Bronco Sport.... Meh

[SICKQK]

My wife really wants a Bronco. Her Dad had a 70 blue and white one when she was growing up. She's never been super fussy about what car she drives although they've all been nice. She's kinda obsessed with the Bronco though.

My Ranger is in for service and they loaned me a new Bronco Badlands. I've been driving it for a couple of days and I'm not impressed. It's a pretty basic model but in the price range I think is reasonable for a truck like that.

The first thing I noticed is that the ride is bad, very harsh. I'd say worse than my Ranger. The steering is almost annoyingly heavy...... Especially on the highway where you're driving with one hand on the wheel like I do. The 1.5 liter is not up to the task, for me at least. You can tell that they worked on the turbo and trans tuning to try to take advantage of the TQ curve of the engine, so that medium throttle acceleration feels pretty good. When you really need to go through, you better have left yourself plenty of time and space to get up to highway speeds.

My last complaint would be some of the interior pieces that feel like junk and the lack of any kinda of decent "extras" (tailgate assist, driving lights, auto start.....etc.) for the price point.

I know I could jump up a couple of versions and get the 2.0 but the price jump is huge for what I'm seeing in inventory.

I really wanted to like the truck, but I can't see buying one at this point. I know my wife will not be happy with the ride and several other things coming out of an Escape Titanium.
I'm surprised that I see so many women driving them because they feel real "trucky" more trucky than my truck, IMO. ?

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[ctechbob]

Never driven the BS, but I drive a 2.0 AWD Maverick from time to time and it drives a lot more 'car like' than my Ranger. The Ranger is very much more 'trucky' in that it wiggles and jiggles and you can tell it is a bit more old-school tech under the skin. The Maverick/Bronco Sport/Escape chassis is much more tied down and 'tight' comparatively. The unibody is just a lot stiffer than the ladder frame of the Ranger.

 

[Miles Mac]

I guess it's all perspective, We have a 21 Outer Banks w/ the 1.5L 3 cylinder, for the wife to drive, and absolutely love it. Plenty of power to merge on the interstate at 75-80 mph. Took it on vacation to Colorado on a 1500 mile trip, and loved driving it. I talked my friend into one and they love theirs also.

 

[Friday yet?]

My wife really wants a Bronco. Her Dad had a 70 blue and white one when she was growing up. She's never been super fussy about what car she drives although they've all been nice. She's kinda obsessed with the Bronco though.

My Ranger is in for service and they loaned me a new Bronco Badlands. I've been driving it for a couple of days and I'm not impressed. It's a pretty basic model but in the price range I think is reasonable for a truck like that.

The first thing I noticed is that the ride is bad, very harsh. I'd say worse than my Ranger. The steering is almost annoyingly heavy...... Especially on the highway where you're driving with one hand on the wheel like I do. The 1.5 liter is not up to the task, for me at least. You can tell that they worked on the turbo and trans tuning to try to take advantage of the TQ curve of the engine, so that medium throttle acceleration feels pretty good. When you really need to go through, you better have left yourself plenty of time and space to get up to highway speeds.

My last complaint would be some of the interior pieces that feel like junk and the lack of any kinda of decent "extras" (tailgate assist, driving lights, auto start.....etc.) for the price point.

I know I could jump up a couple of versions and get the 2.0 but the price jump is huge for what I'm seeing in inventory.

I really wanted to like the truck, but I can't see buying one at this point. I know my wife will not be happy with the ride and several other things coming out of an Escape Titanium.
I'm surprised that I see so many women driving them because they feel real "trucky" more trucky than my truck, IMO. ?

Bronco Sport is not a truck. Just clarifying.

It is a Ford Escape with some fancier doodads. Still can't believe they put the Bronco name on that thing. But the marketing worked. Women everywhere are driving those SUV's.

At the end of the day if it would make the warden happy... get her one. Your life will be better for it.

 

[ctechbob]

Bronco Sport is not a truck. Just clarifying.

It is a Ford Escape with some fancier doodads. Still can't believe they put the Bronco name on that thing. But the marketing worked. Women everywhere are driving those SUV's.

At the end of the day if it would make the warden happy... get her one. Your life will be better for it.

Same basic chassis as the Escape/Maverick, which makes the Maverick not a truck as well.

Which is fun watching all the people that have been screaming for years that the Ridgeline isn't a truck (When really they're just Honda haters), but when the Maverick came out on a unibody chassis, they shut up in quick order.

 

[Friday yet?]

Same basic chassis as the Escape/Maverick, which makes the Maverick not a truck as well.

Which is fun watching all the people that have been screaming for years that the Ridgeline isn't a truck (When really they're just Honda haters), but when the Maverick came out on a unibody chassis, they shut up in quick order.

I group it with the trunk-less Accord.

 

[RDJTX]

I have owned two Escape Titaniums a 2015 and a 2019. I loved them both. they are really good quality cars IMHO. no way would I trade it for a Bronco. we did sell them both to make room for a 23 Edge and a 23 Ranger

 

[9zero1790]

sis in law has a newer escape. im not a fan. hers is loaded up and has nice features but its not for me. in certain rpm and speed range it runs fine. but if you need to really punch it to get away from fast traffic you did not see etc. its gutless. feels kinda darty over 70 to me. i am biased though. im a truck person. plus im tall and fat with big feet and wide shoulders so the bs and escape feel like clown cars to me.

 

[OHTREMOR]

My wife really wants a Bronco. Her Dad had a 70 blue and white one when she was growing up. She's never been super fussy about what car she drives although they've all been nice. She's kinda obsessed with the Bronco though.

My Ranger is in for service and they loaned me a new Bronco Badlands. I've been driving it for a couple of days and I'm not impressed. It's a pretty basic model but in the price range I think is reasonable for a truck like that.

The first thing I noticed is that the ride is bad, very harsh. I'd say worse than my Ranger. The steering is almost annoyingly heavy...... Especially on the highway where you're driving with one hand on the wheel like I do. The 1.5 liter is not up to the task, for me at least. You can tell that they worked on the turbo and trans tuning to try to take advantage of the TQ curve of the engine, so that medium throttle acceleration feels pretty good. When you really need to go through, you better have left yourself plenty of time and space to get up to highway speeds.

My last complaint would be some of the interior pieces that feel like junk and the lack of any kinda of decent "extras" (tailgate assist, driving lights, auto start.....etc.) for the price point.

I know I could jump up a couple of versions and get the 2.0 but the price jump is huge for what I'm seeing in inventory.

I really wanted to like the truck, but I can't see buying one at this point. I know my wife will not be happy with the ride and several other things coming out of an Escape Titanium.
I'm surprised that I see so many women driving them because they feel real "trucky" more trucky than my truck, IMO. ?

Wife has the outer banks edition. It’s nice inside and a handy vehicle. She loves it. I wouldn’t want one but like I said she loves it….lol

 

[Jason B]

I guess it's all perspective, We have a 21 Outer Banks w/ the 1.5L 3 cylinder, for the wife to drive, and absolutely love it. Plenty of power to merge on the interstate at 75-80 mph. Took it on vacation to Colorado on a 1500 mile trip, and loved driving it. I talked my friend into one and they love theirs also.

My mom bought a '22 Escape SEL with the 1.5. That thing is a lot peppier that I thought it would be. Probably still over kill for her as she never gets on the highway.
Her last car was a 2007 Volvo XC90, only 65K miles that she felt she had to "get rid of before it starts giving problems".

 

[RedDakooter05]

Kinda like the bronco sports. More so than the "real" broncos.

 

[SICKQK]

I realize my Ranger is a heavier vehicle.....but the Bronco Sport (1.5) is down 90 HP and 130 lbs of TQ in comparison.
The 2.0 would have been a more appropriate base engine IMO. I mean it is called a "Sport" after all.

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

2024 Bronco Sport Hybrid would make a great little everyday city car for a small family. ADM is going to hit it like the Mav Hybrid unfortunately.

 

[SigOris]

My wife really wants a Bronco. Her Dad had a 70 blue and white one when she was growing up. She's never been super fussy about what car she drives although they've all been nice. She's kinda obsessed with the Bronco though.

My Ranger is in for service and they loaned me a new Bronco Badlands. I've been driving it for a couple of days and I'm not impressed. It's a pretty basic model but in the price range I think is reasonable for a truck like that.

The first thing I noticed is that the ride is bad, very harsh. I'd say worse than my Ranger. The steering is almost annoyingly heavy...... Especially on the highway where you're driving with one hand on the wheel like I do. The 1.5 liter is not up to the task, for me at least. You can tell that they worked on the turbo and trans tuning to try to take advantage of the TQ curve of the engine, so that medium throttle acceleration feels pretty good. When you really need to go through, you better have left yourself plenty of time and space to get up to highway speeds.

My last complaint would be some of the interior pieces that feel like junk and the lack of any kinda of decent "extras" (tailgate assist, driving lights, auto start.....etc.) for the price point.

I know I could jump up a couple of versions and get the 2.0 but the price jump is huge for what I'm seeing in inventory.

I really wanted to like the truck, but I can't see buying one at this point. I know my wife will not be happy with the ride and several other things coming out of an Escape Titanium.
I'm surprised that I see so many women driving them because they feel real "trucky" more trucky than my truck, IMO. ?

We’ve been quite pleased with our MY21 BS-OBX.

Primarily wife’s vehicle and she went from an Escape Platinum

things I like on it:
don’t need t-Rex arms for window controls
heated steering wheel ( not even an option with the Lariat on my MY22 Ranger )

as they say, to each his own

 

[Arly]

Can I restart this thread? Our Element is giving us grief and we are looking for a replacement. So is the bronco sport with the larger engine worth considering?

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