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2025 Car Mileage with the Best Gas MileageClassic Comparison: Ford Bronco vs Chevy K5 Blazer
The Bronco and Blazer have both been brought back to modern day, but which is the better classic? The Ford Bronco or Chevrolet K5 Blazer?
America’s Favorite Classic SUVs
The big-time auto manufacturers have been hitting people right in the nostalgia area as of late. Jeep brought back the Wagoneer, GMC reinvented the Hummer, and Ford figured the Maverick name still had some merit (even though it’s a truck now). This recent trend of manufacturers bringing back some discontinued nameplates seems to stem from the return of the Chevrolet Blazer for 2019. The Blazer name had been left in the dust since 2005, but Chevrolet decided to bring it back for their new mid-size crossover SUV. While it isn’t the same truck-based SUV platform we had known, it’s still a Blazer, and with the Blazer comes its rival.
Ford rolled up their sleeves and took the Blazer return as a challenge, leading to the return of the Ford Bronco for 2021. Ford made sure to instill the new Bronco with off-road capability and a modern-retro style that harkens back to the original. So far, it seems like the fight between the present Ford Bronco and Chevrolet Blazer has already tilted towards Ford, but what about back in the day? These two have been at each other’s throats since 1969, so let’s compare the classic examples of these SUVs and find out which is better back then and which is better now, the classic Ford Bronco or the Chevrolet K5 Blazer?
Classic Ford Bronco vs Chevy K5 Blazer Specs
The Ford Bronco first came on the car scene in 1965 to compete with the likes of the Willys CJ-5 and International Harvester Scout. The compact SUV was on a completely new chassis development from Ford and was marketed as an off-road capable option. On the underside of the Bronco was Ford’s Mono-Beam front suspension design that featured coil springs, forged steel radius arms, and a steering-linkage shock absorber. That Mono-Beam setup allowed this SUV to take on all the bumps it encountered in stride, on or off-road.
That frontend setup on the Ford Bronco made it capable of performing tight maneuvers too. Thanks to its wider track and the short wheel base, a Ford Bronco could complete a tight 33.6-foot turning circle. At the rear, the Bronco had a Ford 9” axle coupled with a leaf spring suspension setup. As for the wheels of this machine, you could find a 15” steel wheel coupled with a tubeless tire or a 16” steel wheel with a tube-type tire. With the large wheel setup equipped, the Ford Bronco was capable of a 45-degree approach angle and had up to 13.3 inches of ground clearance.
Under the hood of these classic Ford Broncos was either a 170 CID straight-six engine that made 105 horsepower and 156 lb-ft of torque or a 302 CID V8 that made 210 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque. Mated to either engine option was a 3-speed manual transmission and there was also a floor mounted 2-speed transfer case shifter. Four-wheel-drive was the only drivetrain option for the original Ford Bronco. Now, there was an earlier 289 CID V8 and a later 200 CID straight-six examples that could be found in the first-generation Ford Bronco models, as well as a 3-speed automatic option too, but we’re keeping it within the Chevrolet K5 Blazer’s first-generation debut.
When the Chevrolet K5 Blazer debuted in 1969, it was quite larger than the Bronco coming in 10 inches wider and with a longer wheelbase by 12 inches. Plus, it came with some beefier options too. While the Bronco was built on a unique platform, the Blazer was built on the platform found for the Chevrolet K10 full-size pickup trucks of the time. For their first year, only 4WD Blazers were available. The front and back suspension were comprised of straight axles and leaf springs with double-acting shock absorbers. RWD models were made available in subsequent years and, instead of just leaf springs all the way around, the front end received a coil-sprung independent front suspension with rear trailing arms.
The Blazer’s steel wheels ranged from 15” up to 16.5” and could be setup with either a tubeless or tube-type tire. The large wheel wells coupled with the front axles 40-degree turn angle allowed the long Blazer to complete a 36.66-foot turning circle, just a few feet short of the shorter Bronco’s turning capability. The K5 Blazer provided a 35-degree approach angle and just 8 inches of ground clearance. Not as adept of an off-roading choice straight from the factory, but owners typically lifted and added larger wheels to these older Blazers.
Under the hood is where the classic Chevrolet K5 Blazer gains a significant edge, at least in the options department. For the first generation, the Blazer could be had with one of four engine choices. The smallest was a 250 CID straight-six that netted 110 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. Then there was the 307 CID V8 that made a decent 135 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque. Chevrolet also let owners have a larger 350 CID V8 that put down 170 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque. Finally, there were a few Blazers at the end of the first generation could be found with a 292 straight-six engine option that made 125 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. Whatever the engine was put into the K5 Blazer, one of three transmissions were available – a 3-speed manual, 4-speed manual, or 3-speed automatic transmission.
Driving Characteristics
The original Ford Bronco was made to go off the beaten path and travel over (or through) the off-road obstacles that the CJ or Scout couldn’t conquer. While it’s proven time and time again that it can crawl over rocks and ford shallow rivers, the classic Ford Bronco’s crowning achievement was winning the Baja 1000 back in the day. The Baja is known as one of the most dangerous and formidable off-road races in the world, and it’s a daunting task for even modern-day vehicles.
