Bronco "Sport?"

[Warped9]

What's in a name?

Is there more to the word "sport" in the Bronco Sport's name than just an adjective to distinguish it from the bigger and more hyped Bronco? Maybe Ford thought it was better than coming up with a different and unfamiliar name altogether and play on the spirit or association with the classic Bronco name. I suppose we could also assume "sport" is meant to allude to potential buyers who have an active lifestyle.

I don't have what I think anyone would call an active lifestyle as in heading off-road on the weekends and/or going camping, hiking, skiing, canoeing or any other outdoorsy pursuit. But for me the "sport" in Bronco Sport does resonate nonetheless because I really enjoy driving it.

I test drove the BS twice before I bought it more or less to confirm my first impressions, that this not only handles well, but better than I expected particularly considering what type of vehicle it is.

There is an old expression: it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow. I'm not saying the Bronco Sport, even with the 1.5, is slow, but it's not a Mustang or a sports sedan or hot hatch. As fun as a Mustang can be you're still restricted by the realities of driving on the streets shared by innumerable other cars. So it will be rare that you can really open it up. That and the fact the Mustang has limits far exceeding the skill and capability of most drivers, assuming we're being honest. And it doesn't matter if it's a GT or an Ecoboost. So to some extent there's an element of frustration driving a sports car or muscle car.

A Mazda MX-5 (Miata) or an old VW GTI or Civic Si were never "fast," but they're a helluva lot of fun to drive because you feel like you're getting more out of it. To some extent they surpass your expectations.

That's how I feel about my Bronco Sport Big Bend. It's not powerful, but it's responsive. It feels a bit trucky, but not in a bad way and it's agile and very maneuverable. I love the steering and overall handling. It's not a sports car, but it takes corners pretty well. And I plan to put stickier rubber to enhance that some.

I particularly like it on the open road and the highway where I find it stable, composed and it easily keeps up with the flow of traffic. It works well for me in that 120-140 kph range.

I don't know if Ford intended it that way, but for me the "Sport" part of the name fits.

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[Tigger]

I just thought Sport = smaller, but I really liked your write-up. Fun read!

 

[B-Dog15]

Liked reading your thoughts on the naming of the Bronco Sport. Personally, I would’ve loved if they would have given it the name “Bronco II” which I think works better. However, I understand that would have been confusing if the Bronco II released before the full size Bronco.

Either way, thank you for your post!

 

[Warped9]

Ford knew the price of the bigger Bronco would put ut out of reach of a lot of buyers. They also figured not everyone wants or needs a dedicated off-road machine. So here buyers have a choice. And I think Ford did the right thing in offering the Bronco name in two different flavours. Ford kinda/sorta did this before way back with the Bronco II, but the Bronco Sport is light years better in execution than the Bronco II was. And I think Ford didn’t want the direct association with the disappointment of the Bronco II even though today’s younger buyers likely wouldn’t know of or remember the Bronco II.

Note over the years Jeep has tried to do the same thing by offering somewhat smaller 4WD or AWD vehicles that were more street friendly than the Wrangler. But candidly every time Jeep has tried it the smaller vehicle generally seems to have come up short and never really works out as hoped. The Renegade and Compass were the latest disappointments. I remember liking the Liberty when it was first introduced, but it turned out not to be as good as it looked. I think the Cherokee was the one they had the most success with over the years.

 

[Bronchette]

I really enjoyed your post.
I always thought "Sport" was just a quicker way to say Bronco Junior. But after having mine now for nearly 2 years, to me, Sport is closer to sporting around which it does perfectly, or sporting a great look. Again, a perfect analogy.
But, I worked in the movie industry for 32 years. The first thing came to my mind was the quote from "The Santa Clause" - "Dad he called me Sport just like you do!"

 

[Warped9]

I have long liked the concept of a compact or modest sized sporty truck. it was really an alternative to a sports car, but with more practicality to it.

