The 2019 Ford Escape vs 2019 Honda CR-V is a battle for the ages. Both of these vehicles are produced by well-known and well-respected automakers and are rated highly in many categories. Let’s take a look at these vehicle’s performance stats, fuel efficiency, handling reviews, overall design, and technology features to see how these two SUVs stack up.
Performance
With the 2019 Ford Escape, you get your choice of three excellent engines when customizing your new vehicle. If you’re more of a daily driver with a commute and maybe some kids to cart around, the base engine is likely to be just fine for you. The engine that the 2019 Ford Escape comes standard with is a 168-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. If you’d like slightly more power to do some adventuring with, get the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine option. This engine creates a powerful 245 horsepower which will get you up to speed and zooming ahead of all other traffic in no time. If fuel efficiency is a priority for you, you can even get a 179-horsepower 1.5-liter turbo-four engine which gets the best gas mileage of the bunch.
All three of these engines are paired to a six-speed automatic transmission and you can choose from the standard FWD or elect to have AWD equipped. When properly equipped with an available towing package, the 2019 Ford Escape is even capable of towing up to 3,500 pounds! This is one of the highest towing capacities in its class and immediately sets it apart from the Honda CR-V.
Unlike the Ford Escape, there are only two engine options with the 2019 Honda CR-V. They’re pretty good engine options, but don’t offer quite the customization that the Ford does. You’ll find that the CR-V’s base power is adequate, but nothing exciting as a 184-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder. You can upgrade to get an available 190-horsepower, turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Most find that this upgraded option is the needed choice in order to get the CR-V up to speed with quicker acceleration. Both of these engines come with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Despite this type of engine being known to be loud, the Honda CR-V has happily dodged this negative trait. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is available on the 2019 Honda CR-V.
Fuel Efficiency
Due to its more powerful engine options and towing capacity, the 2019 Ford Escape doesn’t have quite the fuel efficiency ratings of the 2019 Honda CR-V. They are still just about average for the class however, and won’t have you emptying your wallet every time you hit the gas station. You can expect to get an estimated 21 MPG in the city and 29 MPG on the highway with the base model of the 2019 Ford Escape. With the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine equipped, fuel efficiency ratings go up slightly and rest at 22 MPG in the city and 29 MPG on the highway. For the best fuel efficiency, go with the 1.5-liter engine; with this one you’ll get 23 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway. This is about average for the class.
Since the 2019 Honda CR-V isn’t quite as powerful as the Ford Escape, this SUV gets better gas mileage. With the base four-cylinder engine and FWD equipped, the 2019 Honda CR-V gets about 26 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway. These are good estimates compared to other SUVs in its class. When you upgrade to have the stronger engine, you’ll get about 28 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway. This makes you wonder why anyone opts for the base engine at all…
Handling
Handling is an important part of any good SUV. Unlike the clunky SUVs of the past, modern SUVs are designed to be able to be city vehicles as well as country ones. SUVs should be able to move from dirt to highway seamlessly and be able to do it all with extra cargo being towed. For a great example of an all-around SUV capable of handling whatever the road throws at it, just take a look at the 2019 Ford Escape.
The 2019 Ford Escape is known to be one of the best handling SUVs in its class. This SUV is sporty and fun to drive with a firm suspension system, great steering feedback from reviewers, and a composed ride when being driven on smooth streets. If you’re looking for a vehicle to take camping one day and then to commute to work the next, the 2019 Ford Escape will get you there in comfort and with little difficulty. If you choose to upgrade to AWD, the Ford Escape’s handling reviews get even better
Handling is something that truly sets the 2019 Ford Escape and the 2019 Honda CR-V apart. CR-V owners may get better gas mileage, but their vehicle won’t be as easy to drive in a multitude of different circumstances. Though the ride of the CR-V is comfortable for the most part and the suspension system does a good job smoothing out the ride, this vehicle wasn’t truly designed for many types of terrain. If you want more agile handling and precise steering, you’re going to want to look elsewhere.
Design
Inside the Ford Escape, you’ll find a classy and praise-worthy layout. Ford doesn’t place much stock behind flashy do-dads, so to some it might look a little out of date. But if you’re going for clean style and bold features, the 2019 Ford Escape is sure to please. With an upgrade, you can get power-adjustable, leather, and/or heated seats as well as a leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel, and sport seats. Behind the back row, you’ll find that there are 34 cubic feet of cargo space which expands to 68 cubic feet when you fold down the back seats.
The 2019 Honda CR-V also offers leather-trimmed seats with an upgrade as well as heated front seats with a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and a four-way power-adjustable passenger seat. Also available, like in the Escape, is a leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel. Behind the rear seats is 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space. When you fold these down, you can create 75.8 cubic feet of space, which is one of the largest in the class.
Features
Features in the 2019 Ford Escape include Ford’s voice-activated SYNC infotainment system with a 4.2-inch display screen. You’ll also get a USB port and a six-speaker stereo to keep your devises charge and your mind entertained on long car trips. There is also a long list of available features for new Escape buyers to pick and choose from to suit their own desires. These include things like an upgraded SYNC 3 touch-screen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, satellite radio, an extra USB port, a 10-speaker Sony premium audio system, a panoramic sunroof, and dual-zone automatic climate control.
The 2019 Honda CR-V has a relatively small list of standard features as well. These include a 5-inch audio display screen, Bluetooth, a USB port, and four speakers. Upgrades are plentiful though. You can get an available upgraded infotainment system with a 7-inch touch screen, three additional USB ports, satellite radio, HD Radio, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay, a six, eight, or nine-speaker audio system, navigation, and voice recognition. The infotainment system’s controls are known to be finicky, so you may want to use the physical controls on the dash to operate the system.
And the Winner is…
The Honda CR-V holds its own in several categories but overall we have to give it to the Ford Escape. With more powerful engines, elegant features and all-terrain handling this SUV will appeal to a larger population of SUV-buyers.
