Compare the2025 Volvo EX40VS 2025 Ford Escape PHEV

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

Safety

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The EX40’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 EX40 and Escape PHEV have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The EX40 Ultra 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 EX40 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 EX40 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 EX40’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the EX40 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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 Volvo EX40 weighs 573 to 799 pounds more than the Ford Escape PHEV. 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 Volvo EX40 is safer than the Escape PHEV:

	EX40	Escape PHEV
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	129	391
Head Peak Forces	no contact	93 G’s
Neck Tension	312 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Torso Max Deflection	1.65 in	1.77 in
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.1 in	1.54 in
Shoulder Force	290 lbs.	379 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	692 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The EX40 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck 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 EX40’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Escape PHEV’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the EX40 for 4 years and 40,000 miles. Volvo will pay for cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Escape PHEV.

Engine

The EX40 Single Motor’s standard electric motor produces 38 more horsepower (248 vs. 210) than the Escape PHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The EX40 Twin Motor’s optional electric motors produces 192 more horsepower (402 vs. 210) than the Escape PHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The EX40 Twin Motor Performance’s standard electric motors produces 226 more horsepower (436 vs. 210) than the Escape PHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the EX40 Twin Motor electric motors is faster than the Ford Escape PHEV:

	EX40	Escape PHEV
Zero to 60 MPH	4.2 sec	7.8 sec
Quarter Mile	12.8 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	107.7 MPH	91.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the EX40 Single Motor FWD gets better mileage than the Escape PHEV running on electricity (118 city/94 hwy vs. 111 city/91 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the EX40 Single Motor FWD gets better mileage than the Escape PHEV running its gasoline engine (118 city/94 hwy MPGe vs. 42 city/37 hwy).

The EX40 can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 260 to 296 miles. The Escape PHEV has to start its internal combustion engine after only 37 miles.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volvo EX40 higher (10 out of 10) than the Ford Escape PHEV (8). This means the EX40 produces up to 6.3 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Escape PHEV every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the EX40’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Escape PHEV:

	EX40	Escape PHEV
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	13 inches
Rear Rotors	13.4 inches	11.9 inches

The EX40 stops much shorter than the Escape PHEV:

	EX40	Escape PHEV
70 to 0 MPH	171 feet	176 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	118 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the EX40 has larger tires than the Escape PHEV (F:235/50R19 & R:255/45R19 vs. 225/60R18).

The EX40’s standard 235/50R19 front and 255/45R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series front and 45 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape PHEV’s standard 60 series tires. The EX40 Ultra’s 235/45R20 front and 255/40R20 rear tires have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile than the Escape PHEV’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EX40 has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the Escape PHEV. The EX40 Ultra has standard 20-inch wheels.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the EX40 is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Escape PHEV.

The EX40 AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Escape PHEV pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The EX40 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.6 seconds quicker than the Escape PHEV (26.3 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

Chassis

The EX40 is 6.4 inches shorter than the Escape PHEV, making the EX40 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The EX40 has 1.3 inches more rear hip room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Escape PHEV.

Cargo Capacity

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the EX40’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the EX40. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the EX40’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 EX40’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escape PHEV’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The EX40 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

If the windows are left open on the EX40 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 also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Escape PHEV can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The EX40’s standard Keyless Entry & Drive allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Intelligent Access standard on the Escape PHEV doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The EX40’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 EX40 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.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The EX40 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the EX40 Ultra has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer cornering lights. The EX40 Ultra also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

When the EX40 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 EX40’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 EX40 and the Escape PHEV have standard heated front seats. The EX40 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Escape PHEV.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo EX40 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Escape PHEV.

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