Compare the2022 Subaru ImprezaVS 2021 Ford Escape

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Impreza are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Escape doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Impreza has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Escape doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Impreza. But it costs extra on the Escape.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Impreza is safer than the Ford Escape:

	Impreza	Escape
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	34%	36.3%
Leg Forces (l/r)	76/57 lbs.	220/169 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Impreza is safer than the Ford Escape:

	Impreza	Escape
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	165	197
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	715 lbs.	816 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	201	344

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Impreza, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 7.4% to 7.9% less likely to roll over than the Escape, which received a four-star rating.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Impreza its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 108 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escape is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2019.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Impreza’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Escape’s camshafts. If the Escape’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 Impreza’s reliability 42 points higher than the Escape.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru 17th in reliability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 22nd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 14 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Impreza lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Escape doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Impreza 5-door gets better mileage than the Escape:

			MPG
Impreza 5-door
	Manual	2.0 DOHC flat-4	24 city/31 hwy
	Auto	2.0 DOHC flat-4	28 city/36 hwy
		Sport 2.0 DOHC flat-4	27 city/35 hwy
Escape
	FWD	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	28 city/34 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	26 city/31 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Impreza uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Escape with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Impreza higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Ford Escape (5 to 7). This means the Impreza produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Escape every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Impreza offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The Escape doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The Impreza offers an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Escape doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Impreza stops shorter than the Escape:

	Impreza	Escape
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Impreza’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape’s standard 65 series tires. The Impreza Sport’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Escape’s optional 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Impreza 2.0i Limited 5-door handles at .80 G’s, while the Escape Titanium AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Impreza’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Escape’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.2 feet).

Chassis

The Subaru Impreza may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Ford Escape.

The Impreza 5-door is 4.3 inches shorter than the Escape, making the Impreza easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Impreza is 8.8 inches shorter in height than the Escape, making the Impreza much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Impreza easier. The Impreza’s trunk lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Escape’s liftover is 28.1 inches.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Impreza. The Escape doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Impreza is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Escape. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Impreza’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Escape’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

The Impreza has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Escape doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

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 Impreza’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Escape’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Impreza Premium offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Escape doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Impreza Limited also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Impreza’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Escape offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Impreza has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Escape S doesn’t offer rear vents.

Model Availability

The Subaru Impreza comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Ford Escape isn’t available as a sedan.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Impreza owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Impreza with a number “1” insurance rate while the Escape is rated higher at a number “5” rate.

The Impreza will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Impreza will retain 55.12% to 57.4% of its original price after five years, while the Escape only retains 45.76% to 46.58%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Impreza is less expensive to operate than the Escape because typical repairs cost much less on the Impreza than the Escape, including $1267 less for a muffler, $12 less for front brake pads, $512 less for a timing belt/chain and $472 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Impreza will be $5819 to $11097 less than for the Ford Escape.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Impreza, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Ford Escape isn't recommended.