Sport utility vehicles, or SUVs, often get a bad reputation as gas-guzzling, oversized, and audacious. The truth is, they are sensible vehicles for both families and outdoor enthusiasts alike. With a plethora of passenger space and cargo space, they provide comfort and convenience on the go. Whether you’re a weekend kayaker or a soccer mom, an SUV can be a great option for you. Let’s take a look at the 2018 Ford Escape vs. 2018 Honda CR-V.
Making the Choice
Planning a family vacation or a weekend camping excursion? Your SUV has plenty of cargo space to pack all the supplies you’ll need. Because the space isn’t limited to the trunk, you can fit more without encroaching on room for passengers, making the trip more comfortable. Many models even have room for large pet carriers so that your furry friends can tag along.
Extra space isn’t just for equipment or luggage. Passenger areas tend to be roomier in an SUV, and often these vehicles even provide third-row seating. This extra space offers the riding luxury of a minivan in a sportier, more stylish package. It provides more room to spread out during long trips. Parents can look forward to fewer arguments between the kids because one “touched” the other. Weekend warriors can experience more comfortable drives, especially because the suspension on SUVs provides a nice ride.
Another benefit of an SUV is that the design features are trucklike, without the bulk and difficulty of fitting into standard parking spaces. While some SUVs still don’t have a wonderful turning radius, most are easier to maneuver than an oversized truck. Plus, SUVs sit high off the ground, like trucks, and that height gives the driver better visibility. Most models also have towing options, although putting a towing package on your SUV will most likely result in additional initial costs.
In addition, many SUVs are equipped with off-roading capabilities. Not all are true off-roading vehicles, however, so if that capability is a desired feature, do the research before buying. This sportiness makes sense. Seeing as they are called sport utility vehicles, many of their drivers choose one because they want to be able to utilize their vehicle for outdoor activities, such as camping, off-roading, and more.
Safety is a crucial factor when choosing any vehicle, and SUVs are typically a very safe option. Size alone can provide some peace of mind when it comes to safety. However, their higher center of gravity can make them prone to rollovers, which is something to keep in mind when shopping for a new vehicle. Kelley Blue Book’s website is an excellent resource when researching safety ratings.
One traditional downside to driving an SUV is their typically poor gas mileage. Due to modern technology, many recent models offer gas mileage comparable to that of several cars on the market now, but a bit of research will help you plan to make your decision based on gas mileage. While a compact car would most likely get better gas mileage, an SUV may not have as significant a difference as it would have in the past.
Now that you have decided an SUV is the vehicle that will meet your needs, how do you go about choosing one? There certainly are a lot of options between makes, models, sizes, add-on packages, and color. It can definitely be overwhelming to narrow down your choices. The 2018 Ford Escape and the 2018 Honda CR-V are two excellent options.
Both are considered compact SUVs, so they are on the smaller side as far as SUVs are concerned. The Escape and the CR-V offer an abundance of color options and begin at about $25,000 MSRP. While the two SUVs have many similar traits, the difference between the two will make choosing easier.
Mileage
The 2018 Ford Escape achieves an average of 24 miles per gallon combined (meaning highway and city driving) and has a consumer rating of 7.6. It does offer less cargo space than that of the Honda CR-V. The Escape did well as far as crash test ratings. The only area in which it did not receive five stars is in the rollover category. Overall, the Escape scored a Kelley Blue Book rating of 8.2 out of 10, which is fairly high. However, it did rate lower than several other similar SUVs.
The 2018 Honda CR-V beats the Ford Escape in mileage and consumer ratings. It averages 28 miles per gallon combined and has a consumer rating of 8.4. The CR-V had excellent crash test ratings as well. Again, the only four-star rating was in the rollover area. Additionally, it has an Overall Kelley Blue Book rating of 9.7 out of 10.
Choice
Choosing a vehicle, SUV or otherwise, boils down to lifestyle. Which make and model best suits your lifestyle needs? The best advice, as always, is to do your research. There are many good resources available, including Kelley Blue Book online, but also your local dealerships. Go see your options in person, and take them for a test drive. Ultimately, this will help you make the best decision possible.
And now for 2019
Hi and thanks for joining me in 2019! All that information up there? That’s still really useful and relevant so make sure you read it. (You didn’t just skip ahead to this part about 2019 models did you? No, of course not; you would never do that…) But you’re probably wondering about the latest models from Ford and Honda, and that would be the 2019 Ford Escape and the 2019 Honda CR-V. Well good news, you don’t have to go somewhere else or click a link – I know, that sounds exhausting. Instead, I’m going to take a good look at these two latest models with you right here and now.
