Compare the2024 Acura RDXVS 2023 Ford Bronco

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Acura RDX 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 Acura RDX 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 RDX’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards 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 RDX has standard Rear Cross Traffic Monitor, helping the driver avoid collisions. Ford charges extra for Cross Traffic Alert on the Bronco and its not available on the Base.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the RDX uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Bronco uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the RDX 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 and available around view monitors.

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

	RDX	Bronco
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	28%
Neck Stress	262 lbs.	364 lbs.

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

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 RDX is safer than the Bronco:

	RDX	Bronco
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	20 mm	20 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Pass
Torso Acceleration	12.2 g’s	13.8 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Medium
Max Neck Shearing Force	0	132
Max Neck Tension	293	770

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the RDX, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 10.6% less likely to roll over than the Bronco, which received a three-star rating.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the RDX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 36 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Bronco is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

The RDX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Bronco’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the RDX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Ford covers the Bronco. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Bronco ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Acura pays for scheduled maintenance on the RDX for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Acura will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Bronco.

Reliability

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 RDX’s reliability 15 points higher than the Bronco.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura 10 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

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

	RDX	Bronco turbo 4 cyl.	Bronco turbo V6
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	6.5 sec	6.3 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	16.9 sec	19.9 sec	19.5 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.9 sec	8.2 sec	7.4 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	15.1 sec	15 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94 MPH	90 MPH	91 MPH
Top Speed	112 MPH	106 MPH	106 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
RDX
AWD	Auto	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
Bronco 4-Door
AWD	Manual	2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/21 hwy
		Black Diamond 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	16 city/18 hwy
		Sasquatch 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	16 city/18 hwy
		Badlands 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	16 city/17 hwy
AWD	Auto	3.0 turbo V6	15 city/16 hwy
		2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/21 hwy
		2.7 turbo V6	19 city/21 hwy
		Black Diamond 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	18 city/18 hwy
		Sasquatch 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	18 city/17 hwy
		Badlands 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	17 city/17 hwy
		Badlands 2.7 turbo V6	17 city/17 hwy

The RDX has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Bronco. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Acura RDX higher (6 out of 10) than the Ford Bronco (5 to 6). This means the RDX produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Bronco every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	RDX	Bronco
Front Rotors	12.4 inches	12.2 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	12.1 inches

The RDX stops much shorter than the Bronco:

	RDX	Bronco
70 to 0 MPH	180 feet	221 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	144 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	129 feet	168 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The RDX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Bronco Big Bend’s standard 75 series tires. The RDX A-Spec’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Bronco’s 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RDX has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Bronco. The RDX A-Spec’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Bronco Outer Banks.

The RDX has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Bronco doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Acura RDX has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Ford Bronco has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

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

The RDX A-Spec handles at .83 G’s, while the Bronco Raptor pulls only .68 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The RDX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.7 seconds quicker than the Bronco 4-Door (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 30.9 seconds @ .51 average G’s).

Chassis

The Acura RDX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 1700 pounds less than the Ford Bronco.

The RDX is 5.5 inches narrower on average than the Bronco, making the RDX easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The RDX is 6.2 inches shorter in height than the Bronco, making the RDX much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the RDX’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Bronco doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the RDX has an electronically controlled liquid-filled main engine mount. A computer-controlled electric current in the liquid changes its viscosity, allowing the mount to dampen the engine completely at all RPMs. The Bronco uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The RDX uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Bronco doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Cargo Capacity

The RDX has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Bronco 4-Door with its rear seat folded (79.8 vs. 77.6 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the RDX’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Bronco doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The RDX’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.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the RDX has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the RDX Advance, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Bronco doesn’t offer a power cargo door.

Servicing Ease

The RDX 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Ford. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 33% lower rating, Ford is ranked 22nd.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the RDX, the memory system makes it convenient for both. Each keyless remote activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The Bronco doesn’t offer a memory system.

The RDX’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Bronco doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The RDX Advance has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Bronco doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The RDX’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 RDX’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 RDX the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Bronco can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The RDX’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Bronco’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The RDX Advance’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the RDX has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Bronco only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 RDX’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Bronco’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

The RDX’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Bronco’s power mirror controls are on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.

When the RDX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Bronco’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The RDX has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Bronco, and aren’t available on the Bronco Base. The RDX Advance also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Bronco.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the RDX A-Spec/Advance 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 RDX has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Bronco doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The RDX has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Bronco and isn’t available on the Bronco Base.

The RDX’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Bronco Base doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Both the RDX and the Bronco offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the RDX 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.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the RDX owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the RDX will cost $745 to $4175 less than the Bronco over a five-year period.

Recommendations

The Acura RDX has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	RDX	Bronco
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	FALSE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	n/a