The 2022 Toyota RAV4 is one of the most popular compact crossovers on the market right now, but it has a lot of worthy competition. The 2022 Ford Escape is an example of one of the RAV4’s best competitors, and in fact, the Escape is better than the RAV4 in several ways. Here’s a look at four advantages that the 2022 Ford Escape has over the 2022 Toyota RAV4.

Where these two compact SUVs are tied

Overall, according to U.S. News, both compact SUVs are fairly similar to one another. There are areas where the two are very close to one another, such as their prices and their fuel economies. In fact, the standard RAV4 is only around $15 cheaper than the Escape, and it only gets a better fuel economy when both SUVs are equipped with all-wheel drive.

Another area where the two are tied is in their interior features. The Escape starts with a 4.2-inch touchscreen display, and it doesn’t have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility as standard. The RAV4 starts with a 7-inch touchscreen display and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility as standard. That said, both have an optional 8-inch touchscreen, and the Ford’s optional infotainment system is superior.

Lastly, in terms of reliability, both SUVs have a three-year or 36,000-mile limited warranty and a five-year or 60,000-mile powertrain warranty. So where does the Escape have advantages over the RAV4?

Drivers and passengers will be more comfortable in the 2022 Ford Escape

Thanks to how Ford designed this SUV, drivers and passengers will feel more comfortable in their seats than they would in the RAV4. The seats themselves have a good amount of cushioning, while the RAV4 is lacking there. Plus, there is generally more legroom and headroom available in the Escape. In particular, it has 3 inches more legroom in the rear seats than the RAV4 does.

The 2022 Ford Escape has a better ride and superior handling

Not only that, but the Escape has a smoother ride quality than the RAV4 does, and drivers will be able to handle the Ford compact SUV better, too. U.S. News described the Escape’s ride quality as “poised” and “composed.” In terms of handling, neither SUVs are going to handle that well, but the Escape still handles better than the RAV4 does according to most critics. 

The 2022 Ford Escape accelerates faster too

On top of having better handling, the 2022 Escape is also the faster car. Toyota only gave the RAV4 one engine option that isn’t a hybrid, and it’s a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that gets 203 hp. This is a good engine for a compact crossover, and it’s actually more powerful than the Escape’s standard 1.5-liter turbo three-cylinder. The Ford’s standard engine only gets 181 hp.

However, Ford offers an optional 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder, and it gets 250 hp. Both engines will allow the Escape to accelerate faster than the RAV4 can.

The RAV4 goes from 0 to 60 mph in 8 seconds, while the Escape does it in 7.7 seconds with the standard engine. With the 250-hp engine option, the Ford SUV accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. 

Ford made the Escape a safer car

While Toyotas are known for being safe, the Escape is actually a bit safer than the RAV4. Both compact crossovers come with a lot of standard smart safety features, but the difference is in their crash tests. Both received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS. However, the Escape did better in about two crash tests overall, and that earned it the win.

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