Compare the2022 Buick EnvisionVS 2021 Ford Escape

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
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 Envision 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.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Envision AWD’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Escape doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Envision (except Preferred) offers an optional Surround Vision to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Escape only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Envision and the Escape have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, 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 and available all-wheel drive.

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

	Envision	Escape
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21.3%	22.5%
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	23.1%	36.3%
Neck Stress	111 lbs.	181 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	221/21 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 Buick Envision is safer than the Ford Escape:

	Envision	Escape
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	128	197
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	139 G’s	191 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	572 lbs.	816 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	249	344
Hip Force	313 lbs.	462 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Envision’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Escape’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Envision’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 Envision’s reliability 60 points higher than the Escape.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Envision third among compact suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Escape isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick 12th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 14th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 22nd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in reliability. Ford is ranked 22nd.

Engine

The Envision’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 47 more horsepower (228 vs. 181) and 68 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 190) than the Escape’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Buick Envision is faster than the Ford Escape turbo 3 cyl.:

	Envision	Escape
Zero to 30 MPH	3.1 sec	3.3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.5 sec	8.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.4 sec	5.2 sec
Quarter Mile	15.9 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92 MPH	85 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick Envision uses regular unleaded gasoline (mid-grade octane recommended for maximum performance). The Escape with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 5 to 40 cents more per gallon.

The Envision FWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape FWD’s standard fuel tank (15.9 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

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

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Buick Envision, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Escape.

Brakes and Stopping

The Envision’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Escape are solid, not vented.

The Envision stops shorter than the Escape:

	Envision	Escape
60 to 0 MPH	127 feet	128 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	137 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Envision has larger standard tires than the Escape (235/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Envision’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escape (245/45R20 vs. 225/65R17).

The Envision’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape’s standard 65 series tires. The Envision’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Escape’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Envision has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Escape. The Envision’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Escape.

Suspension and Handling

The Envision offers an available continuously variable suspension system. Using sensors on steering angle, speed and other driver inputs, the shocks soften to improve ride, or stiffen when appropriate to aid handling on tricky roads or off-road. The Escape’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Envision’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Escape doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Envision’s wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer than on the Escape (109.4 inches vs. 106.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Envision is .9 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Escape.

Chassis

The Envision uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Escape doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Servicing Ease

The Envision uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Escape uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Envision’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its front windows also automatically close, 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.

On a hot day the Envision’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Escape can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Envision Essence/Avenir offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Escape doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Envision’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Escape and aren’t offered on the Escape S.

When the Envision Essence/Avenir is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Escape’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Envision’s standard 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.

Both the Envision and the Escape offer available heated front seats. The Envision Avenir also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Escape.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Envision Avenir keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Escape doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Envision has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Escape S doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Envision Avenir has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Escape.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Envision has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Escape S doesn’t offer rear vents.

The Envision Avenir has a 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 Escape doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

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