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2025 Buick Enclave vs Honda PilotHead-to-Head: 2024 Ford Escape vs. 2024 Honda CR-V
Today’s matchup is the 2024 Ford Escape vs. the 2024 Honda CR-V. If you’re in the market for a new SUV, you don’t want to miss this battle!
Straightforward SUVs
While many other compact SUVs are coming equipped for light off-roading, some are treading the more familiar family-friendly path they are known for. Two fine examples of straightforward compact SUVs are the Ford Escape and the Honda CR-V.
Both vehicles have found particular favor with busy families that require adequate passenger and cargo space. Junior has a soccer game, and his friend needs a ride home? No problem. Do you need to drop off the twins for their dance rehearsal? Both of these SUVs have you covered.
What makes both of these appealing is that they both come with hybrid powertrain options. In a world where gas prices never seem to fall, saving at the pump is on the minds of many families. Hybrid options allow these SUVs to get incredible gas mileage while providing a smooth ride for the entire family.
Neither the Honda CR-V nor the Ford Escape saw any significant changes in 2024 mainly due to complete redesigns in 2023. The Honda CR-V has a new trim for 2024: The Sport-L. It adds features such as a power liftgate and leather upholstery to the mid-level Sport trim. It also comes standard with a hybrid power train.
Specs
The 2024 Ford Escape comes with a plethora of powertrains. These include a turbocharged 1.5L three-cylinder, two hybrid options (one of them is a plug-in), and a turbocharged 2.0L inline four-cylinder. The turbocharged 1.5L three-cylinder puts out 181 horsepower and 199 lb.-ft. of torque. It is available in FWD and AWD.
The hybrid options feature a 2.5L inline four-cylinder engine and two electric motors producing 192 horsepower and 155 lb.-ft. of torque. The turbocharged 2.0L inline four-cylinder pushes out 250 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft. of torque. Hybrids are matched to a CVT transmission while the gasoline options are mated to an automatic eight-speed transmission.
The 2024 Ford Escape hybrid models are rated at 44 MPG city/37 MPG highway. The plug-in hybrid can get up to 37 miles on electricity only.
The 2024 Honda CR-V LX, EX, and EX-L are fitted with a 1.5L turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine paired with a CVT transmission. It puts out 190 horsepower and 179 lb.-ft. of torque in either FWD or AWD. The Sport and Sport Touring trims come with a 2.0L four-cylinder engine and two electric motors. This combo pushes 204 horsepower and 247 lb.-ft. of torque.
The Honda CR-V hybrid models get 43 MPG city/36 MPG highway while gasoline-only models get 28 MPG city/34 MPG highway.
Driving and Performance
The transmission on the 2024 Ford Escape is slow to shift and not as smooth as we would have liked. You’ll definitely feel it shifting whether you’re speeding up or slowing down. The same can also be said for the jerky engine stop-start system.
The handling is weighty around turns and it feels as if it wants to wander off. The steering is lightweight though. We recommend driving it in Sport mode so that you can feel some heft to the steering. The turbocharged 2.0L engine was peppy and rolled the Escape from 0-60 MPH in an impressive 5.7 seconds. The base three-cylinder and the 2.5L hybrid managed to clock in at 7.7 seconds in the same test.
The 2024 Ford Escape can tow up to up to 3,500 lbs. when equipped with the turbocharged 2.0L engine.
The 2024 Honda CR-V is a much better-handling SUV than the 2024 Ford Escape. The steering is well-grounded and precise, and it maneuvers around corners with poise. The hill-descent control is standard on all Honda CR-V models and works great at controlling momentum on downhill grades. The ride is smooth for all passengers.
The 2024 Honda CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid managed to clock in at 7.9 seconds in our 0-60 MPH test while the non-hybrid EX-L model dialed in at 8.3 seconds. The CR-V won’t win any awards for speed, but it makes up for it with capable handling that keeps things from getting boring.
The 2024 Honda CR-V can tow up to 1,500 lbs. with hybrids towing only 1,000 lbs.
