2021 Ford Bronco Sport vs 2022 Lexus RX

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport had been eagerly anticipated, and it finally made its debut as a smaller sibling to the upcoming Bronco. While the larger Bronco was designed to compete with rugged off-roaders like the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner, the Bronco Sport offered a more suburban-friendly, unibody crossover design. It retained some of the classic Bronco styling cues, making it a versatile everyday driver with a flair for weekend adventures.

The Bronco Sport's exterior featured a modern retro look, reminiscent of Land Rover's design language. It had short front and rear overhangs, tall fender wells, and a tucked-in body, all optimized for trail driving. The front grille and tailgate prominently displayed the "BRONCO" name, with a smaller "SPORT" postscript. The wheels varied by trim level, ranging from 17-inch Sparkle Silver wheels on the Base model to 18-inch Ebony Black-painted wheels on the Outer Banks and Badlands models. The interior was rugged yet tasteful, with an uncluttered design, convenient storage cubbies, and an 8-inch infotainment screen. The trim levels offered a step-up in interior features, from cloth seats to leather-trimmed, heated sport-contour bucket seats.

The 2022 Lexus RX continued to impress with its modern and sporty design, available in base 350, F Sport, and L trim levels, along with a hybrid RX 450h model. The RX 350 and F Sport offered seating for five, while the L trim provided a three-row, 7-passenger option. The RX's design, updated in 2020, featured aggressive styling with razor-sharp character lines and angular features. The F Sport trim stood out with 20-inch wheels, black-housing outside mirrors, dark window trimming, and unique front and rear fascias.

Inside, the RX maintained its luxury appeal, with nearly a dozen color combinations available for the RX 350 and 450h models. The F Sport trim added sporty elements like model-specific badging, Scored Aluminum trim, and NuLuxe synthetic leather seats. The cabin featured high-quality materials, soft-touch surfaces, and a dated center stack with an abundance of buttons. The RX excelled in comfort and cabin quietness, making it a pleasant companion for long drives. However, the F Sport seats were less comfortable, with limited lumbar support and a challenging driving position.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport offered two engine choices, both tied to trim levels. The Base, Big Bend, and Outer Banks trims featured a 1.5-liter EcoBoost turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 181 horsepower and 190 pound-feet of torque. The Badlands and First Edition models came with a more powerful 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering 245 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. All Bronco Sport models had an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive (AWD), along with a terrain management system with up to seven G.O.A.T. modes (Go Over Any Type of Terrain).

The Bronco Sport excelled off-road, thanks to its short wheelbase, four-wheel independent suspension, generous suspension travel, and decent ground clearance. On-road, it offered good manners, with the 2.0-liter engine providing a better match for the vehicle's character. The 1.5-liter engine, while adequate, could sound strained when pushed hard.

The 2022 Lexus RX 350 came with a standard 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 295 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid RX 450h added two high-torque electric motors to the V6, resulting in a combined output of 308 horsepower. All RX models featured an eight-speed automatic transmission, with front-wheel drive (FWD) standard on the RX 350 and all-wheel drive (AWD) available. The hybrid RX 450h came exclusively with AWD.

Despite its sporty appearance, the RX's performance was underwhelming. The engine note was more akin to a turbocharged four-cylinder than a V6, and acceleration was unimpressive. The F Sport trim, with its performance dampers and adaptive variable suspension, failed to deliver significant improvements in driving dynamics. The RX excelled in driving comfort and cabin quietness, making it a suitable choice for long drives. The RX 350 returned an estimated 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined, while the RX 450h hybrid achieved 30 mpg combined.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport catered to active buyers with its clever features and ample cargo space. The cargo area was designed to accommodate two 27.5-inch-wheel mountain bikes, and Ford offered over 100 factory and aftermarket accessories for transporting outdoor gear. The roof could hold up to 150 pounds (100 with a moonroof), and the 2.0-liter engine could tow up to 2,200 pounds, while the 1.5-liter engine could tow 2,000 pounds.

