2026 Ford Bronco Sport Review

There are several options for shoppers seeking a rugged looking compact crossover with some off-road chops, but few have the authenticity of the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport.

The baby brother of the big Bronco, the Bronco Sport exposes crossovers like the Honda CR-V TrailSport and Toyota RAV4 Woodland as mere appearance packages. With good looks, smart details, and responsive performance, it’s hard to root against Ford’s rugged little crossover.

Design: 8/10

The 2026 Ford Bronco Sport makes its strongest first impression with its styling. Ford cleverly designed this compact crossover to mimic the bigger, body-on-frame Bronco, and it looks superb.

The one tested here was the entry-level Big Bend, although it was outfitted with several packages and options that raise its profile to a very interesting degree. Notably, it has a brush bar up front, fender tie downs along the side, and beefy all-terrain tires. The tow hooks, black and bronze accents, and black roof make it look fantastic, especially compared to the bland offerings found elsewhere in the segment.

Powertrain: 8/10

Under the hood, the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport comes standard with a turbocharged 1.5L three-cylinder engine that makes 180 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. It’s matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive that has five settings: normal, eco, sport, slippery, and off-road.

The motor is delightfully responsive off the line. It leaps forward at the mildest prod of the throttle, and feels much more exciting than the cylinder count and output would indicate. It’s a bit on the loud side, and you can hear the turbo at times, although that audible feedback will appeal to some.

The motor helps this crossover get up to speed easily, and it doesn’t huff or puff along while passing, either. It’s surprisingly capable, but those who want even more juice can get it in the Badlands model, which features a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. That model also gets a different all-wheel-drive system with a special twin-clutch rear differential.

Efficiency: 7/10

The three-cylinder motor is rated to return 9.3 L/100 km in the city, 7.8 on the highway, and 8.6 combined. My daily drive tends to skew more towards the city, and I found it a bit less efficient than the advertised figures, with consumption reaching into the 10.0 L/100 km mark. However, once I spent some time on the highway, consumption settled into a more reasonable mark.

Driving Feel: 7/10

The Bronco Sport feels responsive off the line, though there are times when it feels a bit too jumpy, and forces you to dial back the acceleration. It takes some getting used to, but overall I found it to be easy to drive. There are good sightlines, and it never feels oversized from behind the wheel.

The steering feel is just right, with a good balance between being heavy and light. The all-terrain tires aren’t squishy while braking on the road, which is appreciated, and they aren’t too loud, either. The ride isn’t stiff, which helps describe the overall appeal of the Bronco Sport. It looks authentically rugged, but leans more on being a comfortable on-road experience rather than a stiff, tough, and hair-raising experience.

Safety: 7/10

The Bronco Sport comes with adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and more safety technology as part of the standard Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package. There are also several parking assists, including rear sensors and the back-up camera that’s mandatory on all new vehicles.

However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) didn’t give the Bronco Sport a Top Safety Pick rating. It struggled with subpar marks in the small- and moderate overlap crash tests, and received a “Poor” score for its whiplash prevention.

Equipment: 6/10

While the Bronco Sport looks sharp and drives well, it also offers a good number of features, though not in the entry-level trim. The Big Bend lacks a standard dual-zone climate control system or a sunroof. These are optional, found in packages, or come in higher trims. As for features that are standard: heated front seats and power adjustability for the driver’s side are included, as are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Bigger displays, dual-zone climate control, memory settings for the seats, additional storage, and other handy features are available.

User-Friendliness: 7/10

The Big Bend has an eight-inch digital instrument display and a 13.2-inch touchscreen. The digital dash is fine, though it lacks customizability. The infotainment system is much better in terms of user interface. It has plenty of options for apps and customizability, plus those smartphone connections are wireless.

The overall usability is also fine, though I find the Ford steering controls to be a bit much. There are several buttons and switches, which seem a bit over the top. It can be overwhelming for a new owner to get comfortable with all the features that can be triggered and set from the steering wheel.

Everyday Usability: 6/10

It’s also worth pointing out that the Bronco Sport doesn’t come with a power tailgate. However, the rear window can be opened separately from the tailgate, which can come in handy when loading the back with stuff.

Behind the rear seats, the Bronco Sport features 919 L of cargo room, which is more than what you’d find in something like the Subaru Forester, but less than what’s offered by the Kia Sportage. Fold down the rear seats, and there’s a maximum of 1,846 L of space. This tester also included an interesting shelf that allows you to stack objects in the trunk or better organize your groceries.

Comfort: 7/10

The front seats are spacious, and the extra support is nice, too. However, the rear seats can feel a bit tight, especially in terms of legroom. Installing a rear-facing car seat also eats into front legroom, as the front seat has to be moved forward.

Value for Money: 7/10

While the Ford Bronco Sport looks and performs well, there’s one major catch: pricing. It starts at a whopping $41,790 before options and taxes but including freight ($2,395). This tester, which included all kinds of extras, had an as-tested price of $51,390.

Even the base price feels like a lot for something that lacks dual-zone climate control or a power tailgate. And it's an even harder sell when you add the extra goodies, especially as other compact crossovers offer more space and features for similar or less money. However, there are very few compact crossovers with this much curb appeal.

The Verdict

I fell in love with the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport thanks to its good looks and excellent performance. However, the lack of space and features makes it hard to recommend to everyone, especially those with a family or kids to regularly haul around. However, if its rugged looks speak to you, there’s simply no equal in this class. For those who shop with their emotions rather than worrying about value and space, it’s hard to argue against this little crossover.