2020 Ford Escape Vs. 2019 Toyota RAV4

The Ford Escape and Toyota RAV4 are long-time heavyweights in the compact crossover segment, and both are all-new. These redesigned models usher in dramatically updated looks, new powertrain options, increased tech features, and additional safety equipment, but which is the better buy for our Orange Park, Jacksonville, and Fleming Island crossover shoppers? Continue reading to find out.

Exterior

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 and 2020 Ford Escape are both all-new vehicles with sharp styling to set them apart from the crowded compact crossover segment. However, those are about all the similarities these two rigs have, as the 2020 Ford Escape and 2019 Toyota RAV4 take dramatically different stylistic paths.

The 2020 Ford Escape brings in a more car-like design with a rounded nose and smoother body lines. This makes it an excellent option for buyers who prefer a car but need the extra room a crossover offers. The Toyota RAV4, on the other hand, takes on a more upright design with hard angles and sharp body lines that make it look more SUV-like than its predecessor.

The tale of the tape shows the Ford Escape is shorter in length, but it’s slightly larger than the RAV4 in all other key measurements.

The 2020 Ford Escape has a lot of variation between its trim levels, especially when you reach the luxurious Titanium trim level, but it has nothing to match the RAV4’s Adventure trim. This Adventure trim delivers a higher ride height and a more rugged appearance for off-road enthusiasts.

Advantage: 2020 Ford Escape

•       More car-like design

Advantage: 2019 Toyota RAV4

•       More SUV-like look
•       Rugged Adventure trim

Interior

The Ford Escape delivers a clean and easy-to-manage interior with a limited number of buttons cluttering everything up and loads of options for buyers who seek more than just the typical compact crossover. Even buyers who get the base S trim will find plenty of standard equipment, including Ice Blue instrument panel lighting, rotary gear shifter, tilt-and-telescoping steering, 4G LTE Wi-Fi, two smart-charging USB ports, and a six-speaker AM/FM audio system.

Safety features are also plentiful in the 2020 Escape S, including Ford MyKey, automatic high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a rearview camera, and post-collision braking.

What also makes the Escape a great option are its optional features. Some of the highlights on its options list include a SYNC 3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, remote ignition, 110-volt power outlet, a 10-speaker B&O audio system, adaptive cruise, and more.

The Toyota RAV4’s cabin is toned down relative to its exterior, but it still offers a sportier look with its stubby gear shifter and horizontal lines that visually widen it. Like the Escape, the RAV4 is well-equipped from its base LE trim, but it has a few goodies the Escape S lacks, including a 7-inch touchscreen, Scout GPS link, Siri Eyes Free, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, and Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming.

In the safety department, the RAV4 performs well and boasts a few extra be-safe bits the base Escape lacks, including pedestrian detection, lane-tracing assist, full-speed adaptive cruise control, and road-sign assist.

When talking about roominess, the 2020 Escape’s cabin is roomier than the RAV4 in most measurements. Some of the most notable advantages include an extra 1.4 inches of front legroom and 2.9 inches of rear legroom. Cargo room with the seats up is about dead even, and Toyota does not provide the RAV4’s maximum cargo-hauling abilities with the rear seats folded.

Advantage: 2020 Ford Escape

•       Classy design
•       Roomier seating
•       Available 10-speaker audio system

Advantage: 2019 Toyota RAV4

•       Standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
•       Larger standard infotainment screen
•       Sportier-looking setup

Performance

In general, most crossovers have a single engine across their lineup, but the RAV4 and Escape offer a handful of engine options to meet many buyers’ needs. The Escape starts with a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that cranks out 180 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. This power routes through an eight-speed automatic transmission and out to the front or all four wheels. With this tiny three-pot engine, the Escape can tow up to 2,000 pounds.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4’s base engine is a 203-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder that mates with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Power flows to the front wheels or all four for an eight-second 0-to-60 time. With this engine, the RAV4’s towing peaks at 3,500 pounds in the rugged Adventure trim. All other trims can tow up to 1,500 pounds.

In its SE Sport Hybrid and Titanium trims, the Escape boasts a standard 2.5-liter hybrid four-cylinder powertrain that produces 198 horsepower. We’re still waiting on official fuel economy numbers, but initial reports indicate 39 mpg combined.

