Have you ever wondered? Which one is better in a comparison of TRX4 Defender vs Bronco?
Well, this is a pretty hard comparison to do. First, because these 2 RC monsters are some of the best leaders in the TRX4 RC cars. And second, they have a lot of similarities, but they have also a lot of differences as well.
This comparison will be close to the previous comparison of Traxxas Defender and Traxxas G500!
Also, as I said earlier, I won’t only show you the difference between TRX4 Defender vs Bronco only. But also, I will help you make a wiser decision about your next purchase.
Ps. So far, there are two Traxxas Bronco. The one we will talk about today is the new Traxxas Bronco 2021.
Let’s get started in the next few lines…
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TRX4 Defender vs Bronco Design
The body
Despite being so similar in some features. When it comes to the body, Traxxas Defender and Traxxas Bronco aren’t close at all!
In fact, they have the opposite design. One is coming from the nineties, and the other has just come out in 2021! This means that we will see the difference between the past and the present.
The first thing you’d notice when seeing those two RC cars is that they have almost the same size. However, because of the body, Traxxas Ford Bronco is a little shorter. And this has nothing to do with the ground clearance.
But rather, the body itself is shorter.
If having a short body for you counts as a disadvantage. Then what about being clipless? Isn’t that amazing? Yes, this feature is included in the Bronco but not in the TRX4 Defender!
Also,
The structure of both bodies is also almost the same except for some additional parts in the Defender like the cage that is acting also as a body mount. This feature is not included in the Bronco. Why?
First of all, because the Bronco is a licensed body from Ford. This means that the original design from Ford is without a cage. On the other hand, the Land Rover Defender original Design comes with a cage.
Another difference that has drawn my attention is the nature of the design. When it comes to the Defender, it has a lot of curbs. However, Traxxas Bronco is more minimalistic with simple design and colors placement.
They both have side steps as well as side bumpers. And they have a lot of small details like the door handle and the side mirrors that you can fold!
Also, both cars have real headlights and red lights. So all you need to do is to enjoy your night adventures.
Another cool gadget that both RC cars have is the rear wheel. And the great thing is that they’re real!
These bodies can be always upgraded. You can add the upper cage to your Bronco to become like the Defender. You can customize the body of your RC car as you’d like to!
In conclusion, the bodies of the TRX4 Bronco VS Defender are so different from almost all perspectives.
What about the chassis?
Read Also: The New Traxxas Ford Bronco 2021 Review – The Best Looking Traxxas!
TRX4 Defender vs Bronco Chassis
Unlike the body. The chassis of the TRX4 Defender vs Bronco is almost the same. The reason why is because they have the same platform which is the TRX4 platform.
Even so, there are still a lot of differences!
The first one you may notice is the length of each chassis. As I said in the previous article about the comparison between the Defender and the G500, Traxxas Defender has a longer body as well as a longer chassis.
But the points of length aren’t between the tires. Actually, the distance between the tires, the front, and the rear bumpers is longer than the one in the Bronco.
This makes the Defender looks longer and bigger.
The Bronco, on the other hand, has a shorter distance between the bumpers and the tires. However, those bumpers are built-in chrome which gives them a higher value than just plastic.
The Chassis Frame
The other clear difference between the chassis of TRX4 Defender vs Bronco is how big the chassis frame is.
At this point, Traxxas Bronco has a bigger advantage because the frame is covering even the wheels. This will add extra protection to the internal parts from the dust and water thrown by the wheels.
On the other hand, for Traxxas Defender, those covers are fixed with the body. and they provide the same protection. So, you don’t need to think that this is s a disadvantage for it!
With these wings covering the wheels, Traxxas Bronco’s chassis looks stronger than the Defender’s chassis.
The shocks are always the same not only for those 2 RC cars but for the whole TRX4 family. They all have the same suspension!
Also, when it comes to the structure of the components. They’re the same with the motor in the front, the battery in the middle, as well as the ESC and the servos on the sides.
And this is something we’re used to seeing in the TRX4 chassis.
Does this mean that they have the same performance?
Read Also: Traxxas BIGFOOT. Top Secrets You Should Know Before Having One
TRX4 Defender vs Bronco Performance
When it comes to the performance of TRX4 Bronco VS Defender, they might be similar in numbers and components.
However, numbers aren’t the only metrics to measure the performance of an RC car. There are a lot of other factors that we will see soon.
