Badlands vs. Heritage Limited for oversand (ground clearance? water fording?)

[Ksnau]

So if it helps, I actually had a 22 broncos sport badlands and I just purchased a 23 heritage limited. And yes, the heritage limited is just a badlands with a special paint job and the plaid seats and all the nice options. They drive the same but my heritage limited did come with the falken tires and I did pay for the falken tire option on my Badlands and I actually prefer the falcon ATW3s. I think they're one of the best all-terrain tires but the ones at Ford put on are not the exact same as what you get in the aftermarket like the other person was saying. But basically yeah if you can't afford a heritage limited. What I did is I got a 22 badlands with the premium package which is just leather heated seat heated steering wheel wireless charger and I think a few other things but you don't need it. And then I paid the 525 for the falcon tires because that's just a really good deal for tires right now.

I really like the heritage limited but basically you just get all the options in the goofy kind of old school paint job in wheels but otherwise it's just a badlands. And yes that badlands or heritage limited will go just about anywhere unless it's limited by clearance.

It really is amazing with all-wheel drive system, but I also had a 2014 escape that had a very similar all-wheel drive system to what's on the non-badlands and non heritage limited models and that still does really good off-road.

So you really got to ask yourself, do you really need the hardcore offroad stuff or not me? Personally I did and I also would only get the 2 liter engine. I did not want the 1.5 l but it's supposedly just fine for most people. But I've taken my bronco sport badlands down a trail that normally only like Jeep, rubicons and stuff went down and I had to be more careful because of clearance. But other than that didn't have a problem. Didn't even get close to getting stuck anywhere.

Also what I found is even if you don't put it in like mud and ruts or rock crawl or turn on the rear locker button or the four-wheel drive locker button just even in normal mode. It'll turn those things on if it feels like it needs it. I've driven in normal mode through some crazy stuff and felt those kicking in automatically but It is fun messing with the goat modes in the buttons.

Also last be careful airing down your tires and really know what you're doing because these aren't bead locked tires and you can break the bead on them and unless you know how to get the tire mounted back on which you can do in the middle of nowhere, there's always the lighter fluid trick, but it's best done by someone who knows what they're doing. And honestly I never aired down my tires when I went off-roading in my badlands. Never needed to but sand is a different thing. I didn't do a lot of sand driving.

I hope this helped. Feel free to message me if you want. The first picture without the white is my old 22 Badlands and then the other picture is my 23 heritage limited. If you're not sure on cost, just get a bad lance cuz they're the same thing besides the paint job and wheels and you can get a badlands with all the options the limited has too besides the paint job and wheels and the stupid plaid chairs, I think the regular premium package chairs look better anyways but they're basically the same seat.

 

[Andi C]

So if it helps, I actually had a 22 broncos sport badlands and I just purchased a 23 heritage limited. And yes, the heritage limited is just a badlands with a special paint job and the plaid seats and all the nice options. They drive the same but my heritage limited did come with the falken tires and I did pay for the falken tire option on my Badlands and I actually prefer the falcon ATW3s. I think they're one of the best all-terrain tires but the ones at Ford put on are not the exact same as what you get in the aftermarket like the other person was saying. But basically yeah if you can't afford a heritage limited. What I did is I got a 22 badlands with the premium package which is just leather heated seat heated steering wheel wireless charger and I think a few other things but you don't need it. And then I paid the 525 for the falcon tires because that's just a really good deal for tires right now.

I really like the heritage limited but basically you just get all the options in the goofy kind of old school paint job in wheels but otherwise it's just a badlands. And yes that badlands or heritage limited will go just about anywhere unless it's limited by clearance.

It really is amazing with all-wheel drive system, but I also had a 2014 escape that had a very similar all-wheel drive system to what's on the non-badlands and non heritage limited models and that still does really good off-road.

So you really got to ask yourself, do you really need the hardcore offroad stuff or not me? Personally I did and I also would only get the 2 liter engine. I did not want the 1.5 l but it's supposedly just fine for most people. But I've taken my bronco sport badlands down a trail that normally only like Jeep, rubicons and stuff went down and I had to be more careful because of clearance. But other than that didn't have a problem. Didn't even get close to getting stuck anywhere.

