Compare the2023 Toyota Rav4 HybridVS 2023 Ford Escape PHEV

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Rav4 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.

Both the Rav4 Hybrid and the Escape PHEV 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, 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 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid is safer than the Ford Escape PHEV:

	Rav4 Hybrid	Escape PHEV
	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 Hybrid is safer than the Ford Escape PHEV:

	Rav4 Hybrid	Escape PHEV
	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 Hybrid is safer than the Escape PHEV:

	Rav4 Hybrid	Escape PHEV
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 Hybrid is 1.9% less likely to roll over than the Escape PHEV.

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 Hybrid the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escape PHEV last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Rav4 Hybrid 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 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 Rav4 Hybrid’s reliability 21 points higher than the Escape PHEV.

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.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Rav4 Hybrid has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape PHEV (14.5 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Rav4 Hybrid is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than on the Escape PHEV.

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

Passenger Space

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

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

Cargo Capacity

The Rav4 Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Escape PHEV with its rear seat up (37.6 vs. 34.4 cubic feet). The Rav4 Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Escape PHEV with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 60.8 cubic feet).

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

	Rav4 Hybrid	Escape PHEV
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	40”/73.4”	36.7”/68.3”
Max Width	59”	57.3”
Min Width	39.4”	41.4”
Height	36.6”	32.8”

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Rav4 Hybrid. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Rav4 Hybrid 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 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 Rav4 Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escape PHEV’s (1750 vs. 1500 pounds).

Ergonomics

If the windows are left open on the Rav4 Hybrid 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 PHEV can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Rav4 Hybrid Limited offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Both the Rav4 Hybrid and the Escape PHEV offer available heated front seats. The Rav4 Hybrid 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 PHEV.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Rav4 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.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid and the Ford Escape PHEV, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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

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