1.5 Engine at highway speeds

teddyjaxx

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Newbie here. Not an owner yet. Still researching and have narrowed to the BS OB and Honda Passport. The price of the BS OB vs. the Passport is very attractive. Currently drive a 2013 Honda CRV with 4 cyl 2.4 Liter engine. Never been impressed with this engine. My question though is the BS 1.5L Turbo I3 engine a better engine than a 4 cyl non-turbo? Is there good engine power from the BS while getting up to speed on the highway and passing power? The two things I can't wrap my head around are the smaller engine and shorter length of the BS vs. my '13 CRV. I love the look and everything else of the BS OB and am leaning this way more and more everyday.
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Leeford

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Newbie here. Not an owner yet. Still researching and have narrowed to the BS OB and Honda Passport. The price of the BS OB vs. the Passport is very attractive. Currently drive a 2013 Honda CRV with 4 cyl 2.4 Liter engine. Never been impressed with this engine. My question though is the BS 1.5L Turbo I3 engine a better engine than a 4 cyl non-turbo? Is there good engine power from the BS while getting up to speed on the highway and passing power? The two things I can't wrap my head around are the smaller engine and shorter length of the BS vs. my '13 CRV. I love the look and everything else of the BS OB and am leaning this way more and more everyday.
I have the OB and have no issues on the highway. Smooth and quiet. I'm not a lead foot so merging onto the high is done in a responsible manner and not a rocket launch. Cruises alone AOK. I have Ford Escape 2013 4cylinder and I feel like the BS is better on the highway. Enjoy.
 

ScareCrow

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Newbie here. Not an owner yet. Still researching and have narrowed to the BS OB and Honda Passport. The price of the BS OB vs. the Passport is very attractive. Currently drive a 2013 Honda CRV with 4 cyl 2.4 Liter engine. Never been impressed with this engine. My question though is the BS 1.5L Turbo I3 engine a better engine than a 4 cyl non-turbo? Is there good engine power from the BS while getting up to speed on the highway and passing power? The two things I can't wrap my head around are the smaller engine and shorter length of the BS vs. my '13 CRV. I love the look and everything else of the BS OB and am leaning this way more and more everyday.
The Bronco wins....... .
 

WinTech

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Newbie here. Not an owner yet. Still researching and have narrowed to the BS OB and Honda Passport. The price of the BS OB vs. the Passport is very attractive. Currently drive a 2013 Honda CRV with 4 cyl 2.4 Liter engine. Never been impressed with this engine. My question though is the BS 1.5L Turbo I3 engine a better engine than a 4 cyl non-turbo? Is there good engine power from the BS while getting up to speed on the highway and passing power? The two things I can't wrap my head around are the smaller engine and shorter length of the BS vs. my '13 CRV. I love the look and everything else of the BS OB and am leaning this way more and more everyday.
I currently have a 2020 passport and a 2019 Ranger. The Passport is my wife's and I will be trading my Ranger for the Bronco Sport. The Passport and BS are in different classes altogether. It is a lot bigger than the BS. Huge amounts of legroom in the back. My teenagers don't complain at all on trips and don't fight as they can be well separated. As far as the power goes the Passport has tons of power and is very smooth and quiet and a pleasure to drive on the highway. Mileage isn't great, 25mpg highway if we are lucky.

The main advantage of a small turbo motor over a larger non turbo is more torque at lower rpms. We did have a CR-V with the 1.5 turbo prior to the passport. Similar power to the BS 3 cylinder but with a CVT. Power was adequate and Honda CVT's are the best around but I do find I like the 9 speed in the Passport better. I am expecting the 8 speed in the BS to be much better than a cvt. I have yet to drive a BS as mine is at the dealer waiting for a recall to be fixed before I can even drive it. All in all I really like the Passport. I like the styling but it is still pretty anonymous. One of the reasons I am getting the BS is because of the styling. I think it really stands out and looks awesome. If you need the room the Passport is a great choice for a 2 row suv, but if not the BS is a good choice. It lLooks like an EX-L passport is comparable equipment wise to a BS OB with the co pilot 360 and tech package. About $3500 more for the Passport. Also, a CR-V Touring is just about the same price as the BS OB, but they are everywhere and the styling, while not ugly is pretty blah.
 

teddyjaxx

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I currently have a 2020 passport and a 2019 Ranger. The Passport is my wife's and I will be trading my Ranger for the Bronco Sport. The Passport and BS are in different classes altogether. It is a lot bigger than the BS. Huge amounts of legroom in the back. My teenagers don't complain at all on trips and don't fight as they can be well separated. As far as the power goes the Passport has tons of power and is very smooth and quiet and a pleasure to drive on the highway. Mileage isn't great, 25mpg highway if we are lucky.

