Ford Bronco Sasquatch vs. Bronco Sport Sasquatch: Sassy Package Throwdown

• What's new: The Bronco Sport is now available with the Sasquatch off-road package, a step up from the Bronco Sport Badlands.
• Why they matter: A base big Bronco with the Sasquatch package will set you back a little over $50,000. For about $10K less, you can get the Bronco Sport Badlands with the Sasquatch package.
• Edmunds says: Don't discount the baby Bronco when searching for an off-road rig. If you're not planning on hitting the big rock obstacles, the Bronco Sport might serve you better than its bigger sibling.

Despite having the same name, these are different Sasquatch packages. The big Bronco offers the Sasquatch package at every trim level save for the Bronco Raptor, and the one we have here is based on an entry-level two-door model. Like the Bronco Sport, the Sassy package has a different price across different trims, and here it costs over $8,000. It adds an advanced four-wheel-drive system, 35-inch all-terrain tires, front and rear lockers, and, similar to the Bronco Sport, upgraded Bilstein shocks. You also get a 4.7:1 final drive for more torque off the line and a better crawl ratio. If you want a disconnecting anti-roll bar up front for more articulation, you'll need to step up to the Badlands trim.

Testing tells all

We put both rigs through our off-road gauntlet: hill climb, ziggurat, an easy trail and a high-speed wash. You might think that the big Bronco wiped the floor with its little sibling, but that wasn't the case.

Both Bronco variants conquered our steep hill climb, even though both had to lift a wheel to do so. The Bronco made easier work of it thanks to its low gearing and lockers, but the Bronco Sport took the same line and made it to the top. There was more wheelspin, and the Sport felt a bit more dicey when a wheel left the ground since the baby Bronco doesn't have as much suspension travel, but it got up the hill just fine. 

The higher an SUV can climb the steps of our ziggurat without lifting a rear wheel or hitting the front skid plate, the better it will perform on rutted, uneven trails. A truck with a lot of articulation can keep all four tires on the ground over rocks to keep you moving, and a steep approach angle makes going over rock faces (or driveway entrances) possible without scraping the front end. 

With its exceptional approach angle of over 43 degrees and 35-inch tires, the base Bronco handily climbed higher than the Bronco Sport. Honestly, this wasn't surprising. The Sport's 29-inch tires and 31-degree approach angle are great for a crossover, but it can't touch the big Bronco's capabilities here.

The trail drive test was the Bronco Sport's game to lose. With its unibody construction, it's smoother over washboard sections of trail. Its smaller tires and lower ground clearance also aid fuel economy on the way to the trail. Plus, every Bronco Sport is a four-door, so it's much easier to get in and out of the back seat. You have to be a Cirque du Soleil gymnast to get into the back of a two-door big Bronco.

Further, our top trim Bronco Sport gets all the good driver assist functions like adaptive cruise control and lane centering, while the base Bronco only gets essential features like automatic emergency braking, auto high beams and a backup camera. Still, you can take the roof and the doors off the Bronco for that open-air feeling. The best you can do in the Bronco Sport is to roll all four windows down and pop the rear glass. 

Our final test was a high-speed run through a sandy wash, and here's where things took a twist. We fully expected the Bronco with its bigger tires and more powerful engine to be the star here, but boy, were we wrong. Sure, it's got 50 more horsepower, but the bigger Bronco is also well — bigger. At the end of the day, the power-to-weight ratio of each rig is pretty comparable. 

So it really came down to power delivery and handling. The Bronco has a Sand mode, but the ultra-fun Baja mode is left to the upper trims. The rear locker made short work of any soft sections, but we felt like we were fighting the big guy to get it to turn and stop. It just felt unwieldy. The Bronco Sport, however, was much easier to wheel through the wash. It was nimble, with sharp turn-in and impressive bite. Its new Rally mode really lets the Bronco Sport shine at higher speeds in the wash, thanks to aggressive throttle tuning and more lenient traction control. We even did a few extra runs just because it brought so much joy. 

Which Bronco is better?

Our Bronco Sport in its top Badlands trim cost just shy of $46,500, including destination. If you want the least expensive big Bronco with the Sasquatch package, you'll be paying around $5,000 more. Now, if you'll be spending more time in the rocks than the sand, then the bigger Bronco is likely worth your money, but it's surprising just how far and how fast the little Bronco Sport can go. Don't forget, folks: Good things can often come in small packages.