Compare the2025 Mazda CX-70VS 2025 Ford Escape

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

Safety

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The Mazda CX-70 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-70. But it costs extra on the Escape.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the CX-70’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Escape doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the CX-70 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, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Mazda CX-70 weighs 1320 to 1925 pounds more than the Ford Escape. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Mazda CX-70 is much safer than the Escape:

	CX-70	Escape
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	104	391
Head Peak Forces	no contact	93 G’s
Neck Tension	45 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.28 in	1.1 in
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.22 in	1.77 in
Pelvis	GOOD	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	513 lbs.	1160 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	18	168
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.39 in	1.54 in
Shoulder Force	156 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.75 in	1.5 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	825 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Mazda CX-70 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 is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the CX-70’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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Ford is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda 15 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

The CX-70 has more powerful engines than the Escape:

	Horsepower	Torque
CX-70 3.3 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid	280 HP	332 lbs.-ft.
CX-70 PHEV 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid	323 HP	369 lbs.-ft.
CX-70 Turbo S 3.3 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid	340 HP	369 lbs.-ft.
Escape 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder	180 HP	199 lbs.-ft.
Escape 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	250 HP	280 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the CX-70 PHEV 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Ford Escape turbo 4 cyl.:

	CX-70	Escape
Zero to 60 MPH	6 sec	6.9 sec
Quarter Mile	14.4 sec	15.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97.1 MPH	89.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The CX-70 PHEV can travel with zero emissions for 26 miles. The Escape can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the CX-70’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Escape doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The CX-70’s standard fuel tank has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape FWD’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The CX-70 Turbo S’ standard fuel tank has 3.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape AWD’s standard fuel tank (19.6 vs. 15.7 gallons).

The CX-70 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.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the CX-70’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Escape:

	CX-70	CX-70 Turbo S/PHEV	Escape
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	13.7 inches	12.1 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13.8 inches	11.9 inches

The CX-70’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 are solid, not vented.

The CX-70 stops shorter than the Escape:

	CX-70	Escape
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the CX-70 has larger standard tires than the Escape (265/55R19 vs. 225/65R17). The CX-70 Premium’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escape (275/45R21 vs. 225/65R17).

The CX-70’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape’s standard 65 series tires. The CX-70 Premium’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Escape’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CX-70 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Escape. The CX-70 Premium’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Escape.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-70’s wheelbase is 16.1 inches longer than on the Escape (122.8 inches vs. 106.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-70 is 4.7 inches wider in the front and 5.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Escape.

The CX-70 PHEV Premium Plus handles at .80 G’s, while the Escape AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CX-70 PHEV Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Escape (26.9 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the CX-70 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Escape (8 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the CX-70 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The CX-70 Turbo S/PHEV’s minimum ground clearance is .8 inch higher than on the Escape (8.1 vs. 7.3 inches).

Passenger Space

The CX-70 has 37.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Escape (141.6 vs. 104).

The CX-70 has 1 inch more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 2.2 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Escape.

Cargo Capacity

The CX-70 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Escape with its rear seat up (39.6 vs. 37.5 cubic feet). The CX-70 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Escape with its rear seat folded (75.3 vs. 65.4 cubic feet).

The CX-70’s cargo area is larger than the Escape’s in almost every dimension:

	CX-70	Escape
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	50.1”/97.5”	37.8”/68.5”
Max Width	49.8”	57.3”
Min Width	43.7”	41.4”
Height	31.6”	34.8”

Pressing a button automatically lowers the CX-70’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Escape doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the CX-70 Premium’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.

Towing

The CX-70’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escape’s (3500 vs. 2000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Ford Escape is only 3500 pounds. The CX-70 offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The CX-70 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 engine in the CX-70 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Escape. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The CX-70’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’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

On a hot day the CX-70’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Escape can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The CX-70’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’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 CX-70’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Escape’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-70 Turbo S has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Escape doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the CX-70 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Escape doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The CX-70’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford charges extra for heated mirrors on the Escape.

When the CX-70 Turbo S 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’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The CX-70 Premium’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 offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Mazda CX-70 and Ford Escape offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The CX-70 offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Escape’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The CX-70 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Escape. The CX-70 Premium Plus/Turbo S also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Escape.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the CX-70 Premium Plus/Turbo S keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Escape doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mazda CX-70 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Escape.

The CX-70 Premium Plus 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 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.