If you're shopping for a stylish midsize SUV capable of delivering off-road thrills, go ahead and put the 2022 Ford Bronco and 2023 Land Rover Defender on your shortlist. Never mind the difference in pricing. Both the Bronco and Defender come from a rich 4x4 tradition. The latest versions still love dirt and rocks, but they're as well-mannered as modern crossovers on pavement.

Your decision to buy a Ford Bronco or Land Rover Defender will hinge on several factors. Your budget is one. You'll also want to think about how you'll use your SUV. The Ford allows you to remove the roof and doors. The Land Rover has a fixed roof but offers an optional retractable soft-top roof panel and numerous customization options. And the new Defender 130 offers a family-friendly 3-row layout with 8-passenger seating.

This 2022 Ford Bronco vs. 2023 Land Rover Defender comparison will help you spot the key differences between these midsize sport utility vehicles.

Patience is essential if you're shopping for a 2022 Ford Bronco. Ford has stopped taking orders for the 2022 model, so most consumers will need to order a 2023 Ford Bronco instead. Pricing on the 2022 Bronco ranges from $30,800 to $68,500, not including the $1,595 destination charge.

Ford sells the midsize Bronco in two body styles. The 2-door Ford Bronco comes with a removable hardtop roof. It seats four if you don't mind the inconvenience of moving the front seats to access the rear. Families will do better with the 4-door 2022 Ford Bronco. It's longer and more spacious and has seat belts for five. You can equip the 4-door Bronco with either a hard- or soft-top roof.

All 2022 Ford Broncos are 4-wheel drive (4WD). Trim levels include base, Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks, Badlands, Wildtrak, Everglades, and Raptor. The 2022 Ford Bronco Everglades and Bronco Raptor only come in the 4-door body style.

On most Bronco trims, you'll choose between a turbocharged 4-cylinder and a turbocharged V6 engine that costs an additional $1,900 ($3,500 on entry-level 2-door Broncos, which have to upgrade the transmission). The Ford Bronco Raptor has a higher-performance turbo V6.

Connected services are complimentary on the 2022 Ford Bronco, though there aren't many of them. The FordPass app provides remote engine start and remote door locking. You can enable automatic collision notification (911 Assist) in the Sync infotainment interface. You get a 3-month free trial with the SUV's Wi-Fi hotspot. Ford doesn't offer complimentary scheduled maintenance.

The 2022 Ford Bronco ranks highest in the Off-Road Utility category of the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. ALG Residual Value Awards.

Consumers will find that the 2023 Land Rover Defender ranges from $53,500 to $118,400, not including the $1,350 destination charge.

Land Rover's entry-level SUV comes in the 2-door Defender 90 body style and the 4-door Defender 110 and 130 body styles. The 90 is about the same size as the 2-door Bronco but seats five rather than four. The 110 matches the 4-door Bronco's dimensions. Both the Defender 90 and 110 offer an optional front jump seat. It's a fun throwback feature, but it reduces storage, and, realistically, you can't put a child in this spot due to the proximity of the front airbags.

Land Rover also offers an optional third row in the 110, but it's intended for occasional use. If you need something closer to an everyday 3-row SUV, you'll want the 2023 Land Rover Defender 130. It's over a foot longer than the 110 and has standard third-row seats.

Every 2023 Defender has 4WD. The Defender 90 comes in S, SE, X-Dynamic SE, X, V8, and V8 Carpathian Edition trim levels. The 110 comes in all those same trims but adds a base model below the S. The 130 comes in S, SE, X-Dynamic SE, First Edition, and X trims.

You can have a turbo 4-cylinder or inline 6-cylinder engine on all three Defender body styles. As of this publication, Land Rover only offers its supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine on the Defender 90 and 110.

Land Rover's connected services include automatic collision notification, live emergency assistance, and rapid access to roadside assistance. The InConnect app provides all the same remote access features as the Ford while also allowing you to activate the climate control. As of this publication, you must pay for the above services at your Defender purchase; you can't add them later. You can buy a 1-year Wi-Fi hotspot subscription with unlimited data, but all 2023 Defenders come with a free 3-month trial.

Land Rover does not offer complimentary scheduled maintenance.

