• With the optional V6, the rebooted Bronco is quick, though not the quickest among its off-roader rivals.
• The Bronco is one of three SUVs you can get as a two-door or a four-door; we tested the former.
• In terms of acceleration and weight, the two-door Bronco V6 splits the difference between the two-door Defender 90 P400 and the two-door Jeep Wrangler V6.

People love the idea of an off-road-capable vehicle. But all SUVs aren’t created equal, and most aren’t meant for true off-road duty. If you’re looking for a genuinely capable off-roader, the all-new 2021 Ford Bronco is one of the few new SUVs today that fit the bill. How about its performance on-road, though, where most Broncos are destined to spend most of their lives?

We got our hands on a new two-door Ford Bronco Outerbanks to see for ourselves. It had the upgraded 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 engine, which is currently the Bronco’s strongest offering. Here’s how the two-door Bronco V6 compares to other off-road SUVs in our track testing.

How does the Bronco perform?

While the Bronco’s standard 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four engine makes a healthy 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque, everyone knows where the real muscle’s at. That would be our test vehicle’s optional 2.7-liter turbocharged V6, which puts out 330 hp and — wait for it — 415 lb-ft of torque. Now we’re talking. The only potentially bad news is that you can’t get the manual transmission with the V6, so Ford’s 10-speed automatic has to handle the shifting duties.

Rolling up to our scales at the test track, our two-door Bronco Outerbanks weighed in at 4,654 pounds, which is significantly heavier than a two-door Jeep Wrangler but significantly lighter than a two-door Land Rover Defender, as shown in the table below. Toyota doesn’t make a two-door version on its 4Runner, but we’ll include it for fun.

At Car Deals’ test track, the two-door Bronco Outerbanks V6 went from zero to 60 in 6.7 seconds, making it one of the quicker off-roaders we’ve tested. It doesn’t have the sheer power of the Defender, but due to its lighter curb weight, it feels comparably quick from the driver’s seat. Despite lagging a bit behind the Defender in our acceleration tests, the Bronco V6 was 0.6 second quicker than the last two-door V6 Wrangler we tested, as well as a whopping 1.7 seconds ahead of the ancient 4Runner.

In terms of stopping ability, none of these off-roaders is particularly great at it. For most small and midsize SUVs on regular all-season road tires, we typically see stopping distances of around 125 feet from 60 mph. For the rough-and-ready group, the average is closer to 135 feet, thanks largely to off-road-specific tires that are better for gripping dirt than asphalt. The Bronco came in right on average at 135 feet with a lot of the typical tire squirm and a heavy dose of nosedive. Aside from that, the steering actually remains dead stable, which makes it feel confident despite the longer stopping distance.

So which off-roader makes the best on-roader?

Although the Bronco and Defender aren’t technically in the same class (the Defender, after all, costs quite a bit more), it’s hard not to draw comparisons. The Land Rover definitely feels a bit more substantial and offers a higher level of comfort with better sound insulation, a softer ride quality and fancier seats. So if you have the budget and want more of a luxury experience, the Defender will be hard to resist.

However, we think the Bronco ultimately offers a slightly better driving experience thanks to its more responsive engine and transmission, excellent steering (for an off-roader) and slightly more composed character around corners.

Car Deals says

The Ford Bronco isn’t the quickest or the most comfortable SUV on the market, but it does provide decent on-road performance, especially given its serious off-road chops. We look forward to testing the four-cylinder Bronco to see how much extra sauce you really get with the stout V6.