2024 Big Bend Adventure Journal

[lwilliams34]

One last try with the steering wheel stripe, this time in silver/gray. I think I'll be sticking with this one.
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[lwilliams34]

Added a Jurassic Park badge to the Bronco even though Jeep's were featured in the movie I still like the idea of full safari mode with the Bronco.
Couldn't decide whether I wanted it on the front fender panel or the rear top.
Decided to try it on the top first.
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[lwilliams34]

Nice to read a positive article about the Big Bend and receive some affirmation.
Really enjoying mine.
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https://www.roadandtrack.com/reviews/a61612994/2024-ford-bronco-big-bend-review/

 

[lwilliams34]

Was at a friends house for a cook out. They live in the country so I got a few pictures of the Bronco by their barn. It rained that night so it also got it's first taste of some real dirt/mud.
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[lwilliams34]

A few pictures outside of my daughters college campus. We moved her in on Sunday and used the Bronco's generous back storage area. The car looked so cool just had to shoot a few pics.
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[lwilliams34]

Did my first real off road adventure with the Bronco a few weekends ago.
Went camping in the porcupine mountains. Loaded up the back with everything my son and I needed. Plenty of room for everything. Will most likely be looking at a adding a trailer tote/basket of some type in the future if I need more storage space.
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[lwilliams34]

I kept track of my mileage on my trip to Upper Michigan. For the majority of the trip I was well over 25mpg which is pretty good. At one point I was coasting down a trail head road for 10 miles and averaged 30mpg....
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[lwilliams34]

Finally took the plunge and removed the doors. Ordered weather seal rubber to go on the edging to prevent chipping the paint. Also purchased the Ford OEM door bags which are very high quality and fit well. The 2-door model doors are longer and a bit awkward to handle, but with two people it was a breeze to take of.
I was a bit surprised at how much colder the ride was with the doors off vs just the top.
It was 70-74 degrees F and still had to wear a light coat.
All in all it was a good experience, but it didn't wow me like I thought it would.
Maybe when it's 80 degrees F plus and I can tool around town the vibe might be different, but for any type of significant road trip it is not ideal.
Had to get over the feeling of being a bit exposed, especially after having just been in an accident with my Mustang.
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[lwilliams34]

Some new Garage Signs including a Big Bend Vinyl overlay which I placed on the inside of my garage door.
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[lwilliams34]

Took our Dog Leo for a ride in the Bronco today. Nice to have the vinyl flooring and marine grade vinyl seats.
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[lwilliams34]

When I originally decided to replace my Mazda CX5 with a Bronco I had not considered the Bronco Sport Model.
My focus and interest was on a true truck like experience that closely matched the Jeep.
However, after ordering and then finally receiving the Bronco I wondered how the Bronco Sport compared to the Bronco and that maybe I over bought.
I finally decided to stop by my Ford dealership to test drive the Bronco Sport and put my mind to rest on the decision.
Here are my observations on the Bronco Sport
I test drove a 2024 Outerbanks model with the small 1.5L 3 cylinder engine.
The first thing I notice was NVH through the steering wheel from the 1.5L engine. It was weird, but for such a small engine you always knew it was there due to the vibration characteristics. I was surprised at how adequate it was for both city and hwy driving with enough power to get you up to speed. Adequate was the best word to describe it as it didn't blow me away with it's pickup. I think the option for a 2.3L 4 cylinder would have been killer.
The cabin interior was quiet on the hwy, but there was some wind and road noise from the tires. Definitely less so than the standard Bronco, but the more ergonomic lines play into that. I also noticed a buzz/rattle coming from the back portion of the interior which did not go away.
I liked the overall look of the exterior. It reminded me of the Ford Escape/Explorer with the traditional suv frame that replaced the Bronco back in 1996.
However the interior left much to be desired. The "fabric like" material bordering the leather felt thin and cheap with the Bronco embossed logo on the seats getting lost in the rough fabric.
An especially glaring problem for me was the design of the rear quarter windows with the molded plastic B pillar overlay blocking the majority of blind spot visibility. That area could have been narrower providing a much better view out the sides. The small screen size also seemed to really reduce the overall usability of the backup camera and other controls. The extra cubby just under the screen could have been eliminated providing area for a larger screen. I did appreciate all of the physical buttons for audio, climate, etc. Upgraded floor mats were a nice touch.
The overall feel inside the cabin while driving was almost "station wagonish" if that is a phrase I can use. It felt longer than its dimensions and outside exterior suggested. As i mentioned it felt zippy and nimble around town which was fun. The lower ride height reminded me a bit of the Subaru line which feels more like a sedan driving experience vs a truck/suv.
This is the first automatic transmission vehicle I've driven with the dial controls and I have to say I do not like it at all. I much prefer the physical lever for getting in and out of gear. I can't imaging having a modern muscle car (Shelby GT500) and having to twist a dial to get into drive or reverse. Just something so wrong about that.
I loved the manual rear lift gate with the option to open just the glass or the full hatch.
The rear storage space with back seats up is really nice. I just wish the 2 door bronco had about 3-6 more inches or depth with seats up; it was almost a deal breaker for me, but i've adjusted.
It was disappointing that many of the neat interior features I had heard about were not available on the lower trims, such as the rear seat storage cubbies and zippered pouches. This was not the Big Bend model, but the outerbanks, which is one step below the highest trim level. It all just seemed so scaled back and a bit cheap for a higher trim level sport at 38k msrp.
To really get the full feature set including the larger engine you would have to scale up to the top end Badlands trim which gets you in full Bronco territory price wise.
I am certainly not knocking the Bronco Sport as it has sold very well and I see a lot of them on the road, but for me it really did not live up to the image I had of it as a resurrection of the Ford Escape/Explorer from rugged days gone by. I'm glad I had a chance to test drive one and put my mind to rest.
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[lwilliams34]

Took some pictures next to an old Ford Ranger.
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[lwilliams34]

Tailgate Detail Plate from Stickerfab!
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[lwilliams34]

Added the Sticker Fab middle grab handle vinyl. Took the handle off which is a must. You also have to heat and stretch the vinyl to make it fit. I had already done the outer handles, so this completes the look.
Also extended the vinyl on the front dash desert overlay closer to the passenger side vent.
I loved the design but it should have been centered on the dash so there was equal amounts of vinyl on each side.
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[lwilliams34]

Installed Ford OEM floom mat set. So much better than the carpet squares and nothing in the back row...
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