The main advantage of a small turbo motor over a larger non turbo is more torque at lower rpms. We did have a CR-V with the 1.5 turbo prior to the passport. Similar power to the BS 3 cylinder but with a CVT. Power was adequate and Honda CVT's are the best around but I do find I like the 9 speed in the Passport better. I am expecting the 8 speed in the BS to be much better than a cvt. I have yet to drive a BS as mine is at the dealer waiting for a recall to be fixed before I can even drive it. All in all I really like the Passport. I like the styling but it is still pretty anonymous. One of the reasons I am getting the BS is because of the styling. I think it really stands out and looks awesome. If you need the room the Passport is a great choice for a 2 row suv, but if not the BS is a good choice. It lLooks like an EX-L passport is comparable equipment wise to a BS OB with the co pilot 360 and tech package. About $3500 more for the Passport. Also, a CR-V Touring is just about the same price as the BS OB, but they are everywhere and the styling, while not ugly is pretty blah.
I currently have a 2020 passport and a 2019 Ranger. The Passport is my wife's and I will be trading my Ranger for the Bronco Sport. The Passport and BS are in different classes altogether. It is a lot bigger than the BS. Huge amounts of legroom in the back. My teenagers don't complain at all on trips and don't fight as they can be well separated. As far as the power goes the Passport has tons of power and is very smooth and quiet and a pleasure to drive on the highway. Mileage isn't great, 25mpg highway if we are lucky.

The main advantage of a small turbo motor over a larger non turbo is more torque at lower rpms. We did have a CR-V with the 1.5 turbo prior to the passport. Similar power to the BS 3 cylinder but with a CVT. Power was adequate and Honda CVT's are the best around but I do find I like the 9 speed in the Passport better. I am expecting the 8 speed in the BS to be much better than a cvt. I have yet to drive a BS as mine is at the dealer waiting for a recall to be fixed before I can even drive it. All in all I really like the Passport. I like the styling but it is still pretty anonymous. One of the reasons I am getting the BS is because of the styling. I think it really stands out and looks awesome. If you need the room the Passport is a great choice for a 2 row suv, but if not the BS is a good choice. It lLooks like an EX-L passport is comparable equipment wise to a BS OB with the co pilot 360 and tech package. About $3500 more for the Passport. Also, a CR-V Touring is just about the same price as the BS OB, but they are everywhere and the styling, while not ugly is pretty blah.
Thanks WinTech. Agree about BS styling. It really pops and is unique. I lover the cactus grey color too. My only concern about the Passport is I've read mixed reviews about wind noise. I know the EX-L has an acoustic windshield and the Touring adds in acoustic driver and passenger windows. It's the one thing that drives me crazy in my '13 CRV is the wind noise. I'm determined for a quieter car this time around. My only other concerns on the BS are the second row being smaller. I have teenagers and they'll be the ones back there mostly just to and from school, sports, dance classes, etc. and not for long trips. We'll use my wife's Explorer for longer trips. Also, from what I've read on other threads some people experienced water coming in around the rear glass/hatch after going through a car wash. If that's a known issue, could be a dealbreaker for me. But then again, i'm probably reading too much on all these cars! :)
 


Gartallica

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Thanks WinTech. Agree about BS styling. It really pops and is unique. I lover the cactus grey color too. My only concern about the Passport is I've read mixed reviews about wind noise. I know the EX-L has an acoustic windshield and the Touring adds in acoustic driver and passenger windows. It's the one thing that drives me crazy in my '13 CRV is the wind noise. I'm determined for a quieter car this time around. My only other concerns on the BS are the second row being smaller. I have teenagers and they'll be the ones back there mostly just to and from school, sports, dance classes, etc. and not for long trips. We'll use my wife's Explorer for longer trips. Also, from what I've read on other threads some people experienced water coming in around the rear glass/hatch after going through a car wash. If that's a known issue, could be a dealbreaker for me. But then again, i'm probably reading too much on all these cars! :)
I've got older KIDS (12 and 14; and a 10 year old who's bigger than both!) and found the back seat is more than roomy enough. It's bigger than I would have expected looking from the outside. I've got a car seat in the center and there's still room for two in the back. I'm 6' 1" so I just stick the shorter one behind me. Coming from a MINI Clubman, this thing is huge!

Fair warning for folks considering this with a front-facing car seat: my kids feet can touch my seat back if he wants to kick it so remove those shoes.

I'm happy with my BS. Styling is great and it's got the right amount of accoutrements without going overboard. Looking forward to trading in my OB for my BL.

C'mon, Ford... get building!
 

teddyjaxx

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I've got older KIDS (12 and 14; and a 10 year old who's bigger than both!) and found the back seat is more than roomy enough. It's bigger than I would have expected looking from the outside. I've got a car seat in the center and there's still room for two in the back. I'm 6' 1" so I just stick the shorter one behind me. Coming from a MINI Clubman, this thing is huge!

Fair warning for folks considering this with a front-facing car seat: my kids feet can touch my seat back if he wants to kick it so remove those shoes.

I'm happy with my BS. Styling is great and it's got the right amount of accoutrements without going overboard. Looking forward to trading in my OB for my BL.

