Weve examined how Fords truncated, tallened, and toughened-up Escape compares against Jeeps Renegade , Compass , and Cherokee ; now lets size the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport up against the wider compact SUV competitive set. Bear in mind that the Escape is primarily tasked with broad-market appeal, so its offerings span a wider price, performance, and capability spectrum. The Bronco Sport is more focused on enabling adventure travel, but its not the only one on this list with such a focus. So how does it stack up? --> 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Inner People Space vs. the Competition Tall buyers will delight in the class-leading front and rear headroom afforded by the all-new 2021 Ford Bronco Sports tall, safari-stepped boxy roofline. Front legroom is also among the class leaders, while rear legroom and front and rear hip and shoulder room are closer to average. But when the numbers get multiplied out, overall the Bronco Sport delivers 58.0 cubic feet of front passenger space, ranking second only to the Subaru Forester (60.1), and its rear space nails the class average at 49.5 cubes. Thats pretty impressive, given the Bronco Sports shortest in class overall length. (Tall people who parallel park a lot, take notice!) Base Model Interior Dimensions, Largest to Smallest Front Head Room (in) Front Leg Room (in) Front Hip Room (in) Front Sh'lder Room (in) Rear head Room (in) Rear Leg Room (in) Rear Hip Room (in) Rear Sh'lder Room (in) Front Pass. Space (cu ft) Rear Pass. Space (cu ft) Total Pass. Space (cu ft) Subaru Forester 41.2 43.3 54.1 58.2 39.6 39.4 53.6 57.2 60.1 51.6 111.7 Ford Escape 40.0 42.4 55.2 57.6 39.3 40.7 53.3 56.0 56.5 51.8 108.4 Ford Bronco Sport 41.5 42.4 55.0* 57.0 41.7 36.9 53.0* 55.6 58.0 49.5 107.6 Honda CR-V 40.1 41.3 55.1 57.9 39.2 40.4 49.5 55.6 55.5 50.5 105.9 Nissan Rogue 41.1 54.1 41.5 57.1 39.2 53.4 38.5 55.9 56.4 48.8 105.2 Chevrolet Equinox 40.0 40.9 54.2 57.2 38.5 39.9 51.7 55.5 54.2 49.3 103.5 Jeep Cherokee 39.4 41.1 53.8 57.6 38.5 40.3 49.9 55.1 54.0 49.5 103.5 Mazda CX-5 39.7 41.0 55.2 57.1 39.0 39.6 55.3 54.8 53.8 49.0 102.8 Hyundai Tucson 39.6 41.5 55.6 57.1 39.2 38.2 54.5 55.5 54.3 48.1 102.4 Kia Sportage 39.3 41.5 54.3 57.1 39.1 38.2 51.2 55.1 53.9 47.6 101.5 Toyota RAV4 39.5 41.0 54.3 57.8 39.5 37.8 47.7 56.4 54.2 47.1 101.3 *Estimated 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Inner Cargo Space vs. the Competition Much of what the Bronco Sports shorter rear overhang takes away, that safari-step roof gives back in terms of raw numbers. At 32.0 cubic feet with the seats up, 65.0 with them down, the Bronco Sport measures exactly 1.0 cubic foot below the class average for each measure. But cargo space is what cargo space does , and Ford has ensured that frequently hauled adventure gear fits easily. For example, with the rear seat folded down, two mountain bikes fit easily inside with the front wheels removed (the accessories team will even sell you a bar that mounts to the floor for securing the bikes forks). Cargo Capacity, Largest to Smallest Cargo, Seats Up (cu ft) Cargo, Seats Down (cu ft) Subaru Forester 35.4 76.1 Honda CR-V 39.2 75.8 Nissan Rogue 36.5 74.1 Toyota RAV4 37.6 69.8 Ford Escape 33.5 65.4 Ford Bronco Sport 32.0 65.0 Chevrolet Equinox 29.9 63.9 Hyundai Tucson 31.0 61.9 Kia Sportage 30.7 60.1 Mazda CX-5 30.9 59.6 Jeep Cherokee 25.8 54.7 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Outer Space vs. the Competition As weve already noted, the Bronco Sport is the runt of this litter in terms of length, stretching 7.1 inches shorter than the class average. But it is also the widest and tallest in the class, at 74.3 inches wide and 67.969.1 inches tall, depending on the trim variant. Those extremes land the Bronco Sport smack in the middle of the class in terms of overall space efficiency (interior people and cargo space divided by the volume of the exterior box). Exterior Size, Sorted by Space Efficiency Wheel-base (in) Length (in) Width (in) Height (in) Efficiency* Subaru Forester 105.1 182.1 71.5 67.5 29.1% Honda CR-V 104.7 182.1 73.0 66.1 28.5% Nissan Rogue 106.4 182.8 72.4 65.9 28.3% Hyundai Tucson 105.1 176.2 72.8 65.0 28.0% Ford Escape 106.7 180.5 74.1 66.1 27.9% Ford Bronco Sport 105.1 172.7 74.3 67.9-69.1 27.7% Kia Sportage 105.1 176.4 73.0 64.8 27.5% Mazda CX-5 106.2 179.1 72.5 66.2 27.4% Toyota RAV4 105.9 180.9 73.0 67.0 27.1% Chevrolet Equinox 107.3 183.1 72.6 65.4 26.6% Jeep Cherokee 106.4 182.0 73.2 65.7 25.5% *Total passenger vol + Seats-Up cargo vol divided by L x W x H exterior vol 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Power and Weight vs. the Competition Although it borrows the Escapes drivetrains, routing the exhaust to stay out of harms way when off-road and tuning the engine power and torque slightly to suit the Bronco Sports different mission alter the Escapes engine specs. That, plus the added gear to keep it moving safely through the rough stuff means the Bronco Sport ranks a bit lower on the weight-to-power list than the Escape. But in its 2.0-liter turbo guise, it ranks fifth in class behind the Cherokee 2.0T in terms of weight to power (though weight-to-torque reverses that order, putting Bronco Sport fourth). At the other end of the spectrum, the wee little 1.5-liter three-banger EcoBoost engine ranks fourth from the bottom of both lists, so dont go racing for pinks in the base Bronco Sport. Power and Weight, Best to Worst Engine Size (L) HP (SAE net) Torque (lb-ft) Curb Wt. (lbs)* Wt./Pwr (lb/hp) Chevrolet Equinox I-4 turbo 2.0 252 260 3,450 13.7 Jeep Cherokee V-6 3.2 271 239 3,750 13.8 Ford Escape I-4 turbo 2.0 250 275 3,550 14.2 Jeep Cherokee I-4 turbo 2.0 270 295 4,000 14.8 Ford Bronco Sport I-4 turbo 2.0 245 275 3,650 14.9 Mazda CX-5 I-4 turbo 2.5 250 320 3,850 15.4 Kia Sportage I-4 turbo 2.0 240 260 3,700 15.4 Toyota RAV4 I-4 2.5 203 184 3,400 16.7 Honda CR-V I-4 turbo 1.5 190 179 3,350 17.6 Kia Sportage I-4 2.4 181 175 3,300 18.2 Ford Escape I-3 turbo 1.5 180 177 3,300 18.3 Nissan Rogue I-4 2.5 181 181 3,350 18.5 Subaru Forester flat-4 2.5 182 176 3,450 19.0 Mazda CX-5 I-4 2.5 187 186 3,550 19.0 Ford Bronco Sport I-3 turbo 1.5 181 190 3,500 19.3 Hyundai Tucson I-4 2.4 181 175 3,500 19.3 Chevrolet Equinox I-4 turbo 1.5 170 203 3,300 19.4 Hyundai Tucson I-4 2.0 164 151 3,300 20.1 Jeep Cherokee I-4 2.4 180 171 3,650 20.3 *Lightest available combination 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Towing Capacity vs. the Competition Many adventurous pursuits require toys that need to ride along behind your adventuremobile, and the Bronco Sport is aimed at adventurers. And while the 1.5-liter Bronco Sport can tug just as much trailer as its sibling Escape, the 2.0-liter is restricted to 2,200 pounds1,300 fewer than the Escape can manage. Perhaps its the twin-clutch rear axle or the shorter final-drive gearing, but youll need to go a bit smaller on the travel-trailer or boat (maybe 16 feet tops for either).. Both numbers are still class-competitive and will allow you to tow a small pop-up camper, a pair of jet-skis or snowmobiles, a quad-runner, or another like-sized object. Towing Capacities (non-hybrid models) Powertrain Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) Chevrolet Equinox 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo 9-speed Automatic 3,500 Ford Escape 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo 8-speed Automatic 3,500 Toyota RAV4 2.5L 4-cyl. 8-speed Automatic 3,500 Ford Bronco Sport 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo 8-speed Automatic 2,200 Ford Bronco Sport 1.5L 3-cyl. Turbo 8-speed Automatic 2,000 Ford Escape 1.5L 3-cyl. Turbo 8-speed Automatic 2,000 Hyundai Tucson 2.4L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic 2,000 Jeep Cherokee 2.4L 4-cyl. 9-speed Automatic 2,000 Kia Sportage 2.4L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic 2,000 Kia Sportage 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo 6-speed Automatic 2,000 Mazda CX-5 2.5L 4-cyl. Turbo 6-speed Automatic 2,000 Chevrolet Equinox 1.5L 4-cyl. Turbo 6-speed Automatic 1,500 Honda CR-V 1.5L 4-cyl. Turbo CVT Automatic 1,500 Hyundai Tucson 