How does the 1.5 3 Cylinder Engine Do Up Big Mountains?

[Dude]

@jasongitar if you haven’t already, test drive a new badlands and any of the new 1.5L models before pulling the trigger on the newish Bronco Sport of your choice. Unfortunately no mountains in the phoenix area unless they will let you test drive up South Mountain (speed limit restricted so won’t give a true impression of heading north on I17).

I’ll be honest but anyone considering the ‘21-‘24 1.5L models should ask for all repair records and look them over carefully. No one on this forum (except Ford corporate and they aren’t talking) knows the actual failure rates of those models water pumps, rear drive units, transmissions etc. Many 1.5L owners on this forum have had great luck with few if any unexpected repairs and others with the ‘21-‘24 1.5L have had numerous issues. My recommendation has to be to go with the Badlands.

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[Adanac]

Hello, I am new to the forum. I was thinking about getting a newish Bronco Sport and I recently found out about the engine only having 3 cylinders. I go back and fourth from Phoenix then up a big mountain to Prescott, Arizona. It's about a 1 hour drive each way and about 15-20 minutes of that is up that big mountain when going from Phoenix to Prescott. I was wondering how the engine holds up after a while on drives like that. I probably wouldn't be ever pulling a trailer or anything like that, but likely to carry band equipment for shows I play up there in the back. I have read that a lot of dealers are getting these vehicles back because the engine going out and it takes a long time to get them replaced even with warranty. That scared me, but I really like this vehicle a lot, wanted to hear some opinions. I was looking at the bigger V6 Broncos, but way too out of my price range. Thanks for your help in advance!

Badlands trim have a 2.0 turbo

 

[Adanac]

@jasongitar if you haven’t already, test drive a new badlands and any of the new 1.5L models before pulling the trigger on the newish Bronco Sport of your choice. Unfortunately no mountains in the phoenix area unless they will let you test drive up South Mountain (speed limit restricted so won’t give a true impression of heading north on I17).

I’ll be honest but anyone considering the ‘21-‘24 1.5L models should ask for all repair records and look them over carefully. No one on this forum (except Ford corporate and they aren’t talking) knows the actual failure rates of those models water pumps, rear drive units, transmissions etc. Many 1.5L owners on this forum have had great luck with few if any unexpected repairs and others with the ‘21-‘24 1.5L have had numerous issues. My recommendation has to be to go with the Badlands.

I'm starting to think the US Bronco Sports are made different than the ones available in Canada. I'm on my second one since I change every couple of years and I've had no problems wirh either. Nor do o see a y on the shop being fixed at the dealership. Just oil and filter changes. I've the Bandlands and I use the highest premium Shell gasoline. Great mileage, runs clean, scoots also.

 

[Dude]

I'm starting to think the US Bronco Sports are made different than the ones available in Canada. I'm on my second one since I change every couple of years and I've had no problems wirh either. Nor do o see a y on the shop being fixed at the dealership. Just oil and filter changes. I've the Bandlands and I use the highest premium Shell gasoline. Great mileage, runs clean, scoots also.

All ‘21-‘26 Bronco Sport models are assembled at the Ford/Mexico facility in Hermosillo Mexico

Your experience with your Badlands with 2L engine is pretty much spot on for “most” owners - that’s in quotes because obviously while we might know the total number of ‘21-‘26 Bronco Sport models with the 2L engine Ford built to-date, none of us know the actual issues 2L BS owners may or may not have had - only Ford corporate would know that information

This thread is more about the 1.5L models which I once saw comprise about ~90% of all Bronco Sport models sold (I don’t know if that number is still reasonably accurate)

 

[Adanac]

All ‘21-‘26 Bronco Sport models are assembled at the Ford/Mexico facility in Hermosillo Mexico

Your experience with your Badlands with 2L engine is pretty much spot on for “most” owners - that’s in quotes because obviously while we might know the total number of ‘21-‘26 Bronco Sport models with the 2L engine Ford built to-date, none of us know the actual issues 2L BS owners may or may not have had - only Ford corporate would know that information

This thread is more about the 1.5L models which I once saw comprise about ~90% of all Bronco Sport models sold (I don’t know if that number is still reasonably accurate)

I was thinking Mexico might have had a bit if a hate on, making the ones going to the USA, but love us Canadians. Who knows.

 

[jkernitzki]

I was thinking Mexico might have had a bit if a hate on, making the ones going to the USA, but love us Canadians. Who knows.

Trust me, the line workers in Hermosillo have no idea where a particular unit is being shipped to, much less really care. Besides, they're all union workers making higher than average wages, thanks to the UAW in the US.

 

[Adanac]

Trust me, the line workers in Hermosillo have no idea where a particular unit is being shipped to, much less really care. Besides, they're all union workers making higher than average wages, thanks to the UAW in the US.

You know this how? Just curious.

