Compare the2023 Ford Bronco SportVS 2023 Jeep Wrangler

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
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 Jeep Wrangler doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Ford Bronco Sport has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Wrangler doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Bronco Sport has standard head airbag curtains for front and rear seats that act as a forgiving barrier between the driver and outboard passenger's upper bodies and the window and pillars. Combined with high-strength steel door beams and lower side airbags this system increases head protection in broadside collisions. The Wrangler doesn't offer side airbag protection for the head and are only available for the front seats.

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 Wrangler 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.

The Bronco Sport’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Bronco Sport has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Wrangler’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Bronco Sport has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Wrangler.

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 Wrangler doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Bronco Sport uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Wrangler uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Bronco Sport and the Wrangler have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras 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 Jeep Wrangler:

	Bronco Sport	Wrangler
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	140	187
Neck Injury Risk	26%	31%
Neck Stress	178 lbs.	299 lbs.
Neck Compression	29 lbs.	72 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	123/237 lbs.	926/731 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	153	202
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	177 lbs.	188 lbs.
Neck Compression	54 lbs.	81 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	385/291 lbs.	380/742 lbs.

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

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Ford Bronco Sport is safer than the Wrangler 4-door:

	Bronco Sport	Wrangler
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	79	101
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	1 cm	2 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	0%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Bronco Sport, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 9.3% to 10.5% less likely to roll over than the Wrangler, which received a three-star rating.

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 Wrangler is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

There are over 25 percent more Ford dealers than there are Jeep dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Bronco Sport’s warranty.

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Bronco Sport have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 6.4 V8 in the Wrangler.

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 Wrangler 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 Wrangler’s standard 650-amp battery and largest (optional) 700 amp battery aren’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Bronco Sport third among small SUVs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Wrangler isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 32 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated below average.

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 Jeep 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, Jeep is rated below average.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Bronco Sport Badlands 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Wrangler 4Xe 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid (automatics tested):

	Bronco Sport	Wrangler
Zero to 30 MPH	2.1 sec	2.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.5 sec	6.8 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Bronco Sport gets better mileage than the Wrangler 4-door running its gasoline engine:

			MPG
Bronco Sport
AWD	Auto	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	25 city/28 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
Wrangler 4-door
AWD	Manual	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/23 hwy
AWD	Auto	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/24 hwy
		3.6 V6 Hybrid	19 city/24 hwy
		6.4 OHV V8	13 city/17 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	20 city/20 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6 Diesel	22 city/29 hwy
		Rubicon 3.0 turbo V6 Diesel	21 city/26 hwy

Regardless of its engine, the Bronco Sport’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Wrangler Rubicon 392 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Bronco Sport uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Bronco Sport Badlands for maximum performance). The Wrangler Rubicon 392 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Bronco Sport has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Ford Bronco Sport higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Jeep Wrangler (1 to 7). This means the Bronco Sport produces up to 47 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Wrangler every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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

Brakes and Stopping

The Bronco Sport stops much shorter than the Wrangler:

	Bronco Sport	Wrangler
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	211 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	150 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	163 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Bronco Sport’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Wrangler Sport’s standard 75 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Ford Bronco Sport’s independent front suspension is much lighter than the Jeep Wrangler’s solid front axle, which allows the Bronco Sport’s wheels to react more quickly and accurately to the road’s surface, improving both ride and handling.

For superior ride and handling, the Ford Bronco Sport has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Jeep Wrangler has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

For much better steering response and tighter handling the Bronco Sport has rack and pinion steering, like Formula racecars, instead of the recirculating-ball type steering of the Wrangler.

The Bronco Sport Outer Banks handles at .79 G’s, while the Wrangler Sahara 4-door pulls only .64 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Bronco Sport Badlands executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Wrangler Rubicon 4-door (28.4 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 29.9 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Chassis

The Ford Bronco Sport may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 1500 pounds less than the Jeep Wrangler.

The Bronco Sport is 1 foot, 3.7 inches shorter than the Wrangler 4-door 4x4, making the Bronco Sport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Bronco Sport’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Wrangler uses body-on-frame design instead.

The front grille of the Bronco Sport uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Wrangler doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Bronco Sport Badlands is quieter than the Wrangler Sport 4-door:

	Bronco Sport	Wrangler
At idle	38 dB	41 dB
Full-Throttle	73 dB	73 dB
70 MPH Cruising	69 dB	70 dB

Cargo Capacity

The Bronco Sport has a larger cargo volume than the Wrangler 4-door with its rear seat up (32.5 vs. 31.7 cubic feet).

The Bronco Sport’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Wrangler 2-door’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

The Bronco Sport’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Wrangler’s swing out door blocks loading from the driver’s side.

Servicing Ease

The Bronco Sport uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Wrangler uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When different drivers share the Bronco Sport Badlands, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Bronco Sport’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Wrangler has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Bronco Sport’s standard power windows allow the driver or passenger to lower and raise the windows without leaning over or being distracted. Power windows cost extra on the Wrangler.

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 Wrangler’s optional power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its front windows open automatically.

The Bronco Sport’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Wrangler’s optional power window controls are down in the center of the dashboard, away from the windows and mixed with controls for unrelated features.

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 Wrangler can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Bronco Sport’s standard power locks allow the driver or passenger to lock or unlock all the doors at a touch without leaning over, or reaching to the back seat. Power locks cost extra on the Wrangler.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Bronco Sport’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Wrangler doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost SiriusXM Guardian can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

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 Wrangler’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Bronco Sport’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Wrangler’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

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 Wrangler’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

The Bronco Sport has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Wrangler has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Sport S/Sahara/Rubicon.

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

The Bronco Sport has standard power remote mirrors. The Wrangler only comes with remote mirrors at extra cost. Without them the driver will have to roll down the windows and reach across the car to adjust the mirrors.

Both the Bronco Sport and the Wrangler offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Bronco Sport Big Bend/Outer Banks/Badlands has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Wrangler doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Ford Bronco Sport (except Base) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Wrangler doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 Wrangler isn’t in the top three.