The 2025 Ford Bronco lineup is very extensive, offering two body styles, multiple powertrain options, and a diverse array of trim levels to suit different preferences, budgets, and off-road adventures. The setup I tested caters to a specific taste: a two-door base trim with a manual transmission, and the Sasquatch off-road package. It’s probably best described as a weekend toy, but if that’s what you want, it performs exceptionally well.
Photo: James Riswick
For 2025, the Bronco’s “Base” trim returns after a year off. The Wildtrak and Everglades are discontinued, and the Black Diamond is now an optional package for the Big Bend. You can no longer pair the two-door option with the Big Bend or Heritage Edition trims. There are also changes to paint options and some minor feature adjustments.
The remaining two-door trims are Base, Badlands, and Stroppe Edition. The four-door comes in Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks, Badlands, Heritage Edition, and Raptor versions. All are convertibles. The two-door model comes standard with a multi-piece, removable hard top, and multiple optional soft-top designs are available. The four-door comes standard with a soft top and offers the hard top as an option, along with other soft-top choices.
Base prices range from $40,990 for a two-door Base trim with a manual transmission (essentially the Bronco I’m reviewing minus the Sasquatch package) to $81,990 for a Bronco Raptor.
For this 2025 Bronco review, Ford provided a test vehicle equipped with the base trim, all weather floor mats, and the $8,460 Sasquatch package. It includes:
The test vehicle’s manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was $50,140, including the $1,995 destination charge to ship the SUV to a local dealership from the Hermosillo, Mexico, assembly plant.
Photo: James Riswick
The high price of the Sasquatch package pushes the limits of this Bronco’s “Base” trim name, but I commend Ford for offering significant off-road features to those who don’t need or want all the luxury and tech options that come with higher trims. The real question is whether you’d actually value the Sasquatch’s capabilities.
The massive, rugged-terrain tires performed much better on the road than I expected. Grip around the corners was poor, as expected. Still, the wider contact patches, and possibly the upgraded suspension, provided greater lateral stability than the roly-poly, Sasquatch-less two-door Bronco I previously tested. They also didn’t cause overt impact harshness over bumps or excessive road noise.
Off-road, they were monsters that not only tenaciously clawed at the ground below, but their girth and rugged build gave me great confidence when facing big rocks and deep ruts. They would probably be helpful at higher speeds as well, though I stuck to slower, crawling speeds for my off-road adventures.
Photo: James Riswick
Speaking of which, the manual transmission’s distinctive Crawl gear is outstanding. Slip the shifter past the left side detent and down into “C” (instead of up into Reverse), apply the throttle, and release the clutch as usual, then enjoy the ability to keep the Bronco moving slowly without riding the clutch. This is a fantastic feature that makes choosing the manual much easier.
The rest of the off-roading experience remains fairly traditional. While there is an automatic mode for the 4WD system, you can still choose between 2WD, 4Hi, and 4Lo. There are also buttons to lock the front and rear differentials. The only off-road drive mode is “Sand,” compared to a long list of different terrain options.
Photo: James Riswick
It took some trial and error to find the right combination of elements needed to tackle the most extreme challenge on my off-road course. I had never previously attempted it in a test vehicle. Still, eventually the mighty Bronco Sasquatch climbed the tough mix of steep incline, ruts, rocks, and loose surface I threw at it. Besides, isn’t this DIY approach part of the fun? Spinning a dial to a boulder icon and letting cruise control take you around is boring.
I also appreciated the two-door’s shorter wheelbase on parts of the trail that can cause other SUVs to high-center, while its more compact length made it more maneuverable in tight spots than the four-door Bronco. That also increases the fun factor.
Photo: James Riswick
So, what exactly do you get in the Bronco’s base trim? Or, maybe the better question is: what are you missing?
Impressively, the infotainment touchscreen measures the same 12 inches as every other trim. It is easy to use and read, doesn’t have confusing radio controls, works well with wireless Apple CarPlay, and the screen doesn’t wash out in the sun. I did miss the front-facing camera that was so helpful while off-roading in the Bronco Sport Badlands. It should really come standard with the Sasquatch package.
The digital instrument panel is now a standard 12-inch unit featuring clear, easy-to-read gauges arranged in a traditional layout, with a tachometer and speedometer dials surrounding a customizable area in the center. The last two-door Bronco I tested had the previous standard 8-inch unit, which featured a useless vertically oriented tachometer (similar to a mercury thermometer), a small digital speedometer, a redundant analog speedometer gauge, and a tiny configurable section. Good riddance to that.
