OBX sas Vs. Non sas ride quality

[Longnius]

Afternoon bronco people!


I'm narrowing down the purchase of a bronco 4 door OBX sas but I'm having some doubts on which would be better overall.

I'm aware with the sas, that changes tire size and suspension as well as overall quality, but the OBX is marketed as the daily that has off road quality (as I've interpreted it anyway).

I've test drove 3 different broncos but they all had the sas package, which I loved personally.

I'm 6'6 so sitting higher appeals to me, but I'd like to get others feedback on their ride quality on both sas and non sas.

Any positive feedback and appreciated!

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[mjrcu]

Unless I'm going crazy, I don't think the cab size is any bigger. The ride height, tires and suspension sure.

Personally, as an everyday driver including decent bit of highway - I much prefer the non-sas to the sas ride. I thought it was much smoother and nimble, but that is not really surprising at all.

 

[jbacon47]

Sas for sure.

Looks better, especially on 4doors (more proportional). And much more capable off-road / in snow. The big ticket items aren’t wheels/lift, it’s the locking diffs, better gearing, and upgraded transfer case with 4automatic (very useful). Sas will hold its value more, just like the rubicon jeeps do.

 

[killerkeith]

I have the non sas but have 33” BFK02 tires on factory rims. Looks sweet and rides like a treat.

 

[Mlarv]

I have an OBX non SAS. It rides great for an off-road vehicle. I wish I had the SAS package. I have had mine off road, and got high centered. I am going to be lifting it etc so it won't happen again. As for size difference between the two, there is no difference the suspension and tires are the difference. If you plan on off roading it go SAS. If not either one will work fine for ya.

 

[gaaangs]

I was in your prediciment as well.

This is my daily - I drive it 20 miles to work each day so I wanted a smoothish/quiter ride. I test drove a SAS OBX and hated it. Rocks flew up constantly and the tires were just too loud. I loved the look of it though and the driving height.

I ended up going with a Badlands non sas. I think its the sweet spot between actually having sas and "the look" and sitting up high but also having an enjoyable ride. You basically get everything that sas has without the awful tires and huge fenders.

 

[prospectfour]

I was in your prediciment as well.

This is my daily - I drive it 20 miles to work each day so I wanted a smoothish/quiter ride. I test drove a SAS OBX and hated it. Rocks flew up constantly and the tires were just too loud. I loved the look of it though and the driving height.

I ended up going with a Badlands non sas. I think its the sweet spot between actually having sas and "the look" and sitting up high but also having an enjoyable ride. You basically get everything that sas has without the awful tires and huge fenders.

Agree with you in this but I think we’re a small minority in the forum.

I test drove a sas badlands and laughed my ass off climbing into it. Would have been ridiculous for me to use as a daily driver eating highway miles.

Note to OP, off-roading is not only rock crawling. My non-sas OBX has been a treat rolling through state forest trails and beaches. Still can get your rear locker and 4a without sas. Resale value is a stupid argument if you’re not using the hardware, you’re basically agreeing to park 5 grand of options on a vehicle over a decade of ownership in the hopes of retaining value? I would only opt for sas if you are going to be hardcore on the weekend.

 

[outthere_overland]

Non-sas Outer Banks here. I live in the city and if I'm honest with myself it will be a daily driver over 95% of the time. I bought the truck more as an overlander platform than a rock-crawler. Rocks just aren't my hobby. Though I do pull a home built off road capable teardrop camper. The ride quality of the non-sas is fantastic. Do I regret not getting every options - well sure, it would have been nice - but for my use case the non-sas is great. And, there's no saying it can't be upgraded, right? That's half the fun of it.

 

[Bad-Daddy-Lands]

^^^ @ prospectfour: What are you, 4' tall? They sell steps to make entry easier, but maybe you'd need a ladder.

 

[Knittel]

I’m two months into driving a OBX sas as a daily driver. I love it. It’s much louder and a totally different experience than my last car (Q7), but I knew that going in. I joke that driving a Bronco is a lifestyle.

 

[Xjeepowner]

You need to decide what you are going to be using it for.
If you are going to be doing any serious off roading then the Sas is the way to go. If you aren't then get the mall crawler.
The resale will be much better with the Sas.
Not sure what some are complaining about the ride, my base Sas rides really well and is quiet.
Good luck on your decision, you will love it either way.

 

[jolson1228]

I have an OBX non SAS, and it's my daily driver. 90% of my miles have been on pavement. I truly appreciate the non SAS suspension with how much I drive on roads compared to SAS. It just feels tighter and more stable at highway speeds.

If you plan on mostly driving on roads and highways, I'd recommend non SAS, but change the tires if you plan on doing any off-roading. I have almost gotten stuck in mud and on ice (on pavement) with the stock tires. They may be called an "A/T" tire but it's more of a glorified highway tire. Once I changed tires, I have gone through some pretty sticky situations without losing traction at all.

For tires, you can go up to a 33" tire without removing crash bars or a lift, or 35" after removing crash bars without a lift.

As @jbacon47 said, you'd be missing out on some key off-road functionality by going non-SAS, like a locking diffs, better gearing, and upgraded transfer case with 4automatic, but those are all options even without SAS. you could just narrow your search down to include those features and hope you find the perfect match!

 

[MNBigfoot]

I have an OBX non SAS, and it's my daily driver. 90% of my miles have been on pavement. I truly appreciate the non SAS suspension with how much I drive on roads compared to SAS. It just feels tighter and more stable at highway speeds.
..........

Do you own both? Or if not, how many miles did you drive a Sas Bronco? Questions open to anyone who responded.

 

[jolson1228]

I don't own both, But I've driven about 150-200 miles in a SAS on the highway. The difference to me was subtle, but it was there. As I mentioned, the non-SAS just feels a bit tighter when I was going highway speed. I didn't get to offroad the SAS, so I can only talk about the on road performance.

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