Compare the2023 Toyota Corolla Cross HybridVS 2023 Ford Escape FHEV

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the Corolla Cross Hybrid. But it costs extra on the Escape FHEV.

Both the Corolla Cross Hybrid and the Escape FHEV 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors 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 Corolla Cross Hybrid is safer than the Ford Escape FHEV:

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 Corolla Cross Hybrid is safer than the Ford Escape FHEV:

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 Corolla Cross Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 127 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escape FHEV is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Corolla Cross 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 FHEV.

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 Corolla Cross Hybrid’s reliability 54 points higher than the Escape FHEV.

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.

On the EPA test cycle the Corolla Cross Hybrid gets better mileage than the Escape FHEV:

For better maneuverability, the Corolla Cross Hybrid’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Escape FHEV’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.2 feet).

The Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 300 pounds less than the Ford Escape FHEV.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid is 3.3 inches shorter than the Escape FHEV, making the Corolla Cross Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

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

The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford charges extra for heated mirrors on the Escape FHEV.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid 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 FHEV doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.