2024 Ford Bronco Sport: Specs, Trims, and What to Look For

The Bronco Sport is the compact SUV for people who actually leave pavement — not often enough to justify a full Bronco, but often enough that standard all-wheel drive and real ground clearance matter.

The 2024 was the last year before the model’s refresh, which makes it a well-sorted used buy. Here’s what it offers and what separates two of them on a lot.

The Engines

Two, and the difference is significant.

The 1.5-liter is adequate. It moves the vehicle fine around town and returns better fuel economy.

The 2.0-liter changes the character. Sixty-nine more horsepower in a compact SUV is a lot, and it’s the engine you want if you carry gear, load four people, or spend time at highway speed. It also comes attached to the more capable hardware.

4×4 is standard across the lineup. Not available — standard. That’s unusual in this class and one of the main reasons to shop a Bronco Sport over an Escape or a RAV4.

What Makes the Badlands Different

This is the most important thing to know when comparing two used Bronco Sports.

The Badlands isn’t an appearance package. It gets the 2.0-liter engine, more ground clearance at up to 8.8 inches, a more sophisticated rear drive unit with a differential lock, upgraded suspension, and the full set of seven G.O.A.T. Modes including Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl. Lower trims get five modes and less hardware.

If you’re buying a Bronco Sport for actual trail use, the Badlands is the one. If you’re buying it for its looks and standard all-wheel drive, you don’t need it and can save real money.

The Features Nobody Mentions in the Brochure

These are the things owners end up liking most:

The flip-up rear glass. Open just the window to drop something in the back without swinging the whole liftgate open. In a tight parking space, it’s the difference between loading the car and not.

The tall, boxy cargo area. The upright roofline swallows things a sloped-tailgate crossover can’t — a bike with the front wheel on, tall camping gear, a dog crate.

Rubberized, hose-out surfaces. Available easy-clean materials mean wet, sandy, or muddy gear goes straight in.

Cargo area utility. Depending on configuration, tie-downs, a rear cargo management system, and available accessory mounts for gear.

Standard roof rails for bikes, kayaks, or a rooftop box.

Towing and Capability

Up to 2,200 pounds when properly equipped. That handles a small utility trailer, a pair of jet skis, or a teardrop camper. It’s not a tow vehicle in any serious sense, and if you need more, look at a Maverick or a bigger SUV.

Ground clearance runs up to 8.8 inches on the Badlands, less on lower trims.

Interior and Technology

Seating for five with good headroom, which the boxy roofline delivers.

SYNC 4 with an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, available navigation, and available wireless charging. Under-seat storage and a cargo management system round it out.

Safety

Ford Co-Pilot360 was standard: Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, BLIS with Cross-Traffic Alert, a Lane-Keeping System, a rearview camera, and automatic high-beam headlamps.

Available: Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go, Evasive Steering Assist, and post-collision braking. Adaptive cruise with stop-and-go is the one that earns its cost in daily traffic.

What to Check on a Used 2024 Bronco Sport

Which engine. Listings don’t always specify. The 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter are meaningfully different vehicles, and the 2.0-liter carries a price premium for good reason.

Which trim, and what hardware came with it. The Badlands’ rear drive unit, differential lock, and extra G.O.A.T. Modes don’t come on lower trims. Ask for the window sticker.

Evidence of actual off-road use. These are bought to go off pavement, and some do. Check underbody protection, skid plates, and suspension components. Look at the wheels and tires for curb and trail damage.

Remaining factory warranty. Ford’s new vehicle limited warranty typically runs three years or 36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper and five years or 60,000 miles on the powertrain, measured from the original in-service date rather than the model year. Ask for that date.

Open recalls. Recalls are VIN-specific and free to remedy at any franchised dealer. Look up any VIN at NHTSA’s recall tool or Ford’s owner site.

Bronco Sport, Bronco, or Escape?

Bronco Sport — unibody compact SUV, standard 4×4, boxy and practical, capable on unimproved roads and light trails.

Bronco — body-on-frame, removable roof and doors, built for serious off-road use. More capable, less comfortable, worse on fuel.

Escape — shares engines with the Bronco Sport, better on fuel, offers hybrid powertrains, front-wheel drive standard with AWD available. The right answer if you never leave pavement.

The Bronco Sport sits between the other two, and for most people who think they want a Bronco, it’s the more sensible purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

What engines did the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport offer? Two: a 1.5-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder producing 181 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque, and a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder producing 250 horsepower and 277 lb-ft. The 2.0-liter came on the Badlands.

Does the Ford Bronco Sport come with four-wheel drive? Yes, 4×4 capability is standard across the lineup rather than optional.

How much can a 2024 Ford Bronco Sport tow? Up to 2,200 pounds when properly equipped, which suits a small utility trailer, jet skis, or a teardrop camper.

What are G.O.A.T. Modes? Goes Over Any Terrain modes, a drive-mode system adjusting throttle, traction, and drivetrain settings by surface. Up to seven were available including Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, Sand, Mud/Ruts, and Rock Crawl, with the full set on the Badlands and fewer on lower trims.

What’s the difference between the Bronco Sport Badlands and other trims? The Badlands gets the 2.0-liter engine, up to 8.8 inches of ground clearance, a more capable rear drive unit with a differential lock, upgraded suspension, and the full seven G.O.A.T. Modes. Lower trims get less hardware and fewer modes.

What’s the difference between the Bronco Sport and the Bronco? The Bronco Sport is a unibody compact SUV with standard 4×4, built for light trails and unimproved roads. The Bronco is body-on-frame with removable roof and doors, built for serious off-road use, with more capability and higher running costs.

Does a used 2024 Bronco Sport still have factory warranty? Often, yes. Ford’s new vehicle limited warranty typically runs three years or 36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper and five years or 60,000 miles on the powertrain, measured from the original in-service date rather than the model year.

Where can I find a Ford Bronco Sport near Kansas City? Greenway Ford at 9505 E 350 Hwy in Raytown, MO. Browse our used inventory or contact us at 816-482-3921.

Come Load One Up

Bring whatever you actually carry — the bike, the cooler, the dog crate. The Bronco Sport’s advantage is the shape of its cargo area, and that’s something you evaluate by putting your stuff in it, not by reading a cubic-foot number.

Browse our used inventory, check used vehicle specials, or see current Bronco Sport inventory if you’d consider a newer one.

If the trim and engine combination you want isn’t here, our vehicle finder service can look for it. Before you visit, estimate a payment, value your trade, or get pre-qualified with no impact to your credit score.