2020 Ford Escape Hybrid vs Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
In the battle to go green, auto manufacturers have responded by putting an unprecedented number of electric and hybrid vehicles on the road. In other words, it’s never been easier to go green yourself. In today’s matchup, we’ll take a look at the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. Which of these hybrid SUVs is greenest and the best vehicle overall? We’ll look into it in this comparison guide.
Fuel Economy: 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid
Let’s not beat around the bush. We know why you’re here. Which SUV is greener? With 44 city miles and 37 highway miles per gallon, it’s the 2020 Escape Hybrid over the RAV4 Hybrid, which gets a little less with 41 city and 38 highway miles per gallon. Notice that either one runs circles around conventional gas guzzlers. But if you’re looking for the greener option of the two, that would be the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid.
Hybrid technology in the Ford Escape Hybrid combines a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine paired to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), an electric motor, and a lithium-ion battery pack. While you drive, the Escape Hybrid captures energy while the vehicle is coasting or braking and stores it in the battery, which it can then use when accelerating. That way, the Escape Hybrid can go much farther without needing to be fueled. Look out for a plug-in hybrid model coming soon, which doesn’t even touch the gasoline for the first leg of the trip.
Passenger Room: 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid
One of the reasons the similarly equipped Escape Hybrid has better fuel economy is because it’s several hundred pounds lighter. But that’s just Ford ingenuity because the Escape Hybrid has more passenger room than the 2020 RAV4 Hybrid. Both SUVs seat five passengers, but there’s an extra half-inch of front headroom, an inch and a half more front legroom, and an inch more rear legroom in the Escape Hybrid compared to the RAV4 Hybrid. That makes for a more comfortable ride on long drives or makes your commute that much more pleasant. Besides that, some have complained that the RAV4 Hybrid’s front seats are mounted too high and cannot be lowered, making for uncomfortable entrances and exits.
Standard Features: 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid
The final advantage of the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid that we’ll mention is its bevy of standard features. Though the Escape Hybrid and RAV4 Hybrid have very similar starting prices, Ford gives you more bang for your buck because there’s lots on offer here. The standard features include heated front seats, 10-way power adjustable driver's seat, 4-way manually adjustable front passenger seat, automatic climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 8-inch touch screen, SYNC3 system, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, six speakers, satellite radio, proximity keyless entry, push-button start, and the Co-Pilot360 collection of advanced safety systems. That collection positively blows away the competition.