2021 Ford Bronco vs. 2021 Jeep Wrangler

2021 Ford Bronco ・ Photo by Ford

The 2021 Ford Bronco marks the return of a much-loved badge to the Ford lineup. Available as an off-road capable two-door or four-door, it has a removable roof and doors in a range of seven trims. There are two engines with a manual or automatic transmission and a wide range of standard and available safety features.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler is also a beloved off-roader sold in 13 trims, including several special editions. Available as a two-door or four-door, its engines include a hybrid and diesel with manual or automatic transmissions. It also has a removable roof and doors, and a foldable windshield. Let’s take a closer look at these two off-road vehicles to see which is the best.

Wide Range of Trims

The 2021 Ford Bronco comes in seven trims. The base Bronco starts at $29,995 as a two-door or $34,395 as a four-door. Four-wheel drive is standard as is a manual transmission. There are two engines with additional features as you move through the lineup. The top First Edition trim is priced from $56,915.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler starts at $28,900 for the two-door or $32,400 for the four-door with 13 trims. It also has standard four-wheel drive with a manual transmission. Its engines include multiple gas options, a diesel, and a plug-in hybrid. The top Rubicon 392 is priced from $73,745. Pricing climbs higher with the Wrangler, but it has a lower starting price and a choice of more trims.

: Jeep Wrangler

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Only One Offers Diesel and Hybrid Powertrains

The 2021 Ford Bronco has two engines. The base engine is a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder with 300 horsepower. There’s also a 2.7-liter V6 with 330 horsepower. Both are paired to either a 7-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission with ample power for the Bronco.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler has multiple engines ranging from a 3.6-liter V6 with 285 horsepower to a 6.4-liter V8 with 470 horsepower and a 3.0-liter V6 diesel with 260 horsepower. There’s also a plug-in hybrid with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, two electric motors, and a combined 375 horsepower. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic. The variety of powertrain choices for the Wrangler give it the win.

: Jeep Wrangler

Photo by Nicole Wakelin

Budget-Friendly Fuel Economy

The 2021 Ford Bronco's fuel economy varies depending on the trim and powertrain. Its best figures come from the 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine, which gets up to an EPA-estimated 20 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg combined.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler also has a range of fuel economy figures. It does best with the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, which gets up to 22 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined. There’s also the diesel, which gets up to 22 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined and a plug-in hybrid. It outdoes them all with an EPA-estimated 49 mpge.

: Jeep Wrangler

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Two Capable Off-Roaders

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler has three available four-wheel-drive systems with available electronic locking front and rear differentials, electronic front sway bar disconnect, and skid plates. There’s up to 10.9 inches of ground clearance and the Wrangler can ford up to 30 inches of water. Its Selec-Terrain system offers five drive modes.

The 2021 Ford Bronco has two four-wheel-drive systems with available electronic locking front and rear differentials, skid plates, and a unique semi-hydraulic sway bar disconnect. There’s up to 11.6 inches of ground clearance and it can ford up to 33.5 inches of water. Its Terrain Management System with G.O.A.T. has seven drive modes. Both are capable, but the Bronco comes out ahead of the Wrangler.

: Ford Bronco

Photo by Ford

Go Topless and Remove the Doors

The Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wrangler both offer a unique open-air driving experience that starts with removable doors. The challenge is storing the doors when not in use. The Bronco takes care of this challenge in its four-door trim by securing the doors in the cargo area.

Both also offer removable roofs. There are a lot of options here as well with both hard and soft tops and a unique retracting softtop on the Wrangler that opens and closes at speeds up to 60 mph. The Wrangler offers one further trick with a windshield that flips down onto the hood. While the storable doors on the Bronco are fantastic, the windshield and roof options are better in the Wrangler.

: Jeep Wrangler

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Durable Interiors With Room for Passengers

Your choice of roof changes interior dimensions slightly, so we looked at the maximum space available for passengers. The Bronco has up to 43.3 inches of front headroom with 41.1 inches for rear passengers. The Wrangler has up to 42.6 inches of front headroom with 41.7 inches in back.

Bronco legroom is 43.1 inches up front and 36.3 inches in back while the Wrangler has 41.2 inches up front and 38.3 inches in back. The front seats are roomier in the Bronco while rear passengers have more room to spread out in the Wrangler. We give this one to Jeep, since its slightly larger rear seats make it easier to bring friends along for the ride.

: Jeep Wrangler

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Cargo and Towing Capabilities

The Wrangler has up to 31.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 72.4 cubic feet behind the front seats. It can also tow up to 3,500 pounds when properly equipped. The Bronco has the same towing capacity, so on that front, the two are evenly matched.

When it comes to interior room for cargo, the Bronco has up to 35.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats with 77.6 cubic feet behind the front seats. Although evenly matched on towing, the Bronco has more overall interior cargo capacity, making it a better choice.

: Ford Bronco

Photo by Ford

Infotainment Screens of Varying Sizes

The base Wrangler has a 5.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with eight-speaker audio and one USB port. Also available is a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto or an 8.4-inch touchscreen that also includes navigation.

The Bronco has a standard 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Available infotainment features include a 12.0-inch touchscreen and wireless charging. The Bronco’s smallest screen is nearly the same size as the Wrangler’s largest screen. It also has key smartphone connectivity even on its base trim, making it a more appealing option.

: Ford Bronco

Photo by Ford

A Focus on Standard Safety

Standard safety in the Jeep Wrangler is limited with a rear backup camera including grid lines, electronic roll mitigation, electronic stability control, and hill-start assist. There is a wide range of available safety features that includes tire fill alert, blind-spot monitoring, rear park assist, hill-descent control, forward collision warning, and adaptive cruise control.

The Ford Bronco has standard post-collision braking, pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, and dynamic brake support. Available features include lane-keeping alert, lane-keeping aid, driver alert, and blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert. Standard safety on the Bronco is stronger.

: Ford Bronco

Photo by Ford

And the Winner Is...

This is a close match, but the Jeep Wrangler comes out just ahead of the Ford Bronco. Its strengths are its wide range of trims, availability of multiple powertrains including a diesel and plug-in hybrid, and roomy interior for rear passengers. It also has more unique roof options and a foldable windshield.

The Bronco comes out ahead for it’s more extensive off-road features with higher ground clearance and greater water fording depth, better cargo room, and stronger infotainment offerings. It also has more safety on its base trim. You won’t go wrong with either of these off-road SUVs, but only one can be the winner.

: Jeep Wrangler

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles