Bronco? Ranger? Bronco Sport? What should I buy?

[BLUEOVALRACER]

tconstan what's with the No Reply?

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[RidingTheBronco]

Hi All,

I have decided to buy a second vehicle, something more for me than the family. I want something that I can go off-road with. I’m not going to be doing any extreme off-roading, I just want to be able to take off into the woods, explore logging roads, etc. I really like the look of the Bronco and love the modular approach to the vehicles and how customizable they are. But I had real trouble finding the vehicle I wanted, at the price I wanted. So I have become frustrated and have given up on a Bronco and need to move to plan B... a Ford Ranger. A Ranger would give me the same frame and engine as the Bronco and I could get a Ranger with the FX4 Off-Road Package and save 10K over the price of a similar Bronco.

Or maybe I should go for the Bronco Sport? It would probably do everything I need and be more car like. But I'm unsure how the Bronco Sport really is for off-road. And the Ranger and Bronco Sport I am having trouble comparing them. I have driven both and they are very different. I currently drive an Escape (my second). So a Sport would be plenty familiar. I'm just not sure if that is good, bad or neutral.

If I sound indecisive, its because I am. The Bronco, Bronco Sport and Ranger all have pros and cons and I keep changing my mind. I am really uncertain which route to go and would really appreciate any advice people who have a Bronco Sport could offer.

Thanks

I feel you are trying to talk yourself out of the Bronco you seem to indicate that you prefer.
I like the Bronco Sport, but it does not compare to a truck, or even a full-sized Bronco.. In the end, I feel you should get the vehicle that can last you decades.
When I landed on the Sport - due to looks, budget, and feel - I compared it to its closer peers (IMHO, based on my needs). I tried the Subaru wagons, the Rav4s, and even a Santa Fe. The little Jeep would fit this list, too, but I didn't like them at all. I think they are a little cheaper, but I have an older Grand Cherokee that I really like.
I think you see the point. A BS is a small SUV with 4WD. It may meet your basic criteria, but it does not belong in the same category as your other choices. It may be too early for you to choose.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

My problem is "why so many recalls" over all product lines. For the past thirty years I have owned Japanese and Korean vehicles and have not experienced this many recalls let alone TSBs. Additionally, why did it take Ford nearly three years to correct the "whale moan" sound when the vehicle is in reverse. Hey, I understand brand loyalty but it seems as though Ford's quality control is an afterthought.

So trade the BS for another Japanese or Korean Vehicle if you're not Happy with it.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

Last November I bought a BS BL, and I LOVED it. It was fun to drive, and I thought it looked great. I had the package with electric seats, so they can go up and down. You would have to be way over 7' for your head to hit with the seat all the way down.
In early May, I did the Bronco OffRoadeo in Moab. It was AMAZING! The hardest obstacle we did was a "2, maybe 3" according to our instructor. The following 3 days I wandered various trails around Moab. The BS was good on all the 2s, scraped on half of the 3s, and scraped on both of the 4s. I am NOT a rock crawler at all, and have no interest in such challenges. But I went on "easy" trails, that the books/guides said any 4WD should be able to do. But I was not able to do them without minor damage. On one of the 4s, I seriously wondered if I would be able to get out. (Yes, I was the stupid novice.)
On the drive home from Moab, I decided the BS just did not have sufficient clearance to do the pretty easy stuff in Moab. I looked into lifting it, and larger tires. Both have lots of issues with geometry, alignment, handling, etc.
And so 2 weeks ago, I traded the BS in for a 2024 Bronco WildTrak.

So what do I recommend for a person that just wants to do easy stuff and see amazing places? I recommend the full-sized Bronco. That gives you some margin, and more confidence to expand the envelope a bit.
(And the driving/handling of the full-sized versus the Sport? The Sport is, well, sportier. But the full-size is quite fun, and because of the large tires, you don't feel the bumps as much.)

Post some pictures of the WildTrak Bronco.

 

[SoCalBonanza]

Post some pictures of the WildTrak Bronco.

I have done little that was interesting with it yet. But here is one:

Edited to say: It looks like I over-watered my BS...

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

Any of those will do what you're asking.
The full sized Bronco is likely the best off road, depending on specific trim and packages. A little shorter than the Ranger so you're angles are better and it'll fit better on trails that aren't so wide open.
The Ranger will give the best cargo, whether carrying or towing.

The Bronco Sport is great for beaches, logging roads, and what is generally called soft roading. It's as least as capable, and likely better with the Badlands and Sasquatch package, than a Subaru Forester or Crosstrek other than a little less ground clearance (unless you get the Badlands with Sasquatch package, then it's the same as the non Wilderness versions at 8.7in). Or do a lift kit. The locking clutches on the Sport, the Badlands especialy, makes up for that, and the sasquatch package adds the water cooled PTU and the better cooling for the radiator and transmission. That's a huge weakness of the Subarus, the CVT in them is more sensitive to heat than a normal automatic transmission. People have had them start to overheat and go into limp mode, or even stop if they pushed them too hard, until they cooled.

I'm replacing my Forester with a few mods with a Bronco Sport Badlands with Sasquatch package as soon are Ford finishes getting it built and shipped. I've done pretty much what you're wanting to do with the Forester and have 100% confidence that the Bronco Sport will do as well or likely better (because of the closer to true locking rear and center diffs), and larger tires.

Now if money weren't an option, I'd have said screw it and bought the full size 4 door Bronco Badlands with Sasquatch package and a few mods... but they were over $20k more than what I ordered. Yeah, one of the lower trim levels would still be more capable than the Sport, but if I'm going to go for something, I might as well get one of the better models.

