2023 Toyota Sequoia vs 2024 Ford Bronco

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia presented a bold and commanding presence with its redesigned exterior, drawing inspiration from the Toyota Tundra pickup truck. Its traditional grille and front bumper distinguished it from the Tundra's more unconventional look. Inside, the Sequoia shared many design elements with the Tundra, featuring an industrial theme with luxurious touches in the Capstone trim, such as leather, wood, and metallic finishes. The 14-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system dominated the dashboard, although some interior materials reminded occupants of its pickup truck origins. The Sequoia lineup included various trims, with prices starting at $79,335 for the TRD Off-road and reaching $95,335 for the Capstone. While the TRD Pro trim offered enhanced off-road capabilities, the Sequoia's ground clearance and angles suggested less capability than its predecessor. The TRD Off-Road trim provided a more affordable option with off-road features like 18-inch TRD alloy wheels and an electronically controlled locking rear differential.

The 2024 Ford Bronco embraced a retro design, reminiscent of the 1960s, with a more successful execution in the two-door model. The Sasquatch Package, a popular upgrade, added a suspension lift, 35-inch mud-terrain tires, and other off-roading enhancements, giving the Bronco a rugged and purposeful appearance. The Bronco lineup included nine versions, with prices ranging from $52,060 to $93,220 for regular models and $116,570 for the Raptor. Our test vehicle, a four-door Big Bend trim with the Sasquatch Package, had a Canadian MSRP of $69,780. The Bronco's interior featured marine-grade mildew- and water-resistant upholstery, which, while practical, could become uncomfortable in hot weather. The dashboard included an 8-inch digital instrumentation display and a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with grab handles for easy entry. Compared to its rival, the Jeep Wrangler, the Bronco offered a more refined interior and better visibility, although the spare tire on the tailgate partially obstructed the rear view.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, a 36-kilowatt electric motor/generator, and a 1.87 kilowatt-hour nickel-metal hydride battery pack. This hybrid powertrain delivered 437 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 583 pound-feet of torque at 2,400 rpm. While it lacked the rumble of the previous 5.7-litre V8, the new V6 offered improved towing capacity, with a maximum tow rating of 4,137 kilograms in Canada. The Sequoia's fuel efficiency also improved, with a rating of 11.7 L/100 km in combined driving with 4WD. During testing, the Capstone averaged 13.2 L/100 km on a mountainous evaluation loop. The Sequoia offered various driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+, but the suspension could be busy and jittery in Normal mode. The steering was slow, and the regenerative braking system felt unresponsive, especially in urban driving situations.

The 2024 Ford Bronco Big Bend featured a standard turbocharged 2.3-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder engine producing 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. It offered a seven-speed manual transmission with a low first gear for rock crawling or a 10-speed automatic transmission. The optional turbocharged 2.7-litre EcoBoost V6 engine delivered 330 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque, while the Raptor's exclusive 3.0-litre EcoBoost V6 produced 418 hp and 440 lb-ft. The Bronco's maximum towing capacity was 1,587 kilograms, with the Raptor boasting a higher 2,040-kilogram tow rating. The Bronco's part-time 4WD system was standard, with an advanced system available as an upgrade. The Bronco offered various off-roading technologies, including Trail Control, Trail One-Pedal Drive, and Trail Turn Assist. The Big Bend Sasquatch averaged 13.9 L/100 km during testing, with a higher highway than city fuel economy rating due to the suspension lift and big tires. The Bronco excelled in off-road conditions, but its Goodyear Territory mud-terrain tires were noisy and less grippy on winding roads.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia excelled on open roads, offering a comfortable cabin with soft leather upholstery, a JBL premium audio system, and a triple-zone automatic climate control system. The front seats were heated and ventilated, and a heated steering wheel was standard. The Sequoia's power-deploying running boards aided entry and exit, although taller individuals might find them cumbersome. The second-row captain's chairs provided comfort but lacked sliding functionality, limiting third-row legroom. The third-row seat, mounted above the battery pack, offered limited comfort and legroom. The Sequoia's cargo space was compromised by the hybrid powertrain, with 325 litres of cargo capacity behind the third row, expandable to 631 litres. Folding the third-row seats increased capacity to 1,387 litres, while folding the second-row seats provided 2,460 litres. However, the Sequoia's cargo space was smaller than its segment rivals and only slightly larger than a Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

The 2024 Ford Bronco Big Bend Sasquatch lacked optional running boards, making entry and exit more challenging, especially for shorter individuals. Inside, the Bronco offered comfort in both two-door and four-door body styles, with ample space for four adults in the two-door model. The four-door version felt roomier than a Jeep Wrangler, with no rollbar obstructing rear-seat passengers. The Bronco's marine-grade vinyl upholstery trapped moisture, making cloth seats in the Heritage Edition a preferable option. The Bronco's two-door models featured a standard hardtop with removable roof panels, while the four-door had a standard fabric soft top with an optional hardtop. The Bronco's interior storage was practical, with MOLLE panels on the front seat backs for customization. The two-door Bronco offered 634 litres of cargo space, expandable to 1,509 litres with the rear seats folded. The four-door version provided 1,084 litres with the rear seats up and 2,350 litres with them down, although the optional hardtop reduced these volumes slightly.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia featured a new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, with an 8-inch touchscreen in the base TRD Off-road trim and a 14-inch touchscreen in higher trims. The system was intuitive, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Connected services allowed for user accounts and an Intelligent Assistant for directions. However, the system had some quirks, such as difficulty making calls via Apple CarPlay. The Capstone trim included a 10-inch head-up display, although it was not visible with polarized sunglasses. The Sequoia Platinum and Capstone trims featured a surround-view camera system and a digital rearview mirror. The parking sensors and automatic rear braking system effectively prevented accidents.

The 2024 Ford Bronco came with a 12-inch touchscreen Sync 4 infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, FordPass Connect services, and SiriusXM 360L satellite radio. Higher trims included a connected navigation system and a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system. The Sync 4 system experienced connectivity issues with Apple CarPlay and inconsistent voice recognition performance. The Bronco Trail App provided access to trail maps and information. The 8-inch digital instrumentation panel required a short learning curve, but the steering wheel controls could be distracting. The Bronco's technology package was basic but functional.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 (TSS 2.5), which included forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centring assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights, and road sign recognition. Additional safety features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safety Connect services. The Sequoia's adaptive cruise control and lane-centring assist systems made highway driving easier, although the lane-departure warning system's beeping could be irritating. Crash test results from the NHTSA and IIHS were not available, but the Tundra, on which the Sequoia is based, received high ratings from the IIHS.

The 2024 Ford Bronco Big Bend included standard safety features such as forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, and a backup camera. The Mid Package added Ford Co-Pilot360 technologies, including lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. Adaptive cruise control, front parking sensors, and a surround-view camera system were available as options. The Bronco's safety systems operated as expected, although the lane-keep assist system was not preferred. The IIHS gave the Bronco four-door favourable ratings, except for its headlight performance, while the NHTSA's crash test results were incomplete, with a four-star frontal-impact rating and a three-star rollover resistance rating.