The tachometer is admittedly more important with the manual transmission. Choosing the stick shift saves you $1,795 and, more importantly, gives you a great manual transmission. The shifter is precise and easy to slot into gear. The clutch is light and has a clearly defined engagement point. It was even surprisingly easy to heel-toe downshift.
In terms of creature comforts, Ford doesn’t wrap the steering wheel but does cover the shifter. The upholstery is an attractive two-tone cloth that adds a touch of visual interest. The driver's seat is manually adjustable with fore-aft, recline, and height adjustments. At 6 foot 3, I had plenty of legroom and support, unlike in the somewhat cramped Jeep Wrangler.
Air conditioning is present, but it is manually operated. The controls are traditional buttons and knobs, instead of virtual controls integrated into the touchscreen, like in the Bronco Sport. There is a push-button start, but you have to use the fob to lock and unlock the doors. The windows and mirrors are power operated, although their inconvenient placement on the front face of the center armrest is frustrating.
There is also limited safety technology. It includes forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, but that’s all. There is no lane keeping assistance, and blind spot warning is done manually with small integrated mirrors, which isn't bad; it is better than nothing. Adaptive cruise control is also absent.
Photo: James Riswick
The two-door Bronco is not for everyone, of course. Not only does it lack rear doors, but the back seat has only two seat belts instead of three. The legroom is 0.6 inches shorter compared to the four-door. The cargo space is also significantly smaller at 20.6 cubic feet versus 38.3. I was able to fit about half the amount of luggage behind the back seat, or three rollaboards and two medium check-in bags. The 50/50 split-back seats fold down, but not all the way into the floor.
That said, two-door models are cooler than four-door ones. While not a fact, it's hard to find someone who disagrees. It’s best to view the two-door Bronco as a weekend sports car or roadster, even though its rear seat is more spacious and practical than those typically are, if such models exist at all. I had enough rear legroom if I adjusted the front passenger seat slightly, but my main issue was hitting my head against the rear crossbar.
Photo: James Riswick
I also installed my five-year-old’s forward-facing car seat. It wasn’t easy to squeeze it back there, securing it with the roof removed was much easier, but it can be done. Once safely in place, it provided a uniquely enjoyable experience for my son. He especially liked me lifting him into and out of the cabin through the spot usually occupied by the back window. This never got old. Securing him in his seat with the roof on, however, would.
It's best to keep the roof off, which is precisely what I did, including during my 75-mile evaluation drive, where I achieved 18.6 mpg (versus an EPA-estimated 19 mpg combined). Unsurprisingly, it was very loud on the highway, but it’s also deafening with the roof on, so the difference isn’t that extreme. There is also minimal wind intrusion for those up front. It’s a very different story in the back—“it’s really blowy!” my son reported, and the seat belts can flutter like crazy.
Taking the roof off and putting it back on isn’t something I do often. It’s not hard—pop some latches on the front two panels, undo a few bolts on the rear roof/window unit with a torque wrench provided—but it requires two people, some muscle, and, importantly, a place to store the large rear roof. My choice of “backyard patio” was admittedly not a permanent solution.
If you have a solution plus a garage to keep the open cabin from being filled with rain and raccoon families at night, I would leave the roof off most of the year. I would, however, opt for the $470 soft canvas “Bimini” roof option, which fits over the passenger compartment to block the sun and some wind.
Photo: James Riswick
The Base two-door Bronco’s practical limitations, minimal equipment, and booming roof-on highway noise make it a flawed vehicle for road trips or commuting. However, as a secondary vehicle for fun, it’s an absolute delight to enjoy with your family. The mix of two doors, a convertible top, a manual transmission, and off-road vehicle dynamics offers a uniquely engaging and entertaining driving experience.
Regarding the Sasquatch, pairing it with the two-door base trim is a wise choice that allows you to enjoy maximum capability without overspending. It’s not cheap, and it seems likely that many won’t utilize those features, but it also wasn’t a detriment on the road.
James Riswick has been testing and reviewing cars since 2007, serving as an editor at Edmunds.com and Autoblog. In addition to JDPower.com, he has also contributed to Autoguide Magazine, Autotrader, Capital One Auto Navigator, Car and Driver, and Hagerty. He resides in Southern California and owns a 1998 BMW Z3, a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 Wagon, and a 2025 Cadillac Optiq.
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