AmazingSieve

Badlands
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(TL;DR: I like the car, just wish the seats were longer)

This is my first new car and I've always had family hand me downs before this (Chevy S10, Jeep Wrangler, Chevy Silverado 1500, Volvo V70) and it would be my only car. I was looking for something in this class to go fly fishing with and be my daily driver and go anywhere car. I was also certain I didn't want a car with CVT. I have driven a lot of rental cars with it and its not something I wanted to spend money on. When I heard the BroncoSport had a true 8spd auto I was interested and things went from there. I decided to get the Badlands model because at the time I ordered the car, the price difference between the Badlands and OB was less than it is now and for the increased price there were some notable improvements including the engine etc.

So the car is a 2022 BroncoSport Badlands with Premium Package.

Overall:
After a year I still find myself enjoying the car. The engine is performing well, the interior is still attractive, the sightlines are good and I really haven't had any notable issues to date. I've taken it on several long trips and it’s done well. Even at high speeds up passes this car still pulls despite being shaped like a brick. Its a solid and I'm happy to be making payments on it until I pay off the bank 4yrs from now. After that I plan on keeping it long term.

I have taken this car on the dirt as well. I've done some light trail driving here in Southern California and have been impressed with the AWD system and have had to use the electronic lockers. I've taken it to the Eastern Sierra as well and had some fun up there while fly fishing and finding stupid things to do with the car. Got some time on the trails in Montana as well.

The Good:
The Engine: The 2.0 is proving to be a really good little powerplant. I believe its rated at 250HP and 280. The torque is noticeable when going up the passes and when the car is fully loaded. On the way to Montana I had the dogs in the back and the roof basket was fully loaded. No issues there. On the way back from Montana my brother hopped in the passenger seat and the car was a full as it can be. Again no issues at highway speeds or passing. The engine is good.
The Size: I actually like the small size of the car. Most of the driving I do is around town in North County San Diego and having a small car is simply a beneficial thing between the traffic and parking lots.
Sightlines: This car is easy to see out of and I would simply not enjoy a car with bad sightlines. It’s so important for safety to be able to see around you and know whats around you and doing that in this car is easy to do.
The Looks: Still looks good after a year and I think it'll age well.

The Not So Good:
The Seats: For me the seats simply aren't long enough. I have long femurs I guess and I find myself wanting an extension for the bottom portion of the seat. My legs have gotten used to but it remains noticeable on a daily basis.
The Gas Mileage: One of the know tradeoffs of the 2.0L engine is that the gas mileage isn't as a good as the 1.5L. For me I'm getting about 17.5mpg in the city and at highway speeds I'm getting the expected 25mpg about. Keep in mind San Diego is horrible for gas mileage. Imagine constant hilly stop and go traffic. You hardly ever get to go mile really even, at best 3 without being stopped at some light somewhere on some hill. Now at highway speeds the gas mileage is fine so long as you keep the speeds below 70. If you want to hypermile and take your time on a road trip cool. Apparently I'd rather get there a little sooner and spend more on go juice. Its opportunity cost at the end of the day.

Takeaways:
For a subcompact SUV this car is really enjoyable. Instead of being like the rest of the cars in its class, the BroncoSport Badlands offers something more capable more fun than its colleagues. No it’s not a true off-roader but no one buys a BroncoSport intending to go rock crawling. But the car will take you anywhere you want to go and will remain exciting while doing it. It has its drawbacks of course, but compared to its rivals, the Sport remains fun and I'm genuinely happy to have ordered one.

Ford Bronco Sport My experiences with my 2022 Bronco Sport Badlands after 1 year and 11,100 miles 6ABEC4FF-922D-4152-B1DF-BD8BE1875828_1_201_a


Ford Bronco Sport My experiences with my 2022 Bronco Sport Badlands after 1 year and 11,100 miles Screen Shot 2023-02-17 at 11.03.16 AM


Ford Bronco Sport My experiences with my 2022 Bronco Sport Badlands after 1 year and 11,100 miles Screen Shot 2023-02-17 at 11.04.21 AM
Sponsored

 
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69cuda340s

Badlands
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Love the pic with the large dogs in the back
 

delm

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts. When I bought a '22 Badlands, I felt the same way: That the price difference between it and the OBX was very small relative to what you got with the BL.
 


thekingprawn

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Mirrors my experience, minus the big dogs. Although there's a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Shiloh Shepherd in my house right now.
 

