Undecided, trim level

[SNOW JW]

looking For, something I can use as a runaround car and let the Diesel sit in the garage. Being from a Ford family we have had the escape for the wife and loved it, but I’m looking for a little more off-road ability for the occasional gravel road that turns into a goat trail.

that said 90% of what I do is gonna be highway 75 mph & gravel Road 35 mph stuff granted our gravel roads can be pretty rough so I’m curious does the Badlands ride a lot better on washboard roads versus the Outer Banks or should I just stay with the 1.5?
Thanks

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[Bigband]

The Badland trim comes with a all the GOAT driving modes and a different rear end that can mimic 4-wheel drive. I have a 24 Badlands and have enjoyed every minute. The gas mileage is not as good as the 1.5 liter found in other trims, but it can move the Bronco like a sports car. If you are looking at a 21 - 24 model the 2.0-liter engine has fewer issues.

 

[Davenorton]

The Badland trim comes with a all the GOAT driving modes and a different rear end that can mimic 4-wheel drive. I have a 24 Badlands and have enjoyed every minute. The gas mileage is not as good as the 1.5 liter found in other trims, but it can move the Bronco like a sports car. If you are looking at a 21 - 24 model the 2.0-liter engine has fewer issues.

I have a 21 badlands with badlands trim, and agree with every thing you said. So pleased in every way with my choice!

 

[Dadio]

Snow JW - Happy Big Bend owner here. The 1.5 is a great engine, excellent economy and lots of horse power. The ride quality is good. We use the BB to tow our Polaris SxS to the trailheads , and theres no reason the BB can’t take on rough roads and average trails. Gravel roads will be a cinch. No we don’t go rock climbing and mudding in the BB … but that’s what our side-by-side is for.

 

[Sojourner]

Badlands. 100%

 

[karredber]

Agree with Sojourner-Badlands for sure! I had a BB loved it in 2021 but transmission was a bit of a problem so upgraded to the Badlands for 2024. Love the extra power. I owned a Camaro prior to the 2021 BB so now I feel the sports car again!

 

[Bloomsey]

Since you said that off-roading won't be a too frequent occurrence, I'd say just go for the Outer Banks. I have one and it has been perfect for me, and I do occasionally take it on loose gravel roads with 0 issues. But if you aren't pressed for money and wanna spend a few more grand, definitely go for the badlands.

 

[Stircrazy]

I went with the outer banks, I figured if I am spending that much time in it commuting I wanted to be a bit more conferrable and wanted the better lighting and the fuel efficiency of the 1.5L

 

[MAGPLM]

Badlands is only way to go!!!

 

[Davenorton]

Badlands is only way to go!!!

Nice stable!

 

[Tigger]

I had the Outer Banks but now I have the Badlands (Heritage Limited). I really liked the OBX and one of the big advantages was the gas mileage. However, for me, there was one exception to this. In my experience, when you get to high speeds on the highway (like 80+), the improvement of the 1.5L over the 2.0L is lost. So, since you said a lot on the highway and at 75 speed limit, I would lean toward the Badlands. But honestly, I loved them both.

 

[B-Dog15]

I have a ‘22 Big Bend and have loved every second of it. I feel the 1.5L is a nice engine and feels fine both on and on the hilly gravel roads I take occasionally at work. I have never had issues passing other cars or getting ip to speed quickly when needed.

However, the 2.0 is definitely the better engine overall when it comes to power and issues being reported from what I hear and still gets decent gas mileage so it really just depends on what you value in your truck. If you want a more peppy engine and want slightly more ground clearance and off-roading gadgets the Badlands is the best answer.

If you want a truck that gets better gas mileage with reduced power but can still handle some rougher gravel roads, 1.5L model would be the way.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

The Badland trim comes with a all the GOAT driving modes and a different rear end that can mimic 4-wheel drive. I have a 24 Badlands and have enjoyed every minute. The gas mileage is not as good as the 1.5 liter found in other trims, but it can move the Bronco like a sports car. If you are looking at a 21 - 24 model the 2.0-liter engine has fewer issues.

To be fair the 1.5 Eco Boost Bronco Sports outsell the Badlands by a WIDE Margin so why wouldn't the 2.0 have fewer issues? About the only common issues i hear about on the 1.5 Eco Boost has been Water Pumps.

 

[ESBadlands]

I don’t think it’s been mentioned but the Badlands has completely different suspension than the other models. If you put a premium on ride comfort off road that will be where the difference shows up the most. IMHO

 

[ltcdwb]

We looked at new 2024 Big Bend Bronco Sports and really liked them. But the dealer had a used 2022 Bronco Sport Badlands. The color was really nice and I saw it had the full GOAT mode controls so I was beginning to lean toward the Badlands. It had less than 9,000 miles on it and was close to the same price as the new Big Bends. Then I found out the Badlands have a 2.0 L four cylinder engine. That pretty much cinched it for us.

We have had it close to two months now and we are very happy with everything about the Badlands. The handling on both highways and bumpy country roads (yeah, we live very RURAL.)

Our average gas mileage is 24.8 MPG and has been steadily going up.

During the last eight years of my working career I drove a county vehicle that happened to be the Ford Escape. In that time I went through two Escapes. I really appreciated the all wheel drive since I was usually driving in severe weather conditions when I was called out in the middle of the night.

I mentioned the Escapes to say the Bronco Sport Badlands took the good points of the Escape and added some additional very nice features. The GOAT mode in the Badlands is one of those additions. I might never need it, but I'm happy to have it.

My vote is the Badlands.

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