Compare the2023 Ford Bronco SportVS 2023 Honda CR-V

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 CR-V 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 CR-V.

The Bronco Sport has standard 911 Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The CR-V doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Bronco Sport and the CR-V 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, 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.

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 CR-V has not been tested, yet.

There are almost 3 times as many Ford dealers as there are Honda 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 CR-V 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 CR-V’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Bronco Sport third among small SUVs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The CR-V 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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda 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 Honda 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, Honda is rated below average.

The Bronco Sport’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (190 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Bronco Sport Badlands’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 60 more horsepower (250 vs. 190) and 98 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Bronco Sport Badlands 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Honda CR-V:

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

The Bronco Sport stops shorter than the CR-V:

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

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

The Bronco Sport has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The CR-V doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For greater off-road capability the Bronco Sport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CR-V (8.8 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Bronco Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Bronco Sport is 1 foot shorter than the CR-V, making the Bronco Sport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Bronco Sport has 2.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CR-V (105.7 vs. 103.5).

The Bronco Sport has 3.3 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 3.5 inches more rear headroom and 3.9 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V.

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Honda CR-V is limited to 1500 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 CR-V doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The power windows standard on both the Bronco Sport and the CR-V 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 CR-V 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 CR-V can only close 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 CR-V doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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

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

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 CR-V doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

To direct the driver from any location to a given street address, a GPS navigation system is available on the Bronco Sport (except Base). The Bronco Sport’s navigation system also has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The CR-V doesn’t offer a navigation system.

With standard voice command, the Bronco Sport offers the driver hands free control of the radio, climate controls and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Honda CR-V doesn’t offer voice command.

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 CR-V doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.