A lot of people were excited when Ford brought back the Bronco for the 2021 model year, and so far, it has not disappointed. This is an impressive midsize SUV by any standard, but if you’re looking for one to take off-road, then this is on another level entirely. Anyone who goes looking for a Ford Bronco for sale, however, will quickly realize there are a lot of decisions to make; it’s not as easy as walking onto a lot, pointing at one at random, and getting everything you’re looking for. So today, I’m going to take you through the big decisions you need to make when checking out and shopping for the Bronco to make sure you get the stuff you want without overlooking or missing out on anything.
First, Choose a Body Style
This should be a pretty easy thing to decide on (at least compared to some of the stuff that’s to follow), but it’s quite important. You have two different body styles to choose from with the Ford Bronco: a two-door model or a four-door model. Both versions have two rows of seating inside, though four-door Broncos are meant for up to five passengers, while only four people are going to safely fit into two-door models. The two-door Bronco is about 174 inches in length, while the four-door model is closer to 190 inches—over a foot longer. Inside, you get a bit more passenger room, but there is a big difference in cargo space: the two-door model has just over 22 cu.ft. of rear cargo volume, while the four-door has more than 35 cu.ft. So consider how much room you need inside your SUV for passengers and gear alike, and then choose accordingly.
Second, Consider the Engine and Transmission
Your next big decision is which engine you want—this is a big one. For one thing, the engine you choose impacts the overall performance of your Ford Bronco; for another, it can also dictate certain trim levels that are or aren’t available depending on what you want. The standard engine for the 2025 Bronco is a 2.3L I-4 that offers 300 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, which is a fine place to start. One important thing to note: you can choose either a seven-speed manual transmission or a 10-speed automatic with this engine; the other two engines only come with the automatic.
If you want enhanced power and performance, then there’s an available 2.7L V6 engine that provides 330 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. This is a great choice that beautifully improves upon the standard engine—it’s the one I’d suggest unless you really want the full control of a manual transmission. Finally, there’s a 3.0L V6 engine available that delivers an impressive 418 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque. Here’s the catch, though: you only find this engine on the Raptor trim level, which starts at more than double the price of the Bronco Base model. For extreme performance and unsurpassed off-road capability, the Bronco Raptor is a terrific choice, but it is far beyond what most of us are looking for—the 2.7L V6 is perfect overall.
Third, Explore the Available Trim Levels
Once you’ve sorted out those two big decisions, then it’s time to figure out which trim level has everything you’re looking for. There are seven trims available for the 2025 Bronco, which gives you plenty of great options to choose from. Your budget will guide much of this decision, to be sure, but the kinds of features you want will also likely come into play. Here’s a brief overview of each of these trims and some of what they offer:
- Bronco Base—This is where it all starts. The Base model features the standard 2.3L engine, a basic four-wheel drive (4×4) system, and the High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension (HOSS) 1.0 system. 16-inch wheels are standard, and 17-inch wheels are available. Plus, it has the standard removable doors and top. Inside, you’ll find manual single-zone climate control, a 12-inch Digital Instrument Cluster, a 12-inch SYNC 4 Infotainment system, a seven-speaker sound system, and cloth seating.
- Bronco Big Bend—The Big Bend is only available as a four-door model, so keep that in mind when considering your options. It has 17-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires and the standard 2.3L engine. Inside, you’ll find dual-zone temperature control, heated front seats, and more great features to keep you comfortable.
- Bronco Heritage Edition—It is not just a trim level; the Heritage Edition has very distinct styling touches inside and out. You’ll find 17-inch Oxford White wheels on this one wrapped in mud-terrain tires, and it comes with an Advanced 4×4 system for added capability. It also has an Oxford White-painted removable hard-top roof, a white grille with red Ford lettering, and plaid cloth seating inside for a beautiful overall look.
- Bronco Outer Banks—The Outer Banks trim brings in some nice upgrades from the Big Bend, including 18-inch wheels wrapped in 32-inch all-terrain tires. It has leather-trimmed seating with heated front seats, plus a 10-way power driver’s seat and an eight-way power front passenger seat. Available upgrades on this one include a 12-speaker B&O sound system and more.
- Bronco Badlands—If you’re looking to do some serious off-roading, then check out the Badlands with its Advanced 4×4 system and HOSS 2.0 system that includes Bilstein position-sensitive dampers. This one has 17-inch wheels wrapped in 33-inch all-terrain tires, plus available options like a HOSS 3.0 system, Trail Control, and Trail One-Pedal driving.
- Bronco Stroppe Edition—The new pinnacle trim for the 2025 Bronco, the Stroppe Edition includes the 2.7L V6 engine as well as the HOSS 3.0 suspension package featuring FOX internal bypass dampers. It has unique 17-inch wheels with 35-inch mud-terrain tires and it comes with all of the bells and whistles and includes the Sasquatch Package.
- Bronco Raptor—For a high-performance off-road SUV, the Bronco Raptor is the way to go. It has a monster of a 3.0L V6 engine, a HOSS 4.0 system with FOX Live Valve 3.1 internal bypass semi-active dampers, and massive 37-inch all-terrain tires. This is a beast unlike anything else out there, but its price tag puts it well outside the range of most drivers.
As you can see, the differences between some of these models are pretty significant. You get great features across the board, so it really just depends on what you are looking for. I can’t tell you which one to choose, but you should have a pretty good sense of one or two, which is probably the right way to go.
Finally, Think About Packages and Extra Options
Arguably, the biggest option to consider is whether or not you want the available Sasquatch Package for your Ford Bronco. If you plan on doing some major off-roading, then I’d say it’s a must-have. On the other hand, if you want a Bronco primarily for getting around town and maybe doing some camping on the occasional weekend, it’s much more optional. There are other packages to consider, too, like the available Lux Packages that add nicer interior options where you can get things like leather-trimmed seating and the available B&O sound system on trims that don’t come with it included.
You Should Now Know What You Want
At this point, you’ve seen pretty much everything the 2025 Ford Bronco has to offer, and you should have a good sense of what you want. While there are a fair number of decisions to make, once you take things one step at a time, it all becomes pretty simple. Just consider how much room you need inside your midsize SUV, the kind of performance you want to get from it, and where you plan on driving it—going off-road or just around town. That should guide all of your decisions and make it quite easy to find the right Bronco with everything you are looking for. Just remember to keep an eye on the price tag because those two high-end trims (the Stroppe Edition and Raptor) represent a big jump in price from the ones that came before them. Now you’re ready to shop for a Bronco with confidence that you won’t miss something you want.