The RAV4 also has a hybrid engine that is standard in its LE Hybrid, XLE LE Hybrid, XSE LE Hybrid, and Limited LE Hybrid models. This 2.5-liter electrified powertrain delivers 218 combined horsepower and sprints it to 60 mph in an impressive 7.5 seconds. It can also tow up to 1,750 pounds and delivers up to 41 mpg city, 37 highway, and 39 combined.

While the RAV4 stops at two powertrain options, the Escape has two more. For buyers seeking something even greener, there is a plug-in hybrid powertrain that delivers 209 horsepower and a 30-mile driving range on battery power.

Performance lovers will find some satisfaction in the Escape’s range-topping 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that pumps out 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque for a spirited 6.5-second jaunt to 60 mph. With this engine, the Escape’s towing caps out at 3,500 pounds.

Advantage: 2020 Ford Escape

•       Potent 2.0-liter engine
•       Plug-in model delivers great EV range

Advantage: 2019 Toyota RAV4

•       Zippy hybrid model
•       Rugged Adventure is ready for more than soft-roading

Pricing and Features

The 2020 Ford Escape has five trims to pick from: S, SE, SE Sport Hybrid, SEL, and Titanium. Their starting prices range from $24,885 to $33,400.

There are nine trim levels in the 2019 Toyota RAV4 lineup – LE, LE Hybrid, XLE, XLE Hybrid, XLE Premium, Adventure, XSE Hybrid, Limited, and Limited Hybrid – and their starting prices range from $26,650 to $35,850.

2020 Ford Escape Key Features and Pricing by Trim

S: $24,885

•       1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder
•       Auto engine stop/start
•       Towing pre-pack
•       Eight-speed automatic transmission
•       Electronic parking brake
•       17-inch steel wheels with Sparkle Silver hubcaps
•       Active grille shutters
•       Black door handles
•       Black lower bodyside cladding
•       Black rocker panels
•       Black upper window molding
•       Black beltline molding
•       Configurable daytime running lights
•       Black grille
•       Auto-on/off headlights
•       LED taillights
•       Body-color rear spoiler
•       Silver skid plates
•       Variable-intermittent windshield wipers
•       Manual single-zone climate control
•       Cruise control
•       Steering-wheel-mounted controls
•       Front and rear floormats
•       4.2-inch driver-information center
•       Ice Blue instrument panel lighting
•       Outside temperature display
•       Rotary gear shifter
•       Cloth seating
•       Six-way manual driver’s seat
•       Four-way manual passenger’s seat
•       Manual tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
•       Urethane steering wheel
•       Power windows with one-touch-down driver’s glass
•       4G LTE Wi-Fi
•       SYNC infotainment system
•       Enhanced voice recognition
•       4.2-inch infotainment screen
•       AppLink
•       Two smart-charging USB ports
•       Six-speaker AM/FM audio system
•       Compass
•       Ford MyKey
•       Automatic high-beam headlights
•       Blind-spot monitoring
•       Lane-keep assist
•       Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
•       Rearview camera
•       Post-collision  braking

SE: $27,095

•       All S features, plus
•       Chrome upper window molding
•       Body-color door handles
•       Chrome grille surround
•       Tinted rear glass
•       17-inch Shadow Silver-painted aluminum wheels
•       Automatic climate controls
•       Unique cloth upholstery
•       Heated front seats
•       10-way power driver’s seat
•       Illuminated vanity mirrors
•       Halogen projector headlights
•       LED signature lighting
•       Power, heated mirrors
•       Body-color mirror caps
•       SYNC 3 infotainment system
•       8-inch touchscreen
•       Pinch-to-zoom capability
•       AppLink
•       Apple CarPlay
•       Android Auto
•       SiriusXM
•       Keyless ignition
•       SecuriCode keyless entry keypad

SE Sport Hybrid: $28,255

•       2.5-liter hybrid engine
•       E-CVT
•       Black upper window moldings
•       Black mirror caps
•       Black grille surround
•       17-inch Ebony Black-painted aluminum wheels
•       Leather-wrapped steering wheel
•       12.3-inch digital instrument panel
•       Spare tire delete
•       Tire inflator kit
•       Pedestrian alert

