Ford Edge vs Ford Escape: Which Is Right For You?
Aaron Turpen is an automotive writer and reviewer living in Wyoming, USA. A life-long off-road and mechanical enthusiast, Aaron has had a varied career in vehicles. Aaron grew up with home mechanics and maintenance on tractors, trucks, and cars as well as small engines and devices. At any one time, he’s worked as an automotive disassembler (aka “junk yard parts puller”), shade tree mechanic, over-the-road truck driver, and more. Aaron’s interests include family-oriented vehicles, off-roading, and anything fun involving tires and steering. With most of his life having been in rural America, Aaron understands pickup trucks and SUVs, winter weather hazards, and what life is like where phrases like “Just down the road” mean “within 100 miles.” Aaron’s automotive writing career has included outlets such as Carfax, CarTalk, NewAtlas.com, and many others. He’s appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered, on various YouTube channels, and on several podcasts. Aaron also operates a couple automotive sites: EVmeme.com and Drivemodeshow.com
In the sport-utility market, most of the focus is on size and capability. The Ford Edge is a midsize offering with a roomy interior and lots of storage and cargo space. The Escape is a compact option with high fuel economy and good day-to-day metrics.
Choosing which is right for you will rest on what you need out of your vehicle. I tested both vehicles to see the differences and similarities between them for myself.
Whichever you choose, both of these Ford offerings have high safety ratings, receive good customer feedback, and have smart interiors.
Table of Contents
Ford Edge vs. Escape Comparison
| Starting MSRP | Horsepower | Max Towing | Seating | City / Hwy MPG | |
| Edge | |||||
| Escape | |||||
| Escape PHEV |
Trim Comparison
Both the Edge and the Escape are Ford vehicles, so the trim model names are similar, but the content is somewhat different. The main difference is that the Edge began its current generation in 2015, whereas the Escape was redesigned in 2020. This changes some of the options and technologies available between the two.
The base models both come with advanced safety features such as forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and lane departure mitigation. The Escape base model (S) is pretty bare-bones, while the Edge base model (SE) has more amenities. The more comparable Escape SE, however, is about equal in terms of what’s included.
Probably the greatest difference to me is in powertrain options. The Ford Edge has two engines, a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a special 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 found in the ST model. A third option pairs the 2.0-liter engine with a plug-in hybrid setup that produces both more horsepower and far better fuel economy. The Escape has three engine options, starting with the turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder base engine that appears in most models. A 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain is available in a few models of the Escape, and a powerful 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder is found in the SEL and Titanium models.
Both the Escape and Edge have front-wheel drive as standard, and most models can have all-wheel drive as an optional upgrade.
The Tale of the Tape
Size is obviously the largest difference between the two vehicles. When I tested both vehicles, it was noticeable from the start.
The 2022 Ford Edge measures 189 inches in length and 76 inches in width and is 68 inches high.
The Ford Escape measures 181 inches long by 74 inches wide and 66 inches tall.
Those numbers give the Escape 104 cubic feet of passenger and cargo space versus the 153.1 cubic feet found in the larger Edge.
Performance & Economy
The best fuel economy in the Ford Edge comes in its hybrid option, which returns 24 mpg combined.
The base engine is similar for the Edge, but the V6 in the ST model drops that to 20 mpg combined. Those are average numbers for the segment.
The smaller Escape offers up to 31 mpg combined with its base engine, 28 mpg combined with its middle engine, and 105 MPGe combined with the plug-in option, which has 37 miles of all-electric driving.
Exterior & Interior Design
The major design differences between the Ford Edge and Ford Escape inside have to do with sizes. Since the Escape is so much larger, it has more storage and comfort-oriented things inherent to its interior than does the more compact Edge. The Edge, however, has more advanced technology thanks to its newer design overall. For most, however, outside of the amount of space available, the differences will be relatively minor.
In cargo space, the Edge is obviously better because of its size, but it’s also easier to access and more usable for larger items than is the Edge. The Escape has a slightly higher load floor, a wider opening, and generally better access when loading multiple or bulky items by comparison.
Price & Value
The value in these vehicles is roughly the same in terms of return on investment.
The Edge has potentially less resale given its older design, but the two are otherwise comparably priced within their vehicle segments.
We think, however, that the payback for the Escape PHEV is better overall for most customers given the fuel savings over time.
Current Ford Edge Deals & Incentives
| Year | Make | Model | Cash Incentives (up to) | Best Avail. APR | Lease Offers | Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ford | Edge | ||||
| 2024 | Ford | Edge | $431/month for 48 months, $4,427 due at signing | 7/8/24 |
You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's Ford deals and average prices paid.
Current Ford Escape Deals & Incentives
| Year | Make | Model | Cash Incentives (up to) | Best Avail. APR | Lease Offers | Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ford | Escape | $339/month for 48 months, $3,289 due at signing | 7/8/24 | ||
| 2024 | Ford | Escape |
You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's Ford deals and average prices paid.
Which Is Better, the Ford Edge or Ford Escape?
Since they are both made by Ford, I found a lot of similarities in the vehicles. The choice between the two comes down to what you need from a vehicle.
The smaller Escape is more fun to drive and more economical, but the Escape is far more spacious and comfortable for more people.
Our top choice, size aside, is the Escape Plug-in Hybrid, which adds high fuel economy to a sporty drive quality even though it does not have an all-wheel-drive option.