Also what I found is even if you don't put it in like mud and ruts or rock crawl or turn on the rear locker button or the four-wheel drive locker button just even in normal mode. It'll turn those things on if it feels like it needs it. I've driven in normal mode through some crazy stuff and felt those kicking in automatically but It is fun messing with the goat modes in the buttons.

Also last be careful airing down your tires and really know what you're doing because these aren't bead locked tires and you can break the bead on them and unless you know how to get the tire mounted back on which you can do in the middle of nowhere, there's always the lighter fluid trick, but it's best done by someone who knows what they're doing. And honestly I never aired down my tires when I went off-roading in my badlands. Never needed to but sand is a different thing. I didn't do a lot of sand driving.

I hope this helped. Feel free to message me if you want. The first picture without the white is my old 22 Badlands and then the other picture is my 23 heritage limited. If you're not sure on cost, just get a bad lance cuz they're the same thing besides the paint job and wheels and you can get a badlands with all the options the limited has too besides the paint job and wheels and the stupid plaid chairs, I think the regular premium package chairs look better anyways but they're basically the same seat.

This is very useful, thank you! ?

I actually went to the dealership yesterday and "test drove" the HLE. I mean they did not let me drive it off the sidewalk, just back and forth in front of the dealership. I liked the look and feel of the car, but there are question marks.

For one, the leather seats are perforated with little holes, and I think sand will get in there and build up between the layers of material and I'll never be able to get it out. I know that's a weird detail but with the amount of sand we deal with there it's a guarantee that will happen. Also I think the leather will be hotter and more uncomfortable and sweaty on a 90 degree day when we're all wearing shorts. It's a summer place with no garage and there is no shade there in the dunes so cars really heat up in the sun.

Then there's the clearance. I actually got down on the ground and measured with a tape measure from the concrete to the bash plate and got 8 inches, not 8.6 or 8.8 like in the specs. Am I missing something? I thought clearance meant the distance to the lowest point in the undercarriage -- is this not the case? How is this calculated?

Dealer quoted me $2K above MSRP but I got the sense I could talk him down to MSRP, especially if I called him today, the last day of the month when they're trying to make their numbers.

For me the upside of the HLE is the color -- It's a nostalgic favorite for my family and the white roof will keep the car cool. I also like the moonroof and it's nice to have a good sound system. And I need a tow package for sure. So these are things I would order on a Badlands if I had the time, but I need the vehicle by end of May so I'm stuck with whatever the dealer has, and at least I know the HLE has all the stuff I would want.

I do always air down to 11 PSI or even 10. The sand is so soft there, and it's a matter of maintaining the roads. I've seen a lot of very powerful, macho SUVs on the beach access road spitting sand as they speed up the hills, or even getting stuck which is fun to watch. Everybody behind them has to wait as they air down, dig out, etc. That is not how we do it. We crawl slowly up the steep dunes to avoid chewing the road. When the road gets churned up it's miserable to drive and hard on the car.

In 40 years I've never had a problem with the tires at 10-11 PSI, except the valve pins sometimes get messed up by the deflators.

One last thing -- I didn't notice if there were grab handles on the door frames? I forgot to check and I can't see any in the pics online. At 92 my mom really needs them to get into the car.

Again thanks for the info, you've given me some things to think about.

 

[Ksnau]

So yeah I don't know where they measure to get that 8.8 inches of ground clearance but where I go I rarely have clearance problems unless it just gets really crazy.

On my 22 Badlands I actually did slam down on something hard that I didn't have enough clearance for even though I thought I did and there's no damage. It took the hit on the bash plate and I think maybe part of the sub frame and everything was fine.

I'll take some pictures of the interior and exterior on mine if it helps you. I don't think I ever had too much problem with dirt and stuff getting stuck in the perforated leather but I do see what you're saying sand probably would get down in there. I like the leather because my dog's dog hair doesn't get stuck into it like on cloth seats. like on my full-size bronco it would almost sew itself in there and vacuums couldn't get it off. But yeah it does get a little hotter than cloth in hot weather and in the sun.

Also know there are not any grab handles except at the very top by your head. It's in the third picture. Also the picture of the back cargo area. The limited gets this like divider tray thing and it actually has legs on it. You can take out and use it as a table. Also all bad lands and limited get a 110 PowerPoint in the back. It's hard to see in the picture but you have a 12 volt and a 110 back there.