SEL: $29,255

•       All SE features, plus
•       Fog lights
•       Hands-free power liftgate
•       Black roof-rack rails
•       18-inch machined-face aluminum wheels with Dark Stainless pockets
•       Memory for front seats and mirrors
•       Sport Contour bucket seats
•       ActiveX seating material
•       Heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel
•       One-touch up/down front windows
•       Remote ignition
•       Reverse parking sensors

Titanium: $ 33,400

•       All SEL features, plus
•       2.5-liter hybrid engine
•       e-CVT
•       LED headlights
•       Acoustic laminated front glass
•       Bright upper window molding
•       Bright beltline molding
•       LED fog lights
•       Rain-sensing windshield wipers
•       19-inch machined-face aluminum wheels with Dark Tarnish-painted pockets
•       110-volt power outlet
•       Ambient lighting
•       Dual-zone automatic climate control
•       12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
•       Sport Contour seats
•       Leather upholstery
•       Six-way power passenger’s seat
•       Unique interior accents
•       Navigation
•       10-speaker B&O sound system with a subwoofer
•       High-definition radio
•       Universal garage door opener
•       Auto-dimming rearview mirror
•       Perimeter alarm
•       Active Park Assist 2.0
•       Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
•       Lane centering
•       Evasive steering assist

2019 Toyota RAV4 Key Features and Pricing by Trim

LE: $25,650

•       2.5-liter four-cylinder
•       Eight-speed automatic transmission
•       Front-wheel drive
•       Sport, ECO, and normal modes
•       Active cornering assist
•       Hill-start assist
•       Electric power steering
•       Electric parking brake
•       Transmission cooler
•       17-inch steel wheels with six-spoke wheel covers
•       Multi-LED headlights with black bezels
•       Automatic high-beam headlights
•       LED daytime running lights
•       LED taillights
•       Black hexagon-patterned front grille
•       Color-keyed upper front bumper
•       Black lower front bumper
•       Black overfenders
•       Black rear bumper
•       Power mirrors
•       Color-keyed door handles
•       Low-profile black-painted roof rails
•       Rear privacy glass
•       Dual chrome exhaust tips
•       Intermittent windshield wipers
•       Intermittent rear wiper
•       Color-keyed shark-fin antenna
•       Fabric-trimmed seats
•       Six-way manual driver’s seat
•       Four-way manual driver’s seat
•       60/40 split-folding rear seats
•       Black carpeting
•       Urethane steering wheel
•       Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
•       Soft-touch dash and armrests
•       Stitched dash accents
•       Ash-gray headliner
•       Black interior door handles
•       Remote keyless entry
•       Power windows with auto up/down in all positions
•       Illuminated vanity mirrors
•       One USB port in front storage tray
•       Entune 3.0 Audio
•       Six-speaker AM/FM audio system
•       7-inch touchscreen
•       Scout GPS link
•       Siri Eyes Free
•       Apple CarPlay
•       Amazon Alexa
•       Advanced voice recognition
•       Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming
•       In-car Wi-Fi
•       Rearview camera
•       Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
•       Lane-departure warning
•       Lane-keep assist
•       Lane-tracing assist
•       Automatic high-beam headlights
•       Full-speed adaptive cruise control
•       Road-sign assist
•       Emergency assistance
•       Stolen vehicle locator
•       Roadside assistance
•       Automatic collision notification
•       Trailer-sway control
•       Anti-theft engine immobilizer

LE Hybrid: $27,850

•       All LE features, plus
•       2.5-liter hybrid powertrain
•       All-wheel drive
•       Sport, Eco, Normal, Trail, and EV modes
•       Electronically controlled continuously variable transmission
•       17-inch five-spoke silver alloy wheels
•       Active grille shutters
•       Dual-zone automatic climate control
•       Vehicle proximity notification

XLE: $27,450

•       All LE features, plus
•       17-inch five-spoke silver alloy wheels
•       Multi-LED headlights with chrome bezels
•       Fog lights
•       Heated, power mirrors with integrated turn signals
•       One-touch lock/unlock front door handles
•       Power moonroof
•       Variable intermittent windshield wipers
•       Dual-zone automatic climate control
•       Embossed polygon-design seat inserts
•       Silver interior door handles
•       Keyless ignition
•       Cargo cover
•       Four USB charging ports
•       Blind-spot monitoring

