone have any thoughts I would appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks 

[glen]

For  your boat Id like at least a 3500lb towing capacity.  
hills and launches. High winds.  People and gear. Will blow the engine or trans out of smaller vehicles.  

[CrowMan]

  On 4/2/2025 at 12:36 AM, Alumacraft said:

I'm looking at a newer vehicle possibly a '22-'24 Ford Bronco just curious if anyone owns one? I'm concerned about towing a boat with a 3 cylinder engine? I have a 16.5sc  2001 alumacraft magnum with a 90hp 4 stroke Yamaha. Anyone have any thoughts I would appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks 

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Are you referring to the Ford Bronco Sport ? Which is basically a Ford Escape made to look a little more rugged. It's unibody construction, with a 2000lb tow capacity. 

The larger Ford Bronco is a body on frame vehicle with a 3500lb capacity. It's the same platform as the Ranger pick up truck, and you can get it with a 3 litre turbo V6

My nephew has the Sport, and he tows a single SeaDoo with it. It does fine...but he says he wouldn't tow anything much more than that. He says the 1.5 litre engine struggles at the best of times. The other thing to keep in mind is the length of the wheelbase. It's pretty short on the Sport. With a 16 ft boat and trailer, you might run into a tail wagging the dog scenario.

 

Edited Wednesday at 12:14 PM by CrowMan

[craigdritchie]

I now live in farm country, and you would not believe the stuff that 3-cylinder farm tractors that only generate 60 - 75 hp manage to tow through axle-deep mud every single day. Towing a relatively lightweight (under 2000 lbs) boat like yours on a trailer over a nice smooth road is nothing compared to what these things deal with. They will literally pull small trees right out of the ground with their humble, 2.9L 3-cylinder engines.

The number of cylinders, or even the horsepower, doesn't matter. What matters is torque. 

It also matters how you measure torque. Lots of car companies (Ford being one of them) require you to use premium fuel to attain the torque levels they claim in the specs, put in regular gas and your output decreases.

I have no idea if a new Bronco is a decent tow vehicle or not (die-hard Toyota guy here). But I can tell you 100% that you're looking at it the wrong way ... cylinders and hp don't matter. What does matter are torque and the drag of whatever you're trying to tow. For a boat like yours, you'll want something with a powertrain designed to haul loads, not to run around town while achieving maximum fuel economy. Maybe that's the four-door Bronco, or maybe it's a Ranger (or better yet, a Tacoma).

Crowman's comments about wheelbase are also spot-on. It's not just ride quality, there's a real safety consideration there.

Edited Wednesday at 12:45 PM by craigdritchie

[bigbuck]

Always remember that towing capacity is the maximum a vehicle can tow with no cargo at all, half a tank of fuel and a 150lb driver. Anything extra, start dropping those lbs off the max capacity. 3cyl diesel tractors pull lots of weight but you need to remember that they are geared really low, they don’t go out on the highways and are designed to pull a lot of weight. 3-4 cyl cars and cuv’s/suv’s typically can pull up to 2000lbs on a good day. You need something with a v6. 

[Alumacraft]

Thanks for all your replies gentlemen I appreciate them. I've been doing some more research on the bronco and it appears that they have a 4 cylinder version also. I'm curious to know if that is still built on the escape frame or ranger frame. I'm assuming that it's probably still the escape frame? Anyone know for sure. Thanks 

[Alumacraft]

Sorry gentlemen but I just thought about a few more questions. Lol tow package mandatory yes or no. I generally only travel 20-30 minutes down the QEW from Thorold to fort erie. Also any other suggestions for a mid sized SUV I'm not a pickup truck guy. The bed is a waste of space for me. Lol 🤣 

[craigdritchie]

Highlander tows up to 5,000 lbs without a towing package.
https://www.toyota.ca/en/vehicles/highlander/overview/

So does the 4Runner.
https://www.toyota.ca/en/vehicles/4runner/overview/

And the Honda Pilot.
https://www.honda.ca/en/pilot

All three are solid tow platforms, utterly reliable, and often available as lease-returns on the used lot to save a few bucks.

 

[CrowMan]

  On 4/3/2025 at 11:52 AM, craigdritchie said:

Highlander tows up to 5,000 lbs without a towing package.
https://www.toyota.ca/en/vehicles/highlander/overview/

So does the 4Runner.
https://www.toyota.ca/en/vehicles/4runner/overview/

And the Honda Pilot.
https://www.honda.ca/en/pilot

All three are solid tow platforms, utterly reliable, and often available as lease-returns on the used lot to save a few bucks.

 

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I have a 2016 Honda Pilot AWD that I bought brand new that now has 356k km on the odometer. I regularly tow several boats with it including a 19ft I/O fiberglass bowrider that has a total weight of approximately 4000lbs.

Never had a single issue with it. It's been absolutely flawless. Other than a couple of sets of all-season and winter tires, 2 batteries, and several brake jobs...I have not spent a penny on it other than routine maintenance. People still comment on how nicely it rides, and how squeak and rattle free it is even with all these miles on it.

Highly recommend the Pilot. Also look at the Passport...exact same vehicle except doesn't have the 3rd row seats. In fact, as soon as Honda releases it in Canada in the next few weeks, I'm buying a new Passport Trailsport.

 

 

Edited Thursday at 02:31 PM by CrowMan