The cargo hold featured a flip-up rear glass, an optional cargo management package with a slide-out work table, a 400-watt inverter, and liftgate floodlamps. The front cabin had ample storage compartments, including big door pockets and multiple cubbies. However, taller drivers might find outward visibility challenging, especially when spotting traffic lights or navigating off-road trails.

The 2022 Lexus RX offered a spacious interior with 99.8 cubic feet of passenger volume in the standard two-row configuration. It comfortably seated four adults, with room for five if needed. Front headroom measured 39.4 inches, while rear headroom was 39.1 inches. Front legroom was generous at 44.1 inches, with 38.0 inches available in the rear.

The three-row RX 350L had a tight third row, suitable mainly for short trips or groceries. The cargo space behind the second row in the standard RX was 16.0 cubic feet, expanding to 32.6 cubic feet with the second row folded down. In the three-row models, cargo space was limited to 7.45 cubic feet with all seats upright, increasing to 23.03 cubic feet with the third row down and 58.48 cubic feet with both back rows folded. The rear seats did not fold completely flat, and the load-in height was high due to the sporty bumper design. The RX featured thoughtful interior elements like a smartphone slot, adjustable-height cup holder, quick-access head-up display button, and a flat-bottomed cargo net.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport came equipped with the latest infotainment systems, featuring an 8-inch touchscreen with SYNC 3, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Ford+Alexa, and SiriusXM capability. FordConnect with 4G LTE WiFi hotspot was standard. The base audio system included an AM/FM stereo with six speakers, while a Bang & Olufsen sound system was available on higher trims. The Bronco Sport also offered a 360-degree camera with split view and a washer, ideal for off-road use.

The terrain management system included five drive modes (Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, and Sand) on Base, Big Bend, and Outer Banks trims, with Badlands and First Edition models adding Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl modes. The available trail control technology provided a cruise-control-like feature for off-roading. Intelligent access with push-button start was included on all trims except the Base model, and higher trims featured heated and leather-wrapped steering wheels and a 6.5-inch digital instrument panel.

The 2022 Lexus RX featured an 8-inch touchscreen display as standard, with a 12.3-inch version available as an option. Despite being moved closer to the driver in the 2020 refresh, the touchscreen's positioning remained ergonomically unfriendly. The screen's placement within a cove on the center stack created access issues, partially blocking icons and forcing awkward tapping motions.

The touchscreen was responsive, but the alternatives—voice commands and a touchpad—were less user-friendly. The touchpad, in particular, was hypersensitive and unintuitive, leading to frustration. The drive mode selector's proximity to the touchpad added to the confusion.

The RX offered a range of quality tech features, including six USB ports, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration, wireless charging, Amazon Alexa compatibility, a WiFi hotspot, dual- and tri-zone climate control, premium audio systems, navigation with cloud-based updates, and heated and ventilated seats. The Lexus App provided additional personalization options, such as remote engine start and vehicle settings.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport came standard with the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of safety features, including pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, auto high-beam headlamps, and a reversing camera. The optional Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package added adaptive cruise control, lane centering, evasive steering assist, navigation, and road-sign recognition. Trailer sway control was available with the tow package. All Bronco Sport models featured AWD and a terrain management system with G.O.A.T. modes, enhancing traction and stability. Crash-worthiness ratings from IIHS and NHTSA were not yet available.

The 2022 Lexus RX came standard with the Lexus Safety System 2.0+, which included adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning with steering assist, road-sign recognition, lane-keeping assist, a pre-collision system with cyclist and pedestrian detection, and intelligent high beams. Additional standard safety features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a head-up display, and Lexus Enform Safety Connect. The RX was named a Top Safety Pick by IIHS when equipped with optional triple-beam LED headlights but missed the "plus" designation due to headlight ratings. NHTSA awarded the RX four stars overall, with five stars in side crash tests and four stars in frontal crashes and rollover resistance.