Yes, because this is badlands is far better equipped then Crosstrek, but base Bronco sport with only brake awd just as Crosstrek is would be great comparison
This shows why articulation is important, the rear wheel wouldn't have slipped/burnout like that if articulation was better. But the fact it sent enough power to slip like that was impressive!
@@dhmtnracer1 Spun the front drivers tire as well. Nobody has said anything about that. lol Regardless of articulation deficiency, the fact that the terrain management system detects what is going on and sends power where it is needed is incredibly cool! Wish I had this back in the 70-90's. All that open diff. stuff I drove was ok. But I can think of a hand full of times I needed a rear locker or 1 of these smart computers to send power to the wheel(s) on the ground. My TRD-OR is the smartest baddest 4WD I have ever owned and it is hard to imagine things improving from that.
Great video Tommy. I think the best package is the Badlands without any additional options. For about $38,000 you get the much better 2.0l engine and twin clutch rear axle .
This thing is awesome. I love the homage to the original styling and it’s mad capable for what it is. Nicely done. With so few being made, and the capability that comes with it, I say the price is quite reasonable and worthwhile.
My wife has about 5400 miles on her '23 Badlands. I joke that it's the nicest "2-seater with 4 doors" we've ever owned. It really is a nice little car for her to go back and forth to work or for two of us to run around town, but as a family with a daughter in college and an adult special needs son; its SMALL. The backseat is barely usable for an adult, in fact if I'm in the driver's seat it would be impossible for any adult to sit behind me (I'm a big guy but only about 5'10"). We ordered the Badlands to get the bigger engine after driving the smaller one on test drives and realizing how anemic it felt; but she'll never use any of the true off-road features of the Badlands. The most use we'll get out of the AWD is a few times a year if we get snow/ice here in South Central PA.
I had to make it to my shift at the hospital during a blizzard and I have never felt so confident in weather like that than in my Bronco Sport. I've got a Big Bend trim and it made my commute through the snow and ice seem effortless. Interior quality and drivetrain refinement could be better, but I'm overall incredibly happy with my purchase.
In your first three wheel slip test, the front wheel was spinning too. The suspension is probably a little stiff and wouldn’t let enough pressure on the tire on the ground. Nice system😁
It doesn't help that that's some pretty damn slippery concrete, pretty minimal surface texturing, just light brushing. That should really be done on a stickier surface since the point is to test the AWD/traction control system, not test the tire traction. For that matter, a prepped drag strip starting line would probably be optimum since it would remove any traction limitations of the tire LOL, but I'm sure standard asphalt on a warm day or a more heavily textured concrete surface would do just fine. The AWD system likely wouldn't have sent as much wheel speed to that one tire as it did on a stickier surface; it looked much smoother in application in the dirt.
We got a badlands for my wife this year. It was driving sports tv and this channel that convinced me it was just cool enough to go buy for her haha. We love it!
TFL has a ton of Bronco Sport content. Really enjoy my Bronco Sport Badlands. Comfortable for my daily commute and more than enough for my camping trips. Getting 30mpg on the highway even with the larger 2.0l. Seating position begins to feel a little awkward and uncomfortable on long road trips though. I suppose that's because it sits straight up like a truck. The interior plastics are atrocious in terms of how easy they scratch even on the top of the line model but I suppose that's just how modern cars are. This is what 95% of all "big Bronco" owners actually need. In fact, the Badlands or Heritage edition is probably more than most actually need.
I got a 2023 big bend 2 months ago, got 3500 miles on it and I’m loving it. Coming from the northeast, this thing blasted though 8in of snow and since impressive on and off road on normal conditions.
I actually just got one of these but in the darker peak blue color and I love it. The only thing that really limits where they can go is ground clearance which isn't usually a factor for me and I just took a trip to Yellowstone with mine and average 27 mph on the trip that was going uphill most the way and 30 on the way back and I know other people have done even better and while I was driving around in the park I was averaging 32 miles per gallon and that 2 l assuming you have the heritage limited (badlands/first) and not just the heritage (base-outerbanks) is still so powerful and fast for a small SUV. It's I love it. It's the best compact SUV that's has everything, power, off-road, efficient, comfortable, really cool looking, and they're just still so amazing! Off-road for what they are and even not for what they are just compared to a regular off-road vehicle. Also, I will say even though the clutches do seem to grab in normal mode, I took it on a pretty rough trail in Sedona and drove it up in normal and back in rock crawl and I had a little bit of slippage in normal mode and none in rock crawl so it does seem there is a bit of difference or it's really is more aggressive in those modes for me at least And I drove it in snow this winter and it was amazing. If you went fast enough it literally just glided on top of the snow and even when I slowed down and it sunk into it, I never had to worry once about it getting stuck, and The nice thing about the clutch is is it can work at any time at any speed or I assume it can. Where with a locker you can really only use it off road and it lower speeds
"The nice thing about the clutch is is it can work at any time at any speed or I assume it can. Where with a locker you can really only use it off road and it lower speeds" is like an LSD plus a locker 2 in 1
@@LuisGuillermoMoreno Yeah but I will say they don't have a full lock like a real locker. They will slip a little in the most extreme circumstances but it's very close
This Bronco kind of reminds me of the Landrovers 2010 Freelander 2 which then became the Discovery Sport, I don't personally like the colour of this one but love the rest of it, hopefully we'll see them over in England.
The roof line of the Bronco Sport is eerily similar to my 2012 LR4, a.k.a. “Mini LR4”. Ford knocked it out of the park with this shape that could have been JLRs Discovery Sport but instead they woosified and changed nearly all their models to look like a stretched version of the RR Evoque. The sales results of the new Defender should be screaming to JLR to bring back the boxy look!
It would be cool to see this test done with a Base/Big Bend/Outer Banks Bronco Sport. I think it would still be impressive to see how the well the AWD system works without the dual clutch/locker, and see what GOAT modes work best.
