So what does everyone think of the first new Scout designs...

[OleScout]

No way dude. We're designing this one by reading the Internet and never going outside...

I was involved in the original Touareg development a long time ago and our engineers LOVE to break stuff. We literally had to abandon vehicles that had to be rescued later. VW also has an amazing number of offroad proving grounds around the world and a lot of experience with the Dakar Rally as well. Chris and I have also spent a bunch of time on trails and overlanding, so we know where you guys are coming from. When we get to the point that we have some test mules we would love to get the community involved. Stay tuned.

Sign me up!

 

[IdahoJOAT]

There's been nothing exciting aside from the new bronco to come down the pike in decades... aside from the wrangler (and to a small extent the Renegade) Jeep's product line is mournful. People are tired of dull, boring appliances in their grayscale colors. It's hard to even differentiate between interiors now unless there's an obvious badge showing.

Can't help but disagree with you here. The JL platform has had tons of popularity since 2018. It rides boatloads better than the JK. It has a quality powerplant in the 2.0T, they hybridized it, they finally stuffed the V8 in it. They've had several fun colors (Punk'n, Bikini, Gecko, Tuscadero, etc).

And the interior is extremely unique with the red dash, the gauge cluster, middle window switches, grab handle, transfer case lever, etc.

I think Jeep knocked it out of the park with the JL. I'm honestly a little sad the Bronco came along, because of how great it is. Jeep of course is going to change it up, and I'm afraid it'll be for change's sake, not to make anything better.

Another lesson to be learned. Just ask the MY23 Challenger buyer. It just, works.

 

[IdahoJOAT]

Sign me up!

Right?! If/when they come to Idaho I'm taking time off.

Here that boys?! Gotta give me a heads up to put in leave though!

 

[ColeAK]

I'll say one thing... after seeing a couple vids of teslas losing contol/ability to brake... it would be nice to have a physical disengagement/true neutral akin to having a clutch. I like being able to freewheel sometimes.

That is due to running the regenerative braking in normal setting in slick (rain, snow, ice) conditions And/or a driver not used to one pedal driving. An abrupt release of the accelerator can for sure put a Tesla (and other EV) in a slide under the regen braking.

Easy way to prevent this is use regen low in those scenarios. When I switch to winter tires in early October I switch regen to low and acceleration to chill and leave it that way until I switch back to all seasons in ~late May. Make the same setting changes in the rain.

 

[ColeAK]

No way dude. We're designing this one by reading the Internet and never going outside...

I was involved in the original Touareg development a long time ago and our engineers LOVE to break stuff. We literally had to abandon vehicles that had to be rescued later. VW also has an amazing number of offroad proving grounds around the world and a lot of experience with the Dakar Rally as well. Chris and I have also spent a bunch of time on trails and overlanding, so we know where you guys are coming from. When we get to the point that we have some test mules we would love to get the community involved. Stay tuned.

One word: Alaska

Did I mention I live here

 

[Monte]

Completely agree with Hellbilly. Removable top is a must or might as well buy a Bronco. I see comments about the rear side window and I like the nod to the originals but it looks a bit forced. I think in time it can be softened a bit but still reflect the scout history. I also think if the original renders showed a break line at the roof it would feel better. Also curious about the rear taillights. Obviously no rear view but the appear to be a bit too modern looking. There’s huge desire for the Bronco right now and that’s because they found the right balance between old and new. That is the most critical hurdle your design team has to make to make this successful (along with removable top as already mentioned)
anxious to see more sneak peaks

Can't wait

 

[HattoriHanzoAxleshaft]

That is due to running the regenerative braking in normal setting in slick (rain, snow, ice) conditions And/or a driver not used to one pedal driving. An abrupt release of the accelerator can for sure put a Tesla (and other EV) in a slide under the regen braking.

Easy way to prevent this is use regen low in those scenarios. When I switch to winter tires in early October I switch regen to low and acceleration to chill and leave it that way until I switch back to all seasons in ~late May. Make the same setting changes in the rain.

