Compare the2023 Toyota Rav4VS 2023 Ford Escape

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Rav4 Adventure/Limited AWD/TRD Off-Road’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Escape doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

Both the Rav4 and the Escape have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Ford Escape:

	Rav4	Escape
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Ford Escape:

	Rav4	Escape
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	197
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	138 lbs.	191 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	508 lbs.	816 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	299	344

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Escape:

	Rav4	Escape
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	120	391
Head Peak Forces	no contact	93 G’s
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.47 in	1.1 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	1.77 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	8 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	1093 lbs.	1160 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.94 in	1.54 in
Shoulder Force	290 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	1.5 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	692 lbs.	1093 lbs.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Rav4 is 1% to 1.9% less likely to roll over than the Escape.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Rav4 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escape last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Rav4 for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Escape.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Rav4’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Escape’s camshafts. If the Escape’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 Rav4’s reliability 30 points higher than the Escape.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Ford is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 18th.

Engine

The Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 22 more horsepower (203 vs. 181) than the Escape’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Toyota Rav4 is faster than the Ford Escape turbo 3 cyl.:

	Rav4	Escape
Zero to 30 MPH	3.1 sec	3.3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	8.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.5 sec	5.2 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88 MPH	85 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 gets better mileage than the Escape:

			MPG
Rav4
	AWD	LE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/33 hwy
		Adventure/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
		TRD Off-Road 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
Escape
	AWD	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	26 city/31 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/31 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Rav4 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Escape with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Rav4 stops shorter than the Escape:

	Rav4	Escape
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	162 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escape (235/55R19 vs. 225/65R17).

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Rav4 is .3 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Escape.

The Rav4 Adventure handles at .81 G’s, while the Escape AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Rav4 Adventure executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Escape (27.5 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Rav4 LE/XLE’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Escape’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.2 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Rav4 LE/XLE has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Escape (8.4 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Rav4 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Rav4 XLE Premium/Limited/Adventure/TRD Off-Road’s minimum ground clearance is 1.3 inches higher than on the Escape (8.6 vs. 7.3 inches).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Rav4 Limited 4WD is quieter than the Escape AWD (66 vs. 70 dB).

Passenger Space

The Rav4 has .2 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Escape.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Rav4’s rear seats recline. The Escape’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Rav4 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Escape with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 65.4 cubic feet).

The Rav4’s cargo area is larger than the Escape’s in almost every dimension:

	Rav4	Escape
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	40”/73.4”	37.8”/68.5”
Max Width	59”	57.3”
Min Width	39.4”	41.4”
Height	36.6”	34.8”

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Rav4 Limited’s available liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Escape doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

The Rav4’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’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 Rav4 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Escape can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Rav4 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Escape doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

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 Rav4’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Escape’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

Both the Rav4 and the Escape offer available heated front seats. The Rav4 Limited also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Escape.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Rav4 (except LE/XLE/Adventure) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Escape doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Rav4 has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Escape S doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Rav4 has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Escape S doesn’t offer rear vents.

The Rav4 Adventure/TRD Off-Road has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, 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.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Rav4 is less expensive to operate than the Escape because typical repairs cost much less on the Rav4 than the Escape, including $1365 less for a muffler, $87 less for front struts and $330 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Rav4, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Ford Escape isn't recommended.

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its May 2020 issue and they ranked the Toyota Rav4 Limited 4WD two places higher than the Ford Escape AWD.

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the Ford Escape by almost three to one during 2022.