Premium SUV battle: Toyota Land Cruiser vs. Ford Bronco

When Toyota Motor Philippines brought in the all-new Land Cruiser Prado, the model gained a new personality. 

With its high-riding stance, angular styling cues, and peppy gasoline engine, it came into the market better dressed for outdoor excursions. It also became a whole lot smarter and more accommodating due to the sheer amount of new creature comforts and safety technologies it received. The aforementioned sounds good, but how does it fare to the off-road-focused Ford Bronco?

Let’s find out by comparing the specifications of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (gasoline) and Ford Bronco (Outer Banks) side-by-side. 

Tale of the tape

Size-wise, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is 4,925-millimeters (mm) long, 1,980-mm wide, and 1,935-mm in height. It also boasts a wheelbase length of 2,850-mm, and a ground clearance of 215-mm.

Comparatively, the Ford Bronco has a length of 4,811-mm, a width of 2,190-mm, and a height of 1,854-mm. Its wheelbase spans 2,950-mm, and it has a ground clearance of 292-mm.

Size-wise, the Land Cruiser Prado is longer and taller, but the Bronco is a bit wider. The Ford model also has more in the way of wheelbase length and ground clearance. 

In the case of off-road-capable sport utility vehicles (SUV), having more ground clearance is crucial as it determines a given ride’s ability to handle gnarly terrain and obstacles. Wheelbase length is likewise crucial since having a more extended footprint means better stability when climbing and descending hills. 

Exterior

When it comes to exterior styling, both SUVs each sport their own flavor of boxiness. For the Toyota it comes with angular modern details, while the Bronco leans more towards a retro-flavored design as a callback to its older iterations.  

Apart from their unique looks, the two share a lot of similar exterior features, such as full LED lighting, power-folding side mirrors, and side-step boards. 

The Toyota, however, does come with roof rails, rain-sensing wipers, a moon roof, and fog lamps (front and rear), which are not present on the Ford. 

On the one hand, the Ford rig has a whole host of unique exterior amenities, which makes it more ready for off-road adventures. The aforementioned are largely provided by the “Sasquatch Package,” which comes standard on the Philippine-spec Ford Bronco, and it includes the following:

• Removable doors
• High-clearance fender flares
• Carbonized removable hardtop roof
• Beadlock-capable 17-inch wheels
• 35-inch mud-terrain tires

Interior

When it comes to interior design and layout, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and the Ford Bronco are two very different vehicles. The Toyota nameplate comes with a three-row seating arrangement, while the Ford model offers a five-seater layout. 

Additionally, the Toyota comes with a shapely multi-tiered dashboard, whereas the Ford Bronco uses a more utilitarian flat design. 

Despite the stark differences in interior styling, the two models have several amenities in common. For instance, both have a dual-zone automatic climate control system with rear vents, leather upholstery, a wireless smartphone charger, power-adjustable front seats, and USB charging ports. 

The two SUVs also come with the following driving-related interior features: 

• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Electronic parking brake
• Push-to-start button
• Drive mode selector
• Front cabin center armrest
• Keyless entry

Do note, though, that while both get tilt and telescopic steering columns, only the Toyota comes with power adjustability. Additionally, the Toyota model comes with a fully digital 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, while the Bronco was equipped with an eight-inch digital panel paired with an analog speedometer. 

When it comes to onboard entertainment and navigation needs, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado depends on a 12.3-inch central touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It is also linked to a ten-piece speaker system. 

Meanwhile, the Ford Bronco uses a 12-inch touchscreen, which also offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Sound inside the Ford model’s cabin is outputted by a Bang and Olufsen 10-piece sound system. 

Safety technologies

When it comes to safety, both the Toyota and Ford have dual front airbags, traction control, stability control, parking sensors, hill-descent control, hill-start assist, and anti-lock braking - among others. 

Each was also fitted with a suite of advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS).  The Bronco uses the Ford Co-Pilot 360, which includes automatic high beams, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and evasive steer assist. 

The Land Cruiser Prado, meanwhile, comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense ADAS suite, which includes a pre-collision system, automatic high beams, a lane-keeping system, and dynamic radar cruise control. 

Powertrain

Under the hood of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is a 2.4-liter inline-4 turbocharged gasoline engine capable of producing up to 277 horsepower (hp) and 430 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque. It also utilizes a 4x4 drivetrain and an eight-speed automatic transmission. 

The Ford Bronco, meanwhile, uses a 2.7-liter EcoBoost (turbocharged) V6 mill that can output up to 330 hp and 555 Nm of torque. Power is sent to all four of its wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission. 

Based on the figures listed above, the Bronco’s six-cylinder engine is fairly more powerful compared to the Toyota nameplate’s four-banger. The aforementioned, of course, doesn’t come as a surprise as the Ford does have a larger powerplant overall. 

For stopping power, both depend on front and rear discs. The Ford model, however, does come with the “high-performance, off-road, stability suspension” (HOSS), which is more advanced compared to the Toyota ride’s double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension. 

Other notable components found on the Bronco but not available on the Toyota are a trail turn feature and a set of Bilstein position-sensitive shock absorbers. According to the official specs tables from both brands, the Bronco comes with front and rear locking differentials, while the Land Cruiser Prado has a central locking diff. Both do get limited-slip differentials, as well. 

For the unaware, the Ford SUV’s trail turn is capable of shrinking the vehicle’s turning radius by applying the brakes on its inner wheels. The aforementioned can prove useful when tackling tight off-road driving situations. 

Here is a table comparing the mechanical specifications of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and the Ford Bronco:

Model	Toyota Land Cruiser Prado	Ford Bronco
Engine	2.4-liter inline-4 turbocharged	2.7-liter EcoBoost V6
Fuel	Gasoline	Gasoline
Transmission	Eight-speed automatic	10-speed automatic
Drivetrain	4x4 with a central locking differential	4x4 with front and rear locking differential
Horsepower	277	330
Torque	430 Nm	555 Nm
Front suspension	Double wishbone	HOSS system with Bilstein shock absorbers
Rear suspension	Multi-link
Brakes	Front and rear discs

Price

In the Philippine market, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado's price starts at P4.8 million. The Ford Bronco, as the Outer Banks with Sasquatch Package variant, is priced at P4.998 million. 

Final thoughts

To conclude, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and the Ford Bronco are quite close when it comes to pricing. The two models, however, couldn’t be any different in the niches they are trying to target. 

To put it simply, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is geared more towards being a cushy seven-seater ride with some measure of off-road capability on the side. Contrast the aforementioned with the Bronco, which still boasts a lot of creature comforts but is clearly engineered from the ground up to handle the toughest terrain one can throw at it. 

In summary, the two rigs are definitely premium, but the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado might be more suitable for folks who want a capable daily-driver SUV that they can take on occasional outdoorsy trips. The Ford Bronco, on the other hand, is the right fit for those who want a no-compromises vehicle capable of conquering the boonies. 

Don’t take our word for it, though. As we always say, serious buyers should strive to take the ride they want out for a test drive first. 

Also read: 

Yulo officially receives Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

Toyota to introduce mild-hybrid tech in Aussie-spec Land Cruiser Prado