Compare the2025 Honda CR-VVS 2025 Ford Escape FHEV

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

Safety

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The Honda CR-V 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 FHEV 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 FHEV’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Honda CR-V achieved an “Acceptable” rating for its forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, outperforming the Ford Escape FHEV which scored only a “Marginal” in these critical safety features.

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

Both the CR-V and the Escape FHEV 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 all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda CR-V is safer than the Ford Escape FHEV:

	CR-V	Escape FHEV
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	17.1%	22.5%
Neck Stress	181 lbs.	185 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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 Honda CR-V is safer than the Ford Escape FHEV:

	CR-V	Escape FHEV
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	72	197
Chest Movement	.8 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	115 lbs.	191 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	71	97
Hip Force	613 lbs.	816 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	302	344

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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 FHEV:

	CR-V	Escape FHEV
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	138	391
Head Peak Forces	no contact	93 G’s
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.91 in	1.1 in
Shoulder Force	201 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.3 in	1.77 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	8 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	1093 lbs.	1160 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	119	168
Neck Tension	45 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.94 in	1.54 in
Shoulder Force	223 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.06 in	1.5 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	759 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the CR-V is 1.4% to 1.9% less likely to roll over than the Escape FHEV.

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 Honda CR-V Hybrid’s reliability 34 points higher than the Escape FHEV and the Honda CR-V is rated 40 points higher than the Escape FHEV.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Ford With 33 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Honda higher than Ford.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 13th.

Engine

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 12 more horsepower (204 vs. 192) than the Escape FHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

	CR-V	Escape FHEV
Zero to 60 MPH	7.6 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16.2 sec	16.7 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V Hybrid FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Escape FHEV FWD (43 city/36 hwy vs. 42 city/36 hwy).

Brakes and Stopping

The CR-V stops shorter than the Escape FHEV:

	CR-V	Escape FHEV
60 to 0 MPH	118 feet	122 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the CR-V has larger tires than the Escape FHEV (235/60R18 vs. 225/55R19).

Suspension and Handling

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 FHEV.

The CR-V EX-L AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Escape FHEV AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CR-V EX-L AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Escape FHEV AWD (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Chassis

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 FHEV doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The CR-V has 3.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Escape FHEV (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 FHEV.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

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

	CR-V	Escape FHEV
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	36.6”/74.7”	36.7”/68.3”
Max Width	58”	57.3”
Min Width	41.5”	41.4”
Height	36.5”	32.8”

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the CR-V. The Escape FHEV 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 FHEV doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

The CR-V uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Escape FHEV 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than Ford. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 20% lower rating, Ford is ranked 22nd.

Ergonomics

The CR-V’s standard front power windows 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 FHEV’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically. The CR-V EX-L/Sport L/Sport Touring’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

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 FHEV 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 FHEV’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Ford Escape FHEV isn't recommended.

The CR-V was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “5Best Trucks/10Best” for 2025 and 5 more times in the last 24 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 FHEV has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Ford Escape by almost three to one during 2024.

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