Compare the2025 Kia SportageVS 2025 Ford Bronco

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Sportage 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.

With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Kia Sportage is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Ford Bronco, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Sportage	Bronco
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
25 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-3 MPH
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-23 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-21 MPH
37 MPH Brights	-23 MPH	-22 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	1.7 sec	1 sec
37 MPH Low beams	-21 MPH	-8 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.2 sec	.6 sec

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Sportage Prestige has standard Parking Collision Avoidance-Reverse that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Bronco doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Sportage and Bronco have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Bronco’s Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Sportage 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 Sportage and the Bronco have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and 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 Kia Sportage is safer than the Ford Bronco:

	Sportage	Bronco
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	24.5%	28%
Neck Stress	263 lbs.	364 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	48/154 lbs.	412/133 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.4 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	292/203 lbs.	461/141 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 Sportage with standard seats is safer than the Bronco:

	Sportage	Bronco
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance Below Top of Head	-24 mm	20 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Pass
Torso Acceleration	10.1 g’s	13.8 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Medium
Max Neck Shearing Force	3	132
Max Neck Tension	383	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 Sportage, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 8.7% less likely to roll over than the Bronco, which received a three-star rating.

Warranty

The Sportage comes with a full 5-year/60,000-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 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Ford covers the Bronco. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Bronco ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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 Sportage’s reliability 23 points higher than the Bronco.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 9th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Ford is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 4 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Sportage
FWD	Auto	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
AWD	Auto	X-Pro 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
		2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/27 hwy
Bronco 4-Door
AWD	Manual	2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	18 city/22 hwy
		Badlands 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	17 city/18 hwy
		Sasquatch 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	16 city/18 hwy
AWD	Auto	3.0 turbo V6	15 city/16 hwy
		2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	18 city/22 hwy
		Outer Banks 2.7 turbo V6	19 city/21 hwy
		Sasquatch 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	17 city/19 hwy
		Big Bend 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	17 city/19 hwy
		Badlands/Stroppe 2.7 turbo V6	17 city/18 hwy
		Badlands 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	17 city/17 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sportage uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Bronco requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Sportage 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 Kia Sportage higher (6 out of 10) than the Ford Bronco (5 to 6). This means the Sportage produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Bronco every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Kia Sportage 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 Sportage’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Bronco:

	Sportage	Bronco
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	12.2 inches

The Sportage stops much shorter than the Bronco:

	Sportage	Bronco
70 to 0 MPH	180 feet	221 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	144 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	151 feet	168 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Sportage LX/X-Pro’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Bronco Big Bend’s standard 75 series tires. The Sportage SX Prestige/X-Line’s tires have a lower 55 series profile than the Bronco’s optional 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sportage LX/X-Pro has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Bronco Base. The Sportage SX Prestige/X-Line’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Bronco Outer Banks.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Kia Sportage 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 Sportage has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Sportage flat and controlled during cornering. The Bronco’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Sportage X-Pro Prestige handles at .84 G’s, while the Bronco Raptor pulls only .68 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Sportage X-Pro executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3 seconds quicker than the Bronco 4-Door (27.9 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 30.9 seconds @ .51 average G’s).

Chassis

The Kia Sportage may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 900 to 1900 pounds less than the Ford Bronco.

The Sportage is 5.9 inches shorter than the Bronco 4-Door, making the Sportage easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Sportage is 5.9 inches narrower on average than the Bronco, making the Sportage easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The Sportage is 6.5 inches shorter in height than the Bronco, making the Sportage much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the Sportage’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.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Sportage X-Pro Prestige is quieter than the Bronco Outer Banks 4-Door:

	Sportage	Bronco
At idle	37 dB	41 dB
Full-Throttle	74 dB	80 dB
70 MPH Cruising	68 dB	71 dB

Cargo Capacity

The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume than the Bronco 4-Door with its rear seat up (39.6 vs. 38.3 cubic feet).

The Sportage’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 when your hands are full, the Sportage’s power cargo door can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Sportage’s power cargo door can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Bronco doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening cargo door.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Sportage SX/X-Pro, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Bronco doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Sportage SX/Prestige/X-Pro’s standard Easy Access Function glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Bronco doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Sportage’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.

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

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Sportage has a standard rear wiper. The Bronco Soft Top doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

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

The Sportage’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 Sportage SX/Prestige/X-Pro 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.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Sportage Prestige 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.

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

Model Availability

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

Recommendations

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sportage third among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Bronco isn’t in the top three.

The Kia Sportage outsold the Ford Bronco by 46% during 2024.

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