Compare the2022 Ford EscapeVS 2022 Toyota Rav4

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

Safety

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The Escape has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Rav4’s blind spot costs extra.

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. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Rav4.

Both the Escape and the Rav4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, 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 Toyota Rav4:

	Escape	Rav4
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	143	152
Neck Injury Risk	22.5%	29.3%
Neck Stress	185 lbs.	306 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	56 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	188/315 lbs.	400/388 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	102	284
Neck Injury Risk	36.3%	37.4%
Neck Stress	181 lbs.	258 lbs.
Neck Compression	58 lbs.	95 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	220/169 lbs.	340/190 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 Ford Escape is safer than the Toyota Rav4:

	Escape	Rav4
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	240 lbs.	246 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	97	146
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	49 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	36 G’s
Hip Force	462 lbs.	835 lbs.

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

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, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Escape the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 137 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Rav4 has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

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 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 Rav4 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 6 lbs.-ft. more torque (190 vs. 184) than the Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Escape’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 47 more horsepower (250 vs. 203) and 96 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 184) than the Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Ford Escape turbo 3 cyl. is faster than the Toyota Rav4:

	Escape	Rav4
Zero to 30 MPH	2.5 sec	2.8 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.7 sec	8.2 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	8.3 sec	8.7 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	5.4 sec	6.1 sec
Quarter Mile	15.9 sec	16.4 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

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 Rav4 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regardless of its engine, the Escape’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Toyota only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Rav4 LE AWD/XLE/XLE Premium.

The Escape AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Rav4 (15.7 vs. 14.5 gallons).

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

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Escape’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4:

	Escape	Rav4
Front Rotors	13 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	11.1 inches

The Escape stops much shorter than the Rav4:

	Escape	Rav4
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	168 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	140 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Escape has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Rav4 doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Escape SE AWD handles at .87 G’s, while the Rav4 Limited 4WD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Escape Titanium AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Rav4 Limited (27.7 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Escape SE AWD is quieter than the Rav4 Limited 4WD (37 vs. 38 dB).

Passenger Space

The Escape has 5.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rav4 (104 vs. 98.9).

The Escape has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front hip room, 2.9 inches more rear legroom and 5.6 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4.

Towing

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

Ergonomics

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 Rav4 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 Rav4 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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 Rav4 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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 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 Escape 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.

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 Rav4 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 Rav4 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 Rav4 because it costs $209 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Escape than the Rav4, including $17 less for a water pump, $10 less for front brake pads, $111 less for a starter, $101 less for fuel injection, $212 less for a fuel pump and $7 less for a timing belt/chain.