Seeing the gimped Bronco Sports trolling about is killing the buzz. I hope after looking at the Bronco for a few weeks it doesn’t fall as flat as the soccer / crossover.
The thing that annoys me about the Bronco Sport is constantly having to explain why I don’t have my Bronco. I say “ they haven’t started building them yet” and they say “yes they did....my friend from rowing club has one blah blah blah”
I drove a Sport Badlands today. Took a test drive at a dealer I will likely not be buying from as they want a $6500 markup for it. It was nice and tight, roomier than my mother in laws jeep liberty. Nearly as big as the Explorer that was parked behind it. The engine was great and makes me think I will be plenty happy with 50 more hp from my 2.3 manual plans. They honestly look and feel like the beefiest soft roader I have seen lately. Not sure I liked the control arms though. Just bare galvanized stamped steel. Really before I left I climbed under a Ranger and the metal design strengths and thicknesses was like the difference between my AMC Eagle(a 4x4 based off a late 60s unibody) and a Mack truck. Tapped on the ranger frame and heard a GONG but everything under the Bronco Sport was sheetmetal.
Basically it felt good, drove good, was comfy, roomy and potentially easy to work on. However its structure is not really designed for a lifetime car. 25 years from now they will be as floppy and rotty as most XJs on craigslist. The rangers and therefore the big Bronco should last most of us into old age if we take care of em.