As roads have improved over the past hundred years, so has the ride quality of vehicles. Cars have become more luxurious and built to comfortably cruise down paved roads, and for many, that is enough. However, off-roading is a popular pastime for many.
To have a great time off-roading, you need the right vehicle, and the Ford Bronco is a crowd favorite. The Ford Bronco is known for being just as comfortable in the dirt as it is on the road. Ford currently offers two models, the Bronco and Bronco Sport, but what is the difference? And which should you purchase? Find out with this Specialty Performance Parts blog.
What are the Key Differences Between a Ford Bronco and Ford Bronco Sport?
With two different models for the Ford Bronco, it is important that consumers choose the version that best suits them. Depending on your priorities, you can find your perfect fit. So, let’s take a look at the key differences between the Ford Bronco and Sport, including size, performance, price, off-roading features, and more!
Overall Size and Appearance
Both the Bronco and Bronco Sport are true Sport Utility Vehicles featuring four-wheel drive for off-roading capabilities. While all previous Broncos have featured two doors, the sixth generation Bronco is available as a two or four-door model with a removable hard or soft top. Conversely, the Bronco Sport is only available as a four-door fixed roof SUV. But even the shortest length two-door Bronco comes in at 173.7 inches, which makes it one inch longer than the four-door Bronco Sport. And while the Bronco Sport has more usable interior space than a two-door Bronco, the Sport has less room than a four-door Bronco. With its larger size, the four-door Bronco allows more cubic feet for cargo capacity.
Both the Bronco and the Sport have similar appearances especially when it comes to the grille, headlights, and overall design of the front end. So while the Bronco is larger than the Bronco Sport, both are unmistakably part of the Bronco family.
Interior
When it comes to the interiors of the Bronco and Bronco Sport, the Bronco definitely has more of an old-school feel, but both have modern conveniences. Available in both leather or vinyl adjustable power seats, the Bronco Sport tends to be the popular choice when it comes to comfort. The Bronco comes with vinyl or cloth seats, with leather being an option with manual adjust only. Despite the differences, there are a lot of interior features and options that both models share.
Pricing
For a lot of people, pricing is the first thing to consider. It will come as no surprise that a new or used Bronco will be more expensive to purchase than a Bronco Sport. Even a base model Bronco tends to be more expensive than a well-optioned Bronco Sport. So, if budget is your biggest deciding factor, A Bronco Sport might be your best option.
Performance
When it comes to performance, the Bronco edges out the Bronco Sport in almost every way, especially when it comes to engine sizes and towing capacity. However both feature fuel efficient turbocharged engines as standard features, which are powerful enough to keep up with modern traffic comfortably. The Bronco might have slightly more power, but both are competent performers.
Technology
If technology is a priority for you, you can’t go wrong with either vehicle. Both the Bronco and Bronco Sport can be optioned out with all the latest gadgets and gizmos available, including Apple Carplay and Android Auto smartphone integration. Both the newer Bronco and Bronco Sport models feature Ford Co-Pilot that includes forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and optional adaptive cruise control with lane centering. All features considered, a Bronco Sport is more likely to come standard with tech and luxury features such as power seats, so a stock Bronco Sport tends to beat the competition when it comes to the latest tech from the factory.
Powertrain
Historically, Broncos have been available with V-8 or inline six engines of various sizes, but the sixth-generation models offered some new choices. All new Ford Broncos and Bronco Sports feature turbocharged engines. New Broncos can be found with a turbocharged 2.3 L inline four-cylinder, a turbocharged 2.7 L V-6, or a twin-turbo 3.0 L V-6, and come with manual transmission and automatic transmission. However, the new Bronco Sport features either a turbocharged 1.5 L inline three-cylinder, or a turbocharged 2.0 L inline four-cylinder engine.
Unlike the new Bronco models (and the Bronco II), the Bronco Sport has only been available with an automatic transmission. The Bronco’s rated towing capacity is about 4,700 lbs, while the Bronco Sport comes in at a little less than half of that with a towing capacity of 2,200 lbs, giving the Bronco the advantage when it comes to work duty.
Off-Roading
Off-roading ability is probably the most important thing to take into consideration when trying to decide between a Bronco and a Bronco Sport. Take into consideration, are you the kind of person who will be riding trails and uneven terrain all weekend, or do you just want the ability to go off-roading occasionally?
The good news is that both are capable four-wheel drive vehicles that can get you where you need to go, but the Bronco was purposely designed to be a highly functional off-road vehicle.
The Bronco and Bronco Sport both feature GOAT modes (Go Over Any Terrain), a terrain management system. In certain trims, the available G.O.A.T modes include Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl. Only Bronco models, including the Black Diamond and Outer Banks models, have six or seven G.O.A.T. modes, whereas the Bronco Sport only has five.
The Bronco’s size, more powerful engine, removable doors and roof, off-road suspension, and other features make it one of the top vehicles with off-road capability on the market. The Bronco has always been the coveted off-roading choice, so why change now? For your off-road adventures, the Bronco is the way to go.
Which Bronco Should You Choose?
So now that you have all the facts and a Bronco Sport comparison to the classic Bronco, it should be a lot easier to choose between a Bronco and a Bronco Sport. If you are looking for a comfortable four-wheel drive vehicle, then a Bronco Sport is a good choice, and with its retro styling, it is unmistakably part of the Bronco family.
But if you are looking for a proper off-road vehicle that is also usable on the street, then the Bronco will be the choice for you. It is a capable performer and is easy to modify to suit your particular needs and wants. So now that you have made your choice, where do you go for the best Bronco performance parts?
Need Ford Performance Parts? Shop Specialty Performance Parts
A quick internet search will show you that there are tons of parts on the market, but purchasing a part of unknown business is a recipe for disaster. Installing low-quality parts can damage your vehicle and lead to expensive, unnecessary repairs. If you are looking to upgrade your Bronco or any other Ford vehicle, check out the folks at Specialty Performance Parts. We carry all of the top brands when it comes to Ford and off-road performance parts and accessories.
Specialty Performance Parts is a one-stop shop for all your Bronco needs. If you have any questions, we are just a call away and will be happy to help you get the parts you need to complete your build. We have a rewards program, and our website offers installation and instruction information to help you create the Bronco of your dreams. We also have our Youtube channel, which is full of installation videos and product walkthroughs. CLICK HERE to view our video content.
So check out https://specialtyperformanceparts.com , order the best performance parts and accessories available, install them, and find out for yourself why the Bronco is one of the best off-road vehicles out there!