Compare the2024 Honda CR-VVS 2023 Ford Escape

The Honda CR-V 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 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Escape’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the CR-V’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Escape doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the CR-V 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

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 Honda CR-V is much safer than the Escape:

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CR-V its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 30 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escape last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the CR-V for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Escape.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the CR-V’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 CR-V’s reliability 37 points higher than the Escape.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 13 places higher in reliability than Ford.

The CR-V’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 9 more horsepower (190 vs. 181) than the Escape’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Honda CR-V turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Ford Escape turbo 3 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the Escape:

Regenerative brakes improve the CR-V Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Escape doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The CR-V has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Escape. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

The CR-V has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Escape doesn’t offer a CVT.

The CR-V stops much shorter than the Escape:

For better traction, the CR-V has larger tires than the Escape (235/60R18 vs. 225/65R17).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V is .9 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Escape.

The CR-V EX-L AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Escape AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CR-V EX-L AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Escape (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

The CR-V uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Escape doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The CR-V has .4 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear legroom than the Escape.

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

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Escape with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 37.5 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Escape with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 65.4 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CR-V easier. The CR-V’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Escape’s liftover is 28.1 inches.

The CR-V’s cargo area is larger than the Escape’s in almost every dimension:

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the CR-V Sport Touring’s 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.

The CR-V uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Escape 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.

The CR-V’s standard front power windows 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. The CR-V EX-L/Sport-L/Sport Touring’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

On a hot day the CR-V’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance with the keyless remote or at the outside door handle. The driver of the Escape 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 CR-V’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Escape’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

The CR-V 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 CR-V has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Escape S doesn’t offer rear vents.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Ford Escape isn't recommended.

The CR-V was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “5Best Trucks/10Best” for 2023 and 3 more times in the last 22 years. The Escape hasn’t been picked since 2001, and the Escape has only been chosen once.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Escape has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Ford Escape by 73% during 2022.