by Anthony Fongaro - Photos vis Ford - 05/24/2021
I want you to imagine an off-roading vehicle. Something that is synonymous with being tough, durable, and above all else, boxy. That’s right, I’m talking about vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler, Mercedes-Benz G Wagon, and the new Ford Bronco. The Ford Bronco is an all-new boxy off-roader that harkens back to the Broncos of the 80s and 90s. Ford knew that by bringing back the Bronco, they could essentially make a “Bronco brand”. Now notice I haven’t said the title, the Ford Bronco Sport. That’s because these vehicles are not the same thing.
What Ford did was essentially make a semi-water down, smaller, and inexpensive version of the Bronco. What you need to know right away is that these are two different vehicles. This isn’t a new thing. Many automakers take hard-core models, soften them up, and make them more car-like. I had some interesting reactions when I told people I had the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands because people thought I had the real Ford Bronco. Sadly, all of them were disappointed because this wasn’t the real Bronco.
So if the Bronco Sport isn’t a literal scaled-down version of the Bronco, what is it? Well, it’s the size of a Ford Escape with some of the Escape’s engines, transmissions, and interior bits. Looking from the outside, you’d never know that. Let’s be honest: there are two reasons you get the Bronco Sport. They’re for the looks and the capability in almost any terrain. For now, we will look at the exterior. It’s boxy. Ok, last time I say that about the exterior. The version I had was the top-of-the-line Badlands. It came with Cactus Gray paint which looked really good. The toughness of the Bronco Sport continues with optional $800 17-inch gray aluminum wheels.
The exterior makes the Bronco Sport look like a shrunken Bronco, and it looks fantastic. A little rugged SUV is one of my favorites, especially when it has the credentials that I’ll talk about later. For now, just now that people will confuse the Bronco Sport with the Bronco. Unfortunately, people get disappointed when they find out this is the Sport. What’s funny is that, even though this is a Ford, I found one very small Ford badge on the manual-operated tailgate. Everything else was huge BRONCO logos. Speaking of the tailgate, you can open both the window and full tailgate which is cool and I’m guessing useful.
Let’s go into the interior and, uh-oh. This is one cheap-feeling interior. I know this is supposed to be somewhat utilitarian because of the heritage, but in this class, I was really disappointed. I’ll go through what I liked. Although the infotainment system looked small at 8-inches, it has all the functions you’d expect from a Ford SYNC 3 system along with phone connectivity. What’s odd is that the buttons for music are under the infotainment system. Since these buttons were not on the steering wheel, they seemed almost useless since the screen is right above it. Looking ahead, this had standard analog dials with a 6.5-inch LCD Instrument Panel. This gives you a lot of information for safety systems, off-roading information, and your standard speedometer and average fuel.
This Bronco Sport Badlands, even at $35,000 before one package, just felt cheap. You get standard climate controls, cloth seats, and so many scratchy plastics you’d think this was $20,000 less. Thankfully, one dial next to the rotary transmission shifter makes things better. This dial is the G.O.A.T, which stands for Go Over Any Terrain, is the Bronco Sport’s terrain management system. This is similar to what you get in the big Bronco and means that the Bronco Sport has a leg-up on the competition. There are various modes that suit any type of terrain or driving and of course, the Bronco Sport is a 4x4.
Jumping into the driver’s seat, the first thing you notice is just how long the hood is. Because everything is squared off, the hood seems massive for such a small SUV. Next is the performance. For some reason, Ford decided that only this top-of-the-line Badlands and the sold-out First Edition should have the upgraded 2.0-liter inline-four. Everyone else? A 1.5-liter inline-three. This upgraded engine is worth it because it makes 245-horsepower and 277 lb-ft. Combined with an 8-speed automatic, the Bronco Sport Badlands goes from 0-60 in 5.9 seconds. While driving, I never thought that I wanted more power, but I did want more than 25 MPG.
I never had a chance to take the Bronco Sport off-road, but the G.O.A.T. system seems to do well when others test it. On the road, the Bronco Sport is ok. Not great, not bad, just ok. You’ll feel bumps due to the bigger tires and due to the higher boxy body, the Bronco Sport does lean when you take a corner. Otherwise, it’s just another small SUV going about its daily job. At least it has its looks to make it stand out next to its Escape sibling.
So the Bronco Sport Badlands isn’t a bad SUV, just remember one major thing. There’s also a Badlands package? Confusing, right? Well, this wasn’t on my test car, but the upgrades are enormous. I’ll just say a few of the features. You get a wireless charging pad, heated and leather steering wheel, leather seats, remote start, sunroof, upgraded sound system, and some more. It’s almost $2,600 but if you’re getting a Badlands, you may as well spec this out unless you want to be more utilitarian.
Main question: should you buy a Ford Bronco Sports in Badlands trim? Well, the Badlands trim starts at $35,000 and the Badlands package bumps it up to almost $38,000. $35,000 without a power tailgate, sunroof, and other options seems like a bit of a rip-off. Ford letting only the Badlands get the upgraded engine seems like a missed opportunity to me. The thing is, I liked the Bronco Sport. I know that it’s a smaller and semi-Bronco, but that gives it enormous character. Going into the parking lot, the Bronco Sport stood out.
I’m going to make this simple. For $35,000, you can get the Mazda CX-5 which has more comfort and safety features. Like I said before, Bronco Sport is all about appearance and personality. That’s why I would get the Bronco Sport with the Badlands trim and optional package. Yes, it’s expensive, but it sort of works. If you want something similar but duller and not as good off-road, get yourself a Ford Escape hybrid and get 10 MPG more than the Badlands. Depending on what’s important to you, a fully capable off-roading SUV may not suit your needs. If you do need a small SUV with off-roading creds and a unique shape, check out the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands.
Some Nerdalicious Stats
Engine | 2.0-liter inline-four | Power: 245-horsepower Torque: 277 lb-ft |
0-60 MPH | 5.9 seconds | Not too bad for a small box. |
Top Speed | 125 MPH | This is important for some reason. |
Transmission | 8-speed automatic | Shifts quite well. |
Price | $35,000 | You’ll need that extra Badlands Package to justify the price. |
Drivetrain | 4x4 | G.O.A.T. |
Verdict as a Number | 7.6/10 | It has personality in a small package |
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