Ford made a huge splash with their rebooted Bronco SUV over the past few years. The new Bronco is an off-road powerhouse, and really the only vehicle that can challenge the Jeep Wrangler on its home turf. But flying under the radar is another member of the Bronco family that's both more affordable and more comfortable. The compact Bronco Sport shares little but its name and styling with the primary Bronco, and that's why you should take a good look at this compact crossover.
The Bronco Sport is built on the same crossover unibody platform as the Ford Escape SUV and the Ford Maverick compact pickup truck. It's got the same underpinnings, but Ford gave the Bronco Sport the same kind of retro-epic truck styling as the larger Bronco. Then Ford delivered the Bronco Sport with an advanced full-time AWD with "GOAT" modes for "Goes Over Any Terrain." The GOAT modes include Sand, Slippery, Sport, Eco, and Normal. If you get the top trim Bronco Sport Badlands, the system comes with two additional modes: Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl.
Under the hood of most Bronco Sports is a nice 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, but the Badlands trim gets a bigger 2.0-liter engine with plenty of power. All Bronco models use an eight-speed automatic transmission with the GOAT AWD system.
Inside, the Bronco Sport is masculine and off-road-ready without being self-consciously macho like so many SUVs right now. It's got comfortable seats, a nice high view of the road, and all the basic controls without a whole lot else. There's a nice eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, manual controls for climate, and a grab handle for the passenger.
There's good legroom and headroom in the second row because the Bronco Sport uses a squared-off body design, rather than a sloping egg-shape. That also contributes to 32.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, or 65.2 cubic feet behind the front row seats, making the Bronco Sport a very utilitarian SUV.
On the road, the Bronco Sport is particularly enjoyable. The 2.0-liter engine in the Badlands model is powerful, but the 1.5-liter in less expensive models is perfectly good for most people. The Bronco Sport rides well, and Portland's winter or spring weather will be no problem. If camping and activity is your thing, a towing package is available, and the Bronco Sport can tow either 2,000 or 2,200 pounds, depending on the trim level.
In the base Big Bend trim, the Bronco Sport starts at $31,230 plus a $1,595 delivery charge, putting it just under $33,000. You don't spend a lot more for any of the next three trim levels, so it's easy to spice up your Bronco Sport a little bit. Only the Badlands edition with the 2.0-liter engine raises the price significantly. Your best bet is to see what's available at your Ford dealer, or order it just the way you want it. Either way, the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport is a great choice if you're looking for a fun, useful crossover SUV.
2024 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands
Base price: $38,390
Price as tested: $40,630
Type: Compact SUV
Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (250 hp, 277 lbs-ft)
Transmissions: 8-speed automatic
EPA estimated mileage: 21/26
Overall length: 172.7 inches
Curb weight: 3,707 pounds
Final assembly: Hermosillo, Mexico
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