I would like to see that too. But, in Normal mode is essentially the same in all trims so I think we have our answer. The only difference is the badlands is a bit taller, and the bigger engine (so you are right, that could be a big difference). I have the Big Bend and I would like to know more about how to use the modes off road. It seems the consensus is keep it in normal unless you are in deep sand or snow. I have used sand mode in sand, but don't' really think I needed to. All Sand does is spin the wheels more and take off traction control. So my questions are is Normal with traction control off the way to go or ? They took all the guesswork out of the system, but that just leaves us with more questions cause it feels like we don't have to do anything, which isn't as fun...
@@herbwildey1605 yes but normal mode is the only mode that's the same that they used, I'm curious about slippery mode and sand mode. Would be cool to see how well those work.
@@twoheadedbillyjoebob me too. some say stay out of sand unless you have deep loose stuff you need to spin, otherwise you are wearing down you vehicle unnecessarily...others say put it in sand anytime you need some off road capability. I wouldn't use slippery unless you are need to accelerate out of snow or ice...I think. From what I gather that mode really modulates the throttle to keep it very down to maximize friction on all 4 wheels. But again, I would like to see how they look on those slip tests. and other stuff.
I would absolutely LOVE if you could test out a base model. Come on people! Let TFL test out your base or non Badlands model!! I think it would be the push I need to go all in and buy one!
Good vid, as always. But, it’s the usual problem - you get the top of the line and that’s not what everyone buys. How does a Big Bend do in the same tests? Too bad it’s only the top trim & features. What about just using modes on every other trim (not Badlands or Heritage Limited)? Even using Sant or Slippery, you’re talking to Base, Big Bend, and Heritage trims.
Great review on the Bronco Sport, I would love to see a test on the lower end model. I just recently purchased a Big Bend edition for my wife. We replaced our Expedition with the Big Bend and so far after about 5K miles we love it. Even with the 1.5L 3 cylinder engine this crossover really performs well. I am curious as how well this model without the locking rear diff would perform on that course.
I had absolutely no problems with the capability of my bronco sport outer banks which did not have the electronic rear Diff, I full-time Overland it all over the Oregon coast range with no problems with capability also got into some very deep snow one time accidentally no issues. My only issue with it was I needed more cargo space and more towing capacity.
I had a 21 BS Badlands. 20,000 miles in 12 months. Very fun car. Like a street legal rally car. The 2.0 liter engine is bulletproof. Now the bad news. The dual clutch "Locking" rear diff overheats very fast when you get in over your head. Then it shuts down the all wheel drive system to cool down. Well I got buried in the sand on the Oregon coast, and my son for some reason didn't have his shackles with his tow strap. Had to call a tow truck. Fortunate to get a signal since there aren't really any towns near there. $500 tow bill. The tide was coming in and was about 20 yards from the BS. The tow truck got stuck getting me out, then had to get unstuck himself... #2 the lack of ground clearance will have you dragging your undercarriage thru the snow.... I now have a full size Bronco 2dr Sasquatch. So far its been unstoppable.
I have a 23 OuterBanks. It’s sweet. Great gas mileage and so far when I needed 4wd it’s done it’s job. I live on a several acre farm and have taken it in boggy dirt. My only issue is a leaking back passenger door! Apparently it’s a common problem with the weld on the door. 2 months out from being able to get it fixed!
I have a friend that bought one of these and he swears it's unstoppable; These little bronco sports are the modern equivalent of the 90's Toyota Tacoma, light enough to go anywhere.
Ground clearance, good tires, and some under body protection (skid plates) can get you many places off road. This Bronco seems pretty capable. Most people, if they take it off pavement, are probably not going rock crawling or mud bogging. Probably some dirt roads and more maintained forest service roads.
Bronco Sport is very capable little crossover. It would be interesting to see how does it compare with now decommissioned Jeep Cherokee (Trailhawk). I expected similar performance.
Cherokee is cheating, it's got an actual low range. I think a Compass/Bronco Sport comparison would be more appropriate considering the Cherokee is going away due to low sales (probably because the Compass grew and is now taking them and the Bronco Sport took the rest by being shiney and new) Heck, run it up against the Renegade since I see a bunch of people compare them because they are both boxes despite the obvious size difference.
Compass has (esp in reasonable price ranges with the upland package) great angles and clearance for the class. But the awd ain't special, that I can confirm. But I don't have the new one with the better engine so maybe that's better?
@@AHungryHunky Cheating? Ford knows how to install a low-range. They chose not to. They also chose not to offer similar towing capacity as the Maverick 4K or Cherokee Trailhawk. $46K? I can buy a convertible Wrangler Unlimited Sport S 2.0T that tows 3500+lb for well under that.
@@RKmndo well, the point is that comparing a vehicle capable of low-range to compete against the Bronco Sport IS kind of cheating. It has nothing to do with the choices Ford made or didn't make with the Sport. Also, you CAN get the Wrangler you talked about for less than $46k, which is good because with the savings, you can open up a bank account so you can pay for its inevitable repairs. 😂
@@RKmndo You know Ford has a vehicle for that, right? It's called a Bronco. For everyone else that wants to enjoy a nice commute to their job every day and still be able to do more than 95% of what you'd ever use it for off road, there's the Badlands and Heritage trim. I'd waaaay rather daily a Bronco Sport than a Wrangler...
Bronco Sport is probably the best AWD CUV out now. I would probably go for Outer Banks with the Black Diamond package (off-road wheels/tires and skid plates), or the regular Heritage edition (1.5L Turbo) with the skid plates addon. I like the gas mileage on the smaller engine, and the Badlands/Heritage Limited are much more pricey.
did anyone notice that in both 3 wheel slip tests that the tire with grip was spinning on concrete, as if there somehow wasn't enough grip between tire and concrete to move the truck off the rollers?
