Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
When the new Bronco came back on the scene just a few years ago, Ford surprised everyone when they announced that a smaller, less expensive model would also debut: the Bronco Sport. While certainly not as beefy and brawny as its more hardcore off-road brother, the Bronco Sport delivers respectable on-road manners and decent off-road performance in its own way — something I found rather charming over the multi-day testing period.
In preparation for this testing, I drove the full-size, fully-loaded Bronco Wildtrak just a few days before, just to see how much of the Bronco's charm would trickle down to its little brother. Spoiler alert: there's quite a bit.
Car and Driver enjoyed it, too, giving it a 9/10 rating. Here are four things I really enjoyed about my time with it.
Boxy, open and comfortable interior
Even though cars keep getting bigger, it's rare these days to find a compact vehicle that truly feels open and airy inside. This is an area where the Bronco Sport stands out, especially for the front occupants. The exterior's box-like styling lends itself incredibly well to an open interior, with lots of head and shoulder room and excellent visibility through its large, square windows and wide, rectangular windshield. Coupled with a high seating position, it's among the best we've tested in terms of outward visibility. If claustrophobia is a struggle for you, you'll love this car.
The front seats were especially comfortable, too, even if they were a tad small. A KSL.com Mustang Mach-E review a few months ago that Ford has a knack for making plush, soft seats with excellent heating elements and those traits thankfully carry over here. Unfortunately, the back seat was a bit tight for adults. It should be perfect for young children though, and the deep, tall cargo area is ready to swallow all of your weekend adventure gear and Costco runs.
Overall the interior on our Outer Banks trim was well appointed with nice feeling materials that felt built to last. It's not overladen with finicky technology, either, and analog touches like the traditional gauge cluster were refreshing to look at and easy to read.
Rugged exterior styling
There's no denying it: the big boy Bronco just looks cool. But, it's also big, heavy and very off-road oriented. Not everyone wants that, and even fewer will enjoy daily driving it. For those looking for something with the essence of the big Bronco but with increased drivability, efficiency and daily usability, the Bronco Sport is your ticket.
One of my favorite things about the car is how it looks. Ford really did a great job with its boxy design and it easily sets itself apart from its many competitors in the segment. There's no mistaking what Bronco Sport is, and it clearly communicates its purpose up front as a super-usable SUV with a strong dose of off-road attitude and capability thrown in.
The tester came in a new for 2024 color, Azure Gray, and it looked amazing. It's a favorite blue/gray color and looks sharp with the car's black accents, roof and pillars.
On-road performance
Every Bronco Sport is powered by an 181 horsepower turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, except for the Badlands trim. The Badlands trim gets a 245 horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and for only about $2,000 more than our Outer Banks trimmed tester, it's the obvious choice if it's in your budget. However, that's not to say the base engine isn't good — because it is.
Turbochargers are wonderful things, especially here in Utah at several thousand feet above sea level. The 1.5-liter three-cylinder spools up quickly and delivers adequate punch to get up to speed in a respectable time. Motor Trend clocked it from 0-60 mph in 8.6 seconds. While the base engine won't be setting any records, it does return pretty decent fuel economy. It is rated at 25 mpg in the city, and 28 mpg on the highway and we achieved just over 27 mpg in the test combined driving.
One surprising aspect of the Bronco Sport was its ride quality. Perhaps nowhere else — other than the exterior styling — is it more apparent that Ford was trying to imbue the essence of the big Bronco here in its little brother than in its ride. This thing rides downright truck-like, which is something unexpected from such a compact SUV. It feels ready to tackle some mild terrain and would almost be a shame if you didn't, given how eager it seems to leave the pavement.
Off-road legitimacy
This leads us to the next point: the Bronco Sport is legitimately capable of getting you off the beaten path.
I did not take the test vehicle off-road, but trust Motor Trend's Billy Rehbock when he wrote, "On the pavement, the Bronco Sport exhibits good body control, comfortable suspension tuning and responsive handling … We've also done considerable off-roading in the Baby Bronco. Even though a unibody platform underpins the Bronco Sport, we've noted that its short wheelbase, ample ground clearance and off-road technology grant surprising capability in the wilderness. These positive attributes earned it the top spot in our four-way comparison of small off-road SUVs."
Eric Stafford of Car and Driver also noted the Baby Bronco's off-road prowess when he wrote, "While it won't be conquering the Rubicon Trail anytime soon, the Bronco Sport can venture farther off the beaten path than most other compact SUVs … Its off-road abilities also exceeded expectations, but just remember that it still has limitations before you try to tackle the Rubicon Trail."
Final thoughts
The Bronco Sport is the perfect solution for those wanting the essence of the big Bronco, without having to drive or pay for one. It looks awesome, is very useful and practical and can get you off the pavement better than most compact crossovers. What's not to love?
If you've been looking for a stylish, unique and more traditional-feeling crossover, look no further than the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport.
More photos below:
