Bronco Sport Heritage models are distinguishable by their Oxford White accents, including the grille with this Race Red lettering and the 17-inch aluminum throwback wheels. The Heritage Limited model got an engine upgrade too, from the standard 2.3-litre EcoBoost Four rated for 275 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque, to a 2.7-litre motor that delivers 315 horses and 415 torques. (All Bronco Sports share an 8-speed automatic transmission.) More power is always better, no?

Ford is flogging its new-for-2021 Bronco mercilessly—this is the fifth example we’ve driven since the nameplate was revived—but it’s paying off, for Ford and for us too. Bronco Sport sales pale in comparison with class-leading small crossovers such as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, but they are nonetheless substantial. And Bronco Sport buyers get a practical, thoroughly livable, well-equipped and sometimes reasonably priced two-row SUV with distinctive looks and no bad habits.

Here's a refresher: The original Bronco, produced from 1966 till 1977, was a basic boondocker that Ford aimed against the popular Jeep Wrangler. Although it was then called the CJ5, for Civilian Jeep, the Wrangler never went out of production and became a high-earning automotive icon. The modern Bronco is Ford’s attempt to cash in on cachet—the appeal of hardy vehicles such as the Wrangler and the British Land Rover.

Now, though, there are two entirely different Broncos. There’s this one and this one, both variations of the “real” Bronco, an F-150-based off-roader that still goes head-to-head with the Wrangler. And then there’s the more civilized Bronco Sport, which is based on the Escape, Ford’s compact crossover SUV. The first Bronco Sport we drove was back in 2021, but it has changed little since then, except to be offered in more and more trim levels, such as the Outer Banks and this Heritage Limited model, with more and more options.

The Sport Heritage trim was introduced for MY2023 and, although 2024 is within spitting distance, the one we’re driving this week is a ’23. However, the package continues essentially unchanged into the new year; and remember, this is the Limited. Ford planned to build a total of 3,932 Bronco Heritage Limited Editions across both the ’23 and ’24 model years—1,966 two-doors and 1,966 four-doors—but they’ve just stopped taking orders for two-door 2023 Heritage editions.

Ford blamed the UAW strike and “supplier issues” for this, and offered disappointed buyers (those with confirmed orders in hand) $4,250 and $3,090 toward the purchase of, respectively, 2024 Heritage or Heritage Limited Broncos.

Which brings us back to the topic of pricing. On Ford.com, a basic 2024 Bronco Sport Big Bend with a 181-horsepower three-cylinder turbo engine starts at $31,230. There are currently four more trim levels—Heritage, Free Wheeling, Outer Banks and Badlands—that top out at suggested retail price of $35,915. However, a gallop through the options menu can rapidly raise the sticker price of a Badlands model to $45,000-plus. Our four-door ’23 Heritage Limited stickers for $44,805 plus a destination & delivery fee of an additional $1,595.

If this sounds like a lot, consider that the other Bronco, the trucklet, can cost as much as $100K in 418-horsepower Raptor trim.

Next week: Subaru Crosstrek Sport