There wasn't - look at that concrete, it has pretty minimal surface texturing, just some light brushing. Add in that most of the weight was on the one tire beside the one without rollers and the one tire directly behind the one without rollers, and it just isn't quite the ideal surface for this test(since this is about testing the AWD/traction control system, not the tire). A more heavily textured concrete or an asphalt surface would've worked much better, it likely wouldn't have sent a much wheel speed to that one tire since it wouldn't have needed it.
Very well done review thanks. Only gripe is that it always is the top of the line model that reviewers seem to test. How about the base or a step up next time? Maybe out of your control and a factory promote but get those manufacturers to play nice next time.
Excellent performance on rollers, looks like you were reaching the physical traction limitations of the tire to pull you off the rollers not a fault of system
The Bronco sport is a nice vehicle for the average person. It will go terrain 95 percent of people NEED to go across. It is also go for light work light construction inspectors, conservation districts and other roles like that. Nailed its role
That's great and all, but those fancy clutch style lockers have been known to overheat and fault in everyday off road conditions. Plus what happens down the road with mileage when the clutches wear down?
In normal mode it’s running pretty much the same system as my 2019 Escape… and I’ve driven that on stock tires in places that 4wd F250s on off road tires were struggling. Clearance is the only issue - the torque vectoring system is amazing.
I'm just curious, but why dont you do the 3 wheel slip test in reverse? A lot of AWD vehicles have trouble with this, but some can do it. Car Question does these tests. I'm just curious why you skip it?
@@abou824 they have countless 4x4 and awd vehicles loaned to then by the manufacturers and skipped the roller test on many of them. There was even a video where a dude bought a mint older model rav4 and I commented to Tommy to put it on the rollers. (I’m well known in the comments). TFL “hearted” my comment and never did the roller test. Just one example. I’ve called out Tommy for his lack of consistency on roller usage. I’m pretty sure they hate me.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 iirc the rollers need greased and rebuilt most every time they use it, it's not shocking that they don't do it for every vehicle they have.
Wife has the Badlands about a year now. Snow,ice,some mud....its enough off road for anything we will put it thru. Optional steely looking wheels and larger tires and it pushes a surprising amount of snow. Mechanically i have no complaints with it. Sync 3 sorta is just ok,stereo just ok. No memory seats.....for a top of line model. Overall tho its a nice little suv/crossover and much better for her needs than the full size Bronco she initially wanted.
We have a '23 Badlands and have Memory Seats (tied to our keys so they automatically adjust to whoever is getting in the driver's seat) - we did get the Premium Package so maybe that's how we got the memory seats. I totally agree about Sync 3 - why they wouldn't put Sync 4 in there I have no idea.
@Scott Musser Not sure a premium package was available in 22. We found one on lot that she loved and loaded up pretty well. So you don't actually have seat memory buttons on door or anything?
In case you're unaware, both the JK and JL Wranglers have what's called Brake Lock Differential and will drive right out of this slip test too. It's part of the traction control system when using 4 wheel drive.
Would like to get one, but the used market is inflated so much that a new one makes more sense! Maybe a lease return after three model years have been produced and the lease returns are coming back onto the market? Any thoughts ?
All I have to do on my Peugeot 4007 is put it into 4 wheel drive all diff lock. It's effortless especially in deep snow. Not too shabby for a 14 year old SUV.
The BEST comparison would be the Bronco Sport against a Honda Pilot and Toyota RAV4 ALL with upgraded tires (aka Goodyear Territory M/T) with a small 2 inch lift to make it equal across all platforms! We want driving range on highways AND off-road, the 0-to-60 times and quarter mile time, braking distances from 60 mph and 100 mph fownto zero and the TFL Obstacle course numbers/demos. Then give us towing and cargo carrying numbers! WHO IS the king of sporty semi-off-roaders? Keep the prices to around $35,000 USD for all three! V
i absolutely love this little thing, ive seen them do much heavier offroading than most people. i can say that it would go probably anywhere i have taken my 91 explorer.
Y'all actually did an off road test with a viewers Bronco Sport Big Bend last year or year before. It did great. Y'all did the whole course minus the slip test.
A larger tire would help with the traction but there may be a sacrifice of fuel mileage. The Maverick and Bronco Sport are designed to get the CAFE ratings up so they can sell the more expensive vehicles that get worse mileage.
Finally a great little cross over that can truly go off-road, but $40k plus is just unreasonable. A maverick tremor is a good $10-15k cheaper and uses the same platform and hardware. No doubt Ford will sell all of them though.
I wish Ford had given the Bronco Sport a Neutral Tow mode so that it could be towed behind a motorhome on all 4 wheels. This would be a big hit for RVers if the Bronco Sport had this feature.
This seems very similar to what the Toyota Highlander did to get out. You called it out for cheating a bit too but the time it did get out, it did so by sliding sideways
You can get the Ford Maverick Tremor edition in a XLT and get the 2.0 engine and rear dual clutch locker for up to around $8k less than a comparible Bronco Sport Badlands. Its the same basic platform. The main reason to get the BS at this point is availability but overall the pricing doesn't make sense.
True! Though you aren't getting the same vehicle geometry, be ready to drag your tail in the Maverick The tremor is a great value, too bad you can't get it with 4k towing
@@prestontiegs5022 Missing the 4k tow with the tremor package was a blunder. Likewise the Bronco Sport missed out on the 3500lb tow rating of the Escape. As far as dragging the tail that will only be for the 1% that take it off road enough to matter. I suspect most people will see fire roads or camping situations. My purpose is to leave my F250 at home when I want to tow my atvs to the trails and sometimes that means going into soft fields or steeper gravel entries. Currently I have a Ecosport AWD which does good with 1 atv but is underpowered for 2 atvs on a trailer. I did have one occasion where the rear locker would have helped too. The F250 of course can handle all that at twice the fuel cost and its not nimble in the lots that have limited parking.
