My wife has been “mentioning” how much she likes the Bronco Sport since I bought my Bronco a couple years ago. She has been driving a 2018 Escape for almost 6 years and while it was low mileage, it was getting a little long in the tooth.

Trade/used value on the Escape seems to be plummeting at this point, so holding onto it any longer would only make it harder to get into something new next year.

Been browsing the local web dealers off an on when I thought about it, and came across a good deal on a new 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands.

Worked out a good deal ($7500 under sticker with discount and rebates), and got a fair trade for the Escape.


Badlands has the 2L engine and is definitely a little peppier than the two 1.5L ones I drove. Only about 1-2” higher to get into, so should still be ok for my mother in law to access (no way could she get into my full size Bronco)


I guess we now have a “theme” to our vehicles…

Coo’!

Nice ride.

Congrats, an odd little bugger. Looks like a mini cooper on steroids.

Not sure if it was an omen, or just one more “hint” but yesterday at Walmart they had a ladies “Bronco” t-shirt and booty short set on clearance for $10 that she insisted on getting.

I think she might have pulled some sort of Jedi mind trick on me…

I like it. Haven't seen many of those in these parts. Over 7 grand below MSRP is very good deal.

That’s a pretty damn sweet baby bronco. The badlands is well worth it. Super nice upgrade for her. Congratulations to you both.

Looks like a very functional vehicle. Will they both fit in your garage?

I like it! Baby Bronco

it's definitely one I will be considering for next year.

I dig that little thing. I’d drive the hell out of that.

Good choice - I have a 2022 Sport Badlands in Cactus Gray. After two years I would buy it again...

Very nice! You’re a good husband.

I usually come home to a new vehicle in the driveway.

"Please stop by the dealer and sign some papers, thanks."

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
Looks like a very functional vehicle. Will they both fit in your garage?

Well, they would if I had absolutely nothing in the garage. While my garage is for storage, it isn’t for vehicle storage.

quote:

Originally posted by Milliron:
I dig that little thing. I’d drive the hell out of that.

I love the big Bronco, but to be honest for short trips around town, when I need to go somewhere and she doesn’t need the car, or when we are out together we would generally drive the Escape. I imagine that will continue now that we have Jr.

Better gas mileage, quieter ride, etc. we don’t do a lot of miles. Two years with the big Bronco and it has less than 12,500 miles. Had the Escape 3 months shy of 6 years and it hadn’t hit 40,000.


I definitely enjoy driving Jr. more than I did the Escape. Escape just looked like a soccer mom’s car and felt cramped with the steep sloped windshield and angular sides.

Jr. is more squared off, and while the Bronco Sport is 6” shorter than the Escape, it is a couple inches wider. With a more vertical side it feels like there is more head and shoulder room.


Jr. should be more tolerant of my wife’s tendency to blast potholes and curb rash wheels as well. Stock factory wheels and tires lasted 2 1/2 years, about 13,000 miles before she drifted into a massive pothole on the side of the road with no shoulder. Two blown tires, two destroyed rims. With AWD, had to replace all four tires (65K rated high end Continentals) and two rims with 4 new 45K mile Yokohama tires.

Those lasted almost three years, till January of this year when another pothole was “found”. No wheel damage this time, but it’s third set of tires with only 36K miles on the car. At least I got smart and bought bargain tires and the road hazard at Discount Tire. Not that I needed it, trading it in just 4K miles later.

Biggest hit on the trade value was all four wheels being rashed from curbs. Low profile (235/45) tires with sidewalls that didn’t bulge out to protect the 19” wheels at all.


Jr. has 235/65 17 All-Terrain tires and the tires bulge enough that you can scrub the curb but wheel is still going to be a little bit away unless you really smack it. The Badlands trim is the “off road” version of the Sport. Bigger AT tires, off road suspension so shouldn’t be so frail.

quote:

Originally posted by MaSigchist:
Good choice - I have a 2022 Sport Badlands in Cactus Gray. After two years I would buy it again...

Escape has been absolutely reliable, the Sport is built off of the Escape platform. Jr. has the 2L 4-cyl eco boost engine that we also had in the Escape. No complaints at all about reliability with it. My only real complaint was averaging about 21mpg over the life of the car. Admittedly probably about 75% city, but for a 4-cyl small car would like to have been closer to 25.


I’m guessing Jr. will do about the same. My Bronco with 50/50 city/Hwy manages about 19 if I don’t get on it too hard.

quote:

Originally posted by SigFan:
Very nice! You’re a good husband.

Well, she is a very good wife so I like to keep her happy.

Congratulations, both look great in your driveway. Years ago we had a similar look, Hummer H2 for me and H3 for the wife.

Both of those are nice rides!

That's a nice set you have going there. I like it.