Retro Off-Roader Comparison: Toyota Land Cruiser Vs. Jeep Wrangler Vs. Ford Bronco

The Bronco is more concerned about its name than the Ford brand. It has "BRONCO" lettering on the blacked-out grille, flanked by the famous round headlights. The small blue oval on the rear is the only thing that tells you it's a Ford. Jeep's Wrangler is a design icon thanks to its seven-slot grille, round headlights, massively flared wheel arches, and standard high-clearance bumper.

The Bronco and Jeep have a fair amount in common, as you can remove the doors and roof on both. It's a hassle but a big selling point, regardless. You'll also note the spare wheel bolted to the tailgate, which has also become a design signature for hardcore off-roaders. Toyota chose not to go this route, and the spare wheel is stowed neatly underneath the vehicle.

A set of 18-inch wheels are standard on the Toyota, but you can upgrade to 20 inches on the Land Cruiser trim. The Ford rides on 16- or 17-inch wheels, while Jeep lets you choose between 17- and 18-inch options.

The Wrangler and the Bronco are pretty similar on the inside; flat surfaces, a smattering of grab handles, and the obligatory touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You get the same sort of build quality, and Jeep recently added more sound-dampening and some soft-touch materialsto the 2024 Wrangler．It still hasn't solved thatpesky death wobble, but at least it will be quieter inside as you roll down the mountainside.

We like making fun of the Wrangler, but its interior is charming. We love the second gear lever dedicated to the transfer case. It's so much more satisfying moving it around, feeling and hearing that satisfying 'thunk' as you engage the front axle. The new 12.3-inch touchscreen is also a welcome upgrade, and it's larger than the eight-inch unit in the base Land Cruiser. More upmarket Cruisers get the same size screen as the Wrangler.

The Bronco has an eight-inch unit, but you can increase this to 10 inches if you opt for the Lux Package. This also upgrades the basic sound system to a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen setup. A 14-speaker JBL premium sound system is available for the Toyota.

These cars all have the same basic features, including a touchscreen interface with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, grab handles, and sound systems that range from adequate to full-on banging. The interior materials are similar; on base models, cloth is standard, but the higher up you go, the fancier the upholstery becomes.

The base Land Cruiser 1958 is slightly more luxurious than the equivalent models from Ford and Jeep. It comes with LED fog lights, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel as standard. It's clear the Land Cruiser is set up for cold-weather states from the get-go, with no need to add extra packages.

The Wrangler is the only model that ships standard with a six-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual, while the turbocharged four-pot and eight-speed automatic are optional extras. Jeep's naturally aspirated V6 produces 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. If you go for the turbocharged four, the power drops to 270 hp, but the torque increases to 295 lb-ft.

Most Broncos ship standard with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, producing 270 hp and 310 lb-ft, sent to the wheels via a seven-speed manual transmission. A 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost is available and standard with the Wildtrak trim. It produces 310 hp and a chunky 400 lb-ft and can only be mated to a 10-speed automatic.

Toyota's 2.4-liter turbocharged and hybridized four-pot beats all these available engines, producing 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. It's only available with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Modern technology is the clear winner here, with the Toyota powertrain producing 65 lb-ft more than its closest rival.

The Wrangler Rubicon is the best stock off-roader available in the USA. It has solid axles front and rear, differential locks front and rear, and ships standard with heavy-duty shock absorbers and 33-inch off-road-biased tires. You also get the famous sway bar disconnect, providing more articulation at the front. If you want to go further up the mountain than everyone else, this is the car for you.

The nearest rival from Ford would be any of the Bronco models you can equip with theSasquatch Package．The Sasquatch is Ford's answer to the Rubicon, and it gets 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels shod in 35-inch all-terrain tires, a heavy-duty suspension upgrade, and electronic locking differentials on both axles.

With a suitably equipped Bronco, you can easily take a Rubicon on.

But it's important to know what kind of off-roading you'll be doing. So many people buy more off-road equipment than they'll ever need, which usually results in a terrible ownership experience. The Wrangler is a prime example. Yes, it can get you further, but how much time do you spend in the great outdoors versus driving to work? The Wrangler is a horrible everyday car because solid axles belong on an ox cart, the off-road tires provide little to no grip on wet tarmac, and the suggestion (neesteering) wheel offers no feedback.

A Bronco with a Sasquatch Package is more of the same, but at least it has a fully independent suspension setup, so it generally goes where you point it.

Toyota found a happy middle ground, plus it gives youfull-time four-wheel-driveas standard, a center locking differential, and a rear locker as standard. Fans of part-time systems will argue that it's perfectly fine when used in conjunction with modern traction and stability control, but many would rather have the security of a full-time system and not need a nanny to intervene on their behalf.

We'll leave the choice up to you, but be honest about how far you want to go off-road and don't just buy the top spec for bragging rights.

Many Broncos are available, but we eventually settled on the Wildtrak (standard EcoBoost V6) because it gets closest to the Land Cruiser and Wrangler. We don't know the Land Cruiser's MSRP or destination charge yet, but Toyota has stated that it will be a mid-$50,000 vehicle. Our best guesstimate is $55k for the 1958, $58k for the Land Cruiser, and around $60,000 for the Land Cruiser First Edition. Based on that, we found the closest model trims from Ford and Jeep. We have a separate article on how the Land Cruiser fits into the Toyota lineup.

A Bronco Wildtrak costs $59,315, and for that, you get the V6 EcoBoost engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Sasquatch Package is included as standard, so you're getting the most off-road capable model this side of the Bronco Raptor.

At Jeep, we opted for the Rubicon, and to give it the best possible chance, we added the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot for the tiny torque bump. And because it's the cheapest of the lot, we also added full-time 4WD for the reasons mentioned earlier. Even so, it still retails for $50,390.

That means the Land Cruiser may be $5k-$10k more expensive than the Wrangler Rubicon but will be more closely aligned in price to the top-tier Bronco models.

While the Wrangler is the most affordable, we couldn't live with it. The Bronco is tempting, but Ford'sbuild quality reputationleaves much to be desired. The Land Cruiser, at face value, seems to offer the best of all worlds and therefore gets our vote.