Zander1ni

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Zander1ni

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Took my first 375 mile trip in San Diego county today in my Area 51 big bend bronco sport. We did some easy trails called the Palomar mountain truck trail, high point road, and went in the sand at fonts point in borrego. The trails were a tall, fairly steep, hard pack rock ascent where clearance is needed but traction isn’t a problem. The descent was steep and long but again no traction issues.

- plenty of power in most all situations. Big differences between sport, slippery, sand, and eco. I didn’t drive in normal at all. I mostly used slippery

- suspension is very compliant and comfortable.

-good approach and departure angles. We didn’t get stuck or bottom out on anything including deep sand.

- auto hold works very well in all situations

- sand mode is impressive. Even stopping in deep sand the truck claws it’s way out in both forward and reverse. It also can go faster than anyone needs to go in the sand. I went up to about 60mph

- copilot assist+ allows you to eat up miles without fatigue. It’s a must have for me.

- overall 21 mpg for the day

-cons: hood is very very tall and hard to see over, anything more than a moderate trail requires the badlands trim which no doubt can do plenty. I didn’t push the car as it’s a week old and didn’t want to rip off bumpers or destroy parts underneath
 

Elboy

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i think a lot of people were waiting for something like this thank you! so many badlands reviews not a single big bend off road performance review (that i know of)
 

Excape

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i think a lot of people were waiting for something like this thank you! so many badlands reviews not a single big bend off road performance review (that i know of)
Yes, this solidifying my choice that the Big Bend trim will suit my needs perfectly.
 


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Zander1ni

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How would you say it handled vs. something like a RAV4
ive never driven a rav 4 or the like off road at all. I have experience wheeling in a Lexus GX470 and Touareg tdi. Both cars are beasts and there is simply no comparison between a GX and the bronco sport. For what it is I would guess that the bronco sport is the best off road due to it being tuned and designed for that despite the only 7.9 inches of ground clearance on the lower models. It has top notch approach, break over, and departure angles

“The RAV4's shape doesn't do its off-roading credentials any favors. Its long chin (unchanged from the standard RAV4) contributes to a 19.0-degree approach angle, while a low-hanging exhaust setup is part of the reason it shares its 21.0-degree departure angle with the rest of the RAV4 lineup. Toyota hasn't disclosed the RAV4 TRD Off-Road's breakover angle, but given its 8.6 inches of ground clearance, it's probably not great”

the bronco sport has a 21.7 approach angle and a 30.4 departure angle
 

SkyHigh98

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ive never driven a rav 4 or the like off road at all. I have experience wheeling in a Lexus GX470 and Touareg tdi. Both cars are beasts and there is simply no comparison between a GX and the bronco sport. For what it is I would guess that the bronco sport is the best off road due to it being tuned and designed for that despite the only 7.9 inches of ground clearance on the lower models. It has top notch approach, break over, and departure angles

“The RAV4's shape doesn't do its off-roading credentials any favors. Its long chin (unchanged from the standard RAV4) contributes to a 19.0-degree approach angle, while a low-hanging exhaust setup is part of the reason it shares its 21.0-degree departure angle with the rest of the RAV4 lineup. Toyota hasn't disclosed the RAV4 TRD Off-Road's breakover angle, but given its 8.6 inches of ground clearance, it's probably not great”

the bronco sport has a 21.7 approach angle and a 30.4 departure angle
Does the underside have any protection (like actual skid plates and not just plastic?)
 
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Zander1ni

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Does the underside have any protection (like actual skid plates and not just plastic?)
as far as I can tell it does not. I really only would use this for easy-moderate off roading
 


Elboy

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any socal trails in specific you’re confident the Big Bend could handle just fine? any trails you think it will have a hard time?

just trying to gauge if I should just opt for the Big Bend instead of the Badlands, main reason is to save money with a 5k difference between my order and one available at a local dealership.
 
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Zander1ni

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any socal trails in specific you’re confident the Big Bend could handle just fine? any trails you think it will have a hard time?

just trying to gauge if I should just opt for the Big Bend instead of the Badlands, main reason is to save money with a 5k difference between my order and one available at a local dealership.
to be totally honest if I were you and I was most concerned about off road performance I would get the badlands. Mainly for the underbody protection. Considering most people going off road will upgrade to all terrains the badlands is a good value.

in terms of trails anything that is ranked easy to moderate will be good for the vehicle. Think forest service roads, sand washes in anza borrego etc...it will do everything a Subaru can do no worries and likely better as there is no cvt
 

Elboy

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to be totally honest if I were you and I was most concerned about off road performance I would get the badlands. Mainly for the underbody protection. Considering most people going off road will upgrade to all terrains the badlands is a good value.

in terms of trails anything that is ranked easy to moderate will be good for the vehicle. Think forest service roads, sand washes in anza borrego etc...it will do everything a Subaru can do no worries and likely better as there is no cvt
awesome. coming from a 2010 subaru forester it seems like either option (BB or BL) will be good for me. I feel like a Big Bend with Wildpeaks and aftermarket underbody protection sounds like a better option for me. I always seem to be pulled back to opting for the Badlands.

decisions... haha

thanks for the insight! just hoping I make the right decisions, weighing finances and off-road capabilities.
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