Compare the2022 Jeep RenegadeVS 2022 Ford Escape

The Renegade has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Escape doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

Both the Renegade 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes and front and rear parking sensors.

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 Jeep Renegade is safer than the Ford Escape:

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

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Renegade for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance (up to 3 oil changes). Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Escape.

The engine in the Renegade has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the Escape have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Jeep 3 places higher in reliability than Ford.

The Renegade’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 20 lbs.-ft. more torque (210 vs. 190) than the Escape’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder.

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

The Renegade stops much shorter than the Escape:

For better traction, the Renegade Latitude/Limited’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escape (235/45R19 vs. 225/65R17).

The Renegade Latitude/Limited’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape’s optional 55 series tires.

The Renegade Trailhawk offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Escape; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

The Renegade’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.

The Renegade Latitude 4x4 handles at .78 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 Renegade Trailhawk 4x4’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Escape’s (35.3 feet vs. 37.2 feet). The Renegade’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the Escape’s (36.3 feet vs. 37.2 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Renegade has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Escape (8 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Renegade to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Renegade Trailhawk’s minimum ground clearance is 1.4 inches higher than on the Escape (8.7 vs. 7.3 inches).

The Renegade is 1 foot, 1.9 inches shorter than the Escape, making the Renegade easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Renegade has 1.1 inches more front headroom and 1.2 inches more rear headroom than the Escape.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Renegade. The Escape doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Renegade’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.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Renegade Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Escape doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Renegade’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.

The Renegade offers an optional 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 Renegade has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Escape and isn’t available on the Escape S.

The Renegade’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Escape S doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

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

The Renegade (except Sport) offers an optional 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.

The Renegade will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Renegade will retain 49.82% to 54.1% of its original price after five years, while the Escape only retains 43.72% to 45.2%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Renegade is less expensive to operate than the Escape because typical repairs cost much less on the Renegade than the Escape, including $1110 less for a muffler, $59 less for fuel injection, $534 less for a timing belt/chain and $477 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Jeep Renegade will be $1892 to $5440 less than for the Ford Escape.