Compare the2025 Ford BroncoVS 2025 BMW X3

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Bronco 4-Door are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Bronco has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The X3 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Bronco Big Bend/Outer Banks/Badlands/Stroppe/Raptor/Heritage’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The X3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Bronco and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

Ford’s powertrain warranty covers the Bronco 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 8 times as many Ford dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Bronco’s warranty.

The Bronco has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The X3 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated below average.

The Bronco has more powerful engines than the X3:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Bronco uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X3 M50 xDrive requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Bronco 4-Door’s standard fuel tank has 3.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (20.8 vs. 17.2 gallons).

The Bronco has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The X3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Bronco offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The X3 doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

A 10-speed automatic is available on the Ford Bronco, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the X3.

For better traction, the Bronco has larger standard tires than the X3 (255/75R17 vs. 245/50R19). The Bronco Raptor’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X3 (37 x 12.5R17 vs. 255/40R21).

The Ford Bronco’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The BMW X3 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Bronco has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the X3; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

The Bronco Badlands/Stroppe/Raptor has an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The X3 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Bronco’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The X3 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Bronco 4-Door’s wheelbase is 3.3 inches longer than on the X3 (116.1 inches vs. 112.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Bronco is 3.8 inches wider in the front and 3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the X3.

For better maneuverability, the Bronco 2-Door’s turning circle is 4.5 feet tighter than the X3’s (35.5 feet vs. 40 feet). The Bronco 4-Door Sasquatch’s turning circle is .1 feet tighter than the X3’s (39.9 feet vs. 40 feet).

The front grille of the Bronco uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The X3 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Bronco 4-Door has 6.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the X3 (108.2 vs. 101.4).

The Bronco 4-Door has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X3 with its rear seat up (38.3 vs. 31.5 cubic feet). The Bronco 4-Door has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X3 with its rear seat folded (83 vs. 67.1 cubic feet).

The Bronco 4-Door’s optional sliding cargo floor makes loading and unloading cargo easier and safer. The X3 doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The Bronco’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the right swing out door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The X3’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The Bronco can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Bronco can be unhitched and driven around locally. The X3 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Bronco’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The X3 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Bronco’s available exterior PIN entry system. The X3 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist eCall can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Bronco offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Ford Bronco comes in four door and soft top bodystyles; the BMW X3 isn’t available as a soft top.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Bronco as the 2022 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The X3 has never been chosen.

The Ford Bronco outsold the BMW X3 by 53% during 2024.