@@TheRidersChoice True. Wife and I camped in back of my F150 years ago and had no problems but I would think the bronco sport would still be cramped. Guess I would have to see how the seats fold down. Think I would still pick a truck with a topper if I planned on camping in vehicle. The ranger is only around $2k more than the bronco sport and other than the departure angle at the rear the rest of the truck is more durable. Again, making the BS a tough sell.
You said you were just gonna test different G.O.A.T. Modes but then you turned on the lockers. Should have left the lockers off & just changed the mode like you said. You also needed to do the rear wheels only slip test. Torque vectoring is often better than an actual locker. You don’t call it high range if you don’t have a low range. It’s just a single range.
Definitely not impressive, almost any all wheel drive soft roader can drive off these ramps, now if they did this test on a hill and drove off the ramps I’d be impressed then, nothing replaces real mechanical lockers.
@@vincefairleigh6899 HRG did some pretty crazy shit in a Bronco Sport, my opinion doesn't come from a single video. They had wheels in the air going up and down all sorts of stuff you wouldn't think it could do.
@@smileyguyz wheels in the air due to the lack of suspension travel, that’s a given, but I definitely believe you that it got in crazy areas, not because it’s an off road beast, but definitely due to some very good driving skills, I took my Honda Civic to areas without damaging it somehow, people were blown away by how I got it to where I did, definitely not recommend, especially when the oil pan is so low, I eventually took out the muffler on a rock…
I like the looks of this baby Bronco. But I would go for a lower spec model myself. Seems this baby bronc has some decent off road chops, but both on your slip test ramps and on your holes section of the course, it lookes to me like the Bronco sport is very limited on suspension articulation and travel. Way to much dog leg lifting going on. Is it really that limited in suspension travel or are the springs just to stiff for the suspension to support the needed levels of individual wheel travel. Looks like the rear wheels are only moving just over two inches and that’s it.
It is impressive engineering. I just wish it was bigger on the inside for occasional inside “bear alert” camping. It’s doable, but only on one side and with the front passenger seat all the way up and forward. Does anyone know if you can automatically shut the rear hatch?
Can't help but wonder if the traction results were flawed. The vehicle shifting sideways on the cam-rollers and the tires coming into contact with the roller frames, giving the tires a fixed object to gain traction. Just a pondering, nothing more.
I am still very curious as to the new Land Rover being put through its paces with a decent set of tires. The reality is that many new LR's won't see anything but pavement, and the stock tires like on many vehicles, do not cut it. LR's have explored the world and are a proven off-road beast, I've seen far too many LR's tested with street rated tires and we all know that the most important thing between the vehicle and the driving surface is the tires. Throw some BFG's on a new LR and let us see what it can do.
I remember people condemn this as being just Escape, but got to say even base Bronco Sport will have no cvt advantage and badlands with selectors for center and rear clutches makes this far superior to any Subaru, i wish Subaru would make one model with single clutch transmission both clutch selectors and top it off with low range as tribute to their old true 4x4 Edit: BTW, i hope in future TFL can make same dry trenches with diagonal holes, but uphill to put the clutches strength in test on different vehicles
Looks good performance wise. It would do all I need, shame Ford doesn’t make a version towable behind RV. Need a light crossover/SUV for 4 down towing. FORD please make a towable awd version of the Bronco sport (and/or Maverick)
It would be great to see TFL do an off road challenge between a Bronco Sport and a Crosstrek, maybe base models if possible.
You can see that on another channel. Spoiler alert - Bronco Sport.
@@jayhiggins5239 Thanks Jay
Yes, because this is badlands is far better equipped then Crosstrek, but base Bronco sport with only brake awd just as Crosstrek is would be great comparison
The Subaru Outback Wilderness would be more equal considering prices are very close.
This slip test is useless on flat ground, do that on a steep hill, then see how useless brake actuated traction control works.
This shows why articulation is important, the rear wheel wouldn't have slipped/burnout like that if articulation was better. But the fact it sent enough power to slip like that was impressive!
Precisely what I was thinking. Needs the disconnects for the anti-sway bars.
I like how it would spin the tire too.
@@dhmtnracer1 Spun the front drivers tire as well. Nobody has said anything about that. lol Regardless of articulation deficiency, the fact that the terrain management system detects what is going on and sends power where it is needed is incredibly cool! Wish I had this back in the 70-90's. All that open diff. stuff I drove was ok. But I can think of a hand full of times I needed a rear locker or 1 of these smart computers to send power to the wheel(s) on the ground. My TRD-OR is the smartest baddest 4WD I have ever owned and it is hard to imagine things improving from that.
Not going to get much articulation from a crossover unibody SUV...
@@WW-wf8tu 😊
Great video Tommy. I think the best package is the Badlands without any additional options. For about $38,000 you get the much better 2.0l engine and twin clutch rear axle .
This thing is awesome. I love the homage to the original styling and it’s mad capable for what it is. Nicely done.
With so few being made, and the capability that comes with it, I say the price is quite reasonable and worthwhile.
My wife has about 5400 miles on her '23 Badlands. I joke that it's the nicest "2-seater with 4 doors" we've ever owned. It really is a nice little car for her to go back and forth to work or for two of us to run around town, but as a family with a daughter in college and an adult special needs son; its SMALL. The backseat is barely usable for an adult, in fact if I'm in the driver's seat it would be impossible for any adult to sit behind me (I'm a big guy but only about 5'10"). We ordered the Badlands to get the bigger engine after driving the smaller one on test drives and realizing how anemic it felt; but she'll never use any of the true off-road features of the Badlands. The most use we'll get out of the AWD is a few times a year if we get snow/ice here in South Central PA.
I had to make it to my shift at the hospital during a blizzard and I have never felt so confident in weather like that than in my Bronco Sport. I've got a Big Bend trim and it made my commute through the snow and ice seem effortless. Interior quality and drivetrain refinement could be better, but I'm overall incredibly happy with my purchase.
