Ford Blazes a Trail Better Than Chevy: Bronco Sport vs Trailblazer

As your Ford dealer near Lebanon, of course, we’re going to be partial to Ford models, but we can also recognize and appreciate the work that other manufacturers put into their vehicles. Chevy clearly understands the importance of powerful vehicles that can handle anything drivers need, but that doesn’t mean they always hit the mark. Ford’s on the same page in making things like powerful trucks and spacious SUVs designed for a wide range of needs. In terms of vehicles designed to go anywhere you can imagine, far beyond where the pavement ends, Chevy does a decent job, but Ford takes things to another level.

The recently reintroduced Ford Bronco and the smaller Bronco Sport are the perfect examples, surpassing even off-road legends like the Jeep Wrangler. The Bronco Sport is similar in size and in the same class as the fabled Chevy Trailblazer—with a name like that, you’d think Chevy had delivered an impressive off-road navigator. However, Chevy has fallen short with the Trailblazer if you’re interested in actually blazing a trail. The Ford Bronco Sport, on the other hand, comes through beautifully and gives you capability beyond what most other SUVs come close to; let’s take a closer look at what we mean.

Performance for Getting Around Lebanon

The engine in your vehicle is important—even if you’re just driving around Lebanon, running errands, or going about your daily commute, you want a vehicle that’s fun to drive. But suppose you’re looking to leave the road behind. In that case, you need a powertrain that’s up to handling rough terrain, dirt trails, and anything else you encounter, which is something that Ford clearly understands with the Bronco Sport, but the Trailblazer fails to deliver.

Chevy’s subcompact SUV has a standard 1.2L engine; it’s turbocharged, which is nice, but it only offers 137 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. That’s pretty lackluster, even for a starting option, and leaves the Trailblazer relatively weak. If you’re looking for something with more power, then there’s an available 1.3L turbocharged engine that ups performance a bit, but it only offers 155 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. That’s certainly better than the standard option, but it’s not exactly something to write home about.

The Ford Bronco Sport also offers two engines, but their performance is an entirely different story. We start with a 1.5L EcoBoost turbocharged engine standard in the Bronco Sport with 181 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque, surpassing the strongest engine on the Trailblazer. For a bolder driving experience, there’s an available 2.0L turbocharged engine from Ford that boosts power to 250 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque, far beyond anything Chevy offers on their SUV. This is our favorite option for the Bronco Sport because it’s enjoyable to drive even just for picking up kids or getting to work each day; plus, it makes going off-road an absolute dream come true when combined with the overall engineering Ford has delivered.

Trail-Ready Design

Here’s the thing about off-road performance with these two SUVs: every Ford Bronco Sport is ready to hit the trail, while the Trailblazer barely comes close to living up to its name. Despite what their name might suggest, most Trailblazer models aren’t made for going off-road. The best Chevy seems to do is with the ACTIV trim, which has several improvements to make it a decent option for light off-roading. It has skid plates to protect its underside, an off-road-tuned suspension (though Chevy doesn’t explain what that means), and 17-inch wheels wrapped in sport terrain tires. That’s all pretty good, but this is also one of the two highest trim levels for the Trailblazer and still fails to meet the features of the Bronco Sport’s base trim level.

Meanwhile, every Bronco Sport model is ready to hit the trail and take you on your next adventure, no matter which model you choose. Looking at the starting Big Bend trim, for example, it features standard four-wheel drive compared to the all-wheel drive that Chevy offers on the Trailblazer—the difference here is subtle but significant. It even has easy-to-clean cloth seats and a rubberized cargo floor inside to wash out any mud or dirt you track into your vehicle. Every model also comes with Ford’s new High-Performance, Off-Road, Stability Suspension (HOSS) System that ensures it can handle anything the trail throws at you while keeping you in control at all times.

The Bronco Sport has been designed and engineered to be every bit as adventurous as you want it to be. When properly equipped with the available all-terrain off-road tires, the Bronco Sport offers more than 23 inches of water-fording capability, letting it go anywhere you can imagine. Also, the Bronco Sport boasts almost nine inches of ground clearance and, perhaps best of all, a 30.4-degree approach angle, a 20.4-degree breakover angle, and a 33.1-degree departure angle. This means it can climb over just about anything you encounter safely, and it’s protected from whatever gets in your way.

Advanced Off-Road Features

What’s crazy to us is that even with everything we’ve described so far, we’re only getting started with the off-road features and tech that Ford has loaded into this beast. One of the most impressive aspects of the Bronco Sport is that every model features Ford’s Goes Over Any Type of Terrain (GOAT) Modes with five different settings that let you control the performance of your SUV to match whatever you encounter. This includes Normal, Eco, Sport, Sand, and Slippery modes for different conditions. The Badlands model goes further with Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl modes that can handle even the most challenging terrain.

What’s more, an available Ford Trail Control system essentially acts like cruise control for when you’re going off-road. Once activated, the system will handle low-speed acceleration and braking, keeping the Bronco Sport under 20 mph while you focus on steering and navigating rough conditions and tight spots on the trail. All of this comes together to create an incredible driving experience in all conditions. The Bronco Sport is perfect for getting through your daily routine in Lebanon, leaving the city behind, and reaching places few other vehicles would dare to go.

Legacy Models and Fun Offerings

One of the things we love about the Bronco Sport is that it’s a celebration of driving and the spirit of adventure, whether on the trail or on the road. Special editions take this further, like the Heritage Edition, which is inspired by the original 1966 Bronco with bold, classic looks. On the other hand, the Bronco Sport Free Wheeling edition is a model based on a limited-run option available from 1977 to 1981, beautifully combining a retro aesthetic with modern looks and design. You can’t find this with the Trailblazer, which Chevy has designed with a simpler and more limited aesthetic.

Ford Just Does It Better

Ultimately, the Chevy Trailblazer is a fine subcompact SUV, but it’s very much what we would expect from a basic model. With a name like “Trailblazer,” you’d think it would be ready to blaze a trail and take drivers somewhere that most other vehicles can’t reach. However, that’s what the Ford Bronco Sport does best, which is one of the many reasons we love it and enjoy everything it offers for our customers. No matter what you’re looking for in your next small SUV, the Bronco Sport is a fantastic choice for going places you wouldn’t dare go before in any lesser vehicles. Having a small design that’s perfect for city driving and combining that with excellent off-road performance creates an SUV that’s sure to put a smile on your face day after day.