Let’s start with numbers first…
Traxxas Bronco comes with a Powerful Titan™ 21T reverse rotation motor in addition to an internal cooling fan. This motor comes with each TRX4 vehicle. And Traxxas Defender is no exception.
In addition to that, they both accept the 3s Lipo battery for maximum performance!
Also, they both come with Trail-tuned XL-5 HV Waterproof Electronic Speed Control. This ESC has 5 modes. 3 modes are available in any Traxxas RC car, while the other 2 are built especially for TRX4 crawlers.
Those 2 modes are:
- Trail Mode — forward / brake/reverse / with trail-tuned drag brake in neutral
- Crawl Mode — forward / instant reverse – no neutral with 100% hill holding brake
So, as you see, these parts are all the same for the Defender and the Bronco.
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What About The Weight?
Weight has an important role when it comes to helping the RC car crawling any type of terrain. This weight can be also bad for the car as well.
For the TRX4 Bronco VS Defender weight, Traxxas Defender is heavier. Why? Simply because, as I mentioned earlier, its body is having a lot of additional accessories, unlike the Bronco!
Also, when it comes to the chassis, I see that Traxxas Defender also has more weight because of the additional distance we mentioned earlier between the bumpers and the wheels!
Does this mean that Bronco is better than the Defender?
Of course No!
This weight can help sometimes, but it can act as a burden at other times. Let me give you an example.
When crawling a group of rocks, any RC car needs traction in order to move forward. A big part of this traction is caused by the weight of this RC car. Especially if it was well balanced on the entire body equally!
And here, we’re talking about the Traxxas Defender. However, this weight may not act as a good ally with muddy terrain. More Traction means sinking there!
Traxxas Bronco is less heavy than the Defender. Hence, it way does well in muddy terrains. What about the rocks?
Well, it can do a good job as well. Because after all, they don’t have a big weight difference!
Read Also: TRX4 Sport. The Best Beginners RC Crawler To Buy Now?
Systems
Systems also act as the main RC car supporters. Well, if you’re familiar with TRX4 RC cars. They have all the same systems.
The first system is the Transmission system. It has two modes: the low range mode that allows you to go slowly to profit from maximum traction by limiting the speed. And the high range mode allows you to go at full speed.
The second mode is the T-Lock mode. And this system works perfectly with the other two modes that we mentioned in the performance section (Crawl and trail mode).
In the T-Lock system, you have access through your controller to lock the front differential, unlock all differentials, or lock all differentials.
And honestly, this is the most enjoyable system you will have. And this is because it allows you to control the way your RC car will overcome an obstacle.
The third system is a system that is available in almost all Traxxas RC cars. It’s the Cruise control system.
Mainly, it allows you to see more data about your RC car through your phone by connecting it to your controller. Isn’t that amazing? (I did a detailed review of this system in the previous articles.)
So, as you’ve seen, both cars are able to overcome most obstacles, especially when adding the 3s Lipo battery!
In conclusion, the performance of TRX4 Defender vs Bronco is almost the same. There are some things that are different like the weight. But this is not impacting their performance that much.
As a result, I can say that they have the same performance overall. Do you agree with me? Tell me in the comments below!
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TRX4 Bronco VS Defender Upgrades
What I like about the Traxxas Company is that they give you the freedom to do whatever you want with your RC car. And this is by making it able for upgrades. And when I say upgrades, I mean really unlimited upgrades!
The same thing goes for both Traxxas Defender and Traxxas Bronco!
Unfortunately, unlike Traxxas G500 and Traxxas TRX4 Sport that have ready-to-install accessories from Traxxas. The Defender and the Bronco don’t have them.
But, this doesn’t mean that you’re limited. You can add some headlights, the body cage. Actually, you can upgrade everything including the internal parts like the Servos and the battery. The wheels are no exception!
You can check the best upgrades for TRX4 Defender from here and the best upgrades for Traxxas Bronco from here!
Read Also: E-Revo VS Rustler 4×4 – Which is better Traxxas E-Revo or Rustler?
What about the price?
The price of TRX4 Defender vs Bronco is not the same. But, there is not a big difference. However, due to its novelty. Traxxas Bronco is a little more expensive than Traxxas Defender.
Check their prices by clicking on the buttons below.
So what do you think about this comparison of TRX4 Defender vs Bronco? Which one would you like to choose? The new Bronco? Or the old Defender?
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