
Crossover SUVs have replaced sedans in many family garages, and the Escape competes for one of those parking spaces along with a truly impressive group of compact vehicles.
The class leader, the Honda CR-V, has a unique fold-away second-row seat that's best in the class.
As a direct rival, the Mazda CX-5 is probably the best-driving model in this class, so cross-shop that if you're fond of the Escape's sporty side.
The Hyundai Santa Fe Sport pairs five seats with 4-cylinder engines and a lovely and spacious interior.
The Escape also competes with the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, smaller crossovers with very good gas mileage and in the Kia's case, fun turbo power.
The Toyota RAV4 is only offered with a naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine, and it's not powerful, though it handles and looks better than in the recent past.
And finally, the Nissan Rogue is fairly refined and well equipped, though its CVT and 4-cylinder make for dull acceleration.
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Quick Specs | ||||
The 2017 Ford Escape foregoes a bit of utility in the name of style and sportiness, making it one of the better crossovers to drive. |
The 2017 Kia Sportage beefs up its sport-shoe styling—and its hardware—as it tackles the crossover-SUV niche head-on. |
The 2017 Nissan Rogue could beat the world of compact crossover SUVs, were it not for mediocre performance and safety ratings. |
There's a RAV4 for just about everyone, and while we applaud Toyota for adding more safety technology for 2017, the competition is worth a good look, too. |
The 2016 Honda CR-V has its priorities in the right place, with lots of space and features—but performance takes a back seat. |
MSRP From | ||||
$23,750 | $23,200 | $23,820 | $24,410 | $23,845 |
Gas Mileage | ||||
21 MPG City / 30 MPG Hwy | 20 MPG City / 30 MPG Hwy | 25 MPG City / 35 MPG Hwy | 22 MPG City / 31 MPG Hwy | 25 MPG City / 33 MPG Hwy |
Engine | ||||
Regular Unleaded I-4 | Regular Unleaded I-4 | Regular Unleaded I-4 | Regular Unleaded I-4 | Regular Unleaded I-4 |
EPA Class | ||||
Small SUV 2WD | Small SUV 2WD | Small SUV 2WD | Small SUV 2WD | Small SUV 2WD |
Style Name | ||||
S FWD | LX FWD | FWD S | LE FWD (GS) | 2WD 5-Door LX |
Drivetrain | ||||
Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive |
Passenger Capacity | ||||
5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Passenger Doors | ||||
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Body Style | ||||
Sport Utility | Sport Utility | Sport Utility | Sport Utility | Sport Utility |
Transmission | ||||
Automatic w/OD | Automatic w/OD | CVT w/OD | Automatic w/OD | CVT w/OD |
Detailed Spec Comparison | ||||
2017 Ford Escape vs. 2017 Kia Sportage | 2017 Ford Escape vs. 2017 Nissan Rogue | 2017 Ford Escape vs. 2017 Toyota RAV4 | 2017 Ford Escape vs. 2016 Honda CR-V |