2021 Ford Bronco vs 2021 Ford Bronco Sport – Cincinnati, OH

In terms of performance, both the 2021 Ford Bronco and the Bronco Sport are incredibly fun to drive while offering a great overall experience. Both of them have two different engines to choose from, with excellent standard engines and more robust options if you prefer them. Since the standard Bronco is larger than the Bronco Sport, it does have more powerful engines, as you would expect.

Bronco Engines

The standard engine on the Bronco is a 2.3L EcoBoost I-4 that offers up to 27 0hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, which comes paired with a 7-speed Getrag manual transmission. Of the four total engines, this is the only one with a manual transmission, so keep that in mind. There is also an available 2.7L EcoBoost V6 engine for the Bronco, which delivers up to 310 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque; it comes with a 10-speed automatic transmission. As you can see, these are both great engines and two really unique options, so you can get just what you need.

On the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, you get a 1.5L EcoBoost I-3 engine standard, which is expected to deliver up to 181 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque. You can see that is quite a bit less powerful than the standard engine on the larger Bronco, which makes sense given its smaller size. This comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission for a fast and responsive driving experience. There is also an available 2.0L EcoBoost I-4 engine for the Bronco Sport, which gives you up to 245 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque. You can see this is pretty close to the standard engine on the Bronco, and it comes with an 8-speed automatic and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for a more commanding driving experience.

Clearly, there really is not a “right” answer here when looking at these vehicles. Their difference in size requires different amounts of power. And you have a lot of options for figuring out which one is best for you.

Both the 2021 Ford Bronco and the Bronco Sport are clearly designed with going off-road in mind. No matter which one you choose, you are going to get an amazing off-road vehicle that can handle a wide range of trails. That being said, the standard Bronco is slightly superior for really challenging trails, due to its larger size and wide range of features.

Standard Bronco

The standard Bronco has an amazing off-road design, starting with the standard engine’s manual transmission. It includes a crawler gear, which is located below reverse in the shift pattern to help you avoid accidentally shifting into it. This gear, paired with the Bronco’s advanced four-wheel drive, gives the Bronco a crawl ratio just as impressive as that of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. The Bronco features bash plates and skid plates, it has removable doors and roof, and features more than 11 inches of ground clearance and more than 33 inches of water fording depth.

Bronco Sport

You also get a fantastic off-road machine with the all-new Ford Bronco Sport, thanks to standard all-wheel drive and the new terrain management system. This includes Ford’s new Goes Over Any Type of Terrain (GOAT) modes for sand, slippery conditions, and more. Due to its smaller, crossover design, the Bronco Sport has a clearance height of nearly 9 inches when equipped with an available off-road suspension. It also has more than 23 inches of water fording depth, which is not quite as impressive as the standard Bronco, but still allows you to go just about anywhere.

First things first: there are way too many options to get into a ton of details on the trim levels for the 2021 Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport. We will take a quick look at what they both have to offer, but keep in mind that you have a lot of options and choices with these two off-road SUVs. The standard Bronco has six trims available, while the Bronco Sport has four trims for you to choose from.

2021 Ford Bronco

• Base – The starting trim for the standard Bronco includes 4x4, easy-to-remove doors, and a passenger-side swinging rear door with a slide-out tailgate.
• Big Bend – The Big Bend expands on the Base trim with an available leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote start, and heated seats.
• Black Diamond – This is a great choice for more demanding off-roading, thanks to a standard rear-locking differential, steel bumpers, and heavy-duty skid plates.
• Outer Banks – The Outer Banks is a gorgeous luxury option, with 18-inch high-gloss black-painted aluminum wheels, signature LED headlamps, and a 12-inch infotainment display.
• Badlands – The Badlands takes off-road performance even further, thanks to Bilstein position-sensitive monotube shocks, and front and rear locking differentials.
• Wildtrak – With the Wildtrak, you get the incredible Sasquatch off-road package included, with 35-inch tires on beadlock-capable wheels and much more.

2021 Ford Bronco Sport

• Base – The standard trim for the Bronco Sport features an 8-inch infotainment display with a 6-speaker audio system and cloth seating.
• Big Bend – The Big Bend expands on the Bronco Sport’s Base trim with Intelligent Access push-button start, and available leather-wrapped steering wheel, power moonroof, and wireless charging pad.
• Outer Banks – The Outer Banks trim brings luxury to another level with a heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats, and a 10-speaker B&O sound system.
• Badlands – With the Badlands, you get incredible off-road performance thanks to an advanced 4x4 system, improved terrain management options, and an off-road suspension.

As you can see, you get plenty of options with either of these models. The standard Bronco has the same four trims as the Bronco Sport, plus two more to give you added customization. No matter which one you choose, however, you can still get everything you need.