The current-generation Ford Bronco is too new to have participated in the J.D. Power 2022 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), which tracks problems experienced by owners during the third year of ownership. It does not rank among the top three Midsize SUVs in the J.D. Power 2021 Initial Quality Study (IQS). The 2022 Ford Bronco comes with the following warranty and roadside assistance coverage:

Introduced for the 2020 model year, the current Land Rover Defender is also unranked in the 2022 VDS, which examines the long-term quality of vehicles produced for the 2019 model year. The Defender did not rank among the top three Midsize Premium SUVs in the 2021 IQS. The 2023 Land Rover Defender comes with the following warranty and roadside assistance coverage:

The 2022 Ford Bronco offers three different engines. Your least expensive option is a turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder. Rated at 275 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque on 87 octane fuel (or 300 hp and 325 pound-feet on premium).

On lower-trim 2-door Broncos, the 4-cylinder engine comes with a 7-speed manual transmission and hill-descent control. Four-door Broncos and higher-trim 2-door models have a 10-speed automatic transmission. The automatic provides access to Ford Trail Control (off-road cruise control), Trail One-Pedal Drive (allows one-pedal driving in off-road situations), and Trail Turn Assist.

Most 2022 Ford Broncos are eligible for a turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 engine as an option (standard on the Wildtrak). The V6 makes 315 hp and 410 pound-feet of torque on regular octane (330 hp and 415 pound-feet on premium). Only the Ford Bronco Raptor has access to Ford's turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, which cranks out 418 hp and 440 pound-feet of torque. Both V6 engines use a 10-speed automatic.

The Bronco's base 4WD system is part-time. There's also a deluxe version with an automatic 4WD mode. Either way, you'll get low-range gearing and Ford's G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) terrain-management system. Available terrain modes vary by trim level. The Bronco Badlands has a front stabilizer-bar disconnect feature for increased wheel articulation over boulders and ruts.

If you're headed off-road, consider the Sasquatch option package. It includes a raised suspension that increases ground clearance from 8.3 to 11.5 inches on 4-door Ford Broncos. Other Sasquatch goodies include 35-inch all-terrain tires, front and rear locking differentials, and a shorter (numerically higher) final drive ratio.

Meanwhile, the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor has 13 inches of ground clearance, 37-inch tires, and specialized off-road shock absorbers. The Bronco Raptor is 6 inches wider than the Everglades and Wildtrak and likely will be a tight fit on narrow 2-track trails.

Most Ford Broncos have a 3,500-pound tow rating; the Raptor is rated for 4,500 pounds.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with the base 4-cylinder or 2.7-liter V6 engine, the 2022 Ford Bronco rates 17-20 mpg in combined city/highway driving. Sasquatch-package Broncos have lower fuel-economy ratings due to their modified suspension, tires, and gearing. The EPA rates the 2022 Bronco Raptor at 15 mpg combined.

Consumers will find a diverse engine range on the 2023 Land Rover Defender. The standard engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder rated at 296 hp and 295 pound-feet of torque. An 8-speed automatic transmission is standard.

Acceleration is adequate with the Defender's base powertrain, but consumers seeking more spirited performance will want to look at Land Rover's turbocharged 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder. Rated at 395 hp and 406 pound-feet of torque, this engine uses mild-hybrid technology and includes an electric supercharger, belt-integrated starter motor, and a 48-volt lithium-ion battery.

If you select a Land Rover Defender 90 or 110, you can get a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine that makes 518 hp and 461 pound-feet of torque. Both this V8 and the inline-6 use the 8-speed automatic.

Land Rover calls the Defender's 4WD system Intelligent All-Wheel Drive because it automatically routes engine torque to all four wheels when necessary. But the system includes a center locking differential and low-range gearing for off-road use. All 2023 Defenders have Land Rover's Terrain Response system; certain trims have Terrain Response 2, which automatically selects the appropriate terrain mode.

Other available features include a locking rear differential, All Terrain Progress Control (off-road cruise control), and an air suspension that increases ground clearance from 8.5 inches (8.9 on the 130) to 11.5 inches. All-terrain tires are optional on most trims.

Any properly equipped 2023 Land Rover Defender has an 8,200-pound tow rating. Land Rover offers Advanced Tow Assist, which relieves the stress of backing up with a trailer.

Land Rover Defenders with the mild-hybrid inline-6 engine return the best fuel economy with an EPA combined rating of 20 mpg. Four-cylinder Defenders rate 19-20 mpg, while the V8 rates 16 mpg in combined driving. As of this writing, the EPA had not released ratings for the 2023 Defender 130.

