Compare the2023 Ford Bronco SportVS 2022 Lexus RX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
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 RX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 RX 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 RX.

Both the Bronco Sport and the RX 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.

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 RX:

	Bronco Sport	RX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	140	194
Neck Injury Risk	26%	33.2%
Neck Stress	178 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	29 lbs.	60 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	123/237 lbs.	433/719 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	153	305
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	40.1%
Neck Stress	177 lbs.	267 lbs.
Neck Compression	54 lbs.	70 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	385/291 lbs.	403/457 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 Lexus RX:

	Bronco Sport	RX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	205 lbs.	214 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	144	165
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	44 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	255	275
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	512 lbs.	685 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 RX is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

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.

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

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Bronco Sport Badlands 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the RX 450h 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid:

	Bronco Sport	RX
Zero to 60 MPH	6.5 sec	7 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Bronco Sport gets better mileage than the RX:

			MPG
Bronco Sport
	AWD	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	25 city/28 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
RX
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

Regardless of its engine, the Bronco Sport’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the RX 450h, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

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 RX 450h requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

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

Brakes and Stopping

The Bronco Sport stops much shorter than the RX:

	Bronco Sport	RX
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver

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

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Bronco Sport’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the RX’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Bronco Sport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the RX (8.8 vs. 8.2 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 750 to 1000 pounds less than the Lexus RX.

The Bronco Sport is 1 foot, 7.8 inches shorter than the RX, 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 RX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Bronco Sport Badlands is quieter than the RX 350 F Sport AWD:

	Bronco Sport	RX
At idle	38 dB	42 dB
Full-Throttle	73 dB	77 dB

Passenger Space

The Bronco Sport has 2.1 inches more front headroom and 2.6 inches more rear headroom than the RX.

Cargo Capacity

The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the RX with its rear seat up (32.5 vs. 16 cubic feet). The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the RX with its rear seat folded (65.2 vs. 32.6 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 RX’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 RX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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 RX’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Bronco Sport owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Bronco Sport will cost $560 to $2855 less than the RX 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 RX only retains 52.15% to 53.15%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Bronco Sport will be $15840 to $18153 less than for the Lexus RX.

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

The Ford Bronco Sport outsold the Lexus RX by 3506 units during 2022.