Compare the2022 Ford EcoSportVS 2022 Toyota Rav4

The Ford EcoSport has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Rav4 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the EcoSport. But it costs extra on the Rav4.

Both the EcoSport and the Rav4 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 blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

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 EcoSport is safer than the Toyota Rav4:

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

There are over 2 times as many Ford dealers as there are Toyota dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the EcoSport’s warranty.

The EcoSport 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 Rav4 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The EcoSport stops shorter than the Rav4:

The EcoSport’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 Rav4 LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The EcoSport’s optional tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited’s 55 series tires.

The EcoSport SES handles at .77 G’s, while the Rav4 Limited pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the EcoSport’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Rav4 LE/XLE’s (35.1 feet vs. 36.1 feet). The EcoSport’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road’s (35.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The EcoSport is 1 foot, 7.6 inches shorter than the Rav4, making the EcoSport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The EcoSport has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front legroom and 3.2 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4.

The EcoSport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Rav4’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the EcoSport’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Rav4 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The EcoSport’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Rav4’s power window (except driver window), power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The EcoSport’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 Rav4 LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

The EcoSport has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The Rav4 has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the XLE/XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road.

Insurance will cost less for the EcoSport owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the EcoSport with a number “8” insurance rate while the Rav4 is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the EcoSport is less expensive to operate than the Rav4 because it costs $209 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the EcoSport than the Rav4, including $125 less for a water pump, $13 less for front brake pads, $193 less for a starter, $79 less for fuel injection, $140 less for a fuel pump and $100 less for a timing belt/chain.