2025 Toyota Land Cruiser vs 2025 Ford Bronco Sport

The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport, built on the C2 unibody platform shared with the Ford Escape, embraced a rugged aesthetic distinct from its sibling. Its design featured a rectangular grille with inset round headlights and "Bronco" lettering, reminiscent of the larger Bronco model. While it lacked the convertible and removable doors of its bigger counterpart, the Bronco Sport maintained a square silhouette with a long, flat hood and upright greenhouse, giving it a cute yet robust appearance. The 2025 model year introduced off-road packages like the Black Diamond and Sasquatch, adding modular steel bumpers, cast D-rings, and underbody protection. The interior, though less distinctive, was functional, with new centre-console grab handles and auxiliary switches for aftermarket accessories, ensuring durability for off-road adventures.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, offered in two trims, the 1958 and Cruiser, showcased a blend of retro and modern styling. The base 1958 model paid homage to its heritage with round headlights and basic equipment, while the Cruiser trim offered a more upscale look with additional colours and a refined interior. The Cruiser trim, especially with the Premium Package, featured leather upholstery, larger screens, and critical off-roading enhancements. Despite its traditional two-box SUV design, the Land Cruiser's interior was utilitarian, with a focus on functionality. The Java-coloured leather and dual 12.3-inch screens added a touch of luxury, while the intuitive steering wheel controls enhanced the driving experience.

The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport retained its powertrain options from the previous year, with most trims featuring a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. The Badlands models boasted a more powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with manual-shifting capability available on the 2.0-litre models. The standard all-wheel-drive system included a dual-clutch rear-drive unit for torque vectoring, enhancing off-road performance. The Bronco Sport's off-road prowess was further bolstered by features like Trail Control and the new one-pedal feature, allowing for precise control on challenging terrains. The Sasquatch Package added 29-inch all-terrain tires, off-road suspension, and steel underbody protection, making it a formidable off-roader.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser was equipped with Toyota's i-Force Max hybrid system, combining a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission. This setup produced 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, distributed through a full-time four-wheel-drive system with electronic locking differentials. The Land Cruiser's towing capacity reached 2,720 kilograms, and it featured standard off-road aids like Downhill Assist Control and Crawl Control. The Cruiser trim added Multi-Terrain Select modes, a Multi-Terrain Monitor, and a front stabilizer bar disconnect. Despite its impressive off-road capabilities, the Land Cruiser's fuel efficiency fell short of expectations, with real-world consumption reaching 15.0 L/100 km. Its suspension tuning provided a comfortable ride on city streets, but handling on twisty roads was less than stellar.

The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport offered practicality alongside its off-road capabilities. It provided more headroom in both rows compared to competitors like the Jeep Compass Trailhawk and Subaru Forester Wilderness. While first-row legroom was generous, second-row legroom lagged behind. Cargo space was competitive, with 920 litres available with the rear seats up and 1,846 litres with them folded. The Bronco Sport featured convenient storage solutions, including a dedicated device tray with USB ports and mounting points for devices. Towing capacity varied between 1,000 kilograms with the turbo-three engine and 1,225 kilograms with the turbo-four engine, with towing packages available for enhanced capability.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser's interior offered a mix of comfort and practicality. Upgrading from the 1958 trim to the Cruiser trim replaced cloth upholstery with SofTex artificial leather, and the Premium Package added real leather and a power sunroof. While front seats were comfortable, the second-row seats lacked support and comfort. The Land Cruiser's cargo space was generous, with 1,062 litres available behind the rear seats and 2,324 litres with them folded. However, the high load floor height required effort when loading heavy items. The rear window design and centre console's cool box were less practical, impacting overall functionality.

The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport received a significant tech upgrade with the introduction of the Ford Sync 4 infotainment system, featuring a 13.2-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The system offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, enhancing the vehicle's premium feel. The infotainment system's graphics were detailed and user-friendly, with split-screen functionality for Apple CarPlay. An available 360-degree camera system provided safety and off-road assistance, with cameras activating automatically in off-road modes.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser's Cruiser trim featured dual 12.3-inch displays with the Toyota Audio Multimedia system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio. The system included a cloud-based navigation system and a digital assistant for voice commands. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL sound system, a wireless smartphone charger, and advanced features like a head-up display and digital key technology. The infotainment system was intuitive and responsive, enhancing the overall driving experience.

The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with top scores in frontal and side crash tests. The IIHS awarded it a "Good" score in the small overlap front test and a "Marginal" score in the updated moderate overlap front test. Standard safety features included Ford's Co-Pilot360 suite, with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, and more. Optional features included reverse automatic emergency braking and traffic sign recognition.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser came equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, featuring advanced driving assistance systems like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. The adaptive cruise control and lane-centring assist provided semi-autonomous highway driving capabilities. Additional safety features included a road sign reader, automatic high-beam headlights, and Proactive Driving Assist. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with strong side-impact scores but a lower rollover resistance rating.