Compare the2023 Ford Bronco SportVS 2022 Buick Encore

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 Buick Encore 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 Encore doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Bronco Sport has standard Automatic Emergency Braking, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Encore offers an available collision warning system without the automated brake feature that would prevent or reduce the collision if the driver fails to react.

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 Encore 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 Encore.

The Bronco Sport’s standard 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. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Encore.

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 Encore.

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 Encore doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Bronco Sport and the Encore 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, daytime running lights, 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 Buick Encore:

	Bronco Sport	Encore
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	26%
Neck Stress	178 lbs.	298 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	123/237 lbs.	363/313 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	153	207
Neck Injury Risk	37%	38%
Neck Compression	54 lbs.	104 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 Buick Encore:

	Bronco Sport	Encore
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	205 lbs.	388 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	33 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	255	382
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	512 lbs.	707 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 Encore last would have qualified as only a “Top Safety Pick” in 2016.

Warranty

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

There are over 52 percent more Ford dealers than there are Buick 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 Encore 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 Encore’s 438-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The Bronco Sport’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 26 more horsepower (181 vs. 155) and 13 lbs.-ft. more torque (190 vs. 177) than the Encore’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder. The Bronco Sport Badlands’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 95 more horsepower (250 vs. 155) and 100 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 177) than the Encore’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Bronco Sport is faster than the Buick Encore:

	Bronco Sport turbo 3 cyl.	Bronco Sport Badlands	Encore
Zero to 60 MPH	9.2 sec	6.5 sec	10.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16.8 sec	15.3 sec	17.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	80.8 MPH	87.8 MPH	77.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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 Encore doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Bronco Sport has 2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Encore (16 vs. 14 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Encore.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Bronco Sport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Encore:

	Bronco Sport	Encore
Front Rotors	12.1 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	10.6 inches

The Bronco Sport stops much shorter than the Encore:

	Bronco Sport	Encore
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Bronco Sport has larger standard tires than the Encore (225/65R17 vs. 215/55R18). The Bronco Sport’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Encore (235/65R17 vs. 215/55R18).

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

Suspension 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 Buick Encore has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Bronco Sport has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Bronco Sport flat and controlled during cornering. The Encore’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Bronco Sport’s wheelbase is 4.5 inches longer than on the Encore (105.1 inches vs. 100.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Bronco Sport is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Encore.

The Bronco Sport Badlands handles at .76 G’s, while the Encore AWD pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Bronco Sport Badlands executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Encore AWD (28.4 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Bronco Sport Base/Big Bend has a 1.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Encore (7.8 vs. 6.2 inches), allowing the Bronco Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Bronco Sport’s minimum ground clearance is 2.6 inches higher than on the Encore (8.8 vs. 6.2 inches).

Chassis

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 Encore doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Bronco Sport has 12.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Encore (105.7 vs. 92.8).

The Bronco Sport has 1.9 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front legroom, 3.5 inches more front hip room, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, 2.9 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear legroom, 3.3 inches more rear hip room and 3.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Encore.

Cargo Capacity

The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Encore with its rear seat up (32.5 vs. 18.8 cubic feet). The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Encore with its rear seat folded (65.2 vs. 48.4 cubic feet).

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

Towing

The Bronco Sport Badlands offers up to a 2200 lbs. towing capacity. The Encore 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 Encore doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The Bronco Sport uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Encore 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 Encore 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 Encore 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 Outer Banks/Badlands’ front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches. The Encore’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

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 Encore 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 Encore doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® 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’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 Encore’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Bronco Sport detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Encore doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

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

The Bronco Sport’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Encore doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The Bronco Sport (except Base) offers optional heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the Encore.

On extremely cold winter days, the Bronco Sport’s optional (except Base/Big Bend) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Encore doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Bronco Sport (except Base/Big Bend)’s optional dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Encore doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Bronco Sport Big Bend/Outer Banks/Badlands’ standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Encore doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

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

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Bronco Sport Big Bend/Outer Banks/Badlands offers an optional Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Encore doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

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 Encore doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 Encore only retains 46.78%.

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 Encore isn’t in the top three.

The Ford Bronco Sport outsold the Buick Encore by over two to one during 2022.