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I have posted many times here. This site has been my go too site for all things Bronco Sport, better than a Chiltons for those old enough to remember having a few of those around. I've always been a Ford guy, first car was a 62 Galaxy with a 390 Thunderbird engine. I still have the car I took my drivers test in. A 73 Maverick, 302, 2-door so Fords are dear to my heart. Fords have also given me the oppurtunity to stock my tool box(s) with everything needed to work on them. I think we can all agree, Fords need tender loving care to keep them moving. I digress, back to the BS. I have a 21 OB, sort of a impulse buy but turned out a good one. A lot of pro's and con's as with most anything so here is my new iteration of both.
To dive into the cons, here goes, and many of these have already been mentioned many times so here is more validation. Number 1: Paint, okay looks great if you keep a good ceramic coat on it and granted black, as mine is, is the hardest color to keep up with. It chips easily, shows micro-scratches in the sun and water spots happen with each drop of rain. Other than that looks great when washed and a good ceramic coat to show it off. Number 2: Engine noise (1.5) I never had an engine with so much to say. Refinement is not a selling point but in the end it does run good, although it does sound like Grand Father Clock with a few marbles thrown in. Number 3: Break squeal: Okay another less than desirable refinement issue but not a deal breaker. In my case, as with a reason to buy tools I upgraded to Power Stop Brakes. The kit came with Slotted Rotors and Ceramic Pads, plus I changed out the Guide Pins with the TSB OEM Kit recommended by Ford. Problem solved with a caveat. It really helps to not use the Brake Lock function when parking. If the pads are not contacting the rotor overnight then the reverse moan becomes a non-issue, that is with the upgrade. Even with the upgrade if the pads are left over night in contact with the rotor they will moan a bit when reversing. Florida is a high humidity environment so that is a huge factor with the moan issue. Number 3: This is a biggie, my RDU and one rear axle failed after 36K. Thankfully all was covered under the Power Train Warranty, if not that would have been a $4000 dollar expense plus a rental. The recalls can be added to that although these are pretty much common with any manufacturer other than a few Japanese brands. Number 4: Now this one is more of personal observance concerning wiper blades. The Ford blades suck! Okay they work good for 6 months before they start to suck. I first changed them out with OEM Ford blades but at 60 dollars a pop I started to feel guilty, the BS doesn't care what blades are on it but my wallet sure did. On a whim I purchased a roll of wiper blade rubber on Amazon, about 12 feet for $7. After a learning curve on how to remove the old rubber without destroying the whole assembly it was a game changer for me. Only took 50 years to figure out. That $7 saved me about $200 in new blades so far and I still have enough material for another change out.
Now the good stuff. I have been tweaking on engines since 76 and this Ford is very responsive to mods. I changed out the intake with a AFE CAI with a Pro 5 S filter and coupled that with a custom exhaust. The sound was better than I could of imagined as I never had a 3 cylinder before, uncharted territory in that department. No droan, moan, ungodly rasp, just a smooth, low, performance sound. Better than most 4 cylinder performance exhausts I have heard. Economy went up by 25% in an instant, performance increased as well but I am a very conservative driver so the increased economy was my goal. I adjust the Fuel Bias using the ECU Engineering Test Mode every 10K, after 40k my average is 34.4 mpg. That is with mostly Freeway miles (80/20). City driving MPG increased also but not as much as my Freeway driving. I also started using Ford full-syn oil after breaking-in the engine, up'd tire pressure to 38psi, use cruise as much as practicle and as I said drive conservatively with brief, "cleaning out the cob webs" moments in Sport Mode. Other mods included hood struts, oil catch can, and some interior upgrades, All in all no regrets what so ever. Barring the insane dealer mark-up I paid I have no regrets. The BS does what I need and looks good doing it. Can't wait till the Hybred model comes out. Probably be another chance to buy more tools. Good luck all.
To dive into the cons, here goes, and many of these have already been mentioned many times so here is more validation. Number 1: Paint, okay looks great if you keep a good ceramic coat on it and granted black, as mine is, is the hardest color to keep up with. It chips easily, shows micro-scratches in the sun and water spots happen with each drop of rain. Other than that looks great when washed and a good ceramic coat to show it off. Number 2: Engine noise (1.5) I never had an engine with so much to say. Refinement is not a selling point but in the end it does run good, although it does sound like Grand Father Clock with a few marbles thrown in. Number 3: Break squeal: Okay another less than desirable refinement issue but not a deal breaker. In my case, as with a reason to buy tools I upgraded to Power Stop Brakes. The kit came with Slotted Rotors and Ceramic Pads, plus I changed out the Guide Pins with the TSB OEM Kit recommended by Ford. Problem solved with a caveat. It really helps to not use the Brake Lock function when parking. If the pads are not contacting the rotor overnight then the reverse moan becomes a non-issue, that is with the upgrade. Even with the upgrade if the pads are left over night in contact with the rotor they will moan a bit when reversing. Florida is a high humidity environment so that is a huge factor with the moan issue. Number 3: This is a biggie, my RDU and one rear axle failed after 36K. Thankfully all was covered under the Power Train Warranty, if not that would have been a $4000 dollar expense plus a rental. The recalls can be added to that although these are pretty much common with any manufacturer other than a few Japanese brands. Number 4: Now this one is more of personal observance concerning wiper blades. The Ford blades suck! Okay they work good for 6 months before they start to suck. I first changed them out with OEM Ford blades but at 60 dollars a pop I started to feel guilty, the BS doesn't care what blades are on it but my wallet sure did. On a whim I purchased a roll of wiper blade rubber on Amazon, about 12 feet for $7. After a learning curve on how to remove the old rubber without destroying the whole assembly it was a game changer for me. Only took 50 years to figure out. That $7 saved me about $200 in new blades so far and I still have enough material for another change out.
Now the good stuff. I have been tweaking on engines since 76 and this Ford is very responsive to mods. I changed out the intake with a AFE CAI with a Pro 5 S filter and coupled that with a custom exhaust. The sound was better than I could of imagined as I never had a 3 cylinder before, uncharted territory in that department. No droan, moan, ungodly rasp, just a smooth, low, performance sound. Better than most 4 cylinder performance exhausts I have heard. Economy went up by 25% in an instant, performance increased as well but I am a very conservative driver so the increased economy was my goal. I adjust the Fuel Bias using the ECU Engineering Test Mode every 10K, after 40k my average is 34.4 mpg. That is with mostly Freeway miles (80/20). City driving MPG increased also but not as much as my Freeway driving. I also started using Ford full-syn oil after breaking-in the engine, up'd tire pressure to 38psi, use cruise as much as practicle and as I said drive conservatively with brief, "cleaning out the cob webs" moments in Sport Mode. Other mods included hood struts, oil catch can, and some interior upgrades, All in all no regrets what so ever. Barring the insane dealer mark-up I paid I have no regrets. The BS does what I need and looks good doing it. Can't wait till the Hybred model comes out. Probably be another chance to buy more tools. Good luck all.
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