What’s the Best 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Trim? Here’s Our Guide

Ford's reintroduction of the Bronco name came twofold; although the Jeep Wrangler–fighting full-size Bronco stole all the headlines, it's the smaller Bronco Sport (which shares its platform with the Ford Escape) that makes sense for more drivers. As a crossover, it has better driving manners on pavement but still respectable off-road chops. The Bronco Sport has a much lower starting price than the big Bronco, too. That said, the experience varies depending on which 2024 Ford Bronco Sport trim level you choose.

From engine upgrades and off-road hardware to active safety tech and leather-trimmed seats, opting for the wrong trim level could mean missing out on the features you need. Want to avoid that? Here's our trim guide.

2024 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend: $32,035

Let’s start with the basics. Because of its off-road intentions, the Bronco Sport comes with standard AWD on all trim levels.

Most variants of the Bronco Sport are powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine kicking out a respectable 181 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic is the only transmission option, and it's operated via a rotary gear selector located between the front seats. You get five selectable drive modes, too: Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, and Sand.

For 2024, the Big Bend trim is the Bronco Sport’s starting trim level. Walking up to the SUV, you'll notice the Carbonized Gray grille with Bronco lettering in white, as well as 17-inch wheels in Carbonized Gray. It uses a tough black plastic on its front and rear bumpers, door handles, bodyside cladding, rocker panel, and wheel arches. The Big Bend includes tinted privacy glass for the second-row windows and liftgate, and the side mirrors feature heated glass for frosty mornings. A manual liftgate with segment-exclusive flip-up rear glass is standard. Touch-sensitive door handles provide convenient unlocking to access the cabin, and push-button start lets you keep the key in your pocket.

Getting settled in, the Big Bend's seats have cloth upholstery. Manually adjustable front seats are perhaps expected at this price point, but the standard (not leather-wrapped) steering wheel feels a little cheap. Single-zone automatic climate control includes air vents for the second row of seats. Versatility is improved by 60/40 split-folding second-row seats. The cargo area has a rubberized finish, in addition to tie-down hooks and loops.

In terms of tech, there are dual USB charge ports up front as well as a 12-volt outlet; there's another 12-volt in the cargo area. An 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, and Bluetooth connectivity is standard. Lower trims including the Big Bend have a 4.2-inch instrument cluster display. Six-speaker audio is standard.

A handful of Ford's Co-Pilot360 driver assist technologies are included. Automatic high-beams, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, and automatic emergency braking are all standard. However, you can order Ford's expanded suite of safety features through the Co-Pilot 360 Assist+ package on all trim levels. Selecting that adds adaptive cruise control, lane centering, evasive steering assist, and speed sign recognition.

Big Bend buyers can also choose an option package that adds some of the premium features included on higher trim levels. The Convenience package adds LED foglamps, rear parking sensors, a universal garage door opener, heated front seats, an eight-way power driver's seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a wireless charging pad.

2024 Ford Bronco Sport Heritage: $34,605

Lean into the Bronco Sport’s rad, retro-tacular design with the Heritage trim level. It’s mostly a visual upgrade, distinguished outside by its white-painted roof, steelie-style 17-inch alloy wheels, bodyside accent decal, and grille with red Bronco lettering. Inside, the Bronco Sport Heritage gets exclusive dark blue plaid cloth seats and blue trim panels.

A few potentially useful hardware upgrades are added on the Bronco Sport Heritage, too. It gets LED foglights, extended rubber lining in the cargo area, and the trailer tow package. Additionally, its wheels are shod in all-terrain tires to make it more trail-ready straight from the factory. It also has a full-size spare tire.

2024 Ford Bronco Sport Free Wheeling: $34,635

If the Heritage trim isn’t eye-catching enough, Ford offers the Bronco Sport Free Wheeling. It is unmistakable by its bodyside decals featuring a warm sunset-tone color gradient running from the headlights to the taillights and over the hood. Wheels with red-painted accents complement the look, while the silver-finished grille and door handles add more flash. That theme continues inside the Bronco Sport Free Wheeling thanks to cloth seat upholstery with stripes and stitching matched to the exterior decals.

In terms of actual equipment, the Bronco Sport Free Wheeling gets rubber mats for both rows of seats and the cargo area. Otherwise, it’s much like the trim levels below it.

2024 Ford Bronco Sport Outer Banks: $36,175

The Outer Banks trim is the Bronco Sport for buyers who don't plan to tackle any especially tricky off-road trails but want a well-equipped small SUV for daily driving. Visual differentiators include body-color door handles, a black grille with Bronco lettering in white, upgraded LED headlights, LED foglamps, a roof painted in black, and 18-inch two-tone wheels.

Interior improvements are even more evident. In addition to leatherette-accented seat upholstery, buyers get a heated, power-adjustable driver’s seat and front passenger seat, a heated and leatherette-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a 110-volt power outlet. The front seat backs gain zippered pockets. Ambient lighting brightens the cabin. There's also a 6.5-inch instrument cluster display.

Additionally, rain-sensing wipers, a windshield wiper de-icer, remote start, and rear parking sensors add convenience. Buyers who want even more feature content can opt for the Tech package, which adds a 10-speaker B&O audio system, HD radio, a universal garage door opener, and a wireless charging pad.

2024 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands: $40,630

The Bronco Sport Badlands doesn't have all the convenience features as its Outer Banks sibling. Rather, this range-topping model includes hardware that makes it not only the most capable off-road but also the most fun to drive of the bunch. Headline items are an exclusive 245-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, an upgraded AWD system with a torque-vectoring rear axle, and off-road suspension.

Other performance improvements include additional off-road modes (Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl), a front 180-degree off-road camera, and Trail Control low-speed cruise control. Badlands buyers get paddle shifters for the eight-speed automatic transmission, too.

The superior engine, AWD setup, and suspension are only the start. The Badlands model wears standard all-terrain tires and has a full-size spare. It's the only version that comes with metal underbody skidplates and front tow hooks.

Inside the Bronco Sport Badlands, you get premium cloth upholstery with a power driver's seat and manual front passenger’s seat, both heated. Unique to the Badlands, the rear passenger seat features a hidden storage compartment. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is included, as is the 6.5-inch instrument cluster display and the zipper-pocket front seats. Buyers get Badlands-specific floormats, too.

If you want a fully loaded Bronco Sport, it's a Badlands model with the aforementioned Co-Pilot360 Assist+ pack and the Premium package. The latter adds two-tone perforated leather upholstery, a power front passenger’s seat, the 10-speaker B&O audio system, dual-zone automatic climate control, a heated steering wheel, HD radio, and a wireless charging pad, but that's not all. Opting for the Premium package also adds an auto-dimming rearview mirror, body-color door handles, remote start, rear parking sensors, and a universal garage door opener.

Which 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Trim Is Best?

Yes, it's pricey, but we'd recommend the Bronco Sport Badlands, preferably with the Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package. The Badlands has more off-road capability than the rest of the lineup, but even if you're not planning on hitting the trails, this is still the one to buy.

The Bronco Sport's base three-cylinder engine can be notably sluggish, which makes the four-cylinder on the Badlands all the more desirable, and the Badlands-exclusive torque-vectoring rear end makes the little trail monster genuinely fun to drive. Unless leaving options on the table will make you crazy, we'd recommend skipping the Premium package and instead reveling in the sweet-looking fabric upholstery and saving a little cash.

2024 Ford Bronco Sport Trims:

• Big Bend
• Heritage

• Free Wheeling
• Outer Banks

• Badlands (MT's pick)