2025 Ford Bronco Sport Review

Ford has increased the Bronco Sport lineup for 2025, adding the Sasquatch package. Both the Badlands and Outer Banks trim levels come with it as standard. The Badlands has a twin-clutch rear differential. New steel bumpers with two rescue hooks on the back and a front bull bar are also part of the Sasquatch package. The Badlands package comes with steel skid plates, a set of knobbier 29-inch all-terrain tires, Bilstein rear shocks with remote reservoirs, and a little more ground clearance. The old 8.0-inch infotainment panel has been replaced with a bigger 13.2-inch screen in every Bronco Sport. Also, Ford’s Sync 3 software has been replaced with Sync 4. It now comes with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster as well. Some changes have been made to the Bronco Sport’s front and back bumpers to make the 2025 model stand out. Ford has also added adaptive cruise control to the list of features that come standard on all of its cars.

Pros 

• Excellent on- and off-road performance.
• Nostalgic, boxy design.
• Chic and modern interior.

Cons

• Not very good at using fuel.
• The second row is close together.
• The cool factor is matched by a similar price.

All Bronco Sport models have all-wheel drive, and their frames are the same as those in the small Escape hatchback. The base engine is a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that makes 180 horsepower. You can also get a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 238 horsepower. Both have an eight-speed automatic transmission, but the engine with more power has better cooling parts and paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Among other strange features, the top-of-the-line Badlands model has a twin-clutch rear-drive unit with a differential lock. The Badlands and Sasquatch models also have stronger springs, a 1.0-inch suspension lift for better ground clearance, and 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires. When we drove a Bronco Sport Badlands, we found that even though it felt like a truck, it wasn’t very safe or smooth on the highway because the steering was heavy and the suspension was stiff. Not only did it go off-road better than expected, but before you take it on the Rubicon Trail, you should know what it can’t do.

There are a number of driver-assistance features on the Bronco Sport, such as automatic emergency braking and standard forward impact warning. The following are important safety features:

• Blind-spot detection and back cross-traffic alert are standard features.
• Normal lane exit warning and help staying in your lane.
• Adaptive speed control and stop-and-go technology come as standard.

There are a lot of nice-looking and useful features inside the Bronco Sport. Along with a surprising amount of space, the small van has a lot of clever features. Even though the Bronco has a shorter wheelbase than the Escape, the back seats are still comfortable, and the seats are straight. The roof rises at the back to make room for two mountain bikes and extra space. The cargo hold has a 400-watt power inverter, a slide-out table that can be used as a workstation, and LED lights built into the inside of the back gate that can be used for lighting. There is a bottle opener and a glass hatch on the back gate. The Badlands type has rubberized, washable flooring and upholstery that is easy to clean, but the flooring is not very appealing. The storage basket under the back seats is another clever design touch.

With its three-cylinder engine, the Bronco Sport gets 25 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. When you switch to the more powerful four-cylinder car, the numbers drop to 21 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. To make our tests more thorough, we took the one with the smaller engine on our 75-mph fuel-efficiency route. It got an impressive 33 mpg on the highway, which was great.

The Bronco Sport has a digital gauge display that is 12.3 inches wide and a tablet that is 13.2 inches wide and works with Ford’s Sync 4 software. Sync 4 comes with SiriusXM satellite radio, in-dash mapping, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto apps that you can use. The Outer Banks and Badlands models come with a six-speaker stereo system, but you can also get a B&O music system with ten speakers.

On our test track, an Outer Banks model with a turbocharged three-cylinder took 8.2 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour. If that seems too slow, switch to the four-cylinder turbocharged engine. It took 5.9 seconds for a Badlands model to go from 0 to 60 mph.

The Bronco Sport can pull up to 2700 pounds, but only with cars that have a 2.0-liter turbo four engine. The small SUV comes with a three-cylinder engine that can pull up to 2200 pounds.

Even though it’s one of the most expensive models, the Badlands is the best off-road car. The Badlands has a better all-wheel-drive system, a 245-hp turbo four (the more powerful of the two engine choices), a higher suspension, and better brakes to handle rough terrain.