Ford Bronco Sport vs Jeep Grand Cherokee: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Ford Bronco Sport burns about $2,300 of fuel annually against $2,650 for the Jeep Grand Cherokee. That $350 yearly gap compounds to roughly $1,750 over five years and $2,800 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Ford Bronco Sport is the stronger commuter at 25 mpg city, while the Jeep Grand Cherokee pulls ahead on the interstate at 30 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Ford Bronco Sport is recorded with 2 distinct engine configurations (SIDI & PFI, SIDI), the Jeep Grand Cherokee with 4 (SIDI, 3.6, SIDI; PHEV). Across 14 recorded Ford Bronco Sport configurations and 87 for the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Ford Bronco Sport is offered with 4-Wheel Drive, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive, the Jeep Grand Cherokee with Rear-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Jeep Grand Cherokee emits 177 g/mile of CO2 versus 324 g/mile for the Ford Bronco Sport. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.