Elegance

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As a 5'5" small woman, I love the seats. In the highest position, they're perfect for me to reach the pedals. I feel like I'm sitting naturally and the seats are firm enough where my posture remains good, even on long drives.

How are your paint chips after a year? I love the car too, but being shaped like a brick seems to mean there's a lot of surface area for road debris to smack into. Seems like I'm flinching at the noise of gravel plinking off every time I'm on highway, and I managed to hit a small songbird on a state highway last month. No damage, but it's never happened to me before, so I largely attribute it to the massive surface area.
 

Bill G

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Just to throw in my 2¢ — I, too, have nothing bad to say about my BSBL. I have a little over 14,000 miles on my ‘21. Just returned from our fourth 400-600 mile trip and couldn’t ask for more. We get around 19 mpg in town, and between 28 - 30 mpg on the road (got 28.3 mpg on this last trip). This thing has been great for us traveling; it’s very comfortable, and I can’t believe the amount of space for luggage and the “stuff” my wife picks up.
sorry to sound like a “fan boy”, but I just can’t find anything to really carp about.
 

Bro_Spo

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Great review! Thx for posting.

Where did you get that cargo bed? I have an English Mastiff who would love something wall-to-wall like that.
 


OP
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AmazingSieve

AmazingSieve

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As a 5'5" small woman, I love the seats. In the highest position, they're perfect for me to reach the pedals. I feel like I'm sitting naturally and the seats are firm enough where my posture remains good, even on long drives.

How are your paint chips after a year? I love the car too, but being shaped like a brick seems to mean there's a lot of surface area for road debris to smack into. Seems like I'm flinching at the noise of gravel plinking off every time I'm on highway, and I managed to hit a small songbird on a state highway last month. No damage, but it's never happened to me before, so I largely attribute it to the massive surface area.
Paints been fine. I was in a massive hailstorm while passing through Southern Utah in the fall and somehow got out of that without a dent or a chip.

The only chip I've gotten was my fault. I was putting the doggies leashes in the car and the metal latch swung and hit the driver side passenger door and some paint chipped off then but hasn't gotten worse thankfully.
 

BravoAlpha

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Same experience. Badlands 13K miles in 10 months

I, too, wish the seat bottoms were a little longer. No thigh support. I’m over 6’3. It’s a subcompact SUV and I accept that.. it wasn’t built with that in mind but after 2 hours behind the wheel it starts to get to me. It’s the only gripe I have so far.

i’ll probably pass it on to my daughter when she turns 16 in a couple years. I’m considering long term family ownership.
 

Gunther706

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Fun to read, and I agree on the seats! I just recently went over 17k in mine and I think the only change I've noticed is a slight creakiness in the dash when it's below 30 degrees out. Overall the BSBL has been fantastic for my day to day and the best partner when making the long trips back to snowy Traverse City for Christmas time. I expect the reason I'm seeing better gas mileage (25-26) is a higher mix of highway driving and the lack of a roof rack about 90% of the time.
 

Joseph

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As a 5'5" small woman, I love the seats. In the highest position, they're perfect for me to reach the pedals. I feel like I'm sitting naturally and the seats are firm enough where my posture remains good, even on long drives.

How are your paint chips after a year? I love the car too, but being shaped like a brick seems to mean there's a lot of surface area for road debris to smack into. Seems like I'm flinching at the noise of gravel plinking off every time I'm on highway, and I managed to hit a small songbird on a state highway last month. No damage, but it's never happened to me before, so I largely attribute it to the massive surface area.
The seats are probably great if you are 5’5” however if you are 6’2” @ 250lbs it’s like travelling on a bar stool. After the windshield glass, this is number 2 on my list of dislikes! If you have not had a crack in your your windshield yet.. it’s coming!
 

MyKindOfBS

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The seats are probably great if you are 5’5” however if you are 6’2” @ 250lbs it’s like travelling on a bar stool. After the windshield glass, this is number 2 on my list of dislikes! If you have not had a crack in your your windshield yet.. it’s coming!
Literally Day 2 after driving my BL Sport off the lot. I do wonder if the Aeroskin II Hood Protector would help at all. I have one in the Garage, but i'm just not crazy happy about the look of it.
Sponsored

 
 




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