Compare the2022 Ford EscapeVS 2021 Hyundai Tucson

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Escape have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Tucson doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Ford Escape has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Tucson doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Escape 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 Tucson 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Escape Titanium has a standard backup collision prevention system that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Tucson doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Escape has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Tucson Value/SEL/Sport/Limited/Ultimate has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Escape and the Tucson have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and front and rear parking sensors.

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

	Escape	Tucson
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	143	172
Neck Stress	185 lbs.	219 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	97 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	102	226
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	36.3%	37%

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 Ford Escape is safer than the Hyundai Tucson:

	Escape	Tucson
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	240 lbs.	356 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	97	241
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	55 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	462 lbs.	1028 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are almost 4 times as many Ford dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Escape’s warranty.

Reliability

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

Engine

The Escape’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 20 more horsepower (181 vs. 161) and 40 lbs.-ft. more torque (190 vs. 150) than the Tucson’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Escape’s 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (190 vs. 175) than the Tucson’s optional 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Escape’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 69 more horsepower (250 vs. 181) and 105 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 175) than the Tucson’s optional 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Ford Escape is faster than the Hyundai Tucson:

	Escape turbo 3 cyl.	Escape turbo 4 cyl.	Tucson 2.0	Tucson 2.4
Zero to 60 MPH	8.9 sec	6.9 sec	11 sec	9.6 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.2 sec	n/a	6.9 sec	4.9 sec
Quarter Mile	16.9 sec	15.3 sec	18.3 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85 MPH	89.3 MPH	80.2 MPH	83 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Escape gets better mileage than the Tucson:

			MPG
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.	22 city/31 hwy
Tucson
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy
		2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	22 city/25 hwy
		2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Escape 1.5 Turbo’s fuel efficiency. The Tucson doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Escape’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Tucson doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Escape has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Tucson doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Escape, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Tucson.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Escape’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Tucson:

	Escape	Tucson
Front Rotors	13 inches	12 inches

The Escape stops shorter than the Tucson:

	Escape	Tucson
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	142 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Escape’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Tucson (106.7 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For greater off-road capability the Escape has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Tucson (7.3 vs. 6.4 inches), allowing the Escape to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

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

Passenger Space

The Escape has .4 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 2.5 inches more rear legroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tucson.

Cargo Capacity

The Escape has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Tucson with its rear seat up (37.5 vs. 31 cubic feet). The Escape has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Tucson with its rear seat folded (65.4 vs. 61.9 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Escape easier. The Escape’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.1 inches, while the Tucson’s liftover is 29.3 inches.

The Escape’s cargo area is larger than the Tucson’s in almost every dimension:

	Escape	Tucson
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	37.8”/68.5”	34.3”/69.5”
Max Width	57.3”	53”
Min Width	41.4”	40.7”
Height	34.8”	35.2”

Towing

The Escape’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Tucson’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Hyundai Tucson is only 2000 pounds. The Escape offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Escape 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 Tucson doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When three different drivers share the Escape (except S/SE), the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Tucson doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Escape (except S/SE)’s optional easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Tucson doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Escape Titanium offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Tucson doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Escape SEL/Titanium’s front and rear power windows all 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 Tucson Value/SEL/Sport/Limited/Ultimate’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Escape SEL/Titanium’s exterior PIN entry system. The Tucson doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Blue Link can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Escape’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Tucson’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Both the Escape and the Tucson offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Escape offers optional rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Tucson doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Escape Titanium’s optional Active Park Assist 2.0 can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Tucson doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Escape owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Escape with a number “5” insurance rate while the Tucson is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Escape is less expensive to operate than the Tucson because it costs $218 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Escape than the Tucson, including $27 less for a water pump and $119 less for fuel injection.

Recommendations

The Ford Escape outsold the Hyundai Tucson by 7% during the 2021 model year.