5 Things We 'HATE' About the 2-Door Bronco Badlands
Although we adore the 2-Door Bronco Badlands Sasquatch, we have a few criticisms you need to know about.
Intro
First up, the obvious. We don't hate the Bronco Badlands Sasquatch. Overall, it's a fantastic SUV. Fun in almost every scenario. Comfortable. Relatively sporty. Classic looks. Great manual transmission. And just a joy to drive. Especially this 2-Door Bronco configuration, which handles really well in cities, on highways, and off-road.
In fact, here are 5 reasons why it's actually the perfect Bronco!
Despite this, there are a few things, ranging from minor critiques to questions of value to full-on gripes we'd like to share in hopes that these may help potential future Bronco buyers. As such, here are the top five things we "hate" about the 2-Door Bronco Badlands Sasquatch...
1. High Pricing
When a 2-Door Bronco arrives, its looks and styling grab your attention. Especially in a stand-out color like Race Red. But then you sit back and see a relatively small SUV with (almost enough) room for four adults. It only has the base engine and (no-cost) manual transmission. The interior material qualities are kinda meh. And the radio/infotainment is lacking compared to other premium Fords. And with that context, it's easy to wonder if $58,000 is a lot to pay for what you get. It's certainly a nice Bronco. And a capable Bronco. But $60 grand seems like a lot to pay for mid-grade leather and to buy the only Bronco trim available with a sway-bar disconnect. Personally, if you don't need that sway-bar disconnect, we'd recommend getting a cheaper trim level and just enjoying that.
2. Mediocre Luxury & Radio
If we're genuinely comparing Ford's version of "luxury" to what someone like Lexus or Audi delivers, the Bronco's interior and infotainment are a serious letdown. Again, not a dealbreaker. Nor are either horrible. But $60,000 Broncos look and feel very similar to the $40,000 models. In other words, the upsell doesn't always feel worth it when you can get a Sasquatch Package on almost every trim. Plus, the radio itself, a 12-speaker B&O system isn't very good. Sure, it's better than the base stereo. But it lacks fidelity and clarity in several key areas.
3. Floppy Windows
Two-door Broncos feature longer driver and passenger doors, which, in turn, means longer driver and passenger door windows. In other words, they're heavier and there's no window frame to guide them. Which makes the window noticeably floppy in a way that makes them feel fragile or like something's wrong. This is especially true when the windows are "indexing," which is the quick up-or-down movement modern vehicle windows perform when opening and closing a door. It seems to me that, as 2-Door Broncos age, these windows are going to be a problem area under the category of "thins likely to break."
4. Wind Noise
Thus far I've driven a Base Sasquatch, Bronco Raptor, and now this 2-Door Badlands Sasquatch. All were factory-lifted. All were hardtops with insulation. Yet, for reasons engineers and physicists could better explain, this one was the loudest on the highway. By a LOT. The noise begins as a whistle around 50ish mph and only gets worse. At 70 or 80, forget about having a conversation or listening to anything but a blaring radio (and the noise). I'm not sure why it's more noticeable in this spec, but wind noise could be a genuine dealbreaker for someone who spends a lot of time on the highway.
5. Poor Fuel Economy
Not a deal killer by any means. And not nearly as bad as the Bronco Raptor or Raptor R. However, for a 4-cylinder engine with Eco in the name connected to a 7-speed transmission with a hefty overdrive, the 2-Door Bronco Badlands Sasquatch isn't exactly a fuel sipper. We averaged just 14mpg.
Why so bad? We can likely blame the aerodynamics (it's a box on wheels) along with the larger Sasquatch tires and the taller gearing. All of this to say that, if you're looking for a Bronco that doesn't drink gas like it's a Mustang, skip the Sasquatch package and go for one of the standard wheel and gear options.
Bonus: Less Practical Than the 4-Door
As much as we love the way the 2-Door looks and drives, 4-Door Broncos are much more practical and ergonomic. Entering and exiting the 2-Door's back seat is a chore thanks to the Bronco's height, lack of hand grips, and the slow power-sliding seats. Plus, even if you don't need room for extra passengers, with the shorter wheelbase, 2-Door Broncos are down significantly on cargo space as well. (Although, my family of three managed a quick road trip in the 2-Door, with luggage, thanks to some expert space management.)