Details, Ford, Details

[Gone Postal]

Now that I've had the Bronco Sport for a bit:

It's a really nice vehicle with a couple really nasty flaws.

It handles great, excellent both on the highway and around town.

Good gas mileage, would probably be better if not for my very heavy right foot.

The seats took me a while to find the right position for me, (back and leg issues), but I've found the happy spot.

Love the heated steering wheel, the controls are intuitive.

The turning radius is awesome. Love being able to turn on a dime.

Hate........

Nannies.

I drive long distances, frequently by myself. The Sync nannies preventing me from changing/searching for music really piss me off.

I don't need a warning to check my back seat. Thank you idiots, the nanny state and lawyers for making that a requirement.

And finally, details.

USB outlets in the center bin........in direct path from the cupholders. What happens when you have to slam on the brakes and you have a cup of coffee in the cupholders? The USB outlets get a bath. Electronics don't LIKE liquids.In my Dodge, the USB outlets that comment to the infotainment system are in the center armrest. In my F150, they're under the center storage in the dash. Is it really that difficult to put them in a protected spot?

Windshield wipers......

They're deep under the back of the hood.

Anyone care to guess how much of a PITA it is to clear that after a nice wet snow freezes? They really didn't think that one through.

Plastics in the interior.....

Nice feel, but good god they mark easily.

All in all, it's a nice small SUV.......that won't be in my driveway long. For everything I like about it, the flaws and poor design choices make it a poor choice for me.

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[Benanza]

Sounds like you really like it and need to learn how to change the few flaws you have:
Learn to use the voice controls
get a better coffee mug that doesn't spill
if the snow is such a pain, get a pool noodle and cut to fit and use when it snows.
Finally use the remote down windows instead of the door to put something in the backseat or just put it in the tailgate.

 

[Gone Postal]

Can't put a backpack in through the window, shouldn't HAVE to use a pool noodle or anything else to make sure a safety system works, and the USB outlets shouldn't be in a vulnerable spot.

FFS Chrysler got it right, and the F150 design team got it right.....

Designers should take this crap into account. They didn't. Fail on their part to account for normal weather and normal use.

 

[Jmuns]

I would trade it in before you scuff up all the cheap plastic and slam on the breaks and spill coffee all over the place

 

[Benanza]

Can't put a backpack in through the window, shouldn't HAVE to use a pool noodle or anything else to make sure a safety system works, and the USB outlets shouldn't be in a vulnerable spot.

FFS Chrysler got it right, and the F150 design team got it right.....

Designers should take this crap into account. They didn't. Fail on their part to account for normal weather and normal use.

I put my backpack thru the back window every morning
Everything else is something you should have seen before you bought it

 

[TheDeadlySpaceman]

You’re right, you shouldn’t have to use a pool noodle.

You should simply do what literally everyone does when wet snow is likely to freeze- lift the wipers off the windshield. Letting them freeze to the window has been a pain for literally every car I’ve ever driven in the winter, it’s not some kind of flaw specific to the BS.

 

[Elegance]

Agree on the easily scuffed interior plastic. That kind of stinks, but I'm just extra careful.

Everything else you listed is preventable or fixable. I've never spilled liquids in any car I've ever owned...nevermind while driving at speed. The cupholders in the Sport have those little tension springs to keep your drink in place. Not sure how you'd propel any liquids far forward onto the USB port unless you had a full cup without a lid and slammed the brakes.

You can disable the warning to check your backseat. You can disable the limited touch inputs if you want to look for music while driving.

I'm a New Englander. If there is even the smallest chance of snow, I put my wipers up. Even if you forget, use your incredible remote start feature and have the snow and ice clear itself before you even set foot outside.

Not to sound rude, but these problems sound like they're caused by ignorance. If you think it's a nice small SUV and you're a fan of how it drives and looks, you can pick up the owner's manual and solve most of your other problems with it. I'd never get rid of a vehicle I liked over small inconveniences.

 

[Gone Postal]

I've never had an issue with wipers getting frozen in place like this on anything I've owned. Easy to clear with a scraper, 10 seconds and done.

 

[LazyDirtFarmer]

All in all, it's a nice small SUV.......that won't be in my driveway long. For everything I like about it, the flaws and poor design choices make it a poor choice for me.

