Compare the2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross SportVS 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 Atlas Cross Sport offers optional Maneuver Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line has a standard Area View 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 Atlas Cross Sport and the Bronco Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and lane departure warning systems.

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 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is safer than the Ford Bronco Sport:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Bronco Sport
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	48	80
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	64 lbs.	198 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	529 lbs.	689 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches

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

Warranty

The Atlas Cross Sport comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Bronco Sport’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Bronco Sport’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Atlas Cross Sport for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Bronco Sport.

Reliability

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Bronco Sport’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Atlas Cross Sport’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.

Engine

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 54 more horsepower (235 vs. 181) and 68 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 190) than the Bronco Sport’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder. The Atlas Cross Sport’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 26 more horsepower (276 vs. 250) than the Bronco Sport Badlands’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Ford Bronco Sport turbo 3 cyl.:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Bronco Sport
Zero to 60 MPH	8.1 sec	9.2 sec
Quarter Mile	16.3 sec	16.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84.5 MPH	80.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Atlas Cross Sport has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Bronco Sport (18.6 vs. 16 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Atlas Cross Sport	Bronco Sport
Front Rotors	13.2 inches	12.1 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	11.9 inches

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Bronco Sport are solid, not vented.

The Atlas Cross Sport stops shorter than the Bronco Sport:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Bronco Sport
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Atlas Cross Sport has larger standard tires than the Bronco Sport (245/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Bronco Sport (265/45R21 vs. 235/65R17).

The Atlas Cross Sport SE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Bronco Sport’s standard 65 series tires. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Bronco Sport’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Atlas Cross Sport SE has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Bronco Sport. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the Bronco Sport.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Atlas Cross Sport’s wheelbase is 12.2 inches longer than on the Bronco Sport (117.3 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas Cross Sport is 3.6 inches wider in the front and 4.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Bronco Sport.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion handles at .81 G’s, while the Bronco Sport Outer Banks pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Bronco Sport Outer Banks (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Chassis

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

Passenger Space

The Atlas Cross Sport has 6.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Bronco Sport (112.1 vs. 105.7).

The Atlas Cross Sport has 3 inches more front hip room, 4.2 inches more front shoulder room, 3.5 inches more rear legroom, 4.6 inches more rear hip room and 5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Bronco Sport.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Bronco Sport with its rear seat up (40.3 vs. 32.5 cubic feet). The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Bronco Sport with its rear seat folded (77.8 vs. 65.2 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Atlas Cross Sport’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Bronco Sport’s (2000 vs. 0 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Ford Bronco Sport is only 2200 pounds. The Atlas Cross Sport offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The Atlas Cross Sport’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 Atlas Cross Sport 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.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Bronco Sport’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Atlas Cross Sport SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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

The Bronco Sport’s optional cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Atlas Cross Sport to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford only offers heated mirrors on the Bronco Sport Big Bend/Outer Banks/Badlands.

When the Atlas Cross Sport SEL is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Bronco Sport’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Atlas Cross Sport has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Bronco Sport, and aren’t available on the Bronco Sport Base. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Bronco Sport.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line 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.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Atlas Cross Sport 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 both the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and the Ford Bronco Sport, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Volkswagen Atlas outsold the Ford Bronco Sport by 7% during 2021.

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