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2020 Ford Escape compared with the 2020 Subaru Outback

Safety

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The Escape has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Outback doesn't offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Escape and the Outback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

Warranty

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There are almost 5 times as many Ford dealers as there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Escape's warranty.

Reliability

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The Escape has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine's coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Outback doesn't offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the car's engine.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2019 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 25th, below the industry average.

Engine

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The Escape's standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 14 lbs.-ft. more torque (190 vs. 176) than the Outback 2.5i's standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Escape turbo 3-cylinder is faster than the Outback 2.5i:

Escape

Outback

Zero to 60 MPH

8.4 sec

8.7 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

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On the EPA test cycle the Escape AWD 2.0 turbo gets better fuel mileage than the Outback XT (23 city/31 hwy vs. 23 city/30 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine's cylinders helps improve the Escape 1.5 Turbo's fuel efficiency. The Outback doesn't offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Escape has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it's removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Outback doesn't offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

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For better stopping power the Escape's brake rotors are larger than those on the Outback:

Escape

Outback

Front Rotors

13 inches

12.4 inches

Rear Rotors

11.9 inches

11.8 inches

The Escape stops shorter than the Outback:

Escape

Outback

60 to 0 MPH

123 feet

132 feet

Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

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The Escape's optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Outback Onyx Edition XT/Limited/Touring's 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Escape offers optional 19-inch wheels. The Outback's largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

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The Escape has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Outback doesn't offer variable-assist power steering.

The Escape SE handles at .78 G's, while the Outback Limited XT pulls only .75 G's of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Escape Titanium AWD executes Motor Trend's “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Outback Limited (27.7 seconds @ .64 average G's vs. 28.4 seconds @ .62 average G's).

Chassis

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The Ford Escape may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 pounds less than the Subaru Outback.

The Escape is 10.8 inches shorter than the Outback, making the Escape easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

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The Escape has .2 inches more rear headroom and 1.2 inches more rear legroom than the Outback.

Cargo Capacity

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The Escape has a much larger cargo volume than the Outback with its rear seat up (37.5 vs. 32.5 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

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The Escape offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Outback doesn't offer a remote starting system.

The Escape SEL/Titanium's standard easy entry system glides the driver's seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Outback doesn't offer an easy entry system.

The Escape Titanium offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver's line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Outback doesn't offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Escape and the Outback have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Escape is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Outback prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Escape's standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn't have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Outback's manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Escape Titanium's standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

Both the Escape and the Outback offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Escape SE/SEL/Titanium has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Outback doesn't offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Escape Titanium has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Outback doesn't offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Escape Titanium's Active Park Assist 2.0 can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Outback doesn't offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

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The Escape is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Outback doesn't offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. GTAIT-KCTPD 18.191.238.20 2024-10-06

The Ford Escape outsold the Subaru Outback by 33% during 2019.