2020 Ford Escape vs Explorer
Now that sport utility vehicles come in every conceivable size, it’s harder to know which one would best suit your needs. What is the difference between a compact SUV, like the 2020 Ford Escape, and a midsize, like the Ford Explorer? And which would be right for you? We aim to answer both those questions in this comparison guide between two Ford models.
Dimensions: 2020 Ford Explorer
We all know by now that the Ford Explorer is bigger than the Escape. But by how much? And how will that size difference affect your daily life? The 2020 Ford Escape measures just over 16 feet from headlights to tail lights. Meanwhile, the 2020 Explorer is 18 inches longer, 5 inches wider, and 4 inches taller. What does that mean for the inside? Let’s step in and see.
While the Escape seats five passengers on two rows, the Explorer has seating for six thanks to its three-row configuration with captain’s chairs in the middle row. You can add another seat if you swap out the Explorer’s captain’s chairs with a bench of three seats to match the one in back. The difference in head- and legroom between the Escape and Explorer is negligible, measuring in tenths of an inch. So it really just comes down to whether or not five is enough seats. If you need more than that, the 2020 Explorer is a better fit. But should you choose to go small there are certain advantages to that.
Before we get to that, let’s take a look behind the rear seat in both the Escape and the Explorer. At first, the Escape has more cargo room than the Explorer: 37.5 cubic feet compared to 18.2 cubes. (For reference, a piece of carry-on luggage averages 1.5 cubic feet.) But that quickly changes as we start folding down rows of seating. If you’re not using the rear seat in the Explorer, you could be looking at 47.9 cubic feet of storage. And, of course, being bigger, the Explorer has 22.4 more cubes overall than the Escape when all the seats are down in each.
Fuel Economy: 2020 Ford Escape
The advantage of being smaller, of course, is not requiring as much fuel to move. Specifically, the 2020 Ford Escape gets 27 city miles and 33 highway miles to the gallon. Meanwhile, the 2020 Explorer gets 21 city and 28 highway miles per gallon. The Escape weighing almost a thousand pounds less than the Explorer has the advantage. So, if you don’t need the extra seating, the Ford Escape saves you more at the pump than the Explorer.
Price: 2020 Ford Escape
Closely related to fuel costs is the starting price of the SUV itself. It should come as no surprise that the 2020 Ford Escape is the more affordable vehicle, since you end up paying quite a bit more for that extra row of seating. The 2020 Escape starts at $24,885 while the Explorer’s base price is $36,675. Being sibling vehicles, the Escape and Explorer have many of the same tech features and options. You really are just paying for that extra cabin space. Be sure you need it.