Compact crossovers continue to reign supreme, and we know that here at Garber Automall. That’s why our Ford dealership serving Orange Park, Jacksonville, and Fleming Island, Florida has plenty of 2019 Escapes to satisfy this demand. But how does the Ford Escape stack up against one of the top sellers in this segment, the 2018 Honda CR-V? Keep reading to find out.
Exterior
The Escape’s body checks in at 178.1 inches long and 72.4 inches wide, making it 2.5 inches shorter and 0.6 inches narrower than the CR-V. The Escape’s height checks in at 66.3 inches, making it 0.2 inches taller than the front-wheel-drive CR-V, but it is 0.2 inches lower than the all-wheel-drive Honda.
While the CR-V’s larger body leaves more room inside, buyers who frequently deal with heavy traffic or park in tight spaces will appreciate the Escape’s smaller body. Despite being smaller, the Escape’s 105.9-inch wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than the CR-V’s pushing its wheels toward the corners, which helps with handling and ride quality.
In terms of looks, the 2018 Honda CR-V and 2019 Ford Escape have typical crossover styling, but their styles are aimed at different demographics. The 2019 Escape features more hard angles and an overall sportier look, targeting the younger crowd. The CR-V’s looks are a more toned down and mature to pull in the older, more established crowd.
Advantage: 2019 Ford Escape
- Small body makes parking easier
- Youthful appearance
Advantage: 2018 Honda CR-V
- Larger body leaves more room inside
- Mature looks
Interior
The Ford Escape’s smaller body eats up interior space, but its front legroom is generous at 43.1 inches, beating the CR-V by 1.8 inches. The rest of the Escape’s front seat measurements check in at 39.9 inches of headroom, 54.5 inches of hip room, and 55.9 inches of shoulder room. These give the CR-V an advantage of 0.2 inches of headroom, 0.6 inches of hip room, and 2.9 inches of shoulder room.
The 2019 Ford Escape’s rear seat has plenty of room with 39 inches of headroom, 37.3 inches of legroom, 52.4 inches of hip room, and 55.2 inches of shoulder room. While this is enough  room for most families, the CR-V has even more room with 39.2 inches of headroom, 40.4 inches of legroom, 49.5 inches of hip room, and 55.6 inches of shoulder room.
Cargo room is a huge selling point for compact crossover buyers, and the 2019 Ford Escape offers plenty for most buyers at 34 cubic feet with the seats upright and 68 cubes with the seats folded. The CR-V’s larger body opens even more room for cargo at 39.2 cubes with the seats upright and 75.8 cubes with the seats folded.
Visually, the 2018 Honda CR-V and Ford Escape have typical compact crossover styling cues, but they again show the Escape caters to a younger crowd, while the CR-V aims for more mature buyers. The Escape’s younger feel includes a shapelier dash that creates distinct separation between the driver and passenger, its sharp three-spoke steering wheel, and its sporty gauge cluster. The CR-V caters to the more established crowd with its more horizontally oriented dash, center-stack-mounted gear shifter, and premium trimming.
Advantage: 2019 Ford Escape
- More front-seat legroom
- Youthful appearance
Advantage: 2018 Honda CR-V
- More interior room overall
- Huge cargo capacity
- Mature design
Performance
The Ford Escape and Honda CR-V offer plenty of engine options, but the Escape has one extra option compared to the CR-V. The base engine in the 2019 Ford Escape is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 168 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. One notch up is a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that injects 179 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Topping the range is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that pumps out 245 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. All three engines pair with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The CR-V starts with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that beats the base Escape to the tune of 184 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. The range-topping CR-V engine is a 1.5-liter turbocharged unit that matches the Escape’s 1.5-liter output. The CR-V has no engine option that can compete with the Escape’s 2.0-liter unit. Both CR-V engines mate with a continuously variable transmission.
The EPA rates Honda CR-V at 26 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined with its base engine. With the 1.5-liter engine, the CR-V gets 28 mpg city, 34 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined.
The Escape cannot quite match these numbers. It’s base 2.5-liter engine gets up to 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined. With the 1.5-liter engine, the Escape gets up to 23 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined. Finally, with its range-topping 2.0-liter engine, the 2019 Escape gets up to 22 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined.
Towing is another area where buyers look for an edge when buying a compact crossover. Sure, neither vehicle can tow a massive horse trailer, but the Escape’s 3.500-pound max towing capacity more than doubles the CR-V’s 1,500-pound capacity.
Advantage: 2019 Ford Escape
- Huge towing advantage
- 2.0-liter engine delivers exhilarating performance
- Traditional transmission
Advantage: 2018 Honda CR-V
- More base horsepower
- Better fuel economy
Pricing and Features
The 2019 Ford Escape features four trim levels — S, SE, SEL, and Titanium — and starting prices range from $24,105 to $32,620.
The 2018 Honda CR-V also has four trim levels — LX, EX, EX-L, and Touring — and its prices range from $24,250 to $32,750.
