2021 Ford Bronco Sport

Pros: Available off-road hardware; expressive, adventure-ready styling; good cargo and passenger space in a small overall package

Cons: Gets pricey quickly as you move up the model roster

CG Says: Ford is reviving its Bronco nameplate for 2021 on not one but two new vehicles: The larger and more expensive Bronco (see separate review) is a body-on-frame SUV aimed squarely at the Jeep Wrangler, while the subject of this review, the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, is a smaller compact crossover SUV that is built on the basic platform of the Ford Escape. The Bronco Sport uses unibody construction and has front and rear independent suspension, but it’s been fortified for off-road driving. All Bronco Sports have standard 4-wheel drive, and the list of available features includes a rear differential lock, Trail Control (a low-speed cruise control for off-road driving), a front-mounted off-road camera, and a Rock Crawl mode that provides better steering control on rocky terrain. The base engine is a 181-horsepower turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder; the topline Badlands and First Edition models have a 245-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. Both engines are paired with an 8-speed automatic. Standard safety features include pre-collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, blind-spot alert, cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Available safety features include adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centering, evasive steering assist, and speed-limit recognition. The Bronco Sport aims to deliver the bold style and most of the off-road capability of its larger Bronco sibling in a smaller, more affordable package that’s also a bit more refined in on-road driving.