Used 2021 Ford Bronco Sport

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport is the third model to join Ford’s Bronco family of SUVs. Unlike the Bronco 2- and 4-door, which are based on a truck platform, the Bronco Sport is based on a crossover SUV platform. This vehicle is smaller than the Escape and larger than the EcoSport, putting the Bronco Sport in the large subcompact SUV category. While some larger subcompact SUVs skew toward city life and errand-running, the Bronco Sport is designed for adventure. It has trail-tested off-road capability, up to 8.8 inches of ground clearance, a purpose-built interior, and a terrain-management system that makes it easy to navigate a variety of surfaces. We expect the Bronco Sport to compete with vehicles like the Jeep Compass and Subaru Crosstrek.

Although the Bronco Sport has been designed with a lot of the 2021 Ford Bronco’s DNA, the Sport is not as hardcore an off-roader as the Bronco. Even if you aren’t looking to go rock-crawling, but like to camp, go biking, or simply enjoy the great outdoors, you will find a lot to like about the Bronco Sport. You can get an engine with an (estimated) 245 horsepower, and an 8-speed automatic transmission comes standard. The cargo area was designed to hold two upright mountain bikes. There are clever interior storage solutions that would come in handy in the city or on a weekend in the woods. And the 2021 Bronco Sport comes standard with impressive safety features, including Ford’s Co-Pilot360 suite of advanced safety.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport is billed as a rugged, compact SUV. True enough, during our test, we blasted over sandy dunes and up rocky mountain trails that would have caused most compact SUVs to evacuate their undercarriage. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine found in the Badlands trim generated ample thrust to power us over loose and rocky terrain. Meanwhile, the Badland’s twin-clutch 4-wheel-drive system smartly apportioned torque to the wheel best able to exploit it. It might be the “little Bronco,” but the Bronco Sport is a true off-roader.

Stick to paved roads, though, and the Bronco Sport’s pliable suspension delivers a supple ride, along with noticeable body lean when cornering swiftly. Even so, the Bronco Sport tracks with great stability, both in a straight line and in corners. That stability, plus a reasonably quiet cabin, helped mitigate fatigue during the many hours we spent motoring to and from the wilderness. A high hood and thick C-pillars hinder outward visibility somewhat, but, big picture, the 2021 Bronco Sport drives commendably well.

The Bronco Sport’s upright body style allows the interior to be large and accommodating for this vehicle’s size. Doing this creates more headroom for taller passengers, as well as enough space in the cargo area to carry to mountain bikes sitting upright.

The interior is a simple, clean layout that uses large, easy-to-reach physical buttons and knobs. In the instrument cluster, there is a digital display between the two main gauges. There’s a touchscreen near the top of the dash, with all infotainment and climate controls below.

The interior we saw uses gray and black on the dash and seats, and orange and brown accents on the dash and doors. The seats in the model we saw are a muted brown with the Bronco logo embroidered into the top of each seat, below the headrest. There are black inserts in the top and bottom seat cushions. On the back of both front seats, there’s a MOLLE (modular lightweight load-carrying equipment) strap system that can be used with access bags, or anything that can be attached with carabiners. Above that is a zip-up storage pocket. And there’s extra storage under the bottom cushion of the rear seat.

The front of the 2021 Bronco Sport strongly resembles the design of the larger Ford Bronco, with a single-piece grille and round headlights that pay tribute to the 1966-1977 Bronco – and no Ford blue oval logo. The Bronco Sport will have a contrast-color roof and roof-mounted rack. The Bronco Sport’s vertical, upright design allows for a lot of space in the cabin for people and gear. There will be key details that differentiate the trim levels, such as the Outer Banks model, with body-color door handles, a black grille with “Bronco” in white, and painted black wheels. The Badlands is the most capable trim level of this SUV, and it looks the part. It sits higher, with wide tires and a confident stance.

STORAGE SOLUTIONS
The MOLLE (modular lightweight load-carrying equipment) strap system can use access bags, or anything you want to attach with your own carabiners. You can fit two upright mountain bikes in the cargo area, where there are plenty of handy storage hooks, plus rubberized rear seatbacks. The rear cargo management system can be configured five ways, and there’s a slide-out table, too. There’s also a 400-watt inverter plus two floodlamps in the liftgate, making it easier to load and unload cargo at night.

G.O.A.T. MODES AND TRAIL CONTROL
These systems can make adventures a lot less intimidating for drivers of all experience levels. The Terrain Management System with G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Terrain) Modes adjusts the throttle and transmission based on the type of terrain you’re on. All models come with Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, and Sand options, and the Badlands model adds Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl. Trail Control, essentially a low-speed off-road cruise control, controls the throttle and brakes, letting you concentrate on the trail.

The base Bronco Sport is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine with 181 horsepower mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. All Bronco Sports come standard with a version of 4-wheel drive, plus 17-inch wheels and LED headlights. The Co-Pilot360 suite of advanced safety features is also standard. It includes blind-spot information with cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, and pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection. Adding the Co-Pilot360 Assist+ adds adaptive cruise control and more. Sync3 operated through an 8-inch touchscreen comes with every Bronco Sport, as does the Terrain Management System with G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Terrain) Modes.

It only takes one step up in model, to the Big Bend, to get a rubberized cargo floor and easy-to-clean cloth seats. This model also adds fog lights. Other features you can get with higher trim levels include USB-A and C ports, heated leather power front seats, an upgraded 4WD system – a twin-clutch system that also has an electronic differential lock – and Trail Control, which is essentially a low-speed off-road cruise control. The system controls vehicle speed while you concentrate on the trail. There’s one optional engine for the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport: a 250-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, which comes standard with the top-level Badlands model and the limited First Edition. There’s also a cool cargo management system that includes a slide-out table.

The Ford Bronco Sport uses two turbocharged engines, a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder or a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. Most Escape Sport models will come with the 3-cylinder engine. Full-time all-wheel drive with a lock mode comes standard. There is a choice of two 8-speed automatic transmissions. The optional transmission, only available with the 2.0-liter engine, adds an oil cooler, manual shifting mode, and steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

1.5-liter turbocharged inline-3
181 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
190 lb-ft of torque @ 3,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 25/28 mpg

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
250 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
277 lb-ft of torque @ 3,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/26 mpg