2019 Ford Escape Key Features and Pricing by Trim
S: $24,105
- 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine
- Six-speed automatic transmission
- Electric parking brake
- 17-inch steel wheels with Sparkle Silver hubcaps
- Front-wheel drive
- Integrated blind-spot mirrors
- Single-zone manual climate control
- Compass
- Temperature display
- Urethane steering wheel
- Steering-wheel-mounted audio controls
- Manual-tilt steering wheel
- Four 12-volt power points
- Power windows with one-touch down driver’s window
- Automatic-on/off headlights
- Six-speaker AM/FM/MP3 audio system
- SYNC infotainment system with enhanced voice recognition
- Cloth seating
- 60/40 split-folding rear seat
- Black door handles
- Black upper grille
- Black lower grille
- Black mirror caps
- Black belt-line molding
- Body-color rear spoiler
- Sterling Gray lower front fascia
- Sterling Gray lower rear fascia
- Sterling Gray body-side cladding
- Sterling Gray wheel-lip molding
- Front variable intermittent wipers
- Halogen headlights
- Rearview camera
- Four cargo tie-down hooks
- Keyless entry
- Ford MyKey
SE: $26,500
- All S features, plus
- 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
- 17-inch Sparkle Silver-painted aluminum wheels
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- One-touch power front and rear windows
- Chrome inside door handles
- Push-button start
- Remote ignition
- SiriusXM radio
- SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link
- SYNC 3 infotainment system
- FordPass Connect
- 10-way power driver’s seat
- Body-color door handles
- Silver-painted upper grille with chrome bar insert and surround
- Gloss-black side-view mirrors
- Bright body-side molding
- Fog lights
- Chrome dual-exhaust tips
- Silver-painted front and rear skid plates
- Tinted rear windows
- Side acoustic glass
- Keyless entry keypad
- Perimeter alarm
SEL: $28,445
- All SE features, plus
- Reverse-sensing system
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Leather-wrapped gear shift knob
- Manual tile-and-telescoping steering wheel
- Leather seating
- Heated side-view mirrors
- Daytime running lights
- LED signature lighting
- Black roof-rack rails
- Power liftgate
Titanium: $32,620
- All SEL features, plus
- 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
- 19-inch machined aluminum wheels with Luster Nickel-painted accents
- Heated steering wheel
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- Two additional 12-volt power outlets
- 110-volt power outlet
- Ambient lighting
- Enhanced Active Park Assist with Parallel Parking, Park Out Assist, Reverse Perpendicular Parking, and Forward and Side Sensing System
- Universal garage door opener
- 10-speaker Sony audio system
- Voice-activated navigation system
- 10-way power driver’s seat with memory
- Silver-painted roof-rack rails
- Hands-free liftgate
- Windshield wiper de-icer
- Mirror-mounted puddle lights
- Bi-xenon HID headlights
2018 Honda CR-V Key Features and Pricing by Trim
LX: $24,250
- 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine
- Continuously variable transmission
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Electric parking brake
- Automatic brake hold
- Hill-start assist
- Active noise cancellation
- LED daytime running lights
- Multi-angle rearview camera with guidelines
- Power mirrors
- Active grille shutters
- Auto-off projector-beam halogen headlights
- Keyless entry
- Black door handles
- Black roofline spoiler
- Cruise control
- Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
- Cargo-area tie-downs
- 60/40 split-folding rear seat
- Four-speaker, 160-watt audio system
- 5-inch color LCD screen
- Bluetooth connectivity and audio streaming
- One 1-amp USB port
- Two 12-volt power outlets
- Power windows with auto-up/down driver’s side window
EX: $27,050
- All LX features, plus
- 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
- Remote engine start
- Dynamic rearview camera guidelines
- Forward collision warning
- Lane-departure warning
- Automatic emergency braking
- Road-departure mitigation
- Lane-keep assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Automatic high-beam headlights
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Auto-on/off headlights
- Body-color roofline spoiler
- Body-color door handles
- Body-color mirrors with power operation, heat, and integrated turn signals
- Tinted rear glass
- Security system
- Smart entry with walk-away automatic locking
- Power moonroof
- Fog lights
- Variable intermittent wipers
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Keyless ignition
- Retractable cargo area cover
- Power windows with auto-up/down passenger window
- Heated front seats
- 12-way power driver’s seat with four-way lumbar
- 1.5-amp USB port in center console
- 2.5-amp charging ports in second row
- Six-speaker, 180-watt audio system
- 7-inch Display Audio infotainment system
- HondaLink
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- SiriusXM radio
- SMS text message function
EX-L $29,550
- All EX features, plus
- Power liftgate
- Leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- Universal home remote
- Two-position driver’s seat memory
- Leather-trimmed seats
- Four-way power passenger seat adjustment
- Eight-speaker, 180-watt audio system
Touring: $32,750
- All EX-L features, plus
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Hands-free power liftgate
- Roof rails
- LED headlights
- Dual chrome exhaust outlets
- Navigation
- Nine-speaker, 330-watt premium audio system with subwoofer
- Compass
Who Should Buy the 2019 Ford Escape?
It’s clear Ford designed the 2019 Escape for younger buyers. From its youthful appearance inside and out to its wild 2.0-liter engine, this crossover is great for buyers looking for a fun-to-drive crossover instead of a people hauler.
Who Should Buy the 2018 Honda CR-V?
For buyers with larger families or those who tote around a bunch of cargo, the larger CR-V may be the better buy. The Escape offers a lot of room already, but the CR-V’s cabin is downright massive for its class.
Ready to take the 2019 Ford Escape for a test drive through the streets of Orange Park, Jacksonville, and Fleming Island, FL? Come down to our new-car showroom serving the Jacksonville, Florida area and take it for a spin. Can’t make it in today? You can check out our online inventory too.
