It used to be that two-door vehicles were the standard and that back doors were the exception. Back seat passengers just had to deal with the tilted-forward front seat and the required gymnastic moves to get into, and then out of, the back seat. But once passengers had the option of their own doors, they became obsessed, to the point where two-door vehicles became increasingly obsolete on the dealer's lot. Back in 1996, that was one of the reasons Ford decided to stop selling the Bronco, after thirty years of it being an early and popular SUV. Ford switched customers from the two-door Bronco to the (much bigger) four-door Expedition in 1997 and never really looked back.
Until a few years ago, when the company brought back the Bronco as both a two-door and four-door SUV in 2021. It's been doing really well in the Ford lineup as its mid-size SUV (fitting somewhere between the Escape and the Explorer). Actually, the SUV category is so popular that Ford has no less than seven in its lineup, ranging from the compact Escape to the sprawling Expedition, including the Edge and, perhaps, the Mustang Mach-E, which Ford categorizes as a compact electric SUV. I've driven and quite liked Ford Broncos in the past, so when given the chance to drive a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands 4x4, I was happy to get the additional time behind the wheel. Better yet, it was in the striking Eruption Green Metallic color, giving it some solid curb appeal:
There are lot of new Broncos on the road and few of them ever seem to be dirty or have anything tied to their roof, but the front nudge bar (the black metal bar covering the word "Bronco" on the front grill) and tie-down hooks on the sides, along with the roof rails, certainly give it the air of being ready for your next off-road adventure. If people want to buy off-road ready vehicles and use them for driving neat, clean suburban roads, no worries!
The overall design has a touch of classic Toyota FJ, particularly with the diagonal panel behind the passenger window; it's cosmetic, but offers a sleek and sporty line not common in this class of SUV. It's a long way from the infamous Ford Bronco that O.J. Simpson drove slowly down Interstate 405 in Los Angeles back in 1994. Sales probably weren't adversely affected by his stunt. Nowadays, I can't help but wonder if social media wouldn't hype it up and have a similar event - watched by an estimated 95 million people! - produce an increase in vehicle sales.
Moving into the Bronco, you can see the Dark Space Gray Leather interior's two-tone color scheme, along with the (optional) floor mats, add up to giving it a rugged appearance. It certainly seems like a vehicle that's not averse to getting dirty, something you'd hope for an off-road SUV. The dominant element is the bucking bronco on the steering wheel, a motif that appears in various "easter eggs" elsewhere on the vehicle. The Ford Mustang, by contrast, has a galloping horse logo, though it might be the same horse!
Otherwise, it's a straightforward Ford design with a fair number of controls on the center console, a modest control center including hazards and camera, and a big, bright, 13.2" SYNC 4 infotainment system. There's no gearshift, instead it's controlled by the rotating knob in the center. It does include paddle shifters, more useful for crawling on rugged terrain than in performance driving with this particular vehicle.
You can better see the control in this photo. The "M" in the middle of the gear control is Manual, though I would guess it's infrequently used by most Ford Bronco Sport drivers. The lower control is the G.O.A.T. driving controller, G.O.A.T. standing for Goes Over All Terrain. This includes Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, Mud, Sand, and Rock Crawl on the Bronco Sport Badlands. Sadly, I was not able to test out all of these options with an off-road course.
Speaking of the drive experience, the Bronco Sport Badlands is powered by a 2.0L Ecoboost Engine and 8-speed automatic transmission, giving it acceptable fuel efficiency of 21/27 for a combined 23mpg. I saw just a bit better than that with my own driving. It's a surprisingly peppy drive for its modest engine, fun and lively, though with a typical internal combustion engine acceleration (e.g., not much for the first few seconds). While I always want better fuel efficiency, bumping this up 10 mpg would likely add quite a bit to the price tag, unfortunately, making the cost vs. savings equation tricky to contemplate. I went through the exact same math when I opted for one of the early Toyota Highlander Hybrid models, paying a premium greater than any savings in gasoline over many years of driving.
The steering wheel controls were almost perfectly symmetrical, with adaptive cruise controls on the left and main gauge display controls on the right. Infotainment controls were spread across both sides, with an atypical three-part volume control of louder, softer, and mute. Peeking behind the cross-bar you can see the almost invisible paddle shifters, and behind that on the right, the complex front and rear windshield wiper controls on the right stalk.
You can change the appearance of the main gauge display, but I really like the rugged gear appearance, very thematic. Could you top out this Bronco at 140mph? I'm skeptical, but it'd be weird if it showed 75mph as the top speed. Also, notice my average fuel efficiency after over 200 miles of mixed highway, suburban, and mountain driving: 23.6 mpg.
Some of the light controls are on the left stalk behind the steering wheel, but most light controls are adjusted on this tiny panel on the left side of the dashboard. It's logical; drivers turn brights on and off, but otherwise generally just have their lights on whenever they're driving. Rather than overcomplicate the left stalk, light controls are pushed off to this simple set of controls, along with the rear unlock (it shows the rear tailgate open, but it's not an automatic-open gate) and dashboard brightness controls.
The SYNC 4 infotainment controls worked very well, notably offering a smaller window in some contexts and letting CarPlay/Android Auto spread across the entire display in others. It was particularly helpful with maps! Much of the climate controls are duplicated along the bottom of the display screen too, making it considerably easier for the driver to adjust as needed.
One of the few things I disliked about the Bronco Sport is that there's not much rear legroom, particularly if the front passenger or driver are tall and want to push the seat back. I suppose Ford's answer would be "if you need more legroom, we have the Explorer and Expedition," but if you're planning on getting a Bronco to haul teens or adults, check the legroom before you proceed.
Stepping completely around to the back of the Bronco Sport, you can see that there's a decent amount of cargo space and a nice, folding tonneau cover:
In practice, there was plenty of space for luggage when I took my daughter to the airport and miscellaneous home improvement gear from the local hardware store. The hard plastic cover offers a potential shelf too, depending on what you haul, and you can see the 60/40 rear seat split (the right seat is folded forward).
One throwback is that the rear hatch has a dual control:
From the exterior, you can open just the glass or the full door, depending on which side you choose. This is not duplicated with the keyfob or the interior door control button. It's a nice feature, though I didn't find myself opening up just the glass too often.
And, finally, an overall assessment: I really liked this Bronco Sport Badlands package with its great appearance, striking paint color, firm ride, and nicely designed interior. Unlike most vehicles I drive, this one kept garnering compliments from others in parking lots and even as I drove, with people saying more than once that they loved the color. If you're looking for a smaller SUV that's not a compact, this might be one for your shortlist. If you can get your hands on one, that is. They're pretty popular vehicles on your local Ford dealer's lot.
2025 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands 4x4, with 2.0L Ecoboost Engine and 8-Speed automatic transmission. BASE PRICE: $40,115.00. Options included: Premium paint, Sasquatch Badlands Package, Floor liners, Cargo Mat, Cargo Management System, Badlands Tech Package. AS DRIVEN: $46,520.00
Disclosure: Ford Motor Company loaned me the Bronco Sport for a week in return for this candid write-up. This article originally appeared on PlanetDave.com with the title Lots of Fun with the 2025 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands and is republished with permission.