In your first three wheel slip test, the front wheel was spinning too. The suspension is probably a little stiff and wouldn’t let enough pressure on the tire on the ground. Nice system😁
It doesn't help that that's some pretty damn slippery concrete, pretty minimal surface texturing, just light brushing. That should really be done on a stickier surface since the point is to test the AWD/traction control system, not test the tire traction. For that matter, a prepped drag strip starting line would probably be optimum since it would remove any traction limitations of the tire LOL, but I'm sure standard asphalt on a warm day or a more heavily textured concrete surface would do just fine. The AWD system likely wouldn't have sent as much wheel speed to that one tire as it did on a stickier surface; it looked much smoother in application in the dirt.
One of the guys at work bought this. We always insult him by saying nice Ford Escape...
We got a badlands for my wife this year. It was driving sports tv and this channel that convinced me it was just cool enough to go buy for her haha. We love it!
TFL has a ton of Bronco Sport content. Really enjoy my Bronco Sport Badlands. Comfortable for my daily commute and more than enough for my camping trips. Getting 30mpg on the highway even with the larger 2.0l. Seating position begins to feel a little awkward and uncomfortable on long road trips though. I suppose that's because it sits straight up like a truck. The interior plastics are atrocious in terms of how easy they scratch even on the top of the line model but I suppose that's just how modern cars are.
This is what 95% of all "big Bronco" owners actually need. In fact, the Badlands or Heritage edition is probably more than most actually need.
I got a 2023 big bend 2 months ago, got 3500 miles on it and I’m loving it. Coming from the northeast, this thing blasted though 8in of snow and since impressive on and off road on normal conditions.
I actually just got one of these but in the darker peak blue color and I love it. The only thing that really limits where they can go is ground clearance which isn't usually a factor for me and I just took a trip to Yellowstone with mine and average 27 mph on the trip that was going uphill most the way and 30 on the way back and I know other people have done even better and while I was driving around in the park I was averaging 32 miles per gallon and that 2 l assuming you have the heritage limited (badlands/first) and not just the heritage (base-outerbanks) is still so powerful and fast for a small SUV. It's I love it. It's the best compact SUV that's has everything, power, off-road, efficient, comfortable, really cool looking, and they're just still so amazing! Off-road for what they are and even not for what they are just compared to a regular off-road vehicle. Also, I will say even though the clutches do seem to grab in normal mode, I took it on a pretty rough trail in Sedona and drove it up in normal and back in rock crawl and I had a little bit of slippage in normal mode and none in rock crawl so it does seem there is a bit of difference or it's really is more aggressive in those modes for me at least And I drove it in snow this winter and it was amazing. If you went fast enough it literally just glided on top of the snow and even when I slowed down and it sunk into it, I never had to worry once about it getting stuck, and The nice thing about the clutch is is it can work at any time at any speed or I assume it can. Where with a locker you can really only use it off road and it lower speeds
"The nice thing about the clutch is is it can work at any time at any speed or I assume it can. Where with a locker you can really only use it off road and it lower speeds" is like an LSD plus a locker 2 in 1
@@LuisGuillermoMoreno Yeah but I will say they don't have a full lock like a real locker. They will slip a little in the most extreme circumstances but it's very close
The problem with these clutch based systems is the clutches wear out relatively fast.
Nice video, Tommy! You make a great case for that little crossover. The tech seems to work well.
I'm usually a crossover hater, but this is impressive.
This Bronco kind of reminds me of the Landrovers 2010 Freelander 2 which then became the Discovery Sport, I don't personally like the colour of this one but love the rest of it, hopefully we'll see them over in England.
I think ford just reused what they learned.
The roof line of the Bronco Sport is eerily similar to my 2012 LR4, a.k.a. “Mini LR4”. Ford knocked it out of the park with this shape that could have been JLRs Discovery Sport but instead they woosified and changed nearly all their models to look like a stretched version of the RR Evoque. The sales results of the new Defender should be screaming to JLR to bring back the boxy look!
It would be cool to see this test done with a Base/Big Bend/Outer Banks Bronco Sport. I think it would still be impressive to see how the well the AWD system works without the dual clutch/locker, and see what GOAT modes work best.
I would like to see that too. But, in Normal mode is essentially the same in all trims so I think we have our answer. The only difference is the badlands is a bit taller, and the bigger engine (so you are right, that could be a big difference). I have the Big Bend and I would like to know more about how to use the modes off road. It seems the consensus is keep it in normal unless you are in deep sand or snow. I have used sand mode in sand, but don't' really think I needed to. All Sand does is spin the wheels more and take off traction control. So my questions are is Normal with traction control off the way to go or ? They took all the guesswork out of the system, but that just leaves us with more questions cause it feels like we don't have to do anything, which isn't as fun...
@@herbwildey1605 yes but normal mode is the only mode that's the same that they used, I'm curious about slippery mode and sand mode. Would be cool to see how well those work.
@@twoheadedbillyjoebob me too. some say stay out of sand unless you have deep loose stuff you need to spin, otherwise you are wearing down you vehicle unnecessarily...others say put it in sand anytime you need some off road capability. I wouldn't use slippery unless you are need to accelerate out of snow or ice...I think. From what I gather that mode really modulates the throttle to keep it very down to maximize friction on all 4 wheels. But again, I would like to see how they look on those slip tests. and other stuff.
I would absolutely LOVE if you could test out a base model. Come on people! Let TFL test out your base or non Badlands model!! I think it would be the push I need to go all in and buy one!
Good vid, as always. But, it’s the usual problem - you get the top of the line and that’s not what everyone buys. How does a Big Bend do in the same tests?
Too bad it’s only the top trim & features. What about just using modes on every other trim (not Badlands or Heritage Limited)? Even using Sant or Slippery, you’re talking to Base, Big Bend, and Heritage trims.
Annnd… he says at the end of the video that’s what they’re going to do!
Great review on the Bronco Sport, I would love to see a test on the lower end model. I just recently purchased a Big Bend edition for my wife. We replaced our Expedition with the Big Bend and so far after about 5K miles we love it. Even with the 1.5L 3 cylinder engine this crossover really performs well. I am curious as how well this model without the locking rear diff would perform on that course.