I probably would have chosen a better topic than the OP for my first Thread Post on this forum, Most folks in this forum Love their BS and defend their choices... Words like "nasty flaws" seems a bit harsh. But, everyone is entitled to gripe. However, of all the other issues and opinions I've read on this forum, these seem trivial by comparison. Especially when a look through the manual, or a search on this forum would take care of most of these pain points, like disabling the Back Seat Alarm, using the Radio and putting up your Wipers. I didn't Love everything about my BS at first... I used help from the folks here on this forum to find options and make mods/changes to make my BS mine... Hope this helps

 

[AmazingSieve]

I don't think this condescending post is coming off the way you hope or want it to. While the car has flaws, which hey there are many fair criticisms, the ones you mentioned seemed trite and your attitude childish.

If you want a perfect car you wont get it at this price point, just not going to happen. Go ahead and sell your car it won't hurt feelings on here but I'm fairly certain you're the kind of person that will not be happy with any car. Go buy a Mazda or a Honda or a Toyota or whatever your money, buy what makes you happy.

It almost reminds me of when I used to work retail back in another life and a customer would get angry at this lowly associate and say I'm taking my business elsewhere....

Please....stop...don't go...

 

[tjbronco]

The back seat reminder does not sense things in the back seat. It only goes off if you have opened the rear doors when you first get in the car.
The wipers actually have a neat trick - you can move them around by hand when the car is not running. You can scoot them into the middle of the windsheild easily. Maybe not as easy as non-hidden wipers, but better than older hidden wipers that only moved by the motors.

 

[Glamdring70]

I thought it is an honest review. New poster or not, many of those same exact things have been said by other people. The USB gripe does seem a little far fetched... get a better cup! But we did have one person that reported spilled coffee went into the dial shifter and disabled the car. So it isn't totally unwarranted, but, get a better cup!

Some of those things can be better and some will feel better when you get more used to the car. I think when the car loses the literal new car smell, you'll accept some of those plastic scuffs. It just happens and I think all vehicles at the $30-$40k price point are similarly built.

Rear seat warning is annoying AF. Fortunately you'll find a setting to disable it. The setting is good for either 6 months or a year (I forget) and then it comes back on and you get to switch it off again. It's a side effect of building machines for the the lowest common denominator of a litigious society.

The snow and wipers won't bother you when it doesn't snow. So wherever you are in "Southern Tier", I'm betting snow isn't as big of an issue as it seems right now. It's unfortunate that they have that cavernous collection area, but get a cover or something and enjoy the heated wipers and remote start of your OB model. It isn't the smartest design but I think this is one of those places where form over function won out. The car has a great look and profile with this design. You can also park and raise the wipers by shutting it off, but then it is imperative that you lower them again before starting the car because they'll thrash the rear lip of the hood. Another issue reported by other people.

If you don't think you can learn to live with, all in all, minor flaws, take the other advice and get out. Used prices are dropping fast. Should be pretty good demand now.

 

[Glamdring70]

The wipers actually have a neat trick - you can move them around by hand when the car is not running. You can scoot them into the middle of the windsheild easily. Maybe not as easy as non-hidden wipers, but better than older hidden wipers that only moved by the motors.

Absolutely true and when the car first came out a lot of us found this out, but subsequently, officially Ford says this will break them. Stress on the drive or something. I no longer do it.

 

[Mark S.]

Now that I've had the Bronco Sport for a bit:

It's a really nice vehicle with a couple really nasty flaws.

It handles great, excellent both on the highway and around town.

The turning radius is awesome. Love being able to turn on a dime.

Agreed!

USB outlets in the center bin........in direct path from the cupholders. Is it really that difficult to put them in a protected spot?

Trouble is, if you put them somewhere they're hard to get to then you'll get complaints they're too hard to get to. You can't please everyone all the time...

Anyone care to guess how much of a PITA it is to clear that after a nice wet snow freezes? They really didn't think that one through.

I can't agree with this. Ford's designers made a number of compromises on this vehicle in the name of looks. My Bronco Sport is pretty much the same size and weight as my wife's Escape, and they have the same drivetrain. I average around 26 MPG in mixed driving while she gets 30+. Why? Because hers looks like a squashed jelly bean, just like all the other cross-over SUVs out there on the market, so it's a lot slipperier as regards the wind. In other words, we compromised fuel mileage so we can get that cool boxy look. I would imagine the same thought process put the wipers in a well, out of sight, instead of sitting up in plain view on the windshield. Is it a pain in the winter? Yup. But it sure looks a helluva a lot better!

All in all, it's a nice small SUV.......that won't be in my driveway long. For everything I like about it, the flaws and poor design choices make it a poor choice for me.

That's the only way to solve some problems. Hopefully you can find a vehicle more suited to your tastes. Good luck!

 

[Tigger]

Wow, we have had some serious whiners on these threads but this snowflake might take the cake for the first post whaaaaaa.

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