Performance and fuel economy are a wash, and both SUVs are enjoyable to drive on- and off-road. The Ford likely has more out-of-the-box 4-wheeling capability, but the Land Rover is more useful for towing.

The 2022 Ford Bronco has a Ford Co-Pilot 360 package of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) with forward-collision warning (FCW) with automatic emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian detection.

An upgrade package on the Big Bend and higher trims includes a blind-spot warning (BSW) system with rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure warning (LDW), and lane-keeping assistance (LKA). You can get adaptive cruise control (ACC) and evasive steering assistance (ESA) starting on the Outer Banks trim.

Consumers will find a partial set of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety ratings for the 2022 Ford Bronco. The 4-door model rates 4 stars (out of 5) for frontal-impact crash safety. The structurally similar 2021 Ford Bronco has Good ratings in most Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash-test categories.

The 2023 Land Rover Defender comes standard with FCW with AEB and pedestrian and cyclist detection, BSW with rear cross-traffic warning, LDW, LKA, and a driver monitoring system. Depending on the trim, ACC with traffic sign recognition is standard or optional. It's hard to see out the back of the Defender, so consider the optional rear camera mirror money well spent.

Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has published crash-test ratings for the 2023 Land Rover Defender.

All 2022 Ford Broncos use the Sync 4 infotainment platform, which features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration and over-the-air (OTA) update capability. Most Broncos come with an 8-inch touchscreen display; most can upgrade to a 12-inch display (standard on the Raptor). The available factory navigation system includes subscription-based, conversational voice-recognition technology.

Every Ford Bronco has two rear-seat USB ports. Some trims have a wireless charging pad.

The 2023 Land Rover Defender uses the automaker's newest Pivi Pro infotainment platform. Like Ford's Sync 4, Pivi Pro offers OTA updates, though you still need to plug in a cable for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Depending on the trim, your Defender will have a 10-inch or 11.4-inch touchscreen display. Factory navigation is standard.

A wireless charging pad and rear-seat USB ports are standard on the Defender. A head-up display is optional.

When you climb into the 2022 Ford Bronco, you'll immediately notice all the technology the company designers fit into its retro-style dashboard. In addition to its touchscreen infotainment interface, the Bronco has a digital instrument panel.

Interior materials are high in quality, and the emphasis is on versatility. You can cover the vinyl floors with carpeted or rubber floor mats, and integrated drain plugs simplify cleanup. Some Broncos have mildew-resistant vinyl seats, while others have cloth or leather/vinyl upholstery. The 4-door Bronco provides comfortable accommodations for adults in both the front and rear.

Around the back, the 2022 Ford Bronco's side-hinged cargo gate opens from left to right (not ideal for curbside loading) and has a heavy full-size spare tire mounted on it. On quick trips, you can load items via the separate flip-up rear glass. Four-door Broncos provide 35.6 cubic feet (38.3 with the soft top) of luggage capacity behind the rear seats and 77.6 cubic feet (83 soft top) with the seats folded.

The 2023 Land Rover Defender's cabin doesn't have obvious throwback design elements, but it's a simple, functional design that will please most consumers. Cloth upholstery and rubberized flooring are standard, but Land Rover's durable Robustec upholstery is worth considering if you foresee the interior regularly getting wet. Alternatively, you can dress up the Defender with leather upholstery and wood veneers. The seats are comfortable, supportive, and spacious, even in the 2-door Defender 90.

Storage areas are plentiful, but as on the Bronco, you might find it inconvenient to access the cargo bay. The side-hinged rear gate swings as a single piece from left to right on the Defender. The available air suspension is worthwhile; you can lower the suspension to reduce the lift-over height.

The Defender 110 has 34 cubic feet of space behind its second-row seats and 78.8 cubic feet with those seats folded (34.6 and 69, respectively, with the optional third row). The 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 prioritizes passenger space, so it doesn't have much additional cargo capacity: You get 13.7 cubic feet behind the third row, 43.5 behind the second row, and a maximum capacity of 80.9 cubic feet.

Your decision will come down to your personal preferences.

If you'd like to learn more about these midsize SUVs, be sure to read our expert reviews of the 2022 Ford Bronco and the 2023 Land Rover Defender. Check out our ratings from verified vehicle owners to find out how people like you rate models in this segment.

Also, please keep in mind that while the information in this article was accurate and valid on June 2, 2022, it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker's website or your local dealership.

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