Way back in the ‘80s I remember liking the Toyota SR5 Xtracab pickup—very cool. Then we got the Ford Ranger and Bronco II as well as a host of other small trucks and SUVs. But back then they were still very much trucks, and I balanced that against what I like out of driving a car which I found in compact cars like VW Golfs, Scirocco and Jettas, Honda Civic Si and others. So while I liked the concept if the vehicles we had back then for me there too much compromise.

Then all those compact trucks went away. And in the interim I got older. And then the modest sized trucks and the like have started coming back.

I don’t hotdog it like when I was younger, but I still like a sporty feel when driving—something fun that beckons me to get in and drive. Suffice to say the introduction of the Bronco Sport caught my attention and piqued my interest. Yeah, I read reviews and watched review videos, but it wasn’t until I drove it myself I started thinking this could be the vehicle I had watched for all those years.

And so far so good.

 

[LaurenceS]

What's in a name?

Is there more to the word "sport" in the Bronco Sport's name than just an adjective to distinguish it from the bigger and more hyped Bronco? Maybe Ford thought it was better than coming up with a different and unfamiliar name altogether and play on the spirit or association with the classic Bronco name. I suppose we could also assume "sport" is meant to allude to potential buyers who have an active lifestyle.

I don't have what I think anyone would call an active lifestyle as in heading off-road on the weekends and/or going camping, hiking, skiing, canoeing or any other outdoorsy pursuit. But for me the "sport" in Bronco Sport does resonate nonetheless because I really enjoy driving it.

I test drove the BS twice before I bought it more or less to confirm my first impressions, that this not only handles well, but better than I expected particularly considering what type of vehicle it is.

There is an old expression: it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow. I'm not saying the Bronco Sport, even with the 1.5, is slow, but it's not a Mustang or a sports sedan or hot hatch. As fun as a Mustang can be you're still restricted by the realities of driving on the streets shared by innumerable other cars. So it will be rare that you can really open it up. That and the fact the Mustang has limits far exceeding the skill and capability of most drivers, assuming we're being honest. And it doesn't matter if it's a GT or an Ecoboost. So to some extent there's an element of frustration driving a sports car or muscle car.

A Mazda MX-5 (Miata) or an old VW GTI or Civic Si were never "fast," but they're a helluva lot of fun to drive because you feel like you're getting more out of it. To some extent they surpass your expectations.

That's how I feel about my Bronco Sport Big Bend. It's not powerful, but it's responsive. It feels a bit trucky, but not in a bad way and it's agile and very maneuverable. I love the steering and overall handling. It's not a sports car, but it takes corners pretty well. And I plan to put stickier rubber to enhance that some.

I particularly like it on the open road and the highway where I find it stable, composed and it easily keeps up with the flow of traffic. It works well for me in that 120-140 kph range.

I don't know if Ford intended it that way, but for me the "Sport" part of the name fits.

I don’t even WANT anything bigger than my sport. Larger = heavier = lower fuel economy. I am not a big off roader, and I refuse to drive anything without at least AWD here in the PNW where the weather can be quite unpredictable. To me, my “Sport”, is just the new version of my old ‘88 Bronco II. I’ve had my ‘25 OBx for a week now, and it suits me quite well! Most of the time I drive in eco mode. I have no reason not to.

 

[Warped9]

.

Most of the time I drive in eco mode. I have no reason not to.

Much the same for me. I had expected Eco to be a dog, but it’s not. It’s fine for around town driving.

 

[NMhunter]

I remember liking the Liberty when it was first introduced, but it turned out not to be as good as it looked.

I added a lift and larger tires to my Jeep Liberty diesel, and it was an off-road beast, limited only a little by clearance. I would have bought another if they hadn't quit making them.

That said, My BL is just as good, (and maybe better) but needed skid plates on the eval and catalytic converter.

I love the power, although I'm an old man and don't drive like a kid.

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