C'mon, Ford... get building!
That's great to hear about the backseat Gartallica. My kids are 13 & 16 and the older one is getting her license in a few months so her days with me driving her are coming to an end :-(
 

Gartallica

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That's great to hear about the backseat Gartallica. My kids are 13 & 16 and the older one is getting her license in a few months so her days with me driving her are coming to an end :-(
First off--no idea why "kids" was all caps. Weird. But glad I could help! I've got one kid getting her license and another I'm working on driving with. It's terrifying. Good luck and let us know what you decide! Just promise not to pay over MSRP.
 

WinTech

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Thanks WinTech. Agree about BS styling. It really pops and is unique. I lover the cactus grey color too. My only concern about the Passport is I've read mixed reviews about wind noise. I know the EX-L has an acoustic windshield and the Touring adds in acoustic driver and passenger windows. It's the one thing that drives me crazy in my '13 CRV is the wind noise. I'm determined for a quieter car this time around. My only other concerns on the BS are the second row being smaller. I have teenagers and they'll be the ones back there mostly just to and from school, sports, dance classes, etc. and not for long trips. We'll use my wife's Explorer for longer trips. Also, from what I've read on other threads some people experienced water coming in around the rear glass/hatch after going through a car wash. If that's a known issue, could be a dealbreaker for me. But then again, i'm probably reading too much on all these cars! :)
We have the Touring and it is very quiet. Definitely the quietest on the highway of all the vehicles we have owned.
 

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I’ve dropped the hammer, pedal to the metal a few times for a high speed pass. To pass a slowpoke. The 1.5L does just fine.
Only thing that bothers me is the lack of the SOUND of power.
In that situation it is almost too quiet, too smooth.
Way WAY quicker to gitty up and go than my 2016 Ford Transit Connect with the 2.5 L 4 banger.
 
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teddyjaxx

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I’ve dropped the hammer, pedal to the metal a few times for a high speed pass. To pass a slowpoke. The 1.5L does just fine.
Only thing that scares me is the lack of the SOUND of power.
In that situation it is almost too quiet, too smooth.
Way WAY quicker to gitty up and go than my 2016 Ford Transit Connect with the 2.5 L 4 banger.
Thanks Osco. Very good to know this. What are you thoughts on the 1.5L/BS long term? I typically keep my vehicles 8-10 years minimum. Do you think it will hold up?
 

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Thanks Osco. Very good to know this. What are you thoughts on the 1.5L/BS long term? I typically keep my vehicles 8-10 years minimum. Do you think it will hold up?
I’m not the one to ask, I’m a loyal Ford customer of 20 years and from now on. Got a 2004 AWD Escape platinum, It’s my bad weather back up basher… 209,000 miles and the rotary blade coupler is no longer available so it’s a 2wd now.
Air blows cold runs perfect, tranny is clunky but ok. Had it five years now and only added 9,000 miles to the clock, only repairs was two motor mounts, one coil pack and a battery and tires. Paid a thousand for it.
My 2013 F-150 sold for good money at 160,000.
My 2010 Pony packaged Mustang had 140,000 trouble free miles. Not a single repair only maintenance
Sold that for real good money in 2016.
Nope, I’m not the one to ask I’m biased..
Can’t give an opinion,
LoL
 

Barry S.

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Hey all, I have an order in for a Big Bend and I plan to do some highway driving and some road trips once or twice a year (think 1000-1500 miles). I'm just curious how the 3 cyl performs on the highway. I'm not planning to do more than 75mph usually and don't need huge performance, just cruising for long periods (I got the CoPilot+ just for the Adaptive cruise for long trips lol).

Also, what are the rpms usually at around 70-75 mph?

Thanks! Very excited for this as it's my first brand new vehicle. Just debating if I should wait another year to save a bit more to get the 2.0 Badlands. I know the 3 cyl will be fine for my daily drive, just concerned about the highway.
Unless you're planning to do drag racing, the 1.5 does just fine at all speeds.
 

BSBB4Les

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Just did 700 miles each way, NV to Denver and back in a 1.5 OB. So, I70 across UT and over the Rockies. Was very surprised at how well it did. No issues. I tend to drive quick and fast, Recent vehicles include new Vette, Ram Hemi, Wrangler, Ranger. I was leery of the 3 cylinder (couldn’t find a Badlands) but it’s been fine so far.
I am glad you wrote this. I just bought a 2022 Big Bend and planning trips to Vegas and SoCal this summer from the Denver area. I too was leery of the 3cyl being up for the challenge of the Rockies but you have given me reassurance. It's been great around town so far!
 

BSBB4Les

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Agreed but for a few niggles.

It is an Escape. But not the car like one that exists now. It reminds me of the original Escape brought up to date and that was more or less inspired by a Land Rover and that was why I bought it - because it reminds me so strongly of Land Rover from 20 years ago.
I totally agree with you. I owned an 08 Escape 4wd v6 that I loved. Traded in for an 18 Escape 4cyl T 4wd for the extra safety (copilot 360). Now I have the BSBB and love it even more than those.
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