Compare the2023 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2023 Ford Bronco

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota 4Runner are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Ford Bronco doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Toyota 4Runner has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Bronco doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The 4Runner has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Bronco doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The 4Runner’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Bronco and is not available with Base.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the 4Runner has standard rear cross-path warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Ford charges extra for Cross Traffic Alert on the Bronco and its not available on the Base.

Both the 4Runner and the Bronco have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available four-wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the 4Runner with standard seats is safer than the Bronco:

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4Runner 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.

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 4Runner’s reliability 22 points higher than the Bronco.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 4Runner first among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Bronco isn’t in the top three in its category.

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.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota 4Runner is faster than the Ford Bronco turbo V6 (automatics tested):

On the EPA test cycle the 4Runner gets better mileage than the Bronco 4-Door:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Bronco requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The 4Runner has 6.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Bronco 2-Door’s standard fuel tank (23 vs. 16.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The 4Runner has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Bronco Raptor’s standard fuel tank (23 vs. 21.2 gallons).

The Toyota 4Runner comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Bronco.

For better stopping power the 4Runner’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Bronco:

The 4Runner stops much shorter than the Bronco:

The 4Runner’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 70 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Bronco Big Bend’s standard 75 series tires. The 4Runner Limited/TRD Sport’s tires have a lower 60 series profile than the Bronco’s 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 4Runner has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Bronco. The 4Runner Limited/TRD Sport’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Bronco Outer Banks.

The 4Runner has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the 4Runner flat and controlled during cornering. The Bronco’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road handles at .73 G’s, while the Bronco Raptor pulls only .68 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.9 seconds quicker than the Bronco 4-Door (29 seconds @ .57 average G’s vs. 30.9 seconds @ .51 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Bronco 4-Door (9.6 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the 4Runner TRD Off-Road is quieter than the Bronco Outer Banks 4-Door:

The 4Runner offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Bronco can only carry up to 5.

The 4Runner has 19.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Bronco 4-Door (128 vs. 108.2).

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the 4Runner’s middle row seats recline. The Bronco’s rear seats don’t recline.

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the Bronco 2-Door.

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the Bronco 4-Door.

The 4Runner’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Bronco’s swing out door blocks loading from the passenger’s side.

The 4Runner’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Bronco’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

The 4Runner has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Bronco (1625 vs. 1100 lbs.).

The 4Runner has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Bronco (1700 vs. 1452 lbs.).

The 4Runner uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Bronco uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

When different drivers share the 4Runner Limited, the memory seats make it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Bronco doesn’t offer memory seats.

The 4Runner’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’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The 4Runner’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Bronco’s available power window controls are spread out on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.

If the windows are left open on the 4Runner the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Bronco can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the 4Runner Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Bronco doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The 4Runner has a standard center folding armrest for the middle row passengers. A center armrest helps make middle row passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Bronco doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

Both the 4Runner and the Bronco offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the 4Runner has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Bronco doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The 4Runner is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Bronco doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the 4Runner owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the 4Runner will cost $570 less than the Bronco over a five-year period.

The 4Runner will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the 4Runner will retain 62.96% to 69.47% of its original price after five years, while the Bronco only retains 55.78% to 58.62%.

The TRD Pro was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2015 4x4 of the Year. The Bronco has never been chosen.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the Ford Bronco by 3966 units during 2022.