Compare the2023 Ford EscapeVS 2022 Honda CR-V

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

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 Honda CR-V doesn’t offer pretensioners for its 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 CR-V 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 CR-V 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 (except Base) offers an optional Reverse Brake Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The CR-V doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Escape (except Base) offers an optional 360-Degree Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The CR-V only offers a rear monitor.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Escape has standard Cross Traffic Alert to warn the driver of approaching traffic and automatically engage the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the CR-V EX/EX-L/Touring offers Cross Traffic Monitor and the CR-V’s Cross Traffic Monitor does not include automatic braking.

The Escape has standard 911 Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The CR-V doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Escape and the CR-V 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors 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 Ford Escape is safer than the Honda CR-V:

	Escape	CR-V
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22.5%	27%
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	70 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	102	309
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	36.3%	37%
Neck Compression	58 lbs.	96 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	220/169 lbs.	276/243 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 Honda CR-V:

	Escape	CR-V
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	240 lbs.	310 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	97	143
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	50 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	12 inches
HIC	344	386
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	35 G’s
Hip Force	462 lbs.	543 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are almost 3 times as many Ford dealers as there are Honda 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 CR-V doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

Engine

The Escape’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (190 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Escape’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 60 more horsepower (250 vs. 190) and 101 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Escape is faster than the Honda CR-V:

	Escape turbo 3 cyl.	Escape turbo 4 cyl.	CR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	8.4 sec	6.9 sec	8.6 sec
Quarter Mile	16.6 sec	15.3 sec	16.7 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 CR-V doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Escape AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the CR-V (15.7 vs. 14 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Ford Escape higher (7 out of 10) than the Honda CR-V (6). This means the Escape produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CR-V every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Escape’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the CR-V:

	Escape	CR-V
Front Rotors	13 inches	12.3 inches

The Escape stops shorter than the CR-V:

	Escape	CR-V
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	165 feet	Car and Driver

Suspension and Handling

The Escape has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CR-V’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Escape has vehicle speed sensitive 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 CR-V doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Escape’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the CR-V AWD (106.7 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

The Escape AWD handles at .87 G’s, while the CR-V Touring pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Escape AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the CR-V Touring (27.7 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Escape AWD is quieter than the CR-V Touring:

	Escape	CR-V
At idle	37 dB	40 dB
Full-Throttle	75 dB	78 dB

Passenger Space

The Escape has 1.1 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more rear legroom, 3.8 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the CR-V.

Towing

The Escape’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the CR-V’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Honda CR-V is only 1500 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 CR-V doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Escape Elite/Platinum 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 CR-V doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Escape and the CR-V have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Escape is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The CR-V prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Escape Select/Elite/Platinum’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 CR-V SE/EX/EX-L/Touring’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Escape’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Escape Base). The CR-V 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 CR-V LX’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’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the CR-V’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Escape Elite/Platinum’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 CR-V 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 CR-V 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 CR-V because typical repairs cost much less on the Escape than the CR-V, including $206 less for a starter, $161 less for fuel injection, $117 less for a fuel pump and $23 less for front struts.