I had absolutely no problems with the capability of my bronco sport outer banks which did not have the electronic rear Diff, I full-time Overland it all over the Oregon coast range with no problems with capability also got into some very deep snow one time accidentally no issues. My only issue with it was I needed more cargo space and more towing capacity.
What tires did you use? Stock or did you switch?
I had a 21 BS Badlands. 20,000 miles in 12 months. Very fun car. Like a street legal rally car. The 2.0 liter engine is bulletproof. Now the bad news. The dual clutch "Locking" rear diff overheats very fast when you get in over your head. Then it shuts down the all wheel drive system to cool down. Well I got buried in the sand on the Oregon coast, and my son for some reason didn't have his shackles with his tow strap. Had to call a tow truck. Fortunate to get a signal since there aren't really any towns near there. $500 tow bill. The tide was coming in and was about 20 yards from the BS. The tow truck got stuck getting me out, then had to get unstuck himself... #2 the lack of ground clearance will have you dragging your undercarriage thru the snow.... I now have a full size Bronco 2dr Sasquatch. So far its been unstoppable.
I have a 23 OuterBanks. It’s sweet. Great gas mileage and so far when I needed 4wd it’s done it’s job. I live on a several acre farm and have taken it in boggy dirt. My only issue is a leaking back passenger door! Apparently it’s a common problem with the weld on the door. 2 months out from being able to get it fixed!
It’s brand new so yes it is impressive no doubt. The big question is longevity & durability.
I have a friend that bought one of these and he swears it's unstoppable; These little bronco sports are the modern equivalent of the 90's Toyota Tacoma, light enough to go anywhere.
Ground clearance, good tires, and some under body protection (skid plates) can get you many places off road. This Bronco seems pretty capable. Most people, if they take it off pavement, are probably not going rock crawling or mud bogging. Probably some dirt roads and more maintained forest service roads.
Those "steely" wheels look great.
Bronco Sport is very capable little crossover. It would be interesting to see how does it compare with now decommissioned Jeep Cherokee (Trailhawk). I expected similar performance.
Cherokee is cheating, it's got an actual low range. I think a Compass/Bronco Sport comparison would be more appropriate considering the Cherokee is going away due to low sales (probably because the Compass grew and is now taking them and the Bronco Sport took the rest by being shiney and new)
Heck, run it up against the Renegade since I see a bunch of people compare them because they are both boxes despite the obvious size difference.
Compass has (esp in reasonable price ranges with the upland package) great angles and clearance for the class. But the awd ain't special, that I can confirm.
But I don't have the new one with the better engine so maybe that's better?
@@AHungryHunky Cheating?
Ford knows how to install a low-range. They chose not to. They also chose not to offer similar towing capacity as the Maverick 4K or Cherokee Trailhawk.
$46K? I can buy a convertible Wrangler Unlimited Sport S 2.0T that tows 3500+lb for well under that.
@@RKmndo well, the point is that comparing a vehicle capable of low-range to compete against the Bronco Sport IS kind of cheating. It has nothing to do with the choices Ford made or didn't make with the Sport.
Also, you CAN get the Wrangler you talked about for less than $46k, which is good because with the savings, you can open up a bank account so you can pay for its inevitable repairs. 😂
@@RKmndo You know Ford has a vehicle for that, right? It's called a Bronco. For everyone else that wants to enjoy a nice commute to their job every day and still be able to do more than 95% of what you'd ever use it for off road, there's the Badlands and Heritage trim. I'd waaaay rather daily a Bronco Sport than a Wrangler...
Love the new broncos both the sport and full sized.
Bronco Sport is probably the best AWD CUV out now. I would probably go for Outer Banks with the Black Diamond package (off-road wheels/tires and skid plates), or the regular Heritage edition (1.5L Turbo) with the skid plates addon. I like the gas mileage on the smaller engine, and the Badlands/Heritage Limited are much more pricey.
did anyone notice that in both 3 wheel slip tests that the tire with grip was spinning on concrete, as if there somehow wasn't enough grip between tire and concrete to move the truck off the rollers?
There wasn't - look at that concrete, it has pretty minimal surface texturing, just some light brushing. Add in that most of the weight was on the one tire beside the one without rollers and the one tire directly behind the one without rollers, and it just isn't quite the ideal surface for this test(since this is about testing the AWD/traction control system, not the tire). A more heavily textured concrete or an asphalt surface would've worked much better, it likely wouldn't have sent a much wheel speed to that one tire since it wouldn't have needed it.
Very well done review thanks. Only gripe is that it always is the top of the line model that reviewers seem to test. How about the base or a step up next time? Maybe out of your control and a factory promote but get those manufacturers to play nice next time.
Happy Thursday.......it's almost Friday...have a good one ✌️
Excellent performance on rollers, looks like you were reaching the physical traction limitations of the tire to pull you off the rollers not a fault of system
The Bronco sport is a nice vehicle for the average person. It will go terrain 95 percent of people NEED to go across. It is also go for light work light construction inspectors, conservation districts and other roles like that. Nailed its role
Kind of wish they had sent you all the baby blue one. It's a really unique look.
Thanks for doing this! Its the best off road compact SUV on the market... period.
That's great and all, but those fancy clutch style lockers have been known to overheat and fault in everyday off road conditions. Plus what happens down the road with mileage when the clutches wear down?
In normal mode it’s running pretty much the same system as my 2019 Escape… and I’ve driven that on stock tires in places that 4wd F250s on off road tires were struggling. Clearance is the only issue - the torque vectoring system is amazing.
Not only did it spin the tire on the cement in the rear, it actually did the same thing at the front. The tire actually spun on the concrete.
I noticed that too 👍
I'm just curious, but why dont you do the 3 wheel slip test in reverse? A lot of AWD vehicles have trouble with this, but some can do it. Car Question does these tests. I'm just curious why you skip it?
