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Just came across Doug DeMuro's review of the Badlands Sport on YouTube.
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First post updated with more review articles & videos.
here are my takeaways from reading a ton of articles.
1) badlands is legit. Many reviews called it the best in its segment.
2) 2.0 is legit
3) 1.5 is ok but had trouble on several of the obstacles where the badlands did not. (This seems to be from several things, lack of power, lack of drivers experience, not choosing the correct drive mode, or some combination of all 3). I think one reviewer summed it up best, if you can’t afford the badlands, don’t test drive it because you won’t want the 1.5 anymore.
4) reports of overheating in several reviews now. It’s a bit concerning, but seems normal for this segment. I saw a review of the same thing happen to the Kia sveltos when it was off-roading. As it’s something you probably won’t be doing all the time, probably not a big deal.
5) common theme is interior feels cheap. There’s two ways of looking at this that I have seen in the articles. Either ford did it on purpose since this is an off-road vehicle so it helps in that respect (hard plastics are maybe more durable) or ford is just being cheap. Sounds like if you are used to ford vehicles, the interior will seem fine.
6)everyone loves the exterior
7)steering seems mixed. Having to make corrections all the time at highway speeds doesn’t sound fun but I only saw this in one or two reviews. Makes sense though if it’s geared more towards off-roading.
8)stiff ride.
I highlighted most of the negatives above as a summary of all the articles so you could see them in one place, but make no mistake, the reviews were all overwhelmingly positive with just a few nitpicks here and there. Many even called the badlands overkill.
1) badlands is legit. Many reviews called it the best in its segment.
2) 2.0 is legit
3) 1.5 is ok but had trouble on several of the obstacles where the badlands did not. (This seems to be from several things, lack of power, lack of drivers experience, not choosing the correct drive mode, or some combination of all 3). I think one reviewer summed it up best, if you can’t afford the badlands, don’t test drive it because you won’t want the 1.5 anymore.
4) reports of overheating in several reviews now. It’s a bit concerning, but seems normal for this segment. I saw a review of the same thing happen to the Kia sveltos when it was off-roading. As it’s something you probably won’t be doing all the time, probably not a big deal.
5) common theme is interior feels cheap. There’s two ways of looking at this that I have seen in the articles. Either ford did it on purpose since this is an off-road vehicle so it helps in that respect (hard plastics are maybe more durable) or ford is just being cheap. Sounds like if you are used to ford vehicles, the interior will seem fine.
6)everyone loves the exterior
7)steering seems mixed. Having to make corrections all the time at highway speeds doesn’t sound fun but I only saw this in one or two reviews. Makes sense though if it’s geared more towards off-roading.
8)stiff ride.
I highlighted most of the negatives above as a summary of all the articles so you could see them in one place, but make no mistake, the reviews were all overwhelmingly positive with just a few nitpicks here and there. Many even called the badlands overkill.
The "cheap" interior is actually a selling point: I prefer no-frills, easy-to-clean surfaces that I don't have to worry about too much.
The biggest red flag thus far is having to make corrections at highway speeds over 75 mph. I suspect this will be more of an "everyday" issue for your average Sport owner than overheating in sand dunes.
Here's another perspective from Forbes: "On pavement, and at speeds up to 70 mph, the new Bronco Sport feels as civilized as any compact SUV, with confident steering, a comfortable ride and minimal wind or road noise."
The biggest red flag thus far is having to make corrections at highway speeds over 75 mph. I suspect this will be more of an "everyday" issue for your average Sport owner than overheating in sand dunes.
Here's another perspective from Forbes: "On pavement, and at speeds up to 70 mph, the new Bronco Sport feels as civilized as any compact SUV, with confident steering, a comfortable ride and minimal wind or road noise."
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I'll say the cheap interior feeling I think only comes from the plastic dashboard my experience with the seats and all the surface you're actually putting your hands arms on was really positive. I was actually quite pleased with the finish of all that stuff.
If I knew about the twin clutch not being something you leave on for the extended periods of time I never would have looked at this seriously as an off-road vehicle for my purposes and I now see why Ford isn't comparing it to the Cherokee Trailhawk.
