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Doug DeMuro Reviews 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, Calls It “a Very Compelling Vehicle”

Can we have a moment to talk about the elephant in the room? As opposed to the mid-size Bronco with a ladder-frame chassis from the next-generation Ranger, I agree the Bronco Sport is pretty vanilla. But when you compare the unibody SUV to segment competitors, well, it's hard to deny that Ford has come up with “a very compelling vehicle.”
The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Is an Awesome Baby Bronco 50 photos
Photo: Doug DeMuro on YouTube
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As you’ll find out from the following video, the first thing that helps the Bronco Sport stand out from the crowd is the “unbelievable number of interesting quirks and cool innovations” such as the flip-up rear window.

With the liftgate open, you’re also presented with a bottle opener next to the passenger-side taillight. Being a utility vehicle marketed to adventure-seeking individuals, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you can fit two mountain bikes if you fold the rear seats down. In terms of outright cargo capacity, you’ll also be surprised to find out that only 0.4 cubic feet (11.3 liters) separate the Bronco Sport from the Escape on which it’s based.

The Badlands trim level reviewed by Doug DeMuro also happens to be properly good off the beaten path, and no, those steelies are actually aluminum wheels. The closest competitors to it come in the guise of the Jeep Compass Trailhawk and Renegade Trailhawk, but looking at the bigger picture, none of these SUVs will see as much off-road action as a Wrangler Rubicon.

As you would expect from a compact SUV that costs $26,660 for the base version with the three-cylinder turbo, the Blue Oval has also cut a few corners in order to keep the costs down. According to DeMuro, “really bad materials” have been used in areas such as the steering wheel’s rim, the cover for the glovebox, and the lower part of the dashboard around the A/C controls.

Rear legroom may be limited for many, but on the upside, headroom is more than adequate even for a tall guy like Doug. On the road, the Bronco Sport also happens to attract “an enormous amount of attention” from other drivers and passersby. “Just driving it around,” you can expect pretty much everyone to be “staring, looking, pointing fingers, and taking pictures.”

This brings us to comparing the Bronco Sport to other compact SUVs, including the Escape on which it’s based. I think we can all agree that Ford has done an excellent job in creating a unique product. As for the driving front, well, Doug is much obliged to report “nicer handling and ride than a lot of the competitors” like the Honda HR-V and Jeep Renegade.

At long last, it’s time for the Dougscore! At 55 points, the Bronco Sport slots under the Jeep Wrangler (56 points) and above the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro (53 points), which says a lot about the baby off-roader.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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