Compare the2023 Ford Escape PHEVVS 2023 Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid

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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid 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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid 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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid 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.

Both the Escape PHEV and the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

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.

The Escape PHEV 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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

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.

On the EPA test cycle the Escape PHEV running on electricity gets better mileage than the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity (117 city/93 hwy vs. 87 city/74 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Escape PHEV running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine (43 city/38 hwy vs. 35 city/35 hwy).

The Escape PHEV can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 37 miles. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid has to start its internal combustion engine after only 33 miles.

The Escape PHEV 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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Escape PHEV 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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Escape PHEV’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid:

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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Escape PHEV has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better maneuverability, the Escape PHEV’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid’s (37.2 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

The Ford Escape PHEV may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 300 pounds less than the Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid.

The Escape PHEV has 1 inch more front legroom and .7 inches more front hip room than the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid.

The Escape PHEV has a much larger cargo volume than the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid with its rear seat up (34.4 vs. 31.9 cubic feet).

The Escape PHEV has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a remote starting 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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid 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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid’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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid 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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid’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 is only available on the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Limited.

Insurance will cost less for the Escape PHEV owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Escape PHEV will cost $500 less than the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid over a five-year period.

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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid only retains 47.28% to 48.24%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Escape PHEV will be $2559 to $5567 less than for the Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Ford Escape PHEV and the Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.