Compare the2023 Ford Escape PHEVVS 2023 Hyundai Kona Electric

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
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 Hyundai Kona Electric doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Ford Escape PHEV 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 Kona Electric doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Kona Electric 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 Kona Electric doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Escape PHEV offers an optional 360-Degree Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Kona Electric 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.

Both the Escape PHEV and the Kona Electric 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert 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 Kona Electric has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

There are almost 4 times as many Ford dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Escape PHEV’s warranty.

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 Kona Electric.

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 Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

Engine

The Escape PHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 20 more horsepower (221 vs. 201) than the Kona Electric’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 Kona Electric’s range is only 258 miles, after which the minimum time to recharge is 47 minutes for only an 80% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge at a professionally installed 220-volt charging station can take up to 9 hours and 15 minutes.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Escape PHEV	Kona Electric
Front Rotors	13 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	11.8 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Escape PHEV has larger tires than the Kona Electric (225/60R18 vs. 215/55R17).

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

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 Kona Electric; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Escape PHEV’s wheelbase is 4.3 inches longer than on the Kona Electric (106.7 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

Passenger Space

The Escape PHEV has 9.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kona Electric (102.2 vs. 92.4).

The Escape PHEV has .4 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front hip room, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 5.5 inches more rear legroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kona Electric.

Cargo Capacity

The Escape PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kona Electric with its rear seat up (34.4 vs. 19.2 cubic feet). The Escape PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona Electric with its rear seat folded (60.8 vs. 45.8 cubic feet).

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 Kona Electric doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The Escape PHEV has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Kona Electric 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 Kona Electric 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 Kona Electric 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 Kona Electric 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 Kona Electric 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 Kona Electric doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Escape PHEV’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 Kona Electric’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 PHEV’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Blue Link 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 Kona Electric’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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

The Escape PHEV’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Kona Electric SE/SEL’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

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 is only available on the Kona Electric Limited.

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 Kona Electric doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Escape PHEV and the Kona Electric 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 Kona Electric 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 Kona Electric doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

The Escape PHEV will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Escape PHEV will retain 48.6% to 48.86% of its original price after five years, while the Kona Electric only retains 42.54% to 43.52%.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Ford Escape PHEV, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Hyundai Kona Electric isn't recommended.

The Ford Escape outsold the Hyundai Kona by over two to one during 2022.