Compare the2023 Ford Bronco SportVS 2023 Lexus UX

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

Both the Bronco Sport and the UX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors 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 Lexus UX:

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 Lexus UX:

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 UX is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

There are over 12 times as many Ford dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Bronco Sport’s warranty.

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 UX doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

The Bronco Sport Badlands’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 69 more horsepower (250 vs. 181) than the UX’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Bronco Sport Badlands 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Lexus UX:

Both the Bronco Sport and UX have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Bronco Sport has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Bronco Sport has 5.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX (16 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 UX doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Bronco Sport stops much shorter than the UX:

For better traction, the Bronco Sport’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the UX (235/65R17 vs. 225/50R18).

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 UX; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Bronco Sport’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the UX (105.1 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Bronco Sport is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than on the UX.

The Bronco Sport is 4.3 inches shorter than the UX, making the Bronco Sport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 UX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Bronco Sport has 15.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the UX (105.7 vs. 90.4).

The Bronco Sport has 4.2 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 5.4 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the UX.

The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the UX (32.5 vs. 17.1 cubic feet).

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

The Bronco Sport Badlands offers up to a 2200 lbs. towing capacity. The UX has no towing capacity.

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 UX doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Bronco Sport uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The UX 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.

The power windows standard on both the Bronco Sport and the UX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Bronco Sport is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The UX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 UX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Bronco Sport’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The UX’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Bronco Sport Outer Banks/Badlands/First Edition has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The UX doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the Bronco Sport owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Bronco Sport will cost $255 less than the UX over a five-year period.

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 UX only retains 50.29% to 53.08%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Bronco Sport will be $4012 to $4571 less than for the Lexus UX.

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 UX isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Ford Bronco Sport outsold the Lexus UX by almost 10 to one during 2022.