I know full well Why BEV's don't have a traditional neutral... I'm saying I'd like a safeguard against a runaway vehicle with a stuck/inop accelerator, a way to fully disengage the drive system & allow freewheeling, or to push it out of the way easily if disabled.

 

[mybikeisred]

I think you make some fantastic observations and additions most haven't thought of, namely the trims, the cameras and the bumpers.

One thing that we talk about a ton with the Wranglers and the front camera(and rear for that matter) is the ability to record, like a dash cam. This would be nice to have.

Good call. I like that idea.

 

[mybikeisred]

No way dude. We're designing this one by reading the Internet and never going outside...

I was involved in the original Touareg development a long time ago and our engineers LOVE to break stuff. We literally had to abandon vehicles that had to be rescued later. VW also has an amazing number of offroad proving grounds around the world and a lot of experience with the Dakar Rally as well. Chris and I have also spent a bunch of time on trails and overlanding, so we know where you guys are coming from. When we get to the point that we have some test mules we would love to get the community involved. Stay tuned.

I would love to be involved somehow in the testing. Put me in a vehicle that I don’t owe money on or have to pay to repair, and I’ll find all the weak points.

 

[PapaTire]

Love the SUV profile. I just hope these won't be oversized, overweight behemoths.

 

[HattoriHanzoAxleshaft]

Love the SUV profile. I just hope these won't be oversized, overweight behemoths.

They'll have about the same wheelbases as the Originals, I'm guessing. 100" and 118" like the Scout 800 and Terra... the wheelbase of the new bronco's are 100" and 116" for the two and four door, respectively...

 

[badk22]

As a Jeeper, and talking to other people, the negative press about the Bronco isn't a home run. People are steering away from it.

This is off topic, but I couldn't resist as I have a 21 Bronco and a 22 Jeep Rubicon 4XE.

People are steering away? Are you serious? There were 190k reservations and people are paying $10k-$30k over MSRP for these. Ford can't keep up with orders and you won't find many sitting on dealer lots. Wranglers on the other hand can be found at any Jeep dealership. My local dealer has 15 on the lot. The Ford dealer across the street has 0 Broncos. Yes, they have had manufacturing issues with the tops, but Jeep has had plenty of issues throughout the years. Cars are designed by humans and there will always be issues.

Even Jeep acknowledges the Bronco's success. If not they would not have come out with several packages to counter the Bronco. 392. Extreme Recon, High Tide to name a few.

Back to the topic. If you want a successful vehicle, copy the Bronco formula. If you want a flop, copy the Chevy Blazer.

 

[buckeyebinders]

Hello everyone and welcome to the forum!

My name is Jamie Vondruska and I'm part of the community team here at Scout Motors and will be helping to get these forums going, answer questions to the best of my ability, and overall make sure your stay here is comfortable and fun. Chris@scoutmotors and I will be regularly chiming in on the discussion, posting new Scout news, occasionally cleaning house, and doing our best to participate as much as we can.

As you would imagine, there is a LOT going on behind the scenes when you start a new car company from the ground up and it is incredibly exciting to watch it come together. One of the things our management team wanted to see from the start was a community forum like this one where we can get your feedback, suggestions, and comments and hear your Scout stories. This is a unique situation for any car company and after running one of the largest car forums in the world (VWvortex), I was excited to get involved with Scout. As you can imagine, there are probably still more questions than answers as Scout comes back to life here in the U.S. But we'll do our best to answer them and run all your suggestions by our team. Speaking of the team, they will be actively reading these forums and taking your comments and suggestions to heart, so let us know what you think and you might even see our team members chiming in and asking more questions.

So let's get the ball rolling and talk about the initial Scout concept design sketches that were first released in June of 2022:

View attachment 8

Obvious influences? Nods to previous Scout products? Good start? Headed in the right direction? What does everyone think?