Tommy isn’t consistent enough to do these tests, let alone ask him to do more.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 how is he not consistent? He does the same slip tests for each vehicle...
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 they have seven channels . He’s probably a pretty busy person lol
@@abou824 they have countless 4x4 and awd vehicles loaned to then by the manufacturers and skipped the roller test on many of them. There was even a video where a dude bought a mint older model rav4 and I commented to Tommy to put it on the rollers. (I’m well known in the comments). TFL “hearted” my comment and never did the roller test. Just one example. I’ve called out Tommy for his lack of consistency on roller usage. I’m pretty sure they hate me.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 iirc the rollers need greased and rebuilt most every time they use it, it's not shocking that they don't do it for every vehicle they have.
Love the upholstery!
The Dodge Hornet debacle is legendary. Instant classic/best of. Love this show.
Wife has the Badlands about a year now.
Snow,ice,some mud....its enough off road for anything we will put it thru.
Optional steely looking wheels and larger tires and it pushes a surprising amount of snow.
Mechanically i have no complaints with it.
Sync 3 sorta is just ok,stereo just ok.
No memory seats.....for a top of line model.
Overall tho its a nice little suv/crossover and much better for her needs than the full size Bronco she initially wanted.
We have a '23 Badlands and have Memory Seats (tied to our keys so they automatically adjust to whoever is getting in the driver's seat) - we did get the Premium Package so maybe that's how we got the memory seats.
I totally agree about Sync 3 - why they wouldn't put Sync 4 in there I have no idea.
@Scott Musser
Not sure a premium package was available in 22.
We found one on lot that she loved and loaded up pretty well.
So you don't actually have seat memory buttons on door or anything?
@@ImNorm29
Researched a bit.....memory seats new for 23
So which one is better off road the new honda passport or the new bronco sport
Bronco Sport because of that rear twin clutch unit, honda doesnt have that
This model is nice..but I prefer the full frame Bronco model...this smaller model still very capable thou.. Thanks Tommy!!
Very cool, thanks Tommy! I wonder what the service interval is on that differential?
I wonder how long the clutches in the rear diff will last? And how much it costs to replace them when they're worn out?
A remarkable vehicle, i would love to play with that during the winter
Thank you. I am surprised that you never put your JL wrangler on this slip test. Please put the "cheap jeep challenge" on this slip test.
In case you're unaware, both the JK and JL Wranglers have what's called Brake Lock Differential and will drive right out of this slip test too. It's part of the traction control system when using 4 wheel drive.
Would like to get one, but the used market is inflated so much that a new one makes more sense! Maybe a lease return after three model years have been produced and the lease returns are coming back onto the market? Any thoughts ?
Tommy is so cool we are blessed
All I have to do on my Peugeot 4007 is put it into 4 wheel drive all diff lock. It's effortless especially in deep snow. Not too shabby for a 14 year old SUV.
seems like automakers could save so much traction engineering filed slip tests by just including a differential locker
Tommy do you still have the red wrangler? If so, will you upgrade it anytime soon ?
The BEST comparison would be the Bronco Sport against a Honda Pilot and Toyota RAV4 ALL with upgraded tires (aka Goodyear Territory M/T) with a small 2 inch lift to make it equal across all platforms! We want driving range on highways AND off-road, the 0-to-60 times and quarter mile time, braking distances from 60 mph and 100 mph fownto zero and the TFL Obstacle course numbers/demos. Then give us towing and cargo carrying numbers!
WHO IS the king of sporty semi-off-roaders? Keep the prices to around $35,000 USD for all three!
V
I also looked at these Bronco Sports and you can forget about seating adults in the 2nd row unless they don’t have legs.
i absolutely love this little thing, ive seen them do much heavier offroading than most people.
i can say that it would go probably anywhere i have taken my 91 explorer.
Y'all actually did an off road test with a viewers Bronco Sport Big Bend last year or year before. It did great. Y'all did the whole course minus the slip test.
I just got one in blue and I love it
It’s a cool color scheme. Interior is a perfect match. I have the Area 51 color with Navy leather interior.
Are you sure there’s no low range ? My 22 outer banks has a low range button.
A larger tire would help with the traction but there may be a sacrifice of fuel mileage. The Maverick and Bronco Sport are designed to get the CAFE ratings up so they can sell the more expensive vehicles that get worse mileage.
I’ve been waiting for this video
Pls do a comparison with the 2021 trailblazer with the bronco sport.fingers crossed
Ford Bronco Sport with twin clutch vs Honda pilot trailsport?
The ketchup/mustard look is not appealing
That's what I was thinking. That bronco is ugly AF.
It will match the color of your underwear after you try to off-road with it.
Napoleon dynamite package?
And the white is mayo. 🤣
I like it!
Fantastic review👍
@TFLoffroad: I wanted to get my wife a Badlands model but she did not care for it. Oh well. Nicely done Tommy.
Hey i saw Andre checking out the new colorados on GearJunkie UA-cam channel ... when is that video coming out????
Finally a great little cross over that can truly go off-road, but $40k plus is just unreasonable. A maverick tremor is a good $10-15k cheaper and uses the same platform and hardware. No doubt Ford will sell all of them though.
The maverick is way more of a penalty box inside and when spec’d with a tremor package it’s going to be almost the same.
There is a display above the speedometer that displays wheel power. Would be interesting to watch while u were performing these tests.
I wish Ford had given the Bronco Sport a Neutral Tow mode so that it could be towed behind a motorhome on all 4 wheels. This would be a big hit for RVers if the Bronco Sport had this feature.
Do the modes work in reverse
This seems very similar to what the Toyota Highlander did to get out. You called it out for cheating a bit too but the time it did get out, it did so by sliding sideways
You can get the Ford Maverick Tremor edition in a XLT and get the 2.0 engine and rear dual clutch locker for up to around $8k less than a comparible Bronco Sport Badlands. Its the same basic platform. The main reason to get the BS at this point is availability but overall the pricing doesn't make sense.