Basically everything on the heritage limited you can get on the Badlands except for the paint and the wheels and the special inserts that are white instead of whatever color your bronco is and then that little emblem by the off-road buttons you might be able to get that divider tray table thing in the back cargo area added I'm not sure. So if you're not sure on price I would just try to find a badlands with the options that you want.

I only got this because I had to have one right away and I got such a good deal on it and I did really like the colors and I could just barely afford it. But I also plan to possibly die in this vehicle. I'm going to keep it so long.

If it helps, when I was buying this they had the starting price out the door at like $58600 and with no trade-in, so no tax savings from a trade-in. I ended up getting them down to $51,000 out the door which I pushed them hard and I literally walked away and I drove away from the parking lot and I really worked them and actually instead of trading in with them I took my vehicle to CarMax cuz I got $4,000 more there.

I could have gotten the savings on the tax but it would have only been like $2500 so it's better off selling it at the other place but make sure to factor in savings from your trade-in if you have one and whatever that might be. The thing from CarMax when I was getting 41,000 it said the tax savings would have been 2500 if that helps.

so I don't know if you would get it less than What I paid just because it's crazy to get it for less than MSRP I mean I really hope you do get the best price but I still can't believe I got this price. It's so crazy and on like a special edition, but I make sure and work them and you got to walk away at least a few times and you can either go the route of being very stern or the way I played it which is what my actual situation was, I just really couldn't afford anything more but I wanted it so bad but be careful telling them that you want it so bad because they can try to flip that around on you too

I got a really good deal dealership (Peoria Ford in Phoenix Arizona) that I was working with too so maybe try a different dealership if this one's not getting you what you need and just be ready to walk away and even if you need it right away. You know, don't act like that and maybe try to find a way to have something else for transportation whether it's borrowing a car from a family member or a friend or whatever because they may try to get you on that and try to use that against you if they can

Anyways when you factor in all the tax title, tags and everything I technically got it just a little bit under MSRP. So that was the price range did they started and ended at, 51 to 58 and that's without a markup. On the Ford website I think with the destination and doc fees that are listed its $46,600 and that's kind of what I went off of.

When I had my 22 Badlands it was $39,700 on the website including the premium package in the falken tires and then out the door with tax sales and everything. It was 43,300 cuz I had no trade in again on that one. So no tax savings on that one and that one was an order so and they would not budge on the price it was MSRP and that's it.

And actually for 2023 the price is like $3,000 more now. So you can kind of use mine as a guide hopefully. But mine didn't have a sunroof which I think is like 900. Mine didn't have the adaptive steering and driving which is I think another 950. It didn't have the trailer package which is like another 950 so you need to factor those into if you want those.

Also, I don't know if this makes a difference but I was really mad that they took the spray washer off the rear camera. It's still on the front camera but not on the rear for 23. So if you want to spray washer on the rear camera you're going to have to get a 21 or 22. I know it sounds ridiculous but I really wanted that and it really was helpful when i had my badlands.

Okay this is getting too long but I hope this info helps in the pictures help.

 

[Andi C]

Interesting, thanks, very helpful. The door frame handles are sort of set into the ceiling above each door, and I can see there are 3, not sure about on the driver's side.

The Ford guy quoted me 48.6K, which is 2K over asking, and then came down $1K today, so 47 something. I think they are desperate, this being the end of the month.

I'm really mystified about that ground clearance thing. Once I air down the clearance would be below 8 inches, and I have a big center hump between the sand ruts. I think the bash plate could handle it but I'd rather clear it.

"I also plan to possibly die in this vehicle" made me BOL, yeah I guess I should probably plan the same. I hope they're durable. My Rav kept going forever even though I beat the hell out of it.

 

[PaulOinMA]

At 17 inches of water the engine ECU mounted just forward of driver side front tire is 100 percent under water.

When I saw that the two feet was still being quoted, even if Ford states it, I was wondering if the issue was ever addressed. Guess the electricals are still there. Thanks.

 

[Dude]

@Ksnau … did you notice that these ‘23 USB Ports are not lighted as they are on ‘21 & ‘22 models? Or are yours lit on the ‘23?

 

[Jmuns]

I wouldn’t worry about the leather being too hot. I live in Florida and don’t park inside ever. I have my front windows tinted and use a sun shade and it’s never too hot to sit on when I get inside. You can also just vacuum the sand out every once and a while. No issues for me there either. I live at the beach.

