Compare the2023 Ford Escape PHEVVS 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
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 PHEV 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 Chevrolet Bolt EUV doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Escape PHEV 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 Bolt EUV 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 PHEV offers optional Reverse Brake Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Bolt EUV doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Escape PHEV 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 Bolt EUV’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Escape PHEV 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 Bolt EUV.

The Escape PHEV’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 Bolt EUV doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Escape PHEV and the Bolt EUV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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 and available around view monitors.

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 PHEV the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Bolt EUV has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The Escape PHEV’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Bolt EUV’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

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 PHEV’s reliability 37 points higher than the Bolt EUV.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 2 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Escape PHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 21 more horsepower (221 vs. 200) than the Bolt EUV’s electric motor.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Escape PHEV’s maximum EPA estimated range on a full tank and a full charge is 514 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The Bolt EUV’s range is only 247 miles, after which the minimum time to recharge is 30 minutes for only a 45% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge using a conventional 110-volt outlet can take up to 55 hours.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Escape PHEV	Bolt EUV
Front Rotors	13 inches	10.9 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	10.4 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Escape PHEV has larger tires than the Bolt EUV (225/60R18 vs. 215/50R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Escape PHEV has standard 18-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the Bolt EUV.

The Escape PHEV has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Bolt EUV; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Ford Escape PHEV 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 Chevrolet Bolt EUV has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

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

The Escape PHEV has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Escape PHEV flat and controlled during cornering. The Bolt EUV’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Escape PHEV’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the Bolt EUV (106.7 inches vs. 105.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Escape PHEV is 2.9 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Bolt EUV.

For better maneuverability, the Escape PHEV’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Bolt EUV’s (37.2 feet vs. 38.3 feet).

Chassis

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

Passenger Space

The Escape PHEV has 5.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Bolt EUV (102.2 vs. 96.5).

The Escape PHEV has 3.8 inches more front hip room, 3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 3.1 inches more rear hip room and 4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Bolt EUV.

Cargo Capacity

The Escape PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Bolt EUV with its rear seat up (34.4 vs. 16.3 cubic feet). The Escape PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Bolt EUV with its rear seat folded (60.8 vs. 56.9 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Escape PHEV easier. The Escape PHEV’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.9 inches, while the Bolt EUV’s liftover is 30.3 inches.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Escape PHEV has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Bolt EUV doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The Escape PHEV has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Bolt EUV has no towing capacity.

The Escape PHEV can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Escape PHEV can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Bolt EUV can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Escape PHEV 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 Bolt EUV doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When three different drivers share the Escape PHEV, 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 Bolt EUV doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Escape PHEV’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 Bolt EUV doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Escape PHEV 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 Bolt EUV doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Escape PHEV’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Bolt EUV’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to 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 PHEV’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Bolt EUV doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Escape PHEV’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 Bolt EUV’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Escape PHEV has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Bolt EUV.

The Escape PHEV’s 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. The Bolt EUV doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Escape PHEV and the Bolt EUV offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Escape PHEV has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Bolt EUV doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Escape PHEV’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 Bolt EUV doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Ford Escape PHEV, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Bolt EUV isn't recommended.

The Ford Escape outsold the Chevrolet Bolt by almost four to one during 2022.