Compare the2022 Toyota TacomaVS 2022 Ford Bronco

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Tacoma are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Ford Bronco doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Toyota Tacoma has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Bronco doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Tacoma has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Bronco doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Tacoma’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Bronco and is not available with Base.

Both the Tacoma and the Bronco have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available four-wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the Tacoma is safer than the Bronco:

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, its standard front crash prevention system, its “Acceptable” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Tacoma the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 162 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Bronco was not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2016.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tacoma for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Bronco.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Ford is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 22nd.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Tacoma V6 is faster than the Ford Bronco turbo V6 (automatics tested):

On the EPA test cycle the Tacoma gets better mileage than the Bronco:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Tacoma uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Bronco requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Tacoma has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Bronco 2-Door’s standard fuel tank (21.1 vs. 17.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Toyota Tacoma comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Bronco.

For better stopping power the Tacoma 4x4’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Bronco:

The Tacoma stops much shorter than the Bronco:

The Tacoma Short Bed Limited’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Bronco’s 70 series tires.

The Tacoma has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Tacoma flat and controlled during cornering. The Bronco’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tacoma Access Cab’s wheelbase is 27 inches longer than on the Bronco 2-Door (127.4 inches vs. 100.4 inches). The Tacoma Long Bed Double Cab’s wheelbase is 24.5 inches longer than on the Bronco 4-Door (140.6 inches vs. 116.1 inches).

The Tacoma Short Bed SR5 Double Cab handles at .71 G’s, while the Bronco First Edition 4-Door pulls only .63 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Tacoma Short Bed TRD Off-Road Double Cab 4x4 handles at .71 G’s, while the Bronco Badlands 2-Door pulls only .67 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Tacoma Short Bed SR5 Double Cab executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Bronco First Edition 4-Door (29.4 seconds @ .57 average G’s vs. 30.9 seconds @ .51 average G’s).

The Tacoma Short Bed TRD Off-Road Double Cab 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Bronco Badlands 2-Door (28.6 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Tacoma has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Bronco 4-Door (9.4 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Tacoma to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota Tacoma may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 600 pounds less than the Ford Bronco.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Tacoma Short Bed Limited 4x4 is quieter than the Bronco First Edition 2-Door:

The Tacoma Access Cab has .9 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 8.4 inches more rear hip room and 4.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Bronco 2-Door.

The Tacoma Double Cab has 1.3 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear hip room and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Bronco 4-Door.

The Tacoma Double Cab has a much larger cargo volume than the Bronco 2-Door with its rear seat up (34.8 vs. 22.4 cubic feet).

The Tacoma Access Cab has a much larger cargo volume than the Bronco 4-Door with its rear seat up (42.6 vs. 38.3 cubic feet).

The Tacoma Access Cab has a much larger cargo volume than the Bronco 4-Door with its rear seat up (42.6 vs. 38.3 cubic feet).

The Tacoma Access Cab has a much larger cargo area than the Bronco 2-Door with its rear seat up (42.6 vs. 22.4 cubic feet).

The Tacoma’s cargo area is larger than the Bronco’s in almost every dimension:

The Toyota Tacoma has a standard tailgate assist feature, which prevents the heavy tailgate from falling with a crash and causing injury. It allows adults and children to easily open and close the tailgate with one hand to better facilitate loading and unloading. The Ford Bronco doesn’t offer a tailgate assist.

Maximum trailer towing in the Ford Bronco is limited to 3500 pounds. The Tacoma Access Cab offers up to a 6800 lbs. towing capacity.

The Tacoma has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Bronco (1685 vs. 1452 lbs.).

The Tacoma’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Bronco’s available power window controls are spread out on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Tacoma’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Bronco’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

The Tacoma’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Bronco’s power mirror controls are on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.

The Tacoma is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Bronco doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Tacoma owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Tacoma will cost $685 less than the Bronco over a five-year period.

The Tacoma will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Tacoma will retain 66.75% to 86.21% of its original price after five years, while the Bronco only retains 48.5% to 51.21%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Tacoma will be $10715 to $30112 less than for the Ford Bronco.

The TRD Off-Road was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2016 4x4 of the Year. The Bronco has never been chosen.

The Toyota Tacoma outsold the Ford Bronco by over 27 to one during the 2021 model year.