Comfort and Interior
The interior of the 2024 Ford Escape is full of hard plastics that make it feel cheap. However, it is smartly laid out with controls being easy to reach. The infotainment touchscreen is quick to respond and easy to operate, and the view from the driver’s seat gives you a great view.
There is plenty of room in the Escape to stretch out, but taller passengers might run out of headroom if the Escape is equipped with a panoramic sunroof. The 2024 Ford Escape offers plenty of cargo space with 37.5 cubic feet behind the second row and up to 65.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down.
The 2024 Honda CR-V also features a roomy, well-thought-out cabin. It has a wonderful 7-inch touchscreen standard with a 9-inch touchscreen optional. It is quick and easy to operate. The seats are comfortable and easy to get in and out of for most adults. It has plenty of glass all around which helps with visibility from the driver’s seat.
The Honda CR-V has a cavernous amount of cargo space. You’ll get 39.2 cubic feet behind the second-row seats with a whopping 75.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. That’s impressive for a small SUV!
Trims and Features
The 2024 Ford Escape is available in eight trims: Base, Active, PHEV, ST-Line, ST-Line Select, ST-Line Elite, and Platinum. The Base trim comes with cloth upholstery, an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, onboard Wi-Fi hotspot, a six-speaker sound system, 17-inch steel wheels, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, forward collision mitigation, lane-keeping assist, automatic high beams, and a blind spot warning system.
The Active trim comes with a power liftgate, dark-tinted rear windows, satellite radio, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless ignition and entry, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and two rear USB ports.
The PHEV comes with the plug-in hybrid powertrain and all of the features of the active trim plus heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, navigation, a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, 18-inch wheels, partial vinyl and cloth upholstery, adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, rear parking sensors, and lane-keeping assist.
The ST-Line adds on a flat-bottom steering wheel, roof rails, and underbody skid plates.
The ST-Line Select steps it up with LED fog lights, AWD, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, heated mirrors, and a remote start.
The ST-Line Elite adds 19-inch wheels, rain-sensing wipers, navigation, a digital instrument panel, an exterior keyless entry pad, a wireless charging pad, interior ambient lighting, enhanced exterior accent lighting, a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, a power-adjustable front passenger seat, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, evasive steering assist, a surround-view camera system, and rear automatic braking.
The Platinum trim is the top-of-the-line Escape trim and comes with synthetic leather upholstery, a garage door opener with an optional tow package, a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, a 10-speaker Band and Olufsen sound system, a head-up display.
The 2024 Honda CR-V comes in six trims. The LX is the base trim and features a 1.5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine and CVT transmission, LED headlights, 7-inch touchscreen, four-speaker sound system, push-button start, 17-inch wheels, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. It also features lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision mitigation.
The EX adds features like heated side mirrors, heated front seats, power-adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, and a six-speaker sound system.
The Sport trim gives drivers a hybrid powertrain, leather-wrapped steering wheel, roof rails, sport appearance package, and dual rear USB ports.
The EX-L trim has features such as a power liftgate, power-adjustable front passenger seat, 9-inch touchscreen, eight-speaker sound system, front and rear parking sensors, leather upholstery, wireless smartphone charging, and low-speed automatic braking.
The Sport-L combines the EX-L and Sport trim features together into one package.
The Sport Touring trim has all of the EX-L features plus AWD, a hybrid powertrain, a hands-free liftgate, heated steering wheel, blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert, navigation, ambient interior lighting, and a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system.
The Verdict
Both SUVs offer a lot of space and are designed to carry families around in comfort. They both offer spacious cabins in terms of both cargo space and passenger space. The Ford Escape offers a wonderful infotainment system and a large 13.2-inch touchscreen. It also offers a beefier powertrain than the CR-V.
However, the Honda CR-V still sets the standard that so many SUVs (including the Ford Escape) try to beat. It offers better handling, better visibility, and more tech features on the base model. It also gives families over 10 cubic feet of extra cargo space over the Ford Escape. It also edges out the Escape in terms of fuel mileage.
While both of these SUVs put up a good fight, the clear winner is the 2024 Honda CR-V. It offers a great value by being more practical for the price and provides a great driving experience. At the end of the day, that’s what matters the most.
