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When it comes to modular off-roaders, there are two standout American nameplates for the modern market in 2025: the Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wrangler. The two-and-four-door SUVs offer trail-readiness as well as the ability to ditch doors and roofs for sun-soaked cruising. However, even with the fun formula largely intact, both the Bronco and the Wrangler drop the ball in one vital way for 2025.

Want a half convertible, half off-roader with a familiar domestic badge? You’ve got two options for 2025: the Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wrangler. Both rigs will eagerly ditch their doors, lose their roofs, and still climb over trails and dunes. However, both rigs go without a classic combination for 2025. It’s the old-school-cool combination of a manual transmission and your choice of mill.  

Jeep recently divorced the automatic transmission from the Wrangler’s popular Pentastar 3.6L V6 engine option. Fortunately, eager off-roaders will still be able to get the 285-horsepower workhorse with a six-speed manual backing for 2025. However, pairing the Pentastar with the eight-speed automatic gearbox is a thing of the past. 

Instead, the only way to get a Wrangler with a self-shifting transmission is to opt for the 4xe’s plug-in-hybrid (PHEV) platform. Well, that or the unhinged 470-horsepower Rubicon 392 Final Edition. Still, even with a lack of cylinders, the turbocharged hybrid four-cylinder mill in the 4xe outmuscles the Pentastar V6 by 90 horsepower and a whopping 210 lb-ft of torque.

In addition to the Jeep Wrangler’s gearbox faux pas, the 2025 Ford Bronco offers the row-it-yourself seven-speed manual transmission with the smaller of the two engine options. It’s the Bronco’s 300-horsepower turbocharged 2.3L four-cylinder engine. Tragically, fans who want a three-pedal setup with the 330-horsepower EcoBoost 2.7L V6 are out of luck. Instead, the 10-speed auto is the only option for the stouter mill. Still, both rigs provide near-unparalleled off-road fun for the modern vehicle market.

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Staff Writer

Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and M-ATVs. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with experience covering everything from sports cars to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations (IRG) from the University of Texas at Austin and has studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC).