If off-road capability is a must-have on your next SUV, the 2022 Ford Bronco and 2022 Toyota 4Runner are obvious candidates. Both midsize SUVs can tackle dirt, sand, snow, and pretty much anything else when properly equipped.

Apart from their similar dimensions and 4x4 credentials, the Toyota 4Runner and the 4-door Ford Bronco are different beasts. The current 4Runner has been around since 2009. Depending on your requirements, the Toyota still works as a family vehicle. But in many ways, the Toyota 4Runner isn't just old-school; it's old and in need of a redesign.

Launched for the 2021 model year, the Bronco is so red-hot that Ford can't build it fast enough to fulfill customer orders. Inside and out, the 2022 Ford Bronco looks like a 21st-century edition of the original Ford Bronco. Yet, it's a thoroughly modern vehicle. Even if you never take it off-road, you'll probably love driving it to work.

This 2022 Ford Bronco vs. 2022 Toyota 4Runner comparison should help if you're trying to decide between these midsize SUVs.

If you're shopping for the 2022 Ford Bronco, you'll find it hard to get one as of this publication. Ford has stopped taking orders for the 2022 model. Unless you find an unclaimed Bronco at a dealership, you'll have to wait until the 2023 model year. (The Bronco bears no relation to the Bronco Sport, an Escape-based compact crossover.)

Pricing on the 2022 Bronco midsize SUV ranges from $30,800 to $68,500, not including the $1,595 destination charge. Trim levels include a base model followed by the Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks, Badlands, Wildtrak, Everglades, and Raptor.

Ford offers the Bronco in two body styles: a 2-door with a short 100-inch wheelbase and seating for four and a 4-door with a 116-inch wheelbase and 5-passenger seating. The 2022 Ford Bronco Everglades and Bronco Raptor come only in the 4-door body style. Four-door Ford Broncos come with either a removable hard-top roof or a removable soft top (2-door Broncos are hard-top only.)

Four-wheel-drive (4WD) is standard on every 2022 Ford Bronco. On most trims, you choose between a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and a turbocharged V6 that costs around $1,900 (or $3,500 on lower-trim 2-door Broncos since you'll also have to buy the optional automatic transmission). The Bronco Raptor has a higher-performance V6 as standard.

Connected services on the Bronco include remote engine start and remote door locking via the FordPass app. These features are free of charge, as is the automatic collision notification (911 Assist) that you can enable in the SUV's Sync infotainment interface. There's a 3-month complimentary trial for the Ford Bronco's Wi-Fi hotspot. Complimentary scheduled maintenance is not available on the 2022 Bronco.

The Ford Bronco ranks highest in the Off-Road Utility category of the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. ALG Residual Value Awards.

Consumers will have an easier time buying a 2022 Toyota 4Runner. Pricing on Toyota's midsize SUV ranges from $38,105 to $52,920, not including the $1,215 destination charge. Trim levels include SR5, Trail Special Edition, TRD Sport, SR5 Premium, TRD Off-Road, TRD Off-Road Premium, Limited, and TRD Pro.

The Toyota 4Runner comes only in a 4-door body style with 5-passenger seating and a conventional fixed roof. It's about the same length as the 4-door Ford Bronco but rides on a much shorter 110-inch wheelbase. This results in less overall passenger room but more cargo capacity. Toyota offers an optional third-row seat on the 4Runner. It increases seating capacity to seven, but most owners won't find it comfortable or accessible enough to use very often.

Most 2022 4Runner trims come with either 2-wheel drive (2WD) or 4WD. The exceptions are the TRD Off-Road and Pro, which are 4WD only. All 2022 Toyota 4Runners have a V6 engine.

Every 2022 4Runner comes with a one-year subscription to Safety Connect, including automatic collision notification, live emergency assistance, rapid access to roadside services, and stolen-vehicle location assistance. The Limited and TRD Pro also get a one-year trial for Remote Connect with remote locking and engine starting. Toyota 4Runners with factory navigation are eligible for live concierge services. All trims have a Wi-Fi hotspot with a 3-month trial. Toyota covers the cost of any scheduled maintenance visits for the first two years or 25,000 miles of ownership.

Although the Toyota 4Runner is known for its strong resale value, it wasn't a category leader in the 2022 ALG Residual Value Awards.

The current-generation Ford Bronco is too new to have participated in the J.D. Power 2022 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), which tracks problems experienced by owners during the third year of ownership. It does not rank among the top three Midsize SUVs in the J.D. Power 2021 Initial Quality Study (IQS). The 2022 Ford Bronco comes with the following warranty and roadside assistance coverage:

The Toyota 4Runner ranks second in the Midsize SUV category of the 2022 VDS. It does not rank among the top Midsize SUVs in the 2021 IQS. The 2022 Toyota 4Runner comes with the following warranty and roadside assistance coverage:

Most 2022 Ford Broncos come with one of two engines: There's a turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine that makes 275 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque on regular octane (or a bit more if you refuel with premium) and a twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 that makes 315 hp and 410 pound-feet of torque on regular octane. The potent V6 is an easy favorite, but both engines provide bright and responsive performance.

If you want to go hard-core, select a lower-trim version of the 2-door 2022 Ford Bronco to get a 7-speed manual transmission (available only with the 4-cylinder engine). The higher trims and all 4-door Broncos use a 10-speed automatic transmission, and it's optional on other Ford Broncos.

The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor uses a version of the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 from the Ford Explorer ST and Lincoln Aviator paired with the 10-speed automatic. Ford has promised over 400 hp for the Raptor's engine but has not published ratings as of this writing.

Ford offers a base part-time 4WD system with 2 Hi, 4 Hi, and 4 Lo modes, as well as a more deluxe system with an automatic 4WD mode. The 2022 Bronco's available Sasquatch package will outfit your midsize SUV for some pretty serious off-highway adventures. It includes a taller suspension (ground clearance increases from 8.3 to 11.5 inches on 4-doors), 35-inch all-terrain tires, front and rear locking differentials, and a lower (numerically higher) final drive ratio to improve low-end grunt. A front stabilizer-bar disconnect feature on the Bronco Badlands allows more wheel articulation over boulders or deep ruts.

All 2022 Broncos have a terrain-management system, which Ford calls G.O.A.T. (as in "goes over any terrain"), but the available modes vary by trim level. With the automatic transmission, you'll get the Ford Trail Toolbox, which includes Ford Trail Control (off-road cruise control), Trail One-Pedal Drive (allows one-pedal driving in off-road situations), and Trail Turn Assist. Ford includes hill-descent control on manual-transmission Broncos.

The Raptor is the most extreme 2022 Ford Bronco. It has 13 inches of ground clearance, specialized off-road shock absorbers, and massive 37-inch tires. Note that the Bronco Raptor is 6 inches wider than the Everglades and Wildtrak. As such, it's better suited for bounding over dunes than bending around narrow switchbacks.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you can expect most 2022 Ford Broncos to return 17-20 mpg in combined city and highway driving. The 4-cylinder and V6 engines are similarly efficient, but Sasquatch-package Broncos return lower fuel economy because of the changes to the tires, suspension, and gearing. The Bronco Raptor is EPA-rated for 15 mpg in combined driving.

Consumers shopping for the 2022 Toyota 4Runner don't have to make any choices related to the powertrain. All 4Runners come with a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V6 rated at 270 hp and 278 pound-feet of torque. A 5-speed automatic transmission is standard.

Toyota's V6 makes less torque than any of the Ford engines, and you'll feel the difference when you drive the 4Runner. Acceleration is adequate, but it takes effort to maintain a 75-mph pace on the highway. The 5-speed automatic is not helpful in these situations, as it upshifts early and hunts between gears.

Most 2022 Toyota 4Runners have a part-time 4WD system. The Limited alone has a full-time system with a Torsen-type center differential that automatically alters the front/rear torque split in response to wheel slippage. Four-wheel-drive SR5 and Limited models have hill-descent control. Additional features on the TRD Off-Road, TRD Off-Road Premium, and TRD Pro trim levels include a locking rear differential, a terrain-management system, and Crawl Control, which is Toyota's off-road cruise control (takes the place of hill-descent control).

The 4Runner TRD Pro is the nearest equivalent to the Bronco's Sasquatch package. It has standard all-terrain tires, a raised suspension, and specialized off-road shock absorbers. Although 9.6 inches of ground clearance will be plenty for most consumers, the Toyota 4Runner needs aftermarket modifications to match the outright capability of the Ford.

Due to its older design, the 4Runner is more of a handful to drive on pavement. Compared to the Bronco, its steering is noticeably slow, and its brakes are difficult to apply smoothly. In its favor, the 2022 Toyota 4Runner has a respectable 5,000-pound tow rating versus the Bronco's mediocre 3,500-pound rating.

The 2022 Toyota 4Runner has a 17-mpg EPA combined fuel-economy rating regardless of the drivetrain.

Consumers looking for advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) will find that every 2022 Ford Bronco comes with a forward-collision warning (FCW) system with automatic emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian detection.

If you select the Bronco Big Bend trim level or higher, you can choose an upgraded Ford Co-Pilot 360 package with a blind-spot warning (BSW) system with rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure warning (LDW), and lane-keeping assistance (LKA). If you want adaptive cruise control (ACC) and evasive steering assistance (ESA), those are available starting on the Outer Banks trim.

Only partial National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety ratings are available for the 2022 Ford Bronco. The 4-door Bronco has a 4-star (out of 5) frontal-impact crash rating, and both the 2- and 4-door models have a 3-star rollover-resistance rating. The structurally similar 2021 Ford Bronco 4-door earned Good ratings in all major Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash-test categories.

Every 2022 Toyota 4Runner comes with a standard ADAS package that includes FCW with AEB and pedestrian detection, LDW, and ACC. A rear-seat reminder system is also standard. A BSW system is not available on the 4Runner.

The NHTSA rates the 2022 Toyota 4Runner 4 stars for overall crash protection. Toyota's midsize SUV has a 3-star rollover-resistance rating. In IIHS testing, the 2022 4Runner has Good ratings in the moderate-overlap frontal-offset and side-impact crash categories, but it rates Marginal in the small-overlap frontal-offset crash test.

Ford's newest Sync 4 infotainment platform is standard on the 2022 Ford Bronco. This platform includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and it's capable of over-the-air updates. The standard display is an 8-inch touchscreen, though a 12-inch touchscreen display is optional on most trims and standard on the Raptor. The available factory navigation system offers conversational voice-recognition technology (subscription required). All Broncos have two rear-seat USB ports. A wireless charging pad is available on some trims.

You'll find an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment interface in every 2022 Toyota 4Runner. It includes wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration. The available navigation system has decent voice-recognition technology as well as a helpful breadcrumb feature that displays the path driven to your current location—handy when you're exploring remote areas. Two rear-seat USB ports are standard.

Apart from its throwback design, the main draw of the 2022 Ford Bronco's interior is its versatility. You can remove the roof and doors during off-road adventures. Thanks to rubberized flooring with drain plugs, you can use soap and water to clean it up. Some trims offer mildew-resistant, marine-grade vinyl seat upholstery.

With its spacious accommodations for passengers, the 4-door Ford Bronco is practical enough for daily commuting. However, it might not be your first pick for grocery shopping. Instead of a conventional overhead liftgate, the Bronco has a side-hinged lower gate upon which Ford mounts a full-size spare tire. The gate swings from left to right, which is a hassle if you've street-parked. You'll want to load bags via the flip-up rear glass when possible.

The 4-door 2022 Ford Bronco has 35.6 cubic feet (38.3 with the soft top) of cargo space behind its rear seats. Folding the rear seats provides 77.6 cubic feet (83.0 soft top).

The 2022 Toyota 4Runner doesn't have any retro styling elements, but its interior reflects an earlier era of Toyota design. Indeed, there's a touchscreen display, but Toyota surrounds it with large, clearly labeled buttons and dials that are easy to use while wearing gloves. And the instrument panel has real analog gauges.

Seating is comfortable for adults, and large rear windows make it easy for children of all sizes to look out and enjoy the adventure with you. Although the 2022 4Runner has a conventional liftgate, its rear glass powers down separately, allowing for an airy cabin environment on mild days.

Overall, the Toyota 4Runner is more convenient for shopping than the Bronco, though you might not like its high cargo floor. To address this, Toyota offers a slide-out cargo deck that makes it easier to get heavy items (up to 440 pounds) into the cargo bay. The 4Runner has 47.2 cubic feet (46.3 with the sliding deck) of capacity behind its second-row seats. With the rear seats folded, it offers 89.7 cubic feet (88.8 with the sliding deck).

The Ford has a fresher, more versatile design, but the Toyota remains comfortable and useful in its golden years.

If you'd like to learn more about these midsize SUVs, be sure to read our expert reviews of the 2022 Ford Bronco and the 2022 Toyota 4Runner. Check out our ratings from verified vehicle owners to find out how people like you rate models in this segment.

Also, please keep in mind that while the information in this article was accurate and valid on May 19, 2022, it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker's website or your local dealership.

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