After a 25-year hiatus, the legendary Ford Bronco is back in production. Now a mid-sized SUV, the iconic vehicle is available as both a two-door and a four-door vehicle and packs either a 2.3-L turbo or an optional 2.7-L, six-cylinder, twin-turbo engine. Ford’s engineers crafted it as the ultimate off-roading vehicle when building the all-new Bronco Off-Roadeo.
Hosted in four different destinations across the U.S., including Texas, Moab, Utah, the forests of New Hampshire, and the deserts of Nevada, the Off-Roadeo is an outdoor adventure playground crafted to showcase the Bronco at its best. It gives novices and veteran off-roaders alike a challenge that will heighten their skills, build confidence, and highlight the magic of taking the right vehicle into the wild.
Brandon Manchak, a salesman at Currie Motors Ford of Valpo, took part in June’s Off-Roadeo event in Texas.
“I had absolutely no off-roading experience before I went out to Texas,” Manchak said. “I’d never been through a mud bog and had never gone up an incline more than you’d see in your backyard. I was a little nervous because it was just something so unique and different for me.”
Upon arriving at the Off-Roadeo, guests are provided with a Bronco to use during the adventure and are taught the ins and outs of how to use all of the tools it possesses to assist in conquering the terrain. Then, experts teach guests all the basics of safety and off-roading techniques before letting them explore multiple trails of different lengths and difficulties with help from world-class trail guides.
“Having gone through the experience, I now feel confident enough to try off-roading on my own,” Manchak said. “The trail guides were great. I spent most of my time talking with a guy named John, and he has over 20 years of off-roading experience not just here in the States but internationally, too.”
Manchak and Currie Motors Ford of Valpo Sales Manager Cary Green were immediately excited by the Bronco’s performance and ease of use. It stormed the night before, filling the trails with mud, pools of water, and other additional challenges – but the Bronco allowed them to tackle whatever came their way.
“When we first got on the trails, we were so impressed by our Bronco’s performance that we looked at each other and said, ‘This has to be the six-cylinder,’” Manchak said. “Once we got through the trail, the staff there told us it was actually the four-cylinder. Seeing the way we were able to take these trails was amazing when there were very few people in our group with off-road experience.”
The Off-Roadeo left such an impression on Manchak that he put down a reservation to buy his own Bronco.
“I already had a reservation down for an F-150 Lightning, but this convinced me to put one down for the Bronco as well,” Manchak said. “I just absolutely loved the Bronco, and even though the waitlist is a little long, it’s just so worth it. Ford isn’t making people wait just for the sake of it, they want to ensure this vehicle is going to deliver the best experience possible.”
To learn more about the Bronco Off-Roadeo, visit www.broncooffroadeo.com.
For more information about Currie Motors Ford of Valpo, visit www.fordofvalpo.com.
