Compare the2023 Ford Bronco SportVS 2023 GMC Acadia

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Bronco Sport have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The GMC Acadia doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Bronco Sport has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Acadia doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Bronco Sport. But it costs extra on the Acadia.

The Bronco Sport’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Acadia doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Bronco Sport and the Acadia have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Bronco Sport is safer than the GMC Acadia:

	Bronco Sport	Acadia
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	140	285
Neck Stress	178 lbs.	191 lbs.
Neck Compression	29 lbs.	29 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	123/237 lbs.	129/383 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	153	319
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	43%
Neck Stress	177 lbs.	203 lbs.
Neck Compression	54 lbs.	99 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Bronco Sport is safer than the GMC Acadia:

	Bronco Sport	Acadia
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	80	125
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	205 lbs.	243 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	144	276
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	689 lbs.	799 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	255	381
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	36 G’s
Hip Force	512 lbs.	760 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Bronco Sport its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Acadia last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The Bronco Sport’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Acadia’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 79 percent more Ford dealers than there are GMC dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Bronco Sport’s warranty.

Reliability

The Bronco Sport has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Acadia doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Bronco Sport has a standard 760-amp battery. The Acadia’s 660-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, GMC is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 3 places higher in reliability than GMC.

Engine

The Bronco Sport Badlands’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 6 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 271) than the Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Bronco Sport gets better mileage than the Acadia:

			MPG
Bronco Sport
	AWD	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	25 city/28 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
Acadia
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

The Bronco Sport stops much shorter than the Acadia:

	Bronco Sport	Acadia
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	173 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Bronco Sport offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Acadia; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Bronco Sport’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Acadia’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Bronco Sport Base/Big Bend has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Acadia (7.8 vs. 7.2 inches), allowing the Bronco Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Bronco Sport’s minimum ground clearance is 1.6 inches higher than on the Acadia (8.8 vs. 7.2 inches).

Chassis

The Ford Bronco Sport may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 800 pounds less than the GMC Acadia.

The Bronco Sport is 1 foot, 8.7 inches shorter than the Acadia, making the Bronco Sport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Bronco Sport has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, 2.1 inches more rear headroom and .1 inches more rear hip room than the Acadia.

Cargo Capacity

The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume than the Acadia with its rear seat up (32.5 vs. 12.8 cubic feet).

An optional locking center console keeps your small valuables safer in the Bronco Sport. The Acadia doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Bronco Sport’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Acadia’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Towing

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Bronco Sport uses the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Acadia doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Bronco Sport Outer Banks/Badlands’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Acadia’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Bronco Sport the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Acadia can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Bronco Sport Outer Banks’ standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Acadia’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 Bronco Sport’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Acadia’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Bronco Sport offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Acadia doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Economic Advantages

The Bronco Sport will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Bronco Sport will retain 59.2% to 61.37% of its original price after five years, while the Acadia only retains 47.29% to 50.03%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Bronco Sport will be $8739 to $13843 less than for the GMC Acadia.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Bronco Sport first among small SUVs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Acadia isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Ford Bronco Sport outsold the GMC Acadia by 88% during 2022.

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