Compare the2024 Volvo V60VS 2024 Ford Escape PHEV

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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The V60’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the V60 and Escape PHEV have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The V60 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Escape PHEV’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The V60 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The V60 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 V60 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Volvo V60 weighs 591 pounds more than the Ford Escape PHEV. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Volvo V60 is safer than the Ford Escape PHEV:

	V60	Escape PHEV
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	103	197
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	212 lbs.	240 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	575 lbs.	816 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	319	344
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	32 G’s

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 V60, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 7.5% less likely to roll over than the Escape PHEV, which received a four-star rating.

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, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the V60 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escape PHEV is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The V60 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Escape PHEV’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The V60’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Escape PHEV’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the V60 for 4 years and 40,000 miles. Volvo 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 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 V60’s reliability 17 points higher than the Escape PHEV.

Engine

The V60 T8 Polestar Engineered’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 245 more horsepower (455 vs. 210) than the Escape PHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volvo V60 is faster than the Ford Escape PHEV:

	V60	Escape PHEV
Zero to 60 MPH	4.1 sec	7.7 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	10 sec	19.2 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	4.5 sec	7.7 sec
Quarter Mile	12.5 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	111 MPH	91 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The V60 T8 Polestar Engineered Extended Range can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 41 miles. The Escape PHEV has to start its internal combustion engine after only 37 miles.

The V60 has 4.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape PHEV (15.9 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the V60’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Escape PHEV:

	V60	Escape PHEV
Front Rotors	14.6 inches	13 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	11.9 inches

The V60’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Escape PHEV are solid, not vented.

The V60 stops much shorter than the Escape PHEV:

	V60	Escape PHEV
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	176 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the V60 has larger tires than the Escape PHEV (235/40R19 vs. 225/60R18).

The V60’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape PHEV’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the V60 has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the Escape PHEV.

Suspension and Handling

The V60 has a standard set of manually adjustable shock absorbers. They allow the driver the manually set the shock absorbers to a stiff setting for amateur competitions and return them to lower levels for a comfortable ride on normal streets. This allows the driver to choose between a comfortable ride or excellent handling during competitions. The Escape PHEV’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the V60’s wheelbase is 6.4 inches longer than on the Escape PHEV (113.1 inches vs. 106.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the V60 is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Escape PHEV.

The V60 Polestar Engineered handles at .90 G’s, while the Escape PHEV pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The V60 is 9.7 inches shorter in height than the Escape PHEV, making the V60 much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Passenger Space

The V60 has .1 inches more front hip room and .1 inches more rear hip room than the Escape PHEV.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the V60 easier. The V60’s trunk lift-over height is 26.7 inches, while the Escape PHEV’s liftover is 27.9 inches.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the V60. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the V60’s 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 V60’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escape PHEV’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The V60 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Escape PHEV 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.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors optional at extra cost in the Escape PHEV, the V60 has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

If the windows are left open on the V60 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Escape PHEV can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The V60’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Escape PHEV’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the V60 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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 V60’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Escape PHEV’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The V60 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the V60 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer cornering lights. The V60 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

When the V60 is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Escape PHEV’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The V60’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Escape PHEV offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the V60 and the Escape PHEV have standard heated front seats. The V60 also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Escape PHEV.

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