Can the Ford Escape Take on the Jeep Renegade?
The Ford Escape seems a little cooler than we thought. It may have more off-roading chops than expected. Heck, the Ford Bronco Sport, even borrowed a few parts from it. But how does the Ford Escape compare to the compact off-roading king, the Jeep Renegade?
Ford Escape VS Jeep Renegade
The Ford Escape starts around $24k, while the Jeep Renegade starts around $22k, providing about $2k in savings. The Ford Escape has a lot more trim levels than the Jeep Renegade that raise the price to around $38k. Meanwhile, the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk, the highest trim level for the Renegade, starts around $28k.
Also, the Ford Escape beats the Jeep Renegade when it comes to fuel economy because it has a hybrid powertrain option. We won’t see the hybrid Jeep Renegade 4xe until 2022.
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The Ford Escape seems a little cooler than we thought. It may have more off-roading chops than expected. Heck, the Ford Bronco Sport, even borrowed a few parts from it. But how does the Ford Escape compare to the compact off-roading king, the Jeep Renegade?
Ford Escape and Jeep Renegade performance
The Ford Escape has a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine that produces 181 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque. You can upgrade to the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine for 209 horsepower and 153 lb-ft of torque. Also, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine provides 250 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque.
With the Ford Escape, you can tow up to 3,500 lb. It also accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds. However, the Ford Escape Titanium can reach 60 mph in only 6.9 seconds.
The Jeep Renegade has two engine options. The standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine pumps out 180 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. This is on par with the base engine in the Escape.
Plus, the 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine provides 170 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. The Jeep Renegade can tow up to 2,000 lb and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds, making it a slightly slower option by .6 seconds.
For off-roading purposes, the Ford Escape only comes with all-wheel-drive. The Jeep Renegade has true 4×4 capability. Also, the Escape has a lower ground clearance and doesn’t come with skid plates to protect the undercarriage.
The Jeep Renegade also has driving modes for snow, mud, rock crawling, and more, making it the more capable SUV for maneuvering in slippery conditions or for reaching your campsite at the end of a dirt trail. The Ford Escape has similar driving modes, but risks getting stuck much more easily.
Ford Escape and Jeep Renegade features
The Ford Escape is about 20″ longer than the Jeep Renegade, but the SUVs have almost the same amount of space for drivers and passengers. The Ford Escape has up to 65 cubic feet of cargo space while the Renegade tops out around 50.3 cubic feet.
Both of these SUVs are outfitted with advanced tech, including digital cluster displays and the ability to connect to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But the Ford Escape also has an optional heads up display.
Both of these SUVs also come with a variety of standard safety features like rear-cross traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring. The Ford Escape has a few more options for being a daily driver around the city, while the Jeep Renegade is the better off-roader.
