Compare the2025 Nissan MuranoVS 2025 Ford Escape

The Nissan Murano has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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.

The Murano Platinum has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Escape doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Murano 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Nissan Murano weighs 650 to 1165 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 Nissan Murano is much safer than the Escape:

The Nissan Murano has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Escape is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance on the Murano for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Nissan 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 Murano’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 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Ford With 40 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Ford.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 1 place higher in reliability than Ford.

The Murano’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 61 more horsepower (241 vs. 180) and 61 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 199) than the Escape’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Murano is faster than the Ford Escape turbo 3 cyl.:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Murano uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Escape with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Murano has 3.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape FWD’s standard fuel tank (18.7 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Murano has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape AWD’s standard fuel tank (18.7 vs. 15.7 gallons).

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Nissan Murano, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Escape.

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

The Murano’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 Murano stops shorter than the Escape:

For better traction, the Murano has larger tires than the Escape (255/55R20 vs. 225/65R17).

The Murano’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’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Murano has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Escape. The Escape’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Murano has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Escape doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Murano’s wheelbase is 4.5 inches longer than on the Escape (111.2 inches vs. 106.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Murano is 4.3 inches wider in the front and 4.9 inches wider in the rear than on the Escape.

The Murano Platinum AWD handles at .77 G’s, while the Escape AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Murano has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Escape (8.3 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Murano to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Murano 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 Murano has 8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Escape (112 vs. 104).

The Murano has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front hip room, 3.2 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 3.6 inches more rear hip room and 2.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Escape.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Murano Platinum’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.

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

The Murano’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 Murano SL/Platinum is put in reverse, the rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Escape’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Nissan Murano and Ford Escape offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Murano 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 Murano has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Escape. The Murano Platinum 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 Murano Platinum 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.

The Murano Platinum has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Escape.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Nissan Murano has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. Wireless charging costs extra on the Escape.