There are two types of off-roading. The first is the kind marketers want you to think you’ll do; rock-crawling with recovery ropes, winches, and shovels. It’s done at dedicated off-roading parks by people who treat it as their main hobby. On a statistical level, though, it barely exists.
The second type of off-roading involves taking dirt roads deep into the backcountry, crawling over rocks or through ruts that bisect the path. For the latter, all you need is some clearance, gumption, and power. The Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch has all three, which makes it more than capable enough for most.
| Quick Specs | 2025 Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch |
| Engine | Turbocharged 2.0-liter Inline-Four |
| Output | 250 Horsepower / 280 Pound-Feet |
| Transmission | Eight-Speed Automatic |
| Drive Type | All-Wheel Drive |
| Base Price / As Tested | $41,710 / $46,620 |
A Tougher Bronco Sport
Even though it’s essentially a Ford Escape with more clearance, standard all-wheel drive, and an eye toward the backcountry, the Bronco Sport has been a hit since its debut. For 2025, it borrows the Sasquatch package from its big brother. On the standard Bronco, the Sasquatch package gives you 35-inch tires and locking diffs. Here, the Bronco Sport adds 29-inch Goodyear Territory All-Terrain tires and an upgraded twin-clutch locking rear differential for the all-wheel drive system.
That diff alone is a standout feature. Among the many weaknesses of car-based soft-roaders, they often have open diffs on both ends, meaning if two tires lose contact with the road, you’re basically hosed. The Bronco Sport has always offered a locker on its top-trim Badlands model, but now with the Sasquatch package, you can get it on the Outer Banks.
Make no mistake, though, the Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch is the one you want. Ignore the name, which has one too many adjectives meant to evoke "badass," because the upgrades are worth the $41,710 starting price. While normal Bronco Sports get a relatively uninspiring and overworked turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, the Badlands gets the gruff 2.0-liter Ecoboost. Here, it makes 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, addressing the other major problem with crossover SUVs: Most don’t have the grunt for a proper hill climb.
Pros: All The Capability You Need, Tons Of Fun, Reasonable Price
Badlands Sasquatch Broncos also get upgraded Bilstein position-sensitive dampers, which offer this SUV more ground clearance—8.7 inches to the standard version's 8.1. Clearance isn’t the trump card, though, as a Subaru Forester Wilderness clears 9.2 inches. Ford instead brags that the ‘Squatch has 8.3 inches of front suspension travel and 8.7 inches of travel out back, great numbers for what is usually an articulation-constrained class.
The Bronco Sport Sasquatch also has great approach, breakover, and departure angles: 31.2 degrees, 21.7 degrees, and 27.9 degrees, respectively. That’s way, way better than the Forester Wilderness (23.5 degrees, 21 degrees, and 25.5 degrees). Plus, the Sasquatch package brings plenty of armor, with a standard removable brush guard, skid plates, and exposed recovery hooks. Most importantly, all Sasquatches include a full-size spare tire, a shockingly rare and completely necessary item for any real off-roading.
Genuine Off-Road Capability
There’s no single stat here that will blow you away, but the way Ford integrated this package is exceptional. From its prominent, bulging hood to its cargo tie-downs, blocky interior design, and rumbling all-terrain tires, the Bronco Sport feels more truck-like than any other crossover.
The Sport’s big shoes and short overhangs make it a confident trail companion through the desert trails of Anza-Borrego State Park, outside of San Diego. This is the usual stomping ground for my personal 4x4: a stock 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe. Compared to my Tahoe, the Bronco Sport highlighted the main advantage of a crossover-based off-roader: Dirt-trail livability.
While a solid axle may help you crawl over rocks, it’s a heavy pain on rutted dirt. Oscillations make Anza-Borrego a washboarded nightmare, and in my solid-axle truck, the shaking was so severe that it snapped off a coolant hose connector. The independently sprung Bronco Sport—MacPherson struts at the front and double lateral link semi-trailing arms at the rear—is far smoother, even without airing down. It bounds over those same ruts without issue, though there is some interior squeaking. It eventually went away, but still, not ideal.
Cons: Busy Ride, Noisy Cabin, Annoying Touchscreen Climate Controls
The ‘Squatch shines on the sand, racing through S-curves and charging up deep sandy hills, the rear differential shuffling power as I huck the ‘Squatch through sandy corners, stability control sorting things out on the uphill sections. Credit the new “Rally” mode in the drive mode selector, too, which is set for high-speed silliness.
Though not typically a high point for crossovers, the Bronco Sport is even great at rock-crawling. Even without a low-range gearbox, the ‘Squatch manages a relatively tough climb over rocks and sand without issue. Ford also includes a transmission oil cooler, a big boon to anyone who’s ever tried to off-road a Subaru or Honda crossover in the desert and cooked their gear oil. I’d still not recommend the Bronco Sport for rock crawling, due to the relatively modest clearance and the lack of low-range gearing, but I’m confident it could out-wheel a Forester on the strength of its diff alone.
In the final test, a sandy autocross course, the Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch is a riot, sliding around like an old-school rally car. Like the Maverick Lobo, its drifting capability doesn’t make it any more communicative or engaging to drive, but still impressive. Even with deeper ruts during the last session, the Bronco’s bash plates easily absorb a 25-mile-per-hour impact with the sand. This thing is not only capable, it’s tough.
Pavement Problems
As any off-roader knows, off-road prowess usually involves some sacrifices in on-road capability. That remains true here. The Sasquatch’s truck-like ride is charming, but you do get more minor vibrations and jiggliness unexpected of a $46,620 crossover. It’s not uncomfortable over major bumps, but like many trucks, the ride just never settles down completely.
The more annoying part is the noise. Between the wind noise—a problem on all Bronco Sports I sampled—and the roar of those 29-inch tires, the Bronco Sport is a loud place to spend time. Its highway drone gets old fast. That’s tough, considering the main advantage of a car-based off-roader is usually its superior on-road manners. The Sport is certainly smoother and quieter than the bigger Bronco, but it’s not a far cry from a 4Runner.
Also, while I love the fast 13.2-inch touchscreen display, Ford has moved climate controls to the screen. That’s a bad enough move when a company has Grade-A software to control it, but the Bronco Sport’s clunky fan speed control and jittery sliders make it among the worst offenders. Adaptive cruise with lane centering is also standard on the Bronco Sport, but at least on the Badlands and Outer Banks Sasquatch models, I found the lane centering system too inconsistent to be relaxing.
The interior is nice enough, though, and at low speeds, the Bronco Sport is a fine enough daily. Nothing else that feels as capable is significantly better on the road, at least in my experience.
All The Off-Roader You Need
There is no life without sacrifice. Every product makes some inherent compromises between the real world and the world of our dreams. The Subaru, Toyota, and Hyundai alternatives to the Bronco Sport keep themselves firmly planted in the mundanity of living, focusing on on-road comfort and tapping out in more extreme scenarios. The 4Runners and Broncos of the world are all about the dream, no matter how much sacrifice it requires in reality.
The Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch perfectly splits the difference. It’s capable without being silly. It’s good enough to handle any trail that a reasonable person would attempt alone, spacious enough for four-person camping trips, and tidy enough to avoid scraping the sides on most trails. It’s playful enough to slide through the sand and serious enough to be your only car. It’s somewhere between the dream and the reality, and that’s exactly where I want to live.
Competitors
2025 Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch
