Compare the2023 Ford Bronco SportVS 2023 Mazda CX-5

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
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 Mazda CX-5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Bronco Sport are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 CX-5 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 CX-5 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.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Bronco Sport’s standard Trail Control allows you to creep down safely. The CX-5 doesn’t offer Trail Control.

Both the Bronco Sport and the CX-5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 Mazda CX-5:

	Bronco Sport	CX-5
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	178 lbs.	274 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	123/237 lbs.	160/307 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	153	156
Neck Injury Risk	37%	37%
Neck Stress	177 lbs.	205 lbs.
Neck Compression	54 lbs.	86 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	385/291 lbs.	449/262 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 Mazda CX-5:

	Bronco Sport	CX-5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	80	81
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	144	208
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	65 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	255	449

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

Warranty

There are almost 6 times as many Ford dealers as there are Mazda 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 CX-5 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Bronco Sport third among small SUVs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The CX-5 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 Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is rated lower.

Engine

The Bronco Sport Badlands’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 63 more horsepower (250 vs. 187) and 91 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 186) than the CX-5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Bronco Sport Badlands 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Mazda CX-5 turbo 4 cyl.:

	Bronco Sport	CX-5
Zero to 60 MPH	5.9 sec	6.2 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.5 sec	6.7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.5 sec	14.8 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Bronco Sport 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder gets better fuel mileage than the CX-5 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder (25 city/28 hwy vs. 22 city/27 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Bronco Sport’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The CX-5 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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 CX-5 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Bronco Sport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the CX-5.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Bronco Sport’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the CX-5:

	Bronco Sport	CX-5
Front Rotors	12.1 inches	11.7 inches

The Bronco Sport stops much shorter than the CX-5:

	Bronco Sport	CX-5
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	136 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	144 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Bronco Sport’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-5 (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

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 CX-5; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Bronco Sport has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CX-5’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Bronco Sport Outer Banks handles at .79 G’s, while the CX-5 Turbo Signature pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Bronco Sport Base/Big Bend has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CX-5 (7.8 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Bronco Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Bronco Sport’s minimum ground clearance is .9 inch higher than on the CX-5 Carbon/Premium/Turbo (8.8 vs. 7.9 inches).

Chassis

The Ford Bronco Sport may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 250 pounds less than the Mazda CX-5.

The Bronco Sport is 7.4 inches shorter than the CX-5, 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 CX-5 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Bronco Sport Badlands is quieter than the CX-5 Turbo Signature (73 vs. 76 dB).

Passenger Space

The Bronco Sport has 2.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-5 (105.7 vs. 103.6).

The Bronco Sport has 1.8 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.7 inches more rear headroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-5.

Cargo Capacity

The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CX-5 with its rear seat up (32.5 vs. 30.8 cubic feet). The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-5 with its rear seat folded (65.2 vs. 59.3 cubic feet).

An optional locking center console keeps your small valuables safer in the Bronco Sport. The CX-5 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 CX-5’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Mazda CX-5 is limited to 2000 pounds. The Bronco Sport offers up to a 2200 lbs. 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 CX-5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The Bronco Sport uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The CX-5 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

The power windows standard on both the Bronco Sport and the CX-5 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 CX-5 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 CX-5 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 CX-5 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Bronco Sport’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The CX-5’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Both the Bronco Sport and the CX-5 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 CX-5 doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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 CX-5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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 CX-5 only retains 50.99% to 51.37%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Bronco Sport will be $870 to $8078 less than for the Mazda CX-5.

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 CX-5 isn’t in the top three.