All that info above is still great; we’re going to use that as a guideline as we check a look at these 2019 models. For example, cargo capacity can make a big difference when you’re comparing vehicles and trying to pick the right one for your lifestyle. Gas mileage is still just as important as it was last year – yeah that will probably be important for a long time – so we’ll keep that in mind too. Plus we’ll look at the engines and towing capacity with each of these so you know what to look for. So sit back and get ready for the 2019 Ford Escape vs. 2019 Honda CR-V!
Power and Towing Capacity
Power is important when looking at an SUV because you want to be sure it can handle whatever tasks you plan on throwing at it. Now these aren’t the kind of SUVs that can compete with a mid-size or full-size pickup truck, so keep that in mind, but they should still be able to hold their own. After all, you want at least some freedom when loading up the back of your SUV or towing something behind you.
The 2019 Ford Escape has three different engines available, depending on the model and trim level you look at. There is a 2.5L Duratec engine that provides up to 168hp and 170 lb.-ft. of torque – if you’re not sure what that means, just know that horsepower is how much power the engine has and torque is basically how well it pushes forward and pulls stuff. There’s also an available 1.5L EcoBoost engine that offers up to 179hp and 177 lb.-ft. of torque. Finally, there is a 2.0L EcoBoost engine that provides up to 245hp and 275 lb.-ft. of torque, which is the one to choose if you need more power and towing capacity.
By contrast, the 2019 Honda CR-V has a standard 2.4L 4-cylinder engine that provides up to 184hp and 180 lb.-ft. of torque, which is pretty comparable to the standard Ford engine but a bit more powerful. There is also an available 1.5L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that provides up to 190hp and 179 lb.-ft. of torque, which is great if you want power over towing capacity. Unfortunately, those are the only two options for the CR-V, so if you want a lot more torque, like you can find with the 2019 Ford Escape, then you are out of luck.
All of that comes into play when it comes to maximum towing capacity, which is important if you have a trailer or camper you want to pull behind you. The 2019 Ford Escape has a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 lbs. when properly equipped. On the other hand, the 2019 Honda CR-V has a maximum towing capacity of 1,500 lbs. As you can see, if you prioritize towing capacity, then the more powerful engine of the Escape definitely wins.
Cargo Capacity and Storage
So what about interior capacity and storage? That’s a very good question and you’re very smart for asking it. Let’s take a look at what each of these two SUVs has to offer.
The 2019 Ford Escape seats up to 5 people and has up to 68 cu. ft. of cargo capacity behind the first row and 34 cu. ft. of cargo space behind the second row. Breaking it down like that lets you know how much space you have to use depending on how many people are with you. If you tend to ride with just one passenger, then you’ll basically get twice as much cargo capacity as you do with two or three more people in the vehicle.
By comparison, the 2019 Honda CR-V also seats up to 5 people, and it has about 75 cu. ft. of cargo capacity behind the first row and almost 40 cu. ft. of cargo capacity behind the second row. So as you can pretty clearly see, the Honda CR-V does have superior internal cargo capacity whether you have one other person or four other people in the SUV with you. In part, that is because it has a 14-gallon fuel tank, while the Ford Escape has a 15.7-gallon fuel tank. In general, however, the 2019 Honda CR-V takes a slight lead when it comes to cargo space.
Gas Mileage
Speaking of fuel tanks, what about gas mileage for these lovely vehicles? Let’s take a look and see how they stack up. Fuel economy is one of the biggest concerns for a lot of SUV owners, which is understandable, so it’s important to compare your options in this regard.
While fuel economy depends on the engine you choose, we’ll just take a look at the best mileage available on each of these vehicles – just keep in mind you might get lower mileage by choosing a more powerful engine. The 2019 Ford Escape can get up to an estimated 23mpg in the city and 30mpg on the highway, for a combined mileage of 26mpg. On the other hand, the 2019 Honda CR-V can get up to an estimated 28mpg in the city, 34mpg on the highway, and 30mpg combined.
Here’s where the less powerful engine option for the Honda pays off, as it clearly has better-estimated gas mileage than the Ford Escape. That’s why you have to consider what’s important to you and weigh your options carefully before making a choice.
The Choice
So, when all is said and done, which SUV is the best one? Well, clearly there is no real “best” option because it all depends on your lifestyle and the specific things you are looking for. If you want power and towing capacity with your SUV, such as if you know you need to haul more than 1,000 lbs. regularly in a trailer behind you, then the 2019 Ford Escape is the clear winner. On the other hand, if fuel economy is your number one concern, then the 2019 Honda CR-V is in a better position and has the advantage, though both of these SUVs have great gas mileage.
The point is this: at the end of the day I can’t tell you which SUV you should pick. I can just show you what they have to offer and help you make sense of all the numbers manufacturers throw at you when you look at their vehicles. Only you know what you need and what kind of vehicle will be the best fit in your life. Then you have to make the choice and pick the right one for you – so once you have a sense of what you want, then head to your local dealership and see these great SUVs for yourself before making a final decision.
