New Owner - Tips and Advice Appreciated!

[maldison]

Hi everyone! My name is Madison and I am in the final stages of purchasing a 2022 Bronco Sport Badlands! I am super freaking excited.

For a little context, I've driven the same 2012 Toyota Rav4 for the last half decade, and this will be my second car ever. I loved my Rav4, but she started having more problems than usual and we wanted to sell her before she got to be too much of a money pit. I am anticipating that this car will be quite different from my Rav4 and need a little more attention from me, seeing as it's going to be fairly new and I want to keep it running well and looking pretty! I am a young college student, so I unfortunately don't have all the money in the world to deck it out and upgrade anything, but I would absolutely love any tips you guys might have. I would also like to know if there are any common issues I may face, so I can be prepared for them.

Additionally, I love camping and off-roading (hence the badlands trim), so if anyone has any tips specifically for that, please let me know! I'm sure I could google a lot of this, but I like hearing from people, not websites lol. However, if anyone has any reccommendations of what websites I can find good information/parts/etc. on, do let me know! If you're still here, thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from some of you!

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[RM951]

Congratulations on your new Bronco! First advice I would give you is to get a nice set of shoes for that Bronco. You can go up to 245 without lift or modification. Tires make a huge difference in any camping adventure. Second thought is when you are off road always be mindful of clearance. The Bronco has a nice stance, but a short inseam. It's capabilities make it too big for its britches sometimes.. Third is learn everything you can about all the GOAT modes and 4wd systems. Your new car comes with a lot of tricks that can make your off road trip cake. 4th is find a local Bronco sport group and take a few trips with them and explore in the safety of numbers, or even better go to a Bronco Sport off rodeo. 5th is make sure you got a dog, can't camp without a good dog, or cat if it's the right one. Last, have fun. Broncos were made for fun

 

[Mark S.]

Congrats, and welcome! How many miles does your new Bronco have? There are some maintenance items you might want to tend to based on the mileage. You may view an owner's manual online at this link. Take a few moments to get familiar with the Scheduled Maintenance section. You'll also want to make sure your car is not subject to any outstanding recalls. Enter your car's VIN at this link to check for yourself.

Kentucky has some GREAT off-road areas, and as @RM951 notes, your Badlands is equipped with G.O.A.T. modes for different situations. My usual advice for new owners is to just leave it in NORMAL mode unless you run into traction problems, then select the appropriate mode for the conditions. The computer is pretty smart; you may never have to use any mode other than NORMAL.

If you spend much time here on the forum you'll find that most of the time when people post it's related to a problem they are having. That can make it seem your new Badlands is a disaster waiting to happen. The reality is the overwhelming majority of owners that have no problems do not post "Hey, I'm not having any problems!" This is not to say you'll never have any problems, just don't let all the negative posts scare you.

Enjoy your new Badlands--most owners love, love, love theirs.

 

[Escape2Bronco]

Like @Mark S. and @RM951 say, the Sport gets a lot of bad press but it is pretty cabable as long as you know its limitations. Also, adding a lift will not allow larger tires which seems to be a common misperception. Depending on the supplier, you can lift an inch or two on the Badlands. Larger tires can add an additional 1/4 - 1/2 inch of clearance. Clearance is probably the biggest issue depending on what your off road plans are. A good set of AT tires will help a lot depending what tires you currently have. I have the optional 235/65 Falkens and find them more than adequate for the terrain that the ground clearance the Sport is capable for. Your gas milage will definitely be worse than the Rav but it sounds like you weren’t buying it to be a Prius.

 

[B-Dog15]

Welcome to the club! I will second the above and say that new aggressive tires is a great place to start. 245/65 (in my humble opinion) is the perfect size for the Baby Bronco. Not only does it look better but it also will give you more peace of mind depending on what tire you get. I went with BFG KO2’s and have loved them.

I also live in Kentucky and can attest that the Bronco Sport is extremely capable even in the foot of snow we randomly get. I have a Big Bend and have never had any issues so your Badlands will be even better. I hope you enjoy your new Bronco Sport!

 

[rjs0962]

So, since your new to your BS, I'd say take a few minutes and run through the videos Ford has posted. This is a link to 2022 info Livestream 2022 ford Bronco Sport , but there are fresher vids for 23's and 24's. I'd also say take a look at the owner's manual--but we all know that's usually the last resort.

 

[NMhunter]

I highlly recommend the Bronco Off-Rodeo. I was able to go to Moab, which is spectacular country.

I ripped the magic carpet on the driver's side the first time I took it off-road. I added skid plates on that side and over the catalytic converter. I'll be replacing my 235/65R17 tires with 235/70R17 tires sometime this year. I also added a 1-12" lift.

Even without the skids and the lift, it is a very capable vehicle offf-raod. If a road has deep ruts, you have to straddle a rut because of the clearance. I carry a Hi-Lift jack, Lift-Mate, mattock, Army shovel, axe, and recovery strap, in case I get in over my head. It hasn't happened yet.

Batteries are a problem on the Sports. Everything runs on electric, so it is critical to keep you battery charged up. In the winter with short drives and the lights on more, I occasionly have to put a charger on it. If you park outside, you might want to get a small solar panel with chage controller to leave on the dash. I do that with my big truck (which I seldom drive) so the batteries stay fullly charged.

 

[Bucko]

Just drive it and enjoy! These are fun vehicles.

 

[Mark S.]

I highlly recommend the Bronco Off-Rodeo. I was able to go to Moab, which is spectacular country.

Forgot this in my post; great advice.

 

[hellb0y]

Congratulations on your new Bronco! First advice I would give you is to get a nice set of shoes for that Bronco. You can go up to 245 without lift or modification. Tires make a huge difference in any camping adventure. Second thought is when you are off road always be mindful of clearance. The Bronco has a nice stance, but a short inseam. It's capabilities make it too big for its britches sometimes.. Third is learn everything you can about all the GOAT modes and 4wd systems. Your new car comes with a lot of tricks that can make your off road trip cake. 4th is find a local Bronco sport group and take a few trips with them and explore in the safety of numbers, or even better go to a Bronco Sport off rodeo. 5th is make sure you got a dog, can't camp without a good dog, or cat if it's the right one. Last, have fun. Broncos were made for fun

Don’t 245s actually run under full turn?

 

[B-Dog15]

Don’t 245s actually run under full turn?

Nope. I had 245/65r17 on stock suspension for a while and there is no rubbing at all. It’s definitely close though but some people claim they have gone bigger but I just can’t see how.

 

[Jrl]

Nope. I had 245/65r17 on stock suspension for a while and there is no rubbing at all. It’s definitely close though but some people claim they have gone bigger but I just can’t see how.

I have 235/70/17 Goodyear wrangler workhorse on my 2021 First Edition badland for 2 years now , no issues and no lift. The key here is to stay with the 235 . Any lift will not increase the wheel width. My tires are a true 30.2 inch diameter. That is the maximum tire size.