Compare the2023 Chevrolet BoltVS 2023 Ford Escape PHEV

The Chevrolet Bolt has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the Bolt and the Escape PHEV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available 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 Chevrolet Bolt is safer than the Ford Escape PHEV:

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 Chevrolet Bolt is safer than the Ford Escape PHEV:

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Bolt, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 7.7% less likely to roll over than the Escape PHEV, which received a four-star rating.

The Bolt’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Escape PHEV’s (6 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Ford is rated lower.

On the EPA test cycle the Bolt gets better mileage than the Escape PHEV running on electricity (131 city/109 hwy vs. 117 city/93 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Bolt gets better mileage than the Escape PHEV running its gasoline engine (131 city/109 hwy MPGe vs. 43 city/38 hwy).

The Bolt can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 259 miles. The Escape PHEV has to start its internal combustion engine after only 37 miles.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Bolt higher (10 out of 10) than the Ford Escape PHEV (7). This means the Bolt produces up to 11.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Escape PHEV every 15,000 miles.

The Bolt’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape PHEV’s standard 60 series tires.

The Bolt has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires standard on the Bolt can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

For better maneuverability, the Bolt’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the Escape PHEV’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.2 feet).

The Chevrolet Bolt may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 300 pounds less than the Ford Escape PHEV.

The Bolt is 1 foot, 5.3 inches shorter than the Escape PHEV, making the Bolt easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Bolt has .1 inches more front headroom and 1.9 inches more front legroom than the Escape PHEV.

Insurance will cost less for the Bolt owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Bolt will cost $570 to $1235 less than the Escape PHEV over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Bolt will be $249 to $1689 less than for the Ford Escape PHEV.

The Bolt was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2017. The Escape hasn’t been picked since 2001.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Bolt as the 2017 North American Car of the Year. The Escape PHEV has never been chosen.