The 2022 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands is a great compact SUV for people that want a practical vehicle but also a vehicle that is good for adventures over the weekend.
Engine & Transmission
The Bronco Sport is available in four different trim levels from Base to Badlands. I was able to drive the 2022 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands. It has a 2.0L EcoBoost engine with an 8-speed select shift auto transmission with about 250hp. The Bronco Sport is equipped with an all-wheel drive system and G.O.A.T mode which means Goes Over Any Type of Terrain. There is a mode for just about any type of surface you are about to drive over. You have the option of Normal, Eco, Sport, Mud/Ruts, Slippery, Sand/Snow and Rock Crawl with each mode being self explanatory. With Each mode, you will also notice an obvious change in how the Bronco accelerates, its fuel efficiency, how traction control operates, and the center and rear differential locks. Although this Bronco Sport may not be considered the “real” Bronco, it has enough power and ability to be able to go off-roading.
Handling/Performance
This Bronco Sport Badlands is not as smooth as you may want it to be but then again, it is meant to be a bit rough so you can’t expect for a luxurious ride. The smoothness of the ride will also depend on the type of wheels you equip the Bronco with. I enjoyed that it is a tall or lifted SUV, so I don’t have to duck to get in and out. During my time with the Bronco Sport, I found it to be easy to get around with. It does not feel like a bulky SUV but also isn’t a small one where you feel overpowered by other larger vehicles.
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Comfort
The Bronco Sport Badlands might not be as comfortable for long road trips. The seats are not comfortable as they are a bit too on the firm side. As mentioned, this compact SUV is more for daily drives to and from work, grocery shopping, rides to a nearby mountain, for example. The nice thing about the front seats is that you can, of course, adjust to your liking. One thing I really liked about the front passenger seat is that you can adjust the height of the seat. If you are a tall person, you can lower it and if you are short, you can raise it so that you don’t have to stretch your neck awkwardly to be able to look out to the front. There is decent amount of space for legroom in the back seats for average height people. It depends on how far back the front seats are that will limit your space. The second great thing about the Bronco Sport Badlands is the headroom. Whether you are tall or short, you will fit with no issues.
Interior
The Bronco Sport is equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen that supports Ford’s Sync3 software. It is very straightforward to use. The Bronco has a mix of touchscreen and buttons/knobs, so it is perfect. It has buttons for what I would consider to be important such as the climate control, the volume, and the driving modes. The interior look of the Bronco Sport is very simple. The materials used throughout the cabin are made for easy cleaning. You wouldn’t want expensive material if you will be driving in mud or getting dusty. The 2022 Bronco Sport has decent amount of trunk space and of course increases with the backseats folded. It also has a bit of storage space underneath the backseats.
Exterior
As for the exterior, it may not look as outdoorsy for some. You can see the “sporty” touch to it. Comparing the looks from the Bronco to the Bronco Sport Badlands is obvious. The Bronco Sport still has the boxy look but if you aren’t too familiar with the Broncos, you may not think it is capable of still being an off-road compact SUV. This isn’t your typical compact SUV. The Bronco Sport Badlands is equipped with 17-inch wheels, and you have the option of 18-inch wheels.
Pros and Cons
The Bronco Sport Badlands is a great compact SUV for daily drives and weekend adventures to a mountainous road or trail. It is decent on gas, I managed to average 9.8L/100km (24 MPG). It has good enough space to fit gear, equipment or even grocery bags. It may not be as powerful compared to the bigger Bronco, but this Sport Badlands is as close as it can get to the bigger sibling as it’s got the capability to go off-roading and still enjoy your time deep in the mountains. It has a mix of physical buttons and knobs and a touchscreen, so you get a bit of both. This Bronco Sport Badlands is still very much affordable for all that it can be equipped with. The starting price of the Bronco Sport Badlands is $42,999 CAD ($36,590 USD) and as equipped came to a total of $50,299 CAD ($39,095 USD). The not-so-great thing about the Bronco Sport Badlands is that it does not come with a soft top or removable doors like the larger Bronco Badlands. It is also not as big as the Bronco Badlands which limits your cargo space.
In my opinion this is a great compact SUV. It is great for those on a budget but still wanting to purchase a vehicle to be able to go off-roading. This can be driven as a daily commuter as well so it’s not one of those seasonal vehicles. Although it is not the big Bronco Badlands, it is still very well equipped so you will not be disappointed should you choose to purchase the 2022 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands.
Thank you to Ford Canada for providing the vehicle. www.Ford.ca
2022 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands Gallery
Every vehicle I have driven has firmer seats than this. RAV4, jeep compass, … Which ones had softer?
For my body type, I always found the seats in the Mazda CX-5 to be comfortable (especially with the Nappa leather).