Test Drove a Bronco Sport

[adam1991]

It's entirely electronic, so it has all the computer nanny stuff that keeps you from doing really stupid things.

Apparently for many here, that includes "buying one".

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[JerryC]

Eww.

I encounter that all of the time.

I also had a "car guy," who when he learned that I owned a Bronco said, "oh man those things are tiny." I go, "huh they are larger than the Wrangler???" He apparently didn't know the Bronco and Bronco Sport were two different things, and in his mind the Bronco Sport was the Bronco.

Half of the people that talk to me about my Raptor say, "That's a nice Jeep".

 

[tourproto]

The first gen Explorer was body on frame. Even came as a 2dr. For the time it was pretty good.

I think it was body-on-frame for the first couple of generations. We had a 2nd gen one, other than the 2 dozen or so recalls over the first decade, it was a pretty good rig. Real 4WD too.

 

[JerryC]

I think it was body-on-frame for the first couple of generations. We had a 2nd gen one, other than the 2 dozen or so recalls over the first decade, it was a pretty good rig. Real 4WD too.

My dad bought a 2dr 1991, 4wd, 4L, auto, limited slip rear.
Never took it wheeling but was great in the snow. Road salt eventually killed it.

 

[Luthier419]

People say this, and I've never understood it. It's an automatic transmission. Pull a lever, push a button, spin a dial--what's the diff? You put it into D and move on with your life.

Soooo…

some of us come from a time when it was easier to get a manual than an automatic and the shift lever on the automatic trans actually DID connect to the transmission and DID turn a lever that selected modes in the trans and my monkeying with the valve body, you could actually get a manual shift automatic (though very few people ever do that except drag racers) and we still want to use a shifter because turning the knob seems 100X less like driving.

 

[tourproto]

My dad bought a 2dr 1991, 4wd, 4L, auto, limited slip rear.
Never took it wheeling but was great in the snow. Road salt eventually killed it.

We don't salt the roads in Oregon (or at least we didn't until around 2020 and even then only in select areas) So we we sold our 1996 XLT in 2015(?) and it was rust free and had 180k miles still with the original engine and transmission. The friend we sold it to STILL HAS IT and it is still running. It has close to 300K miles but she did have to replace the tranny. But the V6 is still the original motor.

We never did crazy stuff with ours, but it did go off the pavement, mainly on dirt roads to get to camping/fishing locations. The 4WD was great in the snow (with the right tires).

 

[TheShark]

As someone who had a fully loaded Sport Badlands and a Sport Big Bend before that, I can honestly say the BL was a blast to drive. The 2.0L engine and upgraded suspension made the biggest difference from the other trims, plus the pretty roast leather interior, rubberized flooring, and front camera. As for the 1.5L 3 cyl, you couldn't pay me to have another as a daily driver. The Sport should have only come with the 2.0L in my opinion because the 1.5 was straight up anemic and had some really concerning quirks.

Now, don't get me wrong. The Sport and the Bronco are two entirely different vehicles with different purposes, but you'd be pleasantly surprised at the capability of the Sport BL. It handled the majority of what my Bronco does with the exception of situations that require true lockers and more clearance. Does the Sport deserve the Bronco branding? Debatable, but I am a sucker for theme and love the aesthetics of both vehicles. Much happier with my full size, but the Sport was fun while I had it.

My wife has a '22 BS BL and I couldn't agree with you more, the BS with the 2.0 EB is fun to drive, plenty of power and the BL is a very capable model. Had a '21 BS OBX before that and it was at best adequate, honestly if you are going to get a BS the BL is the only way to go just because of the engine, it would be nice to offer the 2.0 in at least the OBX. It will be interesting to see the '25's with the new SAS package.

 

[FourHorses]

The first gen Explorer was body on frame. Even came as a 2dr. For the time it was pretty good.

I had a 2002 Ford Explorer Sport 4X4 2 Door with the 4.0L. It was a quite capable vehicle in the snow and the limited amount I drove it off road. I thoroughly enjoyed it and wish we didn't trade it in when we did. I liked it way better than my 97 4 door.

 

[GI_Jo_Nathan]

My wife has a '22 BS BL and I couldn't agree with you more, the BS with the 2.0 EB is fun to drive, plenty of power and the BL is a very capable model. Had a '21 BS OBX before that and it was at best adequate, honestly if you are going to get a BS the BL is the only way to go just because of the engine, it would be nice to offer the 2.0 in at least the OBX. It will be interesting to see the '25's with the new SAS package.

That's the good thing about the Corsair, they all come with the 2.0. If I remember right the entry level trim is a good bit cheaper than a BS Badlands, but still comes with the good engine and the all-wheel drive is nearly a free add-on. And you can get the tow package on any of them. I think that was a hindrance on some of the BS trims.

 

[PrepVet]

The Sports are nice little cars. I still firmly believe it was going to be the ONLY Bronco. They are will engineered and built and comfortable and well thought out. They are still a Ford product and have their issues, but not as much as many on this site have seen with the Broncos. They are a great choice when compared to other similar type little SUV/CUV's.

 

[raptorusmaximus]

when i was a kid on road trips we used to look for vw beetles and call out "punch buggy"...... bronco sport is the new punch buggy....... "punch buggy!!, no punch backs,you could of had a real one!!"

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