XLE Hybrid: $29,650

•       All XLE features, plus
•       2.5-liter hybrid powertrain
•       All-wheel drive
•       LED projector-beam headlights
•       LED accent lighting
•       Sport, Eco, Normal, Trail, and EV modes
•       Electronically controlled continuously variable transmission
•       Active grille shutters
•       Dual-zone automatic climate control
•       Vehicle proximity notification

XLE Premium: $29,650

•       All XLE features, plus
•       19-inch split-five-spoke alloy Super Chrome wheels
•       Power liftgate
•       SofTex-trimmed seats
•       Eight-way power driver’s seat
•       Leather-trimmed steering wheel
•       Leather-trimmed shifter
•       Anti-slip in-dash storage bins

Adventure: $33,050

•       All XLE Premium features, plus
•       All-wheel drive with dynamic torque vectoring
•       Mud, Sand, Rock, Dirt, Snow, Normal, and Downhill driving modes
•       19-inch split-five-spoke wheels with matte-black accents
•       Unique split-bar upper grille
•       Unique color-keyed upper bumper with black lower bumper
•       Larger black overfenders
•       Black rear bumper with a silver insert
•       Black RAV4 and Adventure badges
•       Unique Adventure grade roof rails
•       Active grille shutters
•       Digital instrument cluster
•       Panoramic rearview camera with dynamic guidelines
•       Orange interior accent stitching
•       120-volt deck-mounted power outlet
•       Entune 3.0 Audio Plus infotainment system
•       8-inch touchscreen
•       High-definition radio
•       Downhill Assist Control

XSE Hybrid: $33,850

•       All XLE Hybrid features, plus
•       Sport-tuned suspension
•       18-inch five-spoke black-painted alloy wheels
•       Fog lights with black-painted trim
•       Dark-gray metallic-colored hexagon-patterned grille
•       Two-tone exterior color
•       Black-painted mirror caps
•       Power liftgate
•       Dual-zone automatic climate control
•       Digital speedometer
•       SofTex seating with fabric inserts and blue contrast stitching
•       Eight-way power driver’s seat
•       Heated front seats
•       Leather-wrapped steering wheel
•       Leather-wrapped shifter knob
•       Blue contrast stitching
•       Blue ambient lighting
•       Black headliner
•       Universal garage door opener
•       Entune 3.0 Audio Plus
•       8-inch touchscreen
•       High-definition radio
•       Four USB charging ports
•       Panoramic rearview camera

Limited: $33,650

•       All XLE Premium features, plus
•       Dark-gray metallic-colored hexagon-patterned grille
•       Color-keyed upper front bumper and black lower bumper
•       Black overfenders
•       Metallic gray rear bumper insert
•       Puddle lights
•       Chrome-accented, color-keyed outside door handles
•       Active grille shutters
•       Digital speedometer
•       Heated front seats
•       Dark-brown accented interior and stitching
•       Blue ambient lighting
•       Universal home remote
•       Entune 3.0 Premium Audio infotainment system
•       Dynamic navigation
•       Dynamic POI search
•       Panoramic rearview camera with dynamic guidelines
•       Clearance sonar
•       Rear cross-traffic braking

Limited Hybrid: $35,850

•       All Limited features, plus
•       2.5-liter hybrid powertrain
•       E-CVT
•       All-wheel drive
•       18-inch five-spoke Super Chrome wheels
•       LED projector-beam headlights
•       LED accent lighting
•       Vehicle proximity sensor

Who Should Buy the 2019 Toyota RAV4

The RAV4 is an excellent option for a crossover shopper in the Orange Park area who prefers the looks of a traditional SUV but the drivability of a crossover. The RAV4 delicately combines these realms with its rugged design and crossover platform. Plus, shoppers who often find themselves running out of pavement will appreciate the RAV4 Adventure.

Who Should Buy the 2020 Ford Escape

Jacksonville area shoppers who want a crossover with more car-like features will find this in design and drivability in the 2020 Ford Escape. Plus, its clutter-free cabin and slew of upscale options make is an excellent choice for our more discerning Fleming Island area shoppers.

Is the 2020 Ford Escape the right crossover for you? Come by the Garber Automall showrooms serving the Orange Park, Jacksonville, and Fleming Island areas today to test drive it and see how it feels on the road. Can’t make it in today? That’s OK. You can navigate to our online showroom, find a few in-stock Escape models that suit your needs and schedule a future test drive at your convenience.