Compare the2026 Ford Bronco SportVS 2026 Nissan Murano

The Bronco Sport 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 Murano 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.

Both the Bronco Sport and Murano have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Bronco Sport has rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Murano’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Bronco Sport and the Murano have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

There are almost 3 times as many Ford dealers as there are Nissan dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Bronco Sport’s warranty.

The Bronco Sport 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 Murano doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Bronco Sport’s reliability 24 points higher than the Murano.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Bronco Sport third among small suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Murano isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Nissan With 7 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Ford higher than Nissan.

The Bronco Sport Badlands’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 9 more horsepower (250 vs. 241) and 20 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 260) than the Murano’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Bronco Sport Badlands 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Nissan Murano:

On the EPA test cycle the Bronco Sport gets better mileage than the Murano:

The Bronco Sport stops shorter than the Murano:

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

The Bronco Sport has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Murano doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Bronco Sport’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (57% to 43%) than the Murano’s (58.8% to 41.2%). This gives the Bronco Sport more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Bronco Sport’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Murano’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Bronco Sport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Murano (8.8 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Bronco Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Ford Bronco Sport may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 850 pounds less than the Nissan Murano.

The Bronco Sport is 1 foot, 7.8 inches shorter than the Murano, making the Bronco Sport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The Bronco Sport has .4 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more rear headroom and .6 inches more rear legroom than the Murano.

The Bronco Sport has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Murano with its rear seat folded (65.2 vs. 63.5 cubic feet).

The Bronco Sport’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Murano’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The Bronco Sport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Murano’s (2200 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Nissan Murano is only 1500 pounds. The Bronco Sport offers up to a 2700 lbs. towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Bronco Sport uses the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Murano doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

If the windows are left open on the Bronco Sport the driver can close all of them from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Murano can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Bronco Sport’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Murano doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Bronco Sport’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Murano’s power window and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Bronco Sport’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Murano’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Bronco Sport offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Murano doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Bronco Sport 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 Murano doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport retains 48.91% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 44.66% resale value of the 2026 Nissan Murano after five years, which can save the Ford’s owner up to $6560 in depreciation.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Ford Bronco Sport, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Nissan Murano isn't recommended.

The Ford Bronco Sport outsold the Nissan Murano by over three to one during 2025.