Like many other automakers, Toyota has been investing heavily in the SUV segment, and that’s helped it maintain its popularity in America and elsewhere. One of the best and most popular Toyota SUVs is the 4Runner, and it’s been a solid midsize SUV option for decades. However, one of the newer options in the midsize SUV segment is the 2023 Ford Bronco, and despite its relative newness, the Bronco is already a more popular SUV than the Toyota 4Runner.

Here’s how well the 2023 Ford Bronco is selling right now

GoodCarBadCar updated its sales data to include the numbers from May 2023, and overall, the Ford Bronco continues to have a great year. In the first five months of the year, the automaker has already sold about 50,000 units of the Bronco. Interestingly enough, that’s slightly fewer cars than the Bronco Sport has sold. The Bronco Sport has moved 52,000 units so far this year.

In May, the automaker sold about 8,000 units of the Bronco, and that was actually a drop from April when the automaker moved over 9,000 units. In comparison, the Toyota 4Runner is doing fine, but there’s now a huge gap in sales between the Ford and the Toyota. So far this year, the Japanese auto giant has sold about 41,500 units of the 4Runner.

That puts the 4Runner behind other popular SUVs, such as the Kia Telluride, the Honda Pilot, and the Hyundai Santa Fe. That being said, May was a decent month for the 4Runner, as the automaker moved about 10,000 units of the midsize SUV.

The problem is that the SUV had a weak start to the year, as it sold less than 8,000 units each month for the first three months.

The 2023 Ford Bronco has overtaken the Toyota 4Runner in terms of sales

That weak start to the year is made worse by the fact that the 4Runner had a decent year of sales in 2022. Last year, Toyota sold over 121,000 units of the 4Runner. In comparison, Ford sold about 117,000 units of the Bronco. As a result, there’s a staggering difference between the two SUVs in terms of their year-over-year numbers. Compared to last year, the Bronco is currently selling about 8.6% better.

The 4Runner, meanwhile, is selling about 30% worse. If this trend continues, the Bronco can end the year with more sales than the 4Runner. This trend may continue since the Japanese automaker has been struggling with 4Runner sales since June 2022. However, Bronco sales have dropped three months in a row, so there’s no guarantee that it can maintain its pace.

There are a couple of reasons why the 2023 Ford Bronco might be more popular

The Toyota SUV has been a popular option over the years, and it’s sold over 100,000 units every year since 2016. As such, this recent drop may simply be related to supply chain issues that’s hit automakers. However, another problem may be the cars themselves. The 4Runner is ancient in car years, as it hasn’t been redesigned since the 2010 model year.

The 4Runner is a $40,000 SUV that comes with an old, though reliable, 270-hp V6 engine. That’s the same engine that it’s had since the 2010 model year. The Bronco, meanwhile, is brand-new, and the $32,000 SUV made its debut in the 2021 model year. It starts with a 300-hp engine, and car shoppers can upgrade it into a 418-hp V6.

Toyota has also slowly added interior features to its SUV, while the Ford has a nicer and more modern interior. As such, the Bronco’s cheaper price tag, more powerful engines, and modern interior may explain its popularity.