Let's hear it!

- Jamie

I like the design, but would like to see a couple throwback elements of the Scout 80/800s. I saw another design (the latest) that had ridges in the hood that resembled the 80/800s. Looking forward to seeing more.

 

[IdahoJOAT]

This is off topic, but I couldn't resist as I have a 21 Bronco and a 22 Jeep Rubicon 4XE.

People are steering away? Are you serious? There were 190k reservations and people are paying $10k-$30k over MSRP for these. Ford can't keep up with orders and you won't find many sitting on dealer lots. Wranglers on the other hand can be found at any Jeep dealership. My local dealer has 15 on the lot. The Ford dealer across the street has 0 Broncos. Yes, they have had manufacturing issues with the tops, but Jeep has had plenty of issues throughout the years. Cars are designed by humans and there will always be issues.

Even Jeep acknowledges the Bronco's success. If not they would not have come out with several packages to counter the Bronco. 392. Extreme Recon, High Tide to name a few.

Back to the topic. If you want a successful vehicle, copy the Bronco formula. If you want a flop, copy the Chevy Blazer.

I'm very serious. The exact points you make about success I see as failures.

Sure there were reservations... then abandonment as several things happened:
Quality control issues.
Huge dealership markups.
Dealers selling customer reserved orders.
Long delivery times.

Everyone doesn't look at a Bronco and go, "Ooo look at that!" They scoff and go, "Okay buddy. Hope it was worth waiting 18 months and overspending by $30k."

You literally say Ford can't keep up with orders and then attribute no Broncos on the lot as success... Um, no. Ford pissed in the pot.

And anyone still loyal to them after all that, AND the ongoing engine issue like frigging valves falling into the block, is a fool to be honest. This is even more evidence to their cost cutting, highly paid warranty engineers. They are wicked good at designing a product that last until juuuust after warranty, then fails.

My nephew just learned this the hard way... die-hard Ford family. But he put his faith and wallet behind them, on a used F150, for it to drain him dry.

Let Scout Motors Co. pull crap like what Ford has to the Bronco owner and watch the vitriol roll out.

I'll say this, Ford has done a great job in the PR department.

 

[ColeAK]

I know full well Why BEV's don't have a traditional neutral... I'm saying I'd like a safeguard against a runaway vehicle with a stuck/inop accelerator, a way to fully disengage the drive system & allow freewheeling, or to push it out of the way easily if disabled.

For a runaway I see your point. For pushing, They freewheel easily, Electric motors have little resistance without electric current. It is easier for me to push my Tesla then my 200 Land Cruiser in N.

 

[badk22]

I'm very serious. The exact points you make about success I see as failures.

Sure there were reservations... then abandonment as several things happened:
Quality control issues.
Huge dealership markups.
Dealers selling customer reserved orders.
Long delivery times.

Everyone doesn't look at a Bronco and go, "Ooo look at that!" They scoff and go, "Okay buddy. Hope it was worth waiting 18 months and overspending by $30k."

You literally say Ford can't keep up with orders and then attribute no Broncos on the lot as success... Um, no. Ford pissed in the pot.

And anyone still loyal to them after all that, AND the ongoing engine issue like frigging valves falling into the block, is a fool.

Let Scout Motors Co. pull crap like what Ford has to the Bronco owner and watch the vitriol roll out.

I'll say this, Ford has done a great job in the PR department.

Quality control: As I mentioned, vehicles are designed and manufactured by humans. Please name a single vehicle without any quality control issues. Wranglers are notorious for having issues. The 2023 received a 2 of 5 by Consumer Reports yet you have a JL.

Markups: I got my Bronco from a dealer at invoice as did many customers. All it took was a little bit of research on the forums. https://www.grangerford.com/new-ford-bronco.html

Sure, there are dealers marking them up, but you missed the point. If there wasn't the demand, no one would pay the price and the dealer wouldn't mark them up. That's kind of how supply and demand works. This happens with most new successful vehicles. Corvette, Gladiator, 911, Defender, etc. None of these manufacturers consider these vehicles a failure. These are their biggest successes.