2.0L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic 1,500 Subaru Forester 2.5L 4-cyl. CVT Automatic 1,500 Toyota RAV4 2.5L 4-cyl. 8-speed Automatic 1,500 Nissan Rogue 2.5L 4-cyl. CVT Automatic 1,350 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Fuel Economy vs. the Competition Heres another area where Ford has yet to complete testing and announce results, but our guestimate place-holders assume the Bronco Sport lands in similar weight classes to the all-wheel-drive Escape models, but with less aerodynamic bodywork (potentially higher drag coefficient and frontal area) and with the 2.0-liter variant getting a shorter axle ratio than in the Escape. Were guessing that will cost the baby Bronco 1 highway mpg relative to the Escape with both engines. We then assume the Badlands models water-cooled fancier all-wheel-drive system and shorter axle ratio (3.81:1 versus 3.47:1) may cost a further 1 mpg of highway and 2 mpg of city economy. Call it an estimated 26/30/28 mpg city/highway/combined for the 1.5-liter; 21/29/24 for the 2.0-liter. This places the base 1.5-liter Bronco Sport in the top half of the class, with the 2.0-liter ranking below average. Fuel Economy Powertrain EPA city EPA hwy EPA comb Honda CR-V 1.5L 4-cyl. Turbo CVT Automatic 28 34 30 Toyota RAV4 2.5L 4-cyl. 8-speed Automatic 26-28 34-35 30 Ford Escape 1.5L 3-cyl. Turbo 8-speed Automatic 27 33 30 Nissan Rogue 2.5L 4-cyl. CVT Automatic 26-27 34-35 29-30 Honda CR-V 1.5L 4-cyl. Turbo CVT Automatic, AWD 27 32 29 Subaru Forester 2.5L 4-cyl. CVT Automatic 26 33 29 Nissan Rogue 2.5L 4-cyl. CVT Automatic, AWD 25-26 32-33 28-29 Chevrolet Equinox 1.5L 4-cyl. Turbo 6-speed Automatic 26 31 28 Ford Escape 1.5L 3-cyl. Turbo 8-speed Automatic, AWD 26 31 28 Ford Bronco Sport 1.5L 3-cyl. Turbo 8-speed Automatic, AWD 26* 30* 28* Mazda CX-5 2.5L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic 25 31 28 Toyota RAV4 2.5L 4-cyl. 8-speed Automatic, AWD 25-27 32-33 27-29 Chevrolet Equinox 1.5L 4-cyl. Turbo 6-speed Automatic, AWD 25 30 27 Mazda CX-5 2.5L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic, AWD 24 30 26 Ford Escape 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo 8-speed Automatic, AWD 23 31 26 Jeep Cherokee 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo 9-speed Automatic 23 31 26 Kia Sportage 2.4L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic 23 30 26 Hyundai Tucson 2.0L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic 23 28 25 Chevrolet Equinox 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo 9-speed Automatic 22 29 25 Hyundai Tucson 2.4L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic 22 28 25 Jeep Cherokee 2.4L 4-cyl. 9-speed Automatic 22 31 25 Ford Bronco Sport 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo 8-speed Automatic, AWD 21* 29* 24* Chevrolet Equinox 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo 9-speed Automatic, AWD 22 28 24 Mazda CX-5 2.5L 4-cyl. Turbo 6-speed Automatic, AWD 22 27 24 Jeep Cherokee 2.4L 4-cyl. 9-speed Automatic, AWD 21 29 24 Hyundai Tucson 2.0L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic, AWD 22 25 23 Kia Sportage 2.4L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic, AWD 22 26 23 Hyundai Tucson 2.4L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic, AWD 21 26 23 Jeep Cherokee 3.2L V-6, 9-speed Automatic 20 29 23 Kia Sportage 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo 6-speed Automatic 20 28 23 Jeep Cherokee 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo 9-speed Automatic, AWD 20-21 26-29 22-24 Jeep Cherokee 3.2L V-6, 9-speed Automatic, 4WD 18-19 24-27 21 Kia Sportage 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo 6-speed Automatic, AWD 19 24 21 *Estimates based on Escape weight class with slightly worse aerodynamics and shorter axle gearing (2.0L). Were as eager as you are to get all the final numbers and round up these vehiclesand the anticipated newcomers in the classas soon as possible. Keep it right here! The post Spec Comparison: 2021 Ford Bronco Sport vs. Jeep, Subaru, and Others appeared first on MotorTrend .