Compare the2023 Toyota Rav4VS 2023 Ford Bronco Sport

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

Safety

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Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Rav4 (except LE) offers optional Parking Assist with Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Rav4 Limited/TRD Off-Road offers an optional Bird’s Eye View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Bronco Sport only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

Both the Rav4 and the Bronco Sport 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Ford Bronco Sport:

	Rav4	Bronco Sport
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	340/190 lbs.	385/291 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 Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Ford Bronco Sport:

	Rav4	Bronco Sport
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	138 lbs.	198 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	508 lbs.	689 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Rav4 is 1.5% to 1.9% less likely to roll over than the Bronco Sport.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Rav4 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Bronco Sport has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Rav4 for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Bronco Sport.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Rav4’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Bronco Sport’s camshafts. If the Bronco Sport’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Rav4’s reliability 34 points higher than the Bronco Sport.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Ford is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 18th.

Engine

The Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 22 more horsepower (203 vs. 181) than the Bronco Sport’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Rav4 is faster than the Ford Bronco Sport turbo 3 cyl.:

	Rav4	Bronco Sport
Zero to 60 MPH	8 sec	9.2 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	13.5 sec	16.5 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	4.2 sec	5.3 sec
Quarter Mile	16.2 sec	16.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.6 MPH	80.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 gets better mileage than the Bronco Sport:

			MPG
Rav4
	FWD	XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		LE/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/33 hwy
		Adventure/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
		TRD Off-Road 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
Bronco Sport
	AWD	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	25 city/28 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Rav4 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Bronco Sport Badlands requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Rav4 stops much shorter than the Bronco Sport:

	Rav4	Bronco Sport
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	172 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Bronco Sport’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited has standard 19-inch wheels. The Bronco Sport’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Rav4 Adventure handles at .84 G’s, while the Bronco Sport Outer Banks pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Rav4 Adventure executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Bronco Sport Outer Banks (27.5 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Rav4 LE/XLE’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Bronco Sport’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Rav4 LE/XLE has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Bronco Sport Base/Big Bend (8.4 vs. 7.8 inches), allowing the Rav4 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

For excellent aerodynamics, the Rav4 has standard flush composite headlights. The Bronco Sport has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Rav4 Limited 4WD is quieter than the Bronco Sport Badlands (66 vs. 69 dB).

Passenger Space

The Rav4 has .5 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Bronco Sport.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Rav4’s rear seats recline. The Bronco Sport’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Bronco Sport with its rear seat up (37.6 vs. 32.5 cubic feet). The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Bronco Sport with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 65.2 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Rav4 (except LE) offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button or, optionally on the Rav4 Limited, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The Rav4’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Bronco Sport’s (1500 vs. 0 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Ford Bronco Sport is only 2200 pounds. The Rav4 4WD offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

A Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Rav4, using the Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the Bronco Sport.

Ergonomics

The Rav4’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Bronco Sport’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

The Rav4 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

Consumer Reports rated the Rav4’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Bronco Sport’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

Both the Rav4 and the Bronco Sport offer available heated front seats. The Rav4 Limited also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Bronco Sport.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Rav4 (except LE/XLE/Adventure) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Model Availability

The Rav4 is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Rav4, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Ford Bronco Sport isn't recommended.

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the Ford Bronco Sport by over four to one during 2022.

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