Compare the2023 Volvo V60VS 2023 Ford Escape FHEV

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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The V60’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Escape FHEV doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the V60 and Escape FHEV have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The V60 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Escape FHEV’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The V60 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The Escape FHEV doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the V60. But it costs extra on the Escape FHEV.

Both the V60 and the Escape FHEV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Volvo V60 weighs 827 to 961 pounds more than the Ford Escape FHEV. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Volvo V60 is safer than the Ford Escape FHEV:

	V60	Escape FHEV
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	103	197
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	212 lbs.	240 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	575 lbs.	816 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	319	344
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	32 G’s

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

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, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the V60 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escape FHEV is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The V60 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Escape FHEV’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The V60’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Escape FHEV’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the V60 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Escape FHEV.

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volvo 4 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

The V60 T8 Polestar Engineered’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 255 more horsepower (455 vs. 200) than the Escape FHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the V60 running on electricity gets better mileage than the Escape FHEV:

			MPGe
V60
	AWD	T8 Polestar Engineered Electric Motor	74 city/73 hwy
Escape FHEV
			MPG
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	44 city/37 hwy
	AWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	43 city/37 hwy

The V60 T8 Polestar Engineered Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 41 miles. The Escape FHEV can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The V60 has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape FHEV (15.9 vs. 14.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the V60’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Escape FHEV:

	V60	Escape FHEV
Front Rotors	14.6 inches	13 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	11.9 inches

The V60’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Escape FHEV are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the V60 has larger tires than the Escape FHEV (235/45R18 vs. 225/65R17).

The V60’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape FHEV’s standard 65 series tires. The V60’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Escape FHEV’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the V60 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Escape FHEV.

Suspension and Handling

The V60 has a standard set of manually adjustable shock absorbers. They allow the driver the manually set the shock absorbers to a stiff setting for amateur competitions and return them to lower levels for a comfortable ride on normal streets. This allows the driver to choose between a comfortable ride or excellent handling during competitions. The Escape FHEV’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the V60’s wheelbase is 6.4 inches longer than on the Escape FHEV (113.1 inches vs. 106.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the V60 is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Escape FHEV.

Chassis

The V60 is 9.7 inches shorter in height than the Escape FHEV, making the V60 much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Passenger Space

The V60 has .1 inches more front hip room and .1 inches more rear hip room than the Escape FHEV.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the V60 easier. The V60’s trunk lift-over height is 26.7 inches, while the Escape FHEV’s liftover is 27.9 inches.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the V60. The Escape FHEV doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the V60’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Escape FHEV doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The V60’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escape FHEV’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The V60 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Escape FHEV uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors optional at extra cost in the Escape FHEV, the V60 has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The V60’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 Escape FHEV’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

If the windows are left open on the V60 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Escape FHEV can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The V60’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Escape FHEV’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the V60 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Escape FHEV doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The V60’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Escape FHEV’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The V60 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Escape FHEV doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the V60 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Escape FHEV doesn’t offer cornering lights. The V60 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The V60’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford charges extra for heated mirrors on the Escape FHEV.

When the V60 is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Escape FHEV’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The V60’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Escape FHEV offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The V60 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Escape FHEV. The V60 also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Escape FHEV.

The V60 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Escape FHEV.

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