The BL/BL is definitely more capable than anything below that as far as I can tell. I replaced my Subaru because it overheated climbing the Sierras and I wouldn't take the gamble on another one that might do the same.
If I knew about the twin clutch not being something you leave on for the extended periods of time I never would have looked at this seriously as an off-road vehicle for my purposes and I now see why Ford isn't comparing it to the Cherokee Trailhawk.
The BL/BL is definitely more capable than anything below that as far as I can tell. I replaced my Subaru because it overheated climbing the Sierras and I wouldn't take the gamble on another one that might do the same.
And here we have the answer ! Credit to the editor/writer of CNET review, Em. Always pays to go direct to the source...
"
Howdy! I have clarified in the piece. It was the power transfer unit. I was in sand mode and letting the transmission do it’s own thing. To be fair I was really pushing it hard. Everything cooled down very quickly and I didn’t have any problems after that.
Thanks for reading!
Em
"
I am sure there will be more technical analysis of exactly how the various modes work in the future and the tip off is in the manual that tells you in general when to use the various modes.
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Overall, I'd say the reviews were in the "excellent" range. I don't care how the interior looks. It's not made to be a Rolls-Royce and I'd rather have a basic interior than the fake wood that looks like cr__p in the Telluride. Much easier to clean.
The power distribution sounds good for the Badlands and I have yet to hear the dreaded "hesitation" word in any reviews. My remaining question will be answered soon I hope, the headlamp efficiency at highway speeds.
Edit: Some of the reviews provided favorable highway driving. I can check that off the list.
The power distribution sounds good for the Badlands and I have yet to hear the dreaded "hesitation" word in any reviews. My remaining question will be answered soon I hope, the headlamp efficiency at highway speeds.
Edit: Some of the reviews provided favorable highway driving. I can check that off the list.
Another video review of the Big Bend trim with 1.5 L engine. The reviewer mistakenly calls it a 4-cylinder a few times. Driving starts at 06:10. He takes it on the freeway up to 74 mph for those interested. Most frequent comment is that the 8-speed auto is smooth in a few different driving modes.
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man, I was hoping to see some Big Bend reviews for off-road capabilities. Can anyone point me to a video / review of Big Bend off road capabilities? Ive seen on road performance reviews, but nothing with lower trims on dirt.
I’m really happy with the reviews for the most part. A couple of naysayers from hardcore off roaders and I guess that is something to expect. And I don’t care. Feeling good about taking delivery sometime in next few months, fingers crossed.
It is maybe surprising to me that Ford US has not really done any advertising. Maybe it too early in the cycle or maybe it’s covid or maybe they are saving $$. They have done the engineering right; I hope they can get the other bits figured out; they feel much more half baked.
Well I like the ads from Mexico that @essentialemployee has posted. That’s been fun.
It is maybe surprising to me that Ford US has not really done any advertising. Maybe it too early in the cycle or maybe it’s covid or maybe they are saving $$. They have done the engineering right; I hope they can get the other bits figured out; they feel much more half baked.
Well I like the ads from Mexico that @essentialemployee has posted. That’s been fun.
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Same, I wanna see how the 1.5 compares to other "street" CUVS in off-road tests.
I don't think the 1.5l will beat the Crosstrek or Forester, that's what the badlands is for, but I'd love to see how a Outer Banks compares to a RAV4 Limited, for example.
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that iconic silver wIth the black roof combo looks really nice
No video, but a pretty direct comparison of 1.5 and 2.0 models in off road operation - they drove both. Besides the obvious suspension differences, as more reviews come out and eventually tear down reviews, it will be clear that the drive trains are quite different. This article discusses them in general and you get the hint that there are pretty major design differences in the drive trains despite similar sheet metal.
Review: 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands | Hagerty Media
Here is one of the better reviews I have read, from Jalopnik. Badlands and Outer Banks mentioned. Lots of great pictures not seen before, and better look at Navy Pier interior which I now feel better about ordering.
The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Has Everything It Needs To Compete With Jeep On- And Off-Road (jalopnik.com)
The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Has Everything It Needs To Compete With Jeep On- And Off-Road (jalopnik.com)
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