Last month, I headed to Buena Vista to wander around a big field and look at a lot of used SUVS, crossovers and 4x4s — plus a few new ones. This was different than your typical Sunday drive through dealership car lots though. None of the vehicles were for sale, and I had to pay $10 to get in. Why would I drive two hours and pay 10 bucks just to look at a bunch of not-for-sale vehicles? Because the event was Bronco Super Celebration West, and all the vehicles were Ford’s latest additions to the world of 4x4s, SUVS and crossovers: the all-new Bronco and Bronco Sport.

Confession: I’m not, nor have I ever been, a “car person.”

But Ford’s latest offerings have gotten my attention. It seems like, over the past few years, cars — and crossovers and SUVS in particular — have all started to look alike. I’ve seen $30,000 vehicles in line at stop lights next to $60,000 ones, and if it weren’t for the chrome emblem on the back denoting the make (Chrysler, Land Rover, Toyota, Tesla, etc.), I would not be able to tell them apart.

So when Ford blasted its commercials for their latest models last year, they got my attention. The Sport, which is based on Ford’s unitized body-and-chassis Escape crossover, just

looked cooler. It had something called GOAT modes, which stands for “goes over any type of terrain.” And the Sport’s big brother, the sixth-generation, body-on-frame Bronco, modeled after the Ranger pickup truck and available with factory options like front and rear lockers, sway-bar disconnect, HOSS suspension, Bilstein shocks, and 35-inch tires, was like a breath of fresh air from the past, but with all the tech of the modern age. Here was a vehicle that could stand up against the Jeep, the Defender, the 4Runner, and the FJ Cruiser, without modifications — and without breaking the bank. And more importantly, it did not look like anything else on the road.

Let’s back up a bit and talk about Bronco Super Celebration, or “Super Cel.” Produced by Bronco Driver Magazine, the annual event is a place for Bronco owners to showcase their vintage vehicles, vendors to show off their options, and fans to show up and check it all out. The western version debuted in Buena Vista in 2020, and apparently the magazine liked the location so much, they held it there again this year. The rodeo grounds on the south side of town provided lots of open space, with mighty Mount Princeton serving up a dramatic backdrop for the four-day event.

Owners and enthusiasts turned out, and Broncos were judged and awarded prizes in generational categories ranging from 1966 LUBRS (lifted, uncut Bronco rides) to 1978 Bronco Stock vehicles, 1984 Bronco IIS and even the latest 2021 model. I admired the rows of vintage rigs and spent some time speaking with Jerry Phelps, a Ford product specialist, who answered my questions about the latest models. A jerrycan line-up displayed all the 2021 paint colors, as well as one of the 2022 ones, Eruption Green (the other 2022 color, Hot Pepper Red, was not shown).

The highlight of this year’s event were the drive-alongs and ride-alongs. After checking in and signing a waiver, I got to go for a spin in a brand new Bronco. The ride took place on the twisting, turning backroads of Buena Vista’s Four Mile Area, and the driver was none other than Mark Stahl, former NASCAR driver and four-time winner of the Baja 1000 off-road race. Needless to say, it was not the typical Sunday drive through the countryside. Mark demonstrated all the bells and whistles of the vehicle, from high-speed driving on gravel in Baja mode to doing doughnuts with Trail Turn Assist, where one rear wheel is locked and the Bronco pivots in place. He crept down a steep, rocky slope with one-pedal driving, then switched on the lockers and put it in 4 low for crawling over and between boulders. All the while, he regaled me with stories of his driving history, from slot car racing for money when he was 10 years old to his latest experiences traveling the country as a Ford Pro Driver.

As if that weren’t enough fun, I also got to test drive a Bronco Sport with Ford driving specialist Jessica Morelli as my guide. She led a group of drivers on Buena Vista’s backroads and even over a minor stream crossing, returning through the paved downtown area. It was cool to see all the new Broncos and Bronco Sports driving through town. I felt like I was in a parade.

Super Celebration West is over this year, but it will return to Buena Vista next Sept. 7-10. If you’ve got your own rig to show off, be sure to register ahead of time. If you don’t own a rig but you want to check out cool vintage models, chat with owners and drivers, and see what’s new, put Super Cel on your calendar. And if you can’t wait that long, check out the local car lots for all the latest makes and models, and schedule a test drive if you like. They may not let you crawl over rocks or plow through streams with the borrowed ride, but just getting on the road in a new vehicle can make you feel like you’re driving in a parade.