Compare the2023 Ford Bronco SportVS 2023 Volvo XC60

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

Safety

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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 XC60 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Bronco Sport. But it costs extra on the XC60.

Both the Bronco Sport and the XC60 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 Volvo XC60:

	Bronco Sport	XC60
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	178 lbs.	198 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	123/237 lbs.	489/470 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	153	178
Neck Stress	177 lbs.	179 lbs.
Neck Compression	54 lbs.	55 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	385/291 lbs.	329/351 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, results indicate that the Ford Bronco Sport is safer than the Volvo XC60:

	Bronco Sport	XC60
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	144	185
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	45 G’s
Hip Force	689 lbs.	906 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 front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Bronco Sport its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The XC60 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

Ford’s powertrain warranty covers the Bronco Sport 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC60. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the XC60 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 11 times as many Ford dealers as there are Volvo 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 XC60 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 XC60 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 Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 89 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo 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 Volvo 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, Volvo is rated below average.

Engine

As tested in Car and Driver the Bronco Sport Badlands 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the XC60 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder:

	Bronco Sport	XC60
Zero to 60 MPH	5.9 sec	6.1 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.5 sec	6.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.5 sec	14.6 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Bronco Sport gets better mileage than the XC60 running its gasoline engine:

			MPG
Bronco Sport
	AWD	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	25 city/28 hwy
XC60
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
		2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/27 hwy

Both the Bronco Sport and the XC60 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Bronco Sports have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The XC60 T8 doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

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 XC60 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Bronco Sport stops shorter than the XC60:

	Bronco Sport	XC60
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	170 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	131 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 XC60; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

Suspension and Handling

The Bronco Sport has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The XC60 Ultimate suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The front and rear suspension of the Bronco Sport uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the XC60, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

For greater off-road capability the Bronco Sport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XC60 (8.8 vs. 8.5 inches), allowing the Bronco Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Ford Bronco Sport may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 1000 pounds less than the Volvo XC60.

The Bronco Sport is 1 foot shorter than the XC60, 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 XC60 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Bronco Sport has 2.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC60 (105.7 vs. 103).

The Bronco Sport has 3.5 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom and 3.7 inches more rear headroom than the XC60.

Cargo Capacity

The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the XC60 with its rear seat up (32.5 vs. 24.4 cubic feet). The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the XC60 with its rear seat folded (65.2 vs. 63.3 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 XC60’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Ergonomics

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 XC60 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Volvo On Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

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 XC60’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Bronco Sport has standard extendable sun visors. The XC60 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 XC60 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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 XC60 isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Ford Bronco Sport outsold the Volvo XC60 by almost three to one during 2022.