Compare the2025 Honda CR-VVS 2024 Ford Escape PHEV

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 PHEV 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 PHEV’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The CR-V offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

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

Both the CR-V 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, 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 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 PHEV:

The Honda CR-V achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Escape PHEV is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the CR-V for 1 year or 12,000 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 PHEV.

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 Honda CR-V Hybrid’s reliability 11 points higher than the Escape PHEV and the Honda CR-V is rated 35 points higher than the Escape PHEV.

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 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 17 places higher in reliability than Ford.

As tested in Motor Trend the CR-V Hybrid 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Ford Escape PHEV:

The CR-V has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape PHEV (14 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The CR-V stops much shorter than the Escape PHEV:

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

The CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape PHEV’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. The Escape PHEV’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

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 PHEV.

The CR-V EX-L AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Escape PHEV pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The CR-V EX-L AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Escape PHEV (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

The Honda CR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 450 pounds less than the Ford Escape PHEV.

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 PHEV doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The CR-V has 3.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Escape PHEV (106 vs. 102.2).

The CR-V has .4 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room and 2.1 inches more rear legroom than the Escape PHEV.

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

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Escape PHEV with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 34.4 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Escape PHEV with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 60.8 cubic feet).

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

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

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 PHEV 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 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.

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

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The CR-V was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “5Best Trucks/10Best” for 2024 and 4 more times in the last 23 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 PHEV has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Ford Escape by almost three to one during 2023.