 

[Ksnau]

I'm in my garage. I turn the engine on for a minute. Headlights are on cuz it thinks it's night time. And no, you're right. The charging ports are not lit in the background it looks like on this one. Also, The driver's seat does not have grab handles above them and I just noticed that my passenger front seat does not have lumbar control. I thought that my 2022 Badlands with a premium package. Both seats had lumbar control. If anyone can look, it'd be interested to know because this one's supposed to have every option on. Honestly, I don't really care about the other passengers but I am interested to know.

Also I did not get the like canvas bag around my manual. They just gave me a manual with the secure code card and the key and I thought on my 22 I got like a bag with the manual and a bunch of other little smaller pamphlets and stuff. They did give me free anti-theft wheel locks as well. I think they forgot they put those on there so that was nice and I got the extra rear cargo floor cover which I didn't remember getting in my 22 Badlands but I could be wrong. Also something interesting on the engine. It looks like they removed one of the vacuum lines from the intake tube to the intake manifold. If anyone can look on their 22 or 21 Badlands and tell me if in the second and 3rd picture do you have a hose where I'm pointing.

 

[RSH]

For one, the leather seats are perforated with little holes, and I think sand will get in there and build up between the layers of material and I'll never be able to get it out. I know that's a weird detail but with the amount of sand we deal with there it's a guarantee that will happen. Also I think the leather will be hotter and more uncomfortable and sweaty on a 90 degree day when we're all wearing shorts. It's a summer place with no garage and there is no shade there in the dunes so cars really heat up in the sun.

Then there's the clearance. I actually got down on the ground and measured with a tape measure from the concrete to the bash plate and got 8 inches, not 8.6 or 8.8 like in the specs. Am I missing something? I thought clearance meant the distance to the lowest point in the undercarriage -- is

The Badlands with the standard seating material should ease your concern about sand migrating into the seating material. I have a Badlands with the standard seating material, you don't stick to it if wearing shorts or swim suit and I like the utilitarian look, it goes better with the rubber flooring

As far as ground clearance, depending what year 4 runner your Mom drives, and assuming its stock, the ground clearance isn't that much greater, not much more than a fingers width.
If you were to add larger tires at some point, your ground clearance would increase as well.

The only remaining issue being that the Badlands does not come in the HE/HLE colors.
For me the HE or HLE is sort of a money grab as they are not related to the original Bronco other than being a Ford.

 

[Ksnau]

Yeah I would have never paid the price they were asking for the heritage package. I only got it because it was the only Badlands type broncosport available and I got such a good deal on it or what I think is a good deal. I would definitely stick with just a badlands and then just find one with the options you want. But really I would say a minimum try to find what the falcons cuz it's a really good deal for the tires. Everything else you could definitely do without I only added the premium package for the leather for the dog hair.

 

[Andi C]

Still curious about the ground clearance question -- has anyone actually measured it on these vehicles? Before I buy anything I want to compare the real-world measurements. I plan to bring a tape measure to the dealer and check it out.

Here's a clip of me at age 9 (a very long time ago), learning how to drive a yellow willys. Which is why I like the HLE Yellowstone. It really is about the color.

Check out the push-button ignition on this hot rod!

 

[Andi C]

I wouldn’t worry about the leather being too hot. I live in Florida and don’t park inside ever. I have my front windows tinted and use a sun shade and it’s never too hot to sit on when I get inside. You can also just vacuum the sand out every once and a while. No issues for me there either. I live at the beach.

Thanks, good to know!

 

[RSH]

Original Willys Jeep from the mid 1940's had 8 3/4 inches of ground clearance. The Badlands with 235 tires and the HLE have the same ground clearance.

 

[Andi C]

Original Willys Jeep from the mid 1940's had 8 3/4 inches of ground clearance. The Badlands with 235 tires and the HLE have the same ground clearance.

Interesting!

 

[Ksnau]

Okay so I went into my car in the garage and it looks like there's a secondary catalytic converter or maybe it's just resonating chamber but it sticks down a little lower than anything else So here's a picture of me measuring that and it looks like it's about 8.5 in to the ground and so I would say everything else is probably pretty close to 8.8 like they say except for this. And yes my garage is very dirty.

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