We spent two days evaluating a 2024 Ford Bronco Badlands Sasquatch on rock, sand, and mud to see how its hardware translates into real capability. From ground clearance and approach angles to the behavior of its 4WD systems, here’s how it handled a mix of technical crawling and fast fire roads.
Our tester was a four-door Badlands with the Sasquatch package: 35-inch LT315/70R17 Goodyear Territory MTs, beadlock-capable wheels, and 4.70 final drive. Power comes from the 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 (330 hp, 415 lb-ft) and a 10-speed automatic. Key numbers are strong: 11.6 inches of ground clearance, approach/departure/breakover angles of roughly 43/37/26 degrees, and a claimed 33.5 inches of water fording. Steel bash plates protect the front, transfer case, and fuel tank.
We ran a 12-mile rocky loop, a rutted forest road with standing water, and a two-mile sand wash. Ambient temps ranged from 62–81°F. Tire pressures were set at 32 psi on-road and aired down to 18 psi off-road. We weighed the Bronco with two occupants and recovery gear at just over 5,200 lb, keeping payload within spec and measuring fuel use over 78 miles of mixed terrain.
Drivetrain management is intuitive. The advanced on-demand 4x4 offers 2H, 4A, 4H, and 4L; low range is 3.06:1. With 4.70 axles and the 10-speed, the crawl ratio works out to 67.8:1, allowing clean throttle control in rocks. Front and rear lockers engage quickly, and the electronic sway-bar disconnect operates under load, adding usable articulation where independent front suspensions normally struggle.
On the boulder garden (grades up to 18%, ledges to 12 inches), 4L with both lockers and the bar disconnected let the Bronco idle up without wheelspin. A-TRAC-style brake-based control is well tuned when open, but the lockers reduce chatter and heat. The front camera helps with line choice; the washer kept it usable in mud. We recorded no plate strikes, and the frame cleared breakover crests the Wrangler would match but many crossovers would beach on.
In mud and sand, 4A and the Sand/Mud ruts GOAT modes eased driveline bind on mixed-grip surfaces. Trail Turn Assist genuinely tightened hairpins on narrow shelf roads. At speed, the Bilstein position-sensitive dampers (Sasquatch) kept body motion tidy over whoops where solid-axle rivals feel choppier, though the IFS still lifts a tire sooner in slow, crossed-axle obstacles. Off-road consumption averaged 15.2 mpg; with the 20.8-gallon tank we’d plan for a conservative 250–275-mile range.
Overall, the Bronco Badlands Sasquatch delivers real trail capability out of the box, balancing crawl-friendly gearing and lockers with stability at speed. It’s happiest on rocks, sand, and rutted tracks; deep clay demands careful tire selection. For buyers, prioritize the 4.70 axles, front camera, and skid plates; add a true all-terrain or winter tire for snow. If you need more articulation for extreme crawling, a Wrangler Rubicon still edges it, but the Bronco’s all-round usability is outstanding.
