Daily adventure meets weekend fun in the 2025 Bronco Sport Badlands and Bronco Stroppe.

We flew into Dallas with a full slate already on the calendar, including time at the Auto Show at the Texas State Fair, test drives across the metroplex, and the Texas Auto Writers Association Truck Rodeo out at Eagle Raceway in Decatur. Ford made the trip even better by setting us up with a 2025 Bronco Sport Badlands 4×4 to use in North Texas, then sending us back to Houston, where we would later swap into something far more special.

This wasn’t one of those quick “here are the keys for an hour” situations. It was a real-life Texas week with two very different Broncos, two very different cities, and a lot of miles in between.

Dallas Pickup and First Impressions

Picking up the Bronco Sport at Ford headquarters on Cowboy Way felt like the right start to the story. The Cowboys’ state-of-the-art training facility sits right there, and everything about the area feels polished and big-league. While we were getting situated, we spotted the other half of our plan getting dropped off nearby — the two-door Bronco Stroppe — and even sitting still, it had that “you’re going to remember me” energy. We didn’t get to take it yet, but seeing it there made the Bronco Sport week feel like the appetizer before a main course we already knew would be wild.

A Ford-Themed First Stop at Ford’s Garage

The first real drive in the Bronco Sport was motivated by one thing: hunger. We headed straight to Ford’s Garage, and it honestly felt perfect rolling up in a Bronco to a place that’s built around the brand. The exterior design grabbed us before we even parked, but the inside was the real surprise. It was cool in a way that felt intentional, with a nostalgic, on-brand vibe that made it feel like part restaurant and part tribute to the company’s history.

The food delivered, too, which matters when you’ve been traveling all day and you just want something that hits the spot. If you’re ever near one, it’s absolutely worth stopping in, even if you’re not on a Ford-themed weekend.

The Bronco Sport Badlands is an Event Week Partner

Over the next couple of days, the Bronco Sport Badlands became our event partner. Fair Park days can be a lot with traffic, long walks, packed lots, and that constant cycle of jumping in and out of the vehicle while you’re running a schedule. We also spent time test-driving SUVs and trucks for the show, then made the run out to Decatur for the TAWA Truck Rodeo at Eagle Raceway, which adds a totally different kind of driving rhythm. Through all of that, the Badlands trim changed my opinion of the Bronco Sport. I didn’t love the model I had before because it felt too basic, but this one finally had the attitude and features to back up the name. It looked right, it felt right, and it blended into the week in a way that made it easy to forget we were “testing” it because it simply worked.

Desert Sand Style and a Cabin That Finally Feels Premium

The details helped build that impression. The Desert Sand exterior became a new favorite of mine, especially under the Texas sun, and the interior surprised me more than I expected. The Dark Space Gray leather, with its two-tone layout and that third golden accent color, gave the cabin a premium vibe without trying too hard.

It also proved comfortable whether we were crawling through city traffic or eating up highway miles, and it made the drive back down to Houston feel effortless. We averaged 20.7 mpg over our time with it, which felt solid considering how much of the trip was real-world driving with stops, traffic, and event pacing. By the end of the week, I realized I genuinely liked the higher-end Bronco Sport, and I finally understood why the Badlands is seen as the one to get.

Power and Capability That Match the Badge

A big part of that comes down to what’s under the hood and how the Badlands is built. It’s the only Bronco Sport trim to get the 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, which delivers 250 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, and it feels more grown-up than the smaller engine in the lower trims. It also brings off-road tech that makes it feel more than just an appearance package, including a more advanced 4×4 setup and drive modes that align with the adventurous promise Ford sells with the Bronco name.

It even carries the top towing rating in the Bronco Sport lineup at 2,700 pounds, which adds another layer of “this is actually useful” to the story. Still, at around $46,000, it sits high enough that buyers might start eyeing a full-size Bronco, so the value question becomes real depending on what you want the vehicle to be.

The Houston Swap and the Stroppe Arrival

When it was finally time to say goodbye to the Bronco Sport, the trip shifted from practical to playful in a hurry. Back in Houston, we picked up the 2025 Bronco Stroppe Special Edition, and it arrived at the perfect moment: we got to show it off at a car show, where it instantly became a magnet. The one immediate challenge was space, because I’m used to hauling a lot of materials when I’m doing events, and the two-door Bronco makes you think harder about what you pack and how you pack it.

I still made it work, but it was a reminder that this model is a “fun-first” choice. Once that was sorted, the Stroppe turned every drive into something that felt like a reward.

Open-Air October Cruising and Constant Attention

This Bronco is simply too much fun in the best way. The removable top made cruising feel like a mini vacation, and October temperatures were perfect for open-air driving without it feeling like you were battling the weather. I really wanted to take the doors off, too, but time got away from us, which honestly just made me want another shot at it later.

Everywhere we went, people stared, pointed, and asked questions in parking lots and at stops, and it never felt annoying because the Bronco wears that attention well. It looks special, it feels special, and it carries itself like something built to be seen as much as driven.

Heritage Looks With Real Hardware

The Stroppe’s appeal is also rooted in what it represents. It’s a limited-run two-door tribute inspired by the Baja racing era, with distinctive colors, a matte-black hood, and styling cues that feel like a nod to history rather than a random graphic package.

Power comes from a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 paired with a 10-speed automatic, and it backs up the look with the kind of hardware you actually want in a performance-focused Bronco. It also brings the modern comfort and tech that make it easy to live with, including a big central screen, premium audio, and a 360-degree camera that helps when you’re maneuvering something this bold in tight spaces. The trade-off is real, though: rear-seat access and space are tight, fuel economy isn’t the point, and the price lands deep in premium territory.

Final Takeaways

That price is the one part you can’t ignore, because this is a luxury-car number attached to a rugged, purpose-built toy. Still, the Stroppe delivers the kind of joy you don’t get from most vehicles, and it has that collector energy that makes it feel like something you’ll be proud you experienced.

The Bronco Sport Badlands impressed me by becoming the easy, capable partner for a busy week of events and miles. The Bronco Stroppe impressed me by turning everyday errands into a celebration. They share a name, but they live in totally different worlds, and that’s exactly why the experience worked so well.

Bronco Sport Badlands Rating: 8/10
Bronco Stroppe Rating: 9.5/10