Compare the2023 Ford BroncoVS 2023 Acura RDX

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Bronco 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 Acura RDX 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 4-Door are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The RDX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Bronco 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 RDX 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, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the Bronco. But it costs extra on the RDX.

The Bronco (except Base)’s optional 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 RDX doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Bronco and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

There are over 11 times as many Ford dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Bronco’s warranty.

The Bronco 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 RDX 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’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura 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 Acura 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, Acura is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 6 places higher in reliability than Acura.

The Bronco’s standard 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 28 more horsepower (300 vs. 272) and 45 lbs.-ft. more torque (325 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Bronco’s optional 2.7 turbo V6 produces 58 more horsepower (330 vs. 272) and 135 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Bronco Raptor’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 146 more horsepower (418 vs. 272) and 160 lbs.-ft. more torque (440 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Ford Bronco is faster than the Acura RDX (automatics tested):

The Bronco Raptor’s standard fuel tank has 4.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the RDX (21.2 vs. 17.1 gallons).

The Bronco offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The RDX doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Bronco Raptor’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the RDX:

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

The Bronco stops shorter than the RDX:

For better traction, the Bronco has larger standard tires than the RDX (255/70R16 vs. 235/55R19). The Bronco Raptor’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RDX (37 x 12.5R17 vs. 255/45R20).

The Ford Bronco’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Acura RDX only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Bronco has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the RDX; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

The Bronco Badlands has an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The RDX doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Bronco’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The RDX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Bronco 4-Door’s wheelbase is 7.8 inches longer than on the RDX (116.1 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Bronco is 4.2 inches wider in the front and 3.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the RDX.

For better maneuverability, the Bronco 2-Door’s turning circle is 3.4 feet tighter than the RDX’s (35.5 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Bronco 4-Door has a greater minimum ground clearance than the RDX (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Bronco to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Bronco uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The RDX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Bronco 4-Door has 4.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the RDX (108.2 vs. 104).

The Bronco 4-Door has a much larger cargo volume than the RDX with its rear seat up (38.3 vs. 31.1 cubic feet).

The Bronco 4-Door’s optional sliding cargo floor makes loading and unloading cargo easier and safer. The RDX doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The Bronco’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the right swing out door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The RDX’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The Bronco’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RDX’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Acura RDX is only 1500 pounds. The Bronco offers up to a 4500 lbs. towing capacity.

The Bronco can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Bronco can be unhitched and driven around locally. The RDX can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Bronco 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 RDX doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Bronco has a much higher standard payload capacity than the RDX (1100 vs. 838 lbs.).

The Bronco has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the RDX (1452 vs. 838 lbs.).

The engine in the Bronco is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the RDX. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Bronco’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The RDX does not have an oil pressure gauge.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Bronco’s available exterior PIN entry system. The RDX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its AcuraLink can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Bronco (except Base) offers an optional 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 RDX doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Ford Bronco comes in four door and soft top bodystyles; the Acura RDX isn’t available as a soft top.

The Bronco will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Bronco will retain 55.78% to 58.62% of its original price after five years, while the RDX only retains 47.35% to 49.21%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Bronco will be $3855 to $7849 less than for the Acura RDX.

The Bronco was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” in 2022. The RDX has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The Ford Bronco outsold the Acura RDX by over three to one during the 2022 model year.