Compare the2023 Ford Escape FHEVVS 2023 Volkswagen Taos

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Escape FHEV 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 Volkswagen Taos doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Ford Escape FHEV 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 Taos doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Escape FHEV’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Taos.

The Escape FHEV offers an optional 360-Degree Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Taos only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Escape FHEV’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Taos doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Escape FHEV and the Taos 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning 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 FHEV is safer than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Escape FHEV	Taos
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	143	285
Neck Injury Risk	22.5%	32%
Neck Stress	185 lbs.	413 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	28 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	102	224
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	36.3%	45%
Neck Compression	58 lbs.	207 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	220/169 lbs.	643/432 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 FHEV is safer than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Escape FHEV	Taos
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	240 lbs.	394 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	97	393
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	69 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	12 inches
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	462 lbs.	939 lbs.

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the Escape FHEV is safer than the Taos:

	Escape FHEV	Taos
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	8 mm	38 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Fail
Torso Acceleration	10 g’s	13.3 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Low
Max Neck Shearing Force	0	0
Max Neck Tension	294	334

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

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 FHEV the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 177 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Taos is not a “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

Ford’s powertrain warranty covers the Escape FHEV 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Taos. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Taos ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Escape FHEV’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Taos’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are almost 5 times as many Ford dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Escape FHEV’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Escape FHEV’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Taos’ camshafts. If the Taos’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Escape FHEV’s reliability 41 points higher than the Taos.

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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 63 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen 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 Volkswagen 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, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 5 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Escape FHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 42 more horsepower (200 vs. 158) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Ford Escape FHEV is faster than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Escape FHEV	Taos
Zero to 30 MPH	3.5 sec	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	9.4 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.9 sec	5.9 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90 MPH	84 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Escape FHEV gets better mileage than the Taos:

			MPG
Escape FHEV
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	42 city/36 hwy
	AWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	42 city/36 hwy
Taos
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/36 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Escape FHEV’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Taos doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Escape FHEV has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos FWD’s standard fuel tank (14.3 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Escape FHEV 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 Taos doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Ford Escape FHEV higher (8 out of 10) than the Volkswagen Taos (7). This means the Escape FHEV produces up to 5.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Taos every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Escape FHEV has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Taos doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Escape FHEV	Taos
Front Rotors	13 inches	12.3 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	10.7 inches

The Escape FHEV stops shorter than the Taos:

	Escape FHEV	Taos
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Escape FHEV has larger tires than the Taos (225/65R17 vs. 215/50R18).

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Ford Escape FHEV has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Taos 4x2 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Escape FHEV has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Escape FHEV flat and controlled during cornering. The Taos 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Escape FHEV’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Taos (106.7 inches vs. 105.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Escape FHEV is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

Chassis

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

Passenger Space

The Escape FHEV has 2.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Taos (102.2 vs. 99.5).

The Escape FHEV has 2.3 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Taos.

Cargo Capacity

The Escape FHEV has a much larger cargo volume than the Taos with its rear seat up (34.4 vs. 27.9 cubic feet).

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

	Escape FHEV	Taos
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	36.7”/68.3”	34.3”/65.2”
Max Width	57.3”	48.5”
Min Width	41.4”	40”
Height	32.8”	37”

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Escape FHEV offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Taos doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The Escape FHEV has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Taos has no towing capacity.

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

Ergonomics

When three different drivers share the Escape FHEV, 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 Taos doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Escape FHEV’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 Taos doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Escape FHEV 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 Taos 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 FHEV’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Taos doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Escape FHEV’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 Taos’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Escape FHEV has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Taos only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Escape FHEV 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 is only available on the Taos SEL.

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

The Escape FHEV 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 Taos doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Ford Escape FHEV, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen Taos isn't recommended.

The Ford Escape outsold the Volkswagen Taos by over two to one during 2022.