Compare the2023 Jeep RenegadeVS 2023 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Renegade. But it costs extra on the Escape.

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, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights 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.

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’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escape (235/45R19 vs. 225/65R17).

The Renegade’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 limits mileage and speed before replacement.

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 handles at .78 G’s, while the Escape AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Renegade Trailhawk’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, 1.5 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.

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 offers optional 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 Base.

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 is only available on the Escape Active/ST-Line/Platinum.

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 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 52.53% to 58.07% of its original price after five years, while the Escape only retains 49.35% to 49.88%.

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 $2637 to $4446 less than for the Ford Escape.