 

[Stircrazy]

the 2 liter isn't a big engine, but from personal experience having one less cylinder i got LESS MPG mostly flat land. i hated how the 1.5L was always working so hard. seemed like revs were higher on average during normal driving just to get out of its own way. its impressive for what it is, and i was excited to try it out, but couldn't trust it long term. with the long list of recalls and no real fixes for major issues like water pumps, and fuel injectors, and the random cracked catalytic converter here and there.

not what most of you want to hear but its my 2 cents.

my 1.5 gets way better milage than the 2L in the wifes car. I drive around to work and back getting in the low to mid 6L/100km at 120kph. I put off road tires on that and I jumped up to 7.0L/100km the best my wifes 2L has done is about 8.5l/100km on the highway and even the stickers on the cars when you buy them have higher highway and city fuel usage for the 2.0 over the 1.5.

the reves are a bit higher because it is using a 8 speed transmission and can better dial in the rpm for power vs. economy. jsut because a engin is reving a bit higher doesnt mean it is working harder. it would be working much harder if it was trying to maintain that same speed with out gearing down. doing 2600 rpm up a hill vs 1200 rpm, that 1200 rpm if it did that all the time under big loads would destroy your engine. thats what deisels are for, and they even have their sweet spots. for what it is worth my 1.5L in my bronco has more HP and TQ (not by much) than my 2010 ford fusion with the big 2.5L 4cyl and it accelerates way faster also.

as for the recals, there has been 2 on my 2023, the seatbelt thing and the injectors. I have never had a leakign water pump, or any of these other issues.

 

[Arcee]

No issues with my 1.5L '25 Bronco Sport. More than enough power for virtually any driving scenario. My previous vehicle had a 300hp V6, and I had concerns that the 1.5L 3cyl would not be sufficient, but it has proven itself to be just as capable as the V6. Not to mention the fuel economy is substantially better.

Stories of complete engine failures are grossly exaggerated. That is not something that has been widely reported. Water pumps on early models maybe, transmission issues sure. Keep up with the maintenance and the engine will be just fine.

 

[Quashish]

even the stickers on the cars when you buy them have higher highway and city fuel usage for the 2.0 over the 1.5.

of course, however those claims are determined by wind tunnel test in perfect conditions at 55mph. not real word applications.

the reves are a bit higher because it is using a 8 speed transmission and can better dial in the rpm for power vs. economy.

all sports use an 8 speed transmission

for what it is worth my 1.5L in my bronco has more HP and TQ (not by much) than my 2010 ford fusion with the big 2.5L 4cyl and it accelerates way faster also.

that's why i can never go back to a naturally aspirated vehicle

as for the recals, there has been 2 on my 2023, the seatbelt thing and the injectors. I have never had a leakign water pump, or any of these other issues.

you definitely got one of the good ones

 

[sandog]

I live in the Verde Valley between Phoenix and Flagstaff. Going any direction, north south or northeast towards Payson is a climb out of this valley.
This morning I went to Flagstaff, I can climb that grade at 65 with the 1.5L doing about 2300 RPM.
People fly by me doing 85, most certainly using a lot more fuel than I am.

I notice a bit less power in the mountains than the 2.3L I had in the Ranger for 5 years, but only a little less. Now if I was towing something I'd wish for the bigger motor, but the 1.5L has been fine for just getting the BS into the mountains and back.
When the road flattens out or heads downhill, I like to put the 1.5L in Eco mode and run just as well with 2 cylinders firing as the people around me with 6 or 8 cylinders.

 

[logjamexcalibur]

the 2 liter isn't a big engine, but from personal experience having one less cylinder i got LESS MPG mostly flat land. i hated how the 1.5L was always working so hard. seemed like revs were higher on average during normal driving just to get out of its own way. its impressive for what it is, and i was excited to try it out, but couldn't trust it long term. with the long list of recalls and no real fixes for major issues like water pumps, and fuel injectors, and the random cracked catalytic converter here and there.

not what most of you want to hear but its my 2 cents.

fuelly stats for 2025 model year bronco sports if anyone is interested. Unsurprisingly, the 1.5 gets better fuel economy.

 

[Quashish]

fuelly stats for 2025 model year bronco sports if anyone is interested. Unsurprisingly, the 1.5 gets better fuel economy.

Cool graphics

From my personal experience owning both a big bend and now a badlands i can tell you with our driving habits the big bend got worse MPG. Like i said, not what most of you want to hear. If you like driving 10 miles under the speed limit to achieve those numbers thats fine too.

 

[Stircrazy]

of course, however those claims are determined by wind tunnel test in perfect conditions at 55mph. not real word applications.

no, they are done on dynos now to simulate road drage and other conditions. for the record the advertised milage for mine was 8.4l/100 km. when I got it it had energy conserving tires and it would average out at 6.8L/100km so way better than what ford advertised. I also rented one and drove all over ontario one the same year I got mine, and in the areas where the speed limit was 90kph (55mph) I averaged 5.8L/100km. so the new fule milage standards are kind of a worse case number. so according to you I should be getting 8.4L/100km at 55 miles per on perfectly flat ground, infact like i said when it had the old tires on it I was getting 6.8 L/100km doing 120kph to work and back up grade 6 to 8 hills. with the all terrain tires I put on that dropped to 7.4L/100km on the same drive. still way better than the 8.4 it was suposed to get.

also you have to keep in mine the rpm of the engine doesnt mean it is using more fuel. different engines have different power bands where they want to be for the maximum power vs. fuel milage, just because the engine is running at a higher rpm going up a hill doesnt nessasarly mean it is working harder. the computer has just shifted gears to put it in a rpm range that is the best for that engine to handle.

another fun thing, the three cyclender on low load steady driving becomes a 2 cyclinder

 

[Gents]

I'm kind of struggling with this 1.5 in challenging positions. I find myself having to kick in overdrive and it feels and sounds like laboring is happening.

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