Where these classic Ford Broncos came up a little short though is their on-road performance. While the compact off-roader could do just fine on city pavement, it didn’t feel at home there. Ford didn’t build the Bronco with the idea of commuting through the city or going cross country, and it felt like it while driving. Even though the Bronco can make some tighter turns, its steering isn’t very communicative and can feel almost disconnected at times. That means tight parking maneuvers or quick adjustments are not the easiest of tasks. And while the Bronco can conquer obstacles or manage bumps in the road, it makes for a jarring experience inside.
The K5 Blazer didn’t receive any major racing recognition like the Bronco had with the Baja win, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a viable option. Chevrolet also targeted an off-road enthusiast market with the classic K5 Blazer. The 4WD model was capable of hitting the great outdoors like the Bronco and the Blazer’s added space made it a nice camping vehicle for families. The 4WD models with leaf springs all the way around didn’t really make for the greatest of road going vessels and the added size with the wider turning radius made tight city spaces an interesting affair.
The Blazer to own for a pleasant on-road experience was the RWD models. The independent front-end suspension change made driving the classic Chevrolet K5 Blazer a comfortable driving experience on paved roads. The longer wheel base combined with the added coil-sprung trailing arm setup instead of leaf springs at the front helped create a more pleasurable cabin experience when encountering bumps in the road at speed. Just because Chevrolet made changes to RWD Blazers though, didn’t mean the vehicle sacrificed its off-road capability. A RWD model could still travel onto the unpaved trails with ease, it just couldn’t get too crazy with deep mud ruts or rock-climbing excursions.
Old School SUV Interiors
One interesting thing that both of these classic SUVs had in common was the use of a removeable roof. This classic SUV design allowed owners to flip between a covered top or no top at all and experience an open-air drive with access to a truck like cargo box. The first-generation Ford Bronco came with a either a full “wagon” steel roof that covered the entire space from the windshield to the tailgate, a “pickup” steel roof that allowed the Bronco to work as a separated passenger cab and cargo box, or as a roadster model that was sold with no roof at all. The Chevrolet K5 Blazer picked up on this removeable feature and offered a lightweight fiber glass roof that spanned from the windshield to the tailgate, but that was the only option.
As for interior amenities, the classic Ford Bronco’s interior had standard features like a front bench seat covered in vinyl, heater, windshield defroster, padded dash, locking glove box, and rubber-coated vinyl front floor mats. The door panels featured some vinyl and a manual window crank, but the entire inside was essentially the same painted metal from the outside. Optional interior components included front bucket seating, folding rear bench seat covered in vinyl, and a rear floor mat.
As for the interior dimensions, the Bronco provided a width of 56 inches inside, 46 inches of room from the front seats to the tailgate, and measured out to 38” from the floor to the steel roof. Not too shabby of interior numbers for riding up front or for hauling gear, but the optional rear bench only spanned about 40 inches between the rear wheelhouses making it a bit cramped for adults.
Inside of the classic Chevrolet K5 Blazer is a similar story, just in a grander size. The Blazer could be had with seating for one all the way up to five passengers. Vinyl upholstered bucket seats were the only option for front passengers. As for the rear, there was an available vinyl bench seat. The rest of the interior featured much of the same design aesthetics found in the Bronco, like hand crank windows, modest additional interior design components, painted metal everywhere, a heater, a locking glove box, and some floor mats.
However, Chevrolet upped the available luxury amenities in comparison to the Bronco. Air conditioning was optional, power steering could be added, a pushbutton radio was an option, you could get some soft-ray tinted glass to help reduce some glare, and an optional center console could be added that featured built in cup holders.
The K5 Blazer also boasted some extra interior room over the Bronco. The width inside was virtually the same at 56” (with the exception of the bed area reaching 70 inches in width at some points), but the room behind the front seats measured out to 70 inches in length – 24 inches longer than the Bronco. That meant more room for rear passengers and more room for cargo too. Even the rear bench seat fit better in the larger 50 inches of space between the wheelhouses. Chevrolet hit a lot of marks inside that the classic Ford Bronco was missing out on.
Which Classic SUV Should You Choose?
Both of these old SUVs have storied histories with large cult followings, but if we had to pick back in the day, it’d have to be the Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Chevrolet took everything that was working well in the Ford Bronco and added more options, a larger interior space, a lighter weight removeable roof, and made it a better option for a family car. Plus, the K5 Blazer’s success is the reason that forced Ford’s hand into making the Bronco a full-sized SUV for its second generation.
Now, when it comes to owning one of these options today, it really comes down to your personal opinion. My choice would be the classic Ford Bronco though, since it has a more interesting history behind it with its Baja 1000 success and its design makes it a better option for going off-roading. You’d have to throw down a lot more money in aftermarket parts to get the K5 Blazer to go where the Ford Bronco could.