True! Though you aren't getting the same vehicle geometry, be ready to drag your tail in the Maverick
The tremor is a great value, too bad you can't get it with 4k towing
Can’t car camp inside a maverick. Which tbh is the market for this rig. Somebody just going camping for the weekend.
@@prestontiegs5022 Missing the 4k tow with the tremor package was a blunder. Likewise the Bronco Sport missed out on the 3500lb tow rating of the Escape. As far as dragging the tail that will only be for the 1% that take it off road enough to matter. I suspect most people will see fire roads or camping situations. My purpose is to leave my F250 at home when I want to tow my atvs to the trails and sometimes that means going into soft fields or steeper gravel entries. Currently I have a Ecosport AWD which does good with 1 atv but is underpowered for 2 atvs on a trailer. I did have one occasion where the rear locker would have helped too. The F250 of course can handle all that at twice the fuel cost and its not nimble in the lots that have limited parking.
@@spyder000069 I'm honestly just impressed you're towing an ATV with an Ecosport!
@@TheRidersChoice True. Wife and I camped in back of my F150 years ago and had no problems but I would think the bronco sport would still be cramped. Guess I would have to see how the seats fold down. Think I would still pick a truck with a topper if I planned on camping in vehicle. The ranger is only around $2k more than the bronco sport and other than the departure angle at the rear the rest of the truck is more durable. Again, making the BS a tough sell.
You said you were just gonna test different G.O.A.T. Modes but then you turned on the lockers. Should have left the lockers off & just changed the mode like you said.
You also needed to do the rear wheels only slip test.
Torque vectoring is often better than an actual locker.
You don’t call it high range if you don’t have a low range. It’s just a single range.
How does it compare to a Subaru Forester? Nice test, thank you.
The AWD system on the Bronco Sport is honestly incredible. It's a shame it doesn't flex at all lol.
Definitely not impressive, almost any all wheel drive soft roader can drive off these ramps, now if they did this test on a hill and drove off the ramps I’d be impressed then, nothing replaces real mechanical lockers.
@@vincefairleigh6899 HRG did some pretty crazy shit in a Bronco Sport, my opinion doesn't come from a single video. They had wheels in the air going up and down all sorts of stuff you wouldn't think it could do.
@@smileyguyz wheels in the air due to the lack of suspension travel, that’s a given, but I definitely believe you that it got in crazy areas, not because it’s an off road beast, but definitely due to some very good driving skills, I took my Honda Civic to areas without damaging it somehow, people were blown away by how I got it to where I did, definitely not recommend, especially when the oil pan is so low, I eventually took out the muffler on a rock…
I love my AWD system, I like the Maverick platform better, it is the same thing but in a pickup form
You should make the "professional grade" test with doing the same thing, but on a bit of an incline.
gotta do bronco sport vs jeep renegade
I'd like to see that, too, but I'm not ready to part with my Renegade TrailHawk yet.
The Bronco Sport is a great vehicle.. would be even more great if it was offered in manual transmission..😊
The Pit section of Andre's Trench sounds a lot scarier than the Trench section of Andre's Pit...
We need to see a test with the Blazer RS that also has rear twin clutch but has a V6.
Impressive for a crossover!
recall for leaking injectors?
These Bronco Sports are pretty impressive for what they are. Don't care for the paint scheme on these Heritage Editions.
I like the looks of this baby Bronco. But I would go for a lower spec model myself.
Seems this baby bronc has some decent off road chops, but both on your slip test ramps and on your holes section of the course, it lookes to me like the Bronco sport is very limited on suspension articulation and travel. Way to much dog leg lifting going on. Is it really that limited in suspension travel or are the springs just to stiff for the suspension to support the needed levels of individual wheel travel. Looks like the rear wheels are only moving just over two inches and that’s it.
One tire with grip was spinning a lot, look like that concrete is too smooth or tire's terrible or just too narrow for the weight.
The Subaru's Weirdness trim makers gotta see how the proper approach and departure angles of so-called off-roadish crossovers should look like.
It is impressive engineering. I just wish it was bigger on the inside for occasional inside “bear alert” camping. It’s doable, but only on one side and with the front passenger seat all the way up and forward.
Does anyone know if you can automatically shut the rear hatch?
I’m 6’4 and my my gf is 5’11. We car camp inside it all the time. Lose some weight if you can’t fit
@@TheRidersChoiceThose are gonna be some tall kids.
Can't help but wonder if the traction results were flawed. The vehicle shifting sideways on the cam-rollers and the tires coming into contact with the roller frames, giving the tires a fixed object to gain traction. Just a pondering, nothing more.
That’s when the Bronco is running-20 plus recalls.
I am still very curious as to the new Land Rover being put through its paces with a decent set of tires. The reality is that many new LR's won't see anything but pavement, and the stock tires like on many vehicles, do not cut it.
LR's have explored the world and are a proven off-road beast, I've seen far too many LR's tested with street rated tires and we all know that the most important thing between the vehicle and the driving surface is the tires. Throw some BFG's on a new LR and let us see what it can do.
I remember people condemn this as being just Escape, but got to say even base Bronco Sport will have no cvt advantage and badlands with selectors for center and rear clutches makes this far superior to any Subaru, i wish Subaru would make one model with single clutch transmission both clutch selectors and top it off with low range as tribute to their old true 4x4
Edit: BTW, i hope in future TFL can make same dry trenches with diagonal holes, but uphill to put the clutches strength in test on different vehicles
Please do a Timberline Explorer
Looks good performance wise. It would do all I need, shame Ford doesn’t make a version towable behind RV. Need a light crossover/SUV for 4 down towing. FORD please make a towable awd version of the Bronco sport (and/or Maverick)
No doubt--the Expedition is an extremely capable vehicle.
Can't wait to see one of these on FordTechMakuloco's channel.