Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In HybridVS 2023 Ford Escape PHEV

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and Escape PHEV have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid 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 PHEV’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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the Escape PHEV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, 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.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid weighs 517 to 645 pounds more than the Ford Escape PHEV. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Ford Escape PHEV:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Escape PHEV
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	16%	22.5%
Neck Stress	149 lbs.	185 lbs.
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	23 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	50/51 lbs.	188/315 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	36.3%
Neck Stress	99 lbs.	181 lbs.

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

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, results indicate that the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Ford Escape PHEV:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Escape PHEV
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	197
Abdominal Force	164 lbs.	191 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	736 lbs.	816 lbs.

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, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escape PHEV is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Escape PHEV’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Ford covers the Escape PHEV. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Escape PHEV ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Escape PHEV’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Escape PHEV.

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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s reliability 37 points higher than the Escape PHEV.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 16th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 5 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 40 more horsepower (261 vs. 221) than the Escape PHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape PHEV (12.4 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has larger tires than the Escape PHEV (235/55R19 vs. 225/60R18).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape PHEV’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the Escape PHEV.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s wheelbase is 2.2 inches longer than on the Escape PHEV (108.9 inches vs. 106.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Escape PHEV.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front legroom, 2.3 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear legroom, 3 inches more rear hip room and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Escape PHEV.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s rear seats recline. The Escape PHEV’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Escape PHEV with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 34.4 cubic feet). The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Escape PHEV with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 60.8 cubic feet).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Escape PHEV’s in almost every dimension:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Escape PHEV
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.4”/77.4”	36.7”/68.3”
Max Width	54”	57.3”
Min Width	43.4”	41.4”
Height	31”	32.8”

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escape PHEV’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Escape PHEV 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

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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Escape PHEV’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited 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 PHEV’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the Escape PHEV have standard heated front seats. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Escape PHEV.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Escape PHEV.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited has a 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 PHEV doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling the transmission and speed with the brake pedal. With its available fully controlled system, the driver just activates it and it parks autonomously, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Escape PHEV’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Economic Advantages

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid will retain 49.58% to 49.67% of its original price after five years, while the Escape PHEV only retains 48.6% to 48.86%.

Recommendations

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