As for the markups themselves, as long as there are dealers, things like this will always happen. The only way to do away with that is to sell direct to consumer, which I believe Scout is considering. I think to expand on Ford's success with the Bronco, Scout should definitely go for the direct-to-consumer route. The dealership concept is antiquated and needs to change or be replaced.

Long delivery times: Whenever there is high demand, there will be long wait times. This is the case with anything. Once again, cars are made by people, and this is a complicated process. The Bronco ramp up curve is typical for any new vehicle launch. Sure they wanted to ramp up faster but it was typical in comparison to any new vehicle launch. A manufacturer cannot simply decide they are going to launch a new vehicle and instantly hit the maximum capacity. Thats not how manufacturing works. The difference with the Bronco was that the launch was under a microscope because of the huge number of reservations and interest.

The engine failure issue is overblown. Based on the article from Consumer Affairs, 0.18% of Broncos are affected by the dropped valves. What a disaster. Ford should probably go ahead and cancel the Bronco.

"In July, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) reported it had received 26 complaints about Bronco engine failures. According to Consumer Affairs researchers, at least 47 2.7L engine failures have been reported on one forum, Bronco6g.com. An estimated 25,538 2021 Broncos are equipped with 2.7L engines."
​

And if people buying these ticking time bombs are fools, I guess you are also a fool because the Jeep Wrangler JK was notorious for engine failures below 100k miles. It would seem you didn't take your own advice. https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/1508-3-8l-jeep-wrangler-jk-engine-problems/

Lastly, look at Ford's stock price the day the Bronco reservations went live July 2020, $6.80. By June 2021, when the first Bronco deliveries were being made, it was around $16. Today, even with the market correction, it is still around $14. Doubling your stock price may be a failure in your eyes but anyone trying to run a successful business would probably disagree.

 

[greenlaker]

Really excited about the forthcoming Scout rebirth. My grandpa spent his career as an executive at International Harvester, retiring as General Counsel in the late 60s, so there's quite a bit of IH red blood in my veins. He even went so far as to paint his retirement home red.

However, I fear that the new Scouts are going to be too big/heavy/expensive. Really hoping for something Bronco Sport*/Maverick**-sized, and not a full size Bronco/Rivian/Defender competitor. The market is soon to be awash in brutish eSUVs, and they're overkill for most users. Keep it on the smaller side of things, and the price in check. Scouts were never premium trucks, but they were certainly utilitarian and affordable.

*wife drives one
**I have one on order

 

[speedrye]

As for the markups themselves, as long as there are dealers, things like this will always happen. The only way to do away with that is to sell direct to consumer, which I believe Scout is considering. I think to expand on Ford's success with the Bronco, Scout should definitely go for the direct-to-consumer route. The dealership concept is antiquated and needs to change or be replaced.

As someone that lives in a state that doesn't allow direct-to-consumer sales or service, I'm hoping they don't go this route. The dealer groups and their lobbying are very strong locally.

 

[badk22]

As someone that lives in a state that doesn't allow direct-to-consumer sales or service, I'm hoping they don't go this route. The dealer groups and their lobbying are very strong locally.

Yes, dealer groups will do everything to stop this but that is the problem. They enjoy being able to price gouge without repercussions. For this reason, the laws need to change.

Perhaps they could do a hybrid scenario where they have dealers and direct-to-consumer.

 

[ColeAK]

As someone that lives in a state that doesn't allow direct-to-consumer sales or service, I'm hoping they don't go this route. The dealer groups and their lobbying are very strong locally.

Hopefully that changes. After 8 years with Tesla, and over the years how many dealer service departments messed up my vehicles (even MB, Porsche, and Lexus) I would prefer never to go back to a dealer for sales/service.