What’s everyone thinking Powertrain?

[DanielFE]

I knew i would have to correct myself.

I did own the 2012 4 door Jeep JKU with the new, at the time, 6 cylinder. That was a huge improvement over the previous engines for long distance driving but it was still a Jeep.

Sponsored

 

[RonSwanson]

Have a very new Bronco Sport FE with the 2.0 and although i have barely driven it since picking it up on Christmas Eve it's certainly no slouch in the acceleration department.

This is my first SUV ever and my usual car suspects are the German kind; Audi, BMW, Mini etc., so i genuinely wasn't expecting anything particularly quick.

I would never turn down reliable extra power but i think a bigger motor in the Bronco Sport would get people in trouble quickly. High-ish ground clearance, short-ish wheelbase and an off-road suspension designed for comfort don't really mate that well with high horsepower. It would be a whole new animal in the engineering department. Most of the sport variants of the established SUVs are closer to the ground with super stiff suspensions for spirited on road commuting. Hence my personal purchase of the Bronco Sport vs an Audi SQ5.

My guess is that the 0-60times on these will be well under 7 seconds.

I'd agree with this.

For the sake of reference....my wife's daily driver is an Edge ST with the 2.7L (335hp / 380 lb-ft) and I don't feel like I'm lacking in power at all when going from driving that vehicle to the 2.0L in the Bronco Sport.

The Edge ST is ~6 seconds 0-60 and I'd agree with your assessment that the 2.0L Bronco Sport is in the same neighborhood in terms of acceleration.

 

[Sergeant Gearhead]

Ford literally offers these options in a vehicle that you are asking for. Suv with 290-480 HP and 317-428 lb-ft of torque. Im guessing that vehicle doesn’t have the correct options either

I understand this, but I still think it'd be a cool idea if Ford dropped a 2.3 into the Bronco Sport and Escape. It'd make for a good niche in the already swelling crossover lineup. Think about it. Hyundai is working on a Tucson N-Line that could produce around 290 horsepower. If they could do it, so could Ford. But if 300/320 hp and 350 lb-ft is too much for the platform/transmission to take, so be it. I can live with 270 hp/310 trq. Either way, people are going to buy them.

 

[Sergeant Gearhead]

Dropping a bigger engine than the ones provided in any vehicle is cool in theory. They will have to offer more options than just softer racing tires for better grip. Also have to dial back the throttle in all modes so it’s not so sensitive to spin your tires.

Serious question.. Why should Ford make the bronco sport and escape offer what the Mach-e, edge, and bronco 2/4dr offer. Do these vehicles not contain enough power for you and your solution is they put those engines in the BS and escape? Or is it because you think the style of the bronco sport and escape will sell better for ford by offering diverse BS and escape trims opposed to ford offering a diverse vehicle line up?

But maybe Ford consulted the wrong people when determining which engines to offer for the sport. Maybe they are missing a large portion of sales.

I'm sure both engines have plenty of power and torque for the average SUV buyer. In fact, the 2.0-liter engine might be the one I'd pick if I was looking for a Bronco Sport/Escape. However, Ford won't bring the new Focus ST over to the US, so what better way to fill in that gap with a performance-oriented Escape or BS?

Point is, I'm just interested to see what Ford would come up with. I've got nothing against the current engine selection. I'm just saying that Ford shouldn't have to make people upgrade to an Explorer/Ranger/Big Bronco/etc in order to get the engine upgrade if they do want to get the 2.3. It's like you said: more trim levels, more customers. And a high-performance variant for the Escape and Bronco Sport seems like a logical step for Ford. If they're not going to build a US-bound Focus ST, this is the least they can do.

 

[Dylan]

I'm certainly late to this discussion, and the other threads on this general topic. I would gladly trade my well-maintained 2010 and 2012 Escape V6 Limiteds for new Bronco Sports if I could get the Outer Banks with the 2L engine (and my two Escapes replaced 2005 and 2009 V6 Limiteds). I understand why Ford would make these choices, but I have kept the Escapes because they still have a meaningful "U" in SUV, whereas the new Escapes - arguably much better cars - have moved forward on the style spectrum and have the sloping roof line, which reduces the ability to carry "boxy" items. The fact that cargo space may be the same is mainly attributable to the fact that the overall length just keeps growing. I don't want the size of the Bronco, and the BS is actually slightly shorter than the earlier generation Escapes, but with a longer wheelbase. I would like the options of the Outer Banks, as well as the quieter A/S tires, but going from the V6 to the 1.5L gives up too much performance. Maybe these choices will be available next year.

 

[Washburn]

I'm certainly late to this discussion, and the other threads on this general topic. I would gladly trade my well-maintained 2010 and 2012 Escape V6 Limiteds for new Bronco Sports if I could get the Outer Banks with the 2L engine (and my two Escapes replaced 2005 and 2009 V6 Limiteds).

I too, have a 2010 V6 AWD Limited with 90k miles, bought about 2 yrs ago, used.
I love this vehicle as a 3rd car/beater/extra/adventure car, etc. It is not a beast off road by any chance, but it has already taken us to trail heads that my 2005 BMW or my wife's 2014 Mazda6 would not even try.
We keep our cars a long time usually and I almost feel guilty trading the 2010 Escape in too soon... feels like I need to get to at least 150k on that thing. The B/S being so similar to the 2010 Escape is one reason I got so attracted to it. It's just like a better, newer 2nd gen Escape.
If I do keep the Escape a bit longer (in that case I need to fix leaking VCG and oil pan gasket) then it makes more sense for me to wait for the 2022 B/S (my choice is BL+BL - I MUST have the 2L engine: otherwise, like you said, it's going to feel like a downgrade, performance-wise),
--OR if there are no improvements/perks over the 2021 models, get a CPO or slightly used 2021 BL+BL .... not sure how the market will be for USED BL+BL will be though.... I doubt there will be many of those used that soon....

Sponsored