By all accounts, the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport is doing rather well, taking just nine days to turn on dealership lots like Gary Crossley Ford in Kansas City and winning over customers with its tech features. Now, the 2022 Ford Bronco Sport – which just entered production earlier this month – has joined Consumer Reports‘ list of recommended cars, thanks to the 2021 model’s high reliability ratings thus far. The 2022 Ford Bronco Sport joins the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E on that list.
Consumer Reports added the 2022 Ford Bronco Sport to its list of recommended cars after the 2021 model proved to have above average reliability. At the same time, 12 other models fell off the list as the reliability of those vehicles slipped, based on data collected from surveys of CR members. Consumer Reports sends out questionnaires asking members to specify any problems they’ve had over the last 12 months across 17 categories, including everything from the drivetrain to paint and electrical systems. The organization then uses that data to calculate a predicted reliability score for each model.
CR‘s method of predicting reliability also involves taking a look at the last three model years of a vehicle, so long as no significant changes took place over that time frame. If the vehicle was redesigned within that three years or is brand new – as was the case with the 2021 Bronco Sport – it simply narrows its focus. And given the current climate, where the semiconductor chip shortage is making it hard to find new vehicles, let alone at or below MSRP, it seems that reliability is at the forefront of most shoppers’ minds these days.
“Due to dwindling inventories of cars and parts, vehicle reliability is more important than ever,” said Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. “Since some problems don’t develop right away, our reliability ratings look at up to three years of the model’s history. The best choices are the ones that are consistently trouble-free year over year.”
Source: Ford Authority