And to throw some confusion in, there's also the Maverick. I was looking at that before the Sport. More cargo room, but longer. Kind of like looking at the full size Bronco and the Ranger. I was looking at the Ranger a while ago, but it's almost as large as a full sized truck was a few years ago. I parked my older F150 next to a Toyota Tacoma a few days ago, and I've been at lights next to Rangers, and it's like wow, they are only a few inches shorter. I don't need a pickup quite that big for a daily driver and weekend warrior drive. My f150 is for dump runs and picking up soil for the raised garden beds, wood, etc.

I parked my Maverick Next to my Friends 2015 Toyota Tacoma Crew Cab at work and the Maverick was pretty close to the same length as the Tacoma.

 

[Unicorn]

I parked my Maverick Next to my Friends 2015 Toyota Tacoma Crew Cab at work and the Maverick was pretty close to the same length as the Tacoma.

Listed dimensions I've found are 199.8 inches for the Maverick, 208.1 inches for the 2015 Tacoma, and 213 inches for the 2025 Tacoma. A hair over 8 inches shorter than the 2015, and a little over a foot shorter than the 2025.

The Maverick is a little longer than I thought, especially for such a short bed. Only 4.5 feet.

Edit to correct a typo.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

Listed dimensions I've found are 199.8 inches for the Maverick, 208.1 inches for the 2015 Tacoma, and 213 inches for the 2015 Tacoma. A hair over 8 inches shorter than the 2015, and a little over a foot shorter than the 2025.

The Maverick is a little longer than I thought, especially for such a short bed. Only 4.5 feet.

Did you mean 213 inches for the 2025 Tacoma you said 2015 Tacoma?

 

[CLR]

Now you can get even further before you get stuck! ?

Last November I bought a BS BL, and I LOVED it. It was fun to drive, and I thought it looked great. I had the package with electric seats, so they can go up and down. You would have to be way over 7' for your head to hit with the seat all the way down.
In early May, I did the Bronco OffRoadeo in Moab. It was AMAZING! The hardest obstacle we did was a "2, maybe 3" according to our instructor. The following 3 days I wandered various trails around Moab. The BS was good on all the 2s, scraped on half of the 3s, and scraped on both of the 4s. I am NOT a rock crawler at all, and have no interest in such challenges. But I went on "easy" trails, that the books/guides said any 4WD should be able to do. But I was not able to do them without minor damage. On one of the 4s, I seriously wondered if I would be able to get out. (Yes, I was the stupid novice.)
On the drive home from Moab, I decided the BS just did not have sufficient clearance to do the pretty easy stuff in Moab. I looked into lifting it, and larger tires. Both have lots of issues with geometry, alignment, handling, etc.
And so 2 weeks ago, I traded the BS in for a 2024 Bronco WildTrak.

So what do I recommend for a person that just wants to do easy stuff and see amazing places? I recommend the full-sized Bronco. That gives you some margin, and more confidence to expand the envelope a bit.
(And the driving/handling of the full-sized versus the Sport? The Sport is, well, sportier. But the full-size is quite fun, and because of the large tires, you don't feel the bumps as much.)

 

[SoCalBonanza]

Now you can get even further before you get stuck! ?

It is a fair point! If I was stupid enough to go where I went, there is no reason to believe I have gotten any smarter...

 

[Unicorn]

Did you mean 213 inches for the 2025 Tacoma you said 2015 Tacoma?

Oops! Yeah, I meant for the 2025.

Cars have followed this trend for decades, every couple years they get longer. Until they are the size of what was the next size up.

 

[Unicorn]

It is a fair point! If I was stupid enough to go where I went, there is no reason to believe I have gotten any smarter...

I just noticed where you said you scraped. That's not uncommon for all off road vehicles that aren't built for the much harder ones. A stock Jeep Wrangler will scrape a bit on it's low spots too if you don't pick a good line. The obvious difference is that you can modify the Wrangler to handle trails twice as hard while the Sport limits you to the easy to moderate ones if you accept that you're skid plates and bash plates will get used. In the off road Subaru club (MTNRoo), the local chapter has a disclaimer for the modified trails that you WILL get scratched and bumped.

A couple stock Sports have made it up Hells Gate, but they likely did have some paint damage. Just like the big boys. Not something I would want to do a lot, but nice to know that it's doable.

 

[SoCalBonanza]

I just noticed where you said you scraped. That's not uncommon for all off road vehicles that aren't built for the much harder ones. A stock Jeep Wrangler will scrape a bit on it's low spots too if you don't pick a good line. The obvious difference is that you can modify the Wrangler to handle trails twice as hard while the Sport limits you to the easy to moderate ones if you accept that you're skid plates and bash plates will get used. In the off road Subaru club (MTNRoo), the local chapter has a disclaimer for the modified trails that you WILL get scratched and bumped.

A couple stock Sports have made it up Hells Gate, but they likely did have some paint damage. Just like the big boys. Not something I would want to do a lot, but nice to know that it's doable.

I have noticed that in lots of videos. People scrape all the time. The BS BL I had had no bash plates. Perhaps that would have been a good option for me. And the scraping on the 2 level 4s I did was after looking long and hard at my line options. In both, coming back, there was a point where getting over the rock seemed like it might not happen.
The WT with bash plates covers all the bases except fuel economy.

 

[tconstan]

So trade the BS for another Japanese or Korean Vehicle if you're not Happy with it.

It's a viable option.

 

[Escape2Bronco]

I have noticed that in lots of videos. People scrap all the time. The BS BL I had had no bash plates. Perhaps that would have been a good option for me. And the scraping on the 2 level 4s I did was after looking long and hard at my line options. In both, coming back, there was a point where getting over the rock seemed like it might not happen.
The WT with bash plates covers all the bases except fuel economy.

Of course you had bash plates on your BSBL! They are just made of felt rather than steel! The good news is they are easily repairable with zip ties compared to welding! ?

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