Ford Escape vs RAV4

"7:07" (fanbrain001) 02/05/2015 at 12:26 • Filed to: None

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Ecoboost 2.o or V6?

It's time for a new vehicle for my mom. I'm the car guy in the family so the burden falls on me to find one she'll like.

My dad likes the idea of the 2012 RAV4 with the V6, mostly because of Toyota reliability (he is a Consumer Reports zealot*) and the power. It has enough cargo area to do the job and my mom will love the V6 power, but I think the RAV4 is a snoozefest especially when compared to the Escape titanium with the 2.0L ecoboost.

Price range is up to $20k.

*even though he swears by CR ratings, he always buys crap cars because he is a cheapskate. The $20k price range is a huge departure from his normal buying process and he's a little gun-shy to buy something this expensive and new

Considerations:

powerful engine

leather seating

tow package

good visibility

enough cargo area for two guitars, an amp, and mic stands

warranty would be nice

Is the 2013+ Escape with the 2.0L ecoboost engine reliable enough for consideration?

We are going out to test drive our candidates this afternoon.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > 7:07 02/05/2015 at 12:29

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it all boils down to what engine you want.

The Ecoboost will be more efficient when not on power, but the v6 will be more consistent with its mileage.

spanfucker retire bitch > 7:07 02/05/2015 at 12:30

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You can ECU tune the shit out of that EB 2.0.

Vimto > 7:07 02/05/2015 at 12:33

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I have a 2013 Fusion with the 2.0T which presumably weighs less than an Escape but the engine and transmission are the same I believe.

Its a powerful motor once that turbo kicks in and really gets moving, but it just sounds like a normal 4 cylinder, you don't hear the turbo. My car has 43k miles on it and according to the Carfax its been trouble free thus far (it was a rental for the first 40k)

Once thing I have noticed with pretty much every recent Ford is that even in the non-sport models the seats are bolstered and tailored more towards smaller people. I'm 5'7 140 lbs and the seats pretty much fit me perfectly, I imagine if I were considerably bigger I'd be uncomfortable.

GlenBenetton > 7:07 02/05/2015 at 12:36

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What's more important to you? Longevity past warranty or power w/fuel economy? It's boils down to that, these days, since turbo'd engines seem to go to 100K as well as NA. Past that I've seen some discrepancies between the two in regards to reliability.

Captain of the Enterprise > 7:07 02/05/2015 at 12:37

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Neither are going to be great at towing anything big. I drove an Escape 2.0 Ecoboost on the highway at around 70 on the freeway and could only get 22, but it pulled pretty good. I've never driven the Rav4 so I can't really recommend one or the other. The Escape is a newer generation though.

PS9 > 7:07 02/05/2015 at 12:39

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Now...I know this appears not to be a RAV4 or Escape at all, but here me out! It's actually competitive with those two. Just look at all the things on the checklist it hits!

Powerful engine? Check, check, and check!

Leather seating? Yup.

Tow package? Well...I mean, it has 500HP, I'm sure it could easily tow things if you wanted

Good visibility? Well, you'll be extremely visible wherever you go in it!

Cargo Area? Roof box!

Warranty? You don't need that. Italian exotics are among the most reliable in the whole world!

AWD comes standard as does the gated shifter. It can all be yours for (six installments of)$20k easily. What are you waiting for? Go for a test drive today!

HammerheadFistpunch > 7:07 02/05/2015 at 12:42

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last year I drove the EB escape, new Rav4 new CR-V and cherokee back to back and the car I hated most was the Escape EB. HATED it. The throttle calibration is maddening, sync is a joke, the brakes are too touchy and the steering is out of touch with the the rest of the cars sporting credentials. Good sound system,nice seats,seemed well put together and...well that's about all I Liked about it. the last generation rav4 is dull but its a good car

7:07 > PS9 02/05/2015 at 12:50

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I'm thinking trailer hitch and small trailer for guitars and amps. I think it will work.

HammerheadFistpunch > 7:07 02/05/2015 at 12:52

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To add; the rav4 V6 with tow package can tow 3500 lbs and will without issue, I wouldn't tow much with the EB and I think its only rated for 1500 lbs.

7:07 > HammerheadFistpunch 02/05/2015 at 12:53

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I'm worried about the control panel and its ease of use in the Escape. It looks like a train wreck. I have a sneaking suspicion the RAV4 will win no matter what I say, even if the Escape is more dynamic, flaws aside.

We will look at CR-V's, but my dad is paranoid about Honda's disposable transmissions.

7:07 > Captain of the Enterprise 02/05/2015 at 12:56

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I think the only problem with the current gen RAV4 is the weak engine.

Rico > 7:07 02/05/2015 at 13:01

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This was an issue in the early 2000 to mid 2000s Honda/Acuras, not much an issue now. Any thoughts on the Mazda CX 5? The engine isn't exactly "powerful" but it has some get up, pretty dynamic driving, looks beautiful, and has plenty of storage (though not as much as other CUVs).

7:07 > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 02/05/2015 at 13:04

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Good thing to keep in mind. The primary driver does about 70% city driving. The 30% highway driving is at ~80mph (Go Utah!).

Steve Zissou > 7:07 02/05/2015 at 14:21

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Can you get a titanium EB2.0 Escape for <$20,000?

bryan40oop > 7:07 02/06/2015 at 01:14

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Hi, I used to work at a ford dealer. AVOID THE ESCAPE LIKE THE PLAGUE.

No, seriously, just do it. The engine? It's ok, nothing great. I haven't seen one blow, nor any turbo failure. Its usually the engines supporting electrical components that are bad. Technology? Is fantastic (When it works). Trans? Like any other autobox. Interior? Cheap, no cheaper than anyone else. However trim pieces seem to "fall" off or misalign a lot. There were 8 recalls on them when I left. 5 of them were common. The fire hazard oil leak? Yeah they just bandaided that problem with the recall. But seriously the electrics are shit par.

Fun story, we had a new ~10k mile Escape 2013 model. No forward or reverse movement. Blah blah blah performed replace or repair. Ford wanted to repair. We had the vehicle 2 months due to parts back order. Would of been longer, but the customer was threatening ford with this and that.

Repaired trans, re-calibrated pcm, tcm, etc, etc. Took veh. out for test drive, smoke started pouring within 50yrds. Limped it back, engine oil was pouring out the exhaust tips. Drained what was in the pan ~8 quarts, Fram oil filter.

The customer had overfilled (of course they denied this) the oil. This engine only held 4.6qts total. Tech said this is what blew the transmission. We didn't tell ford obviously, they would reject the warranty transmission repair claim.

7:07 > bryan40oop 02/06/2015 at 14:44

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Drove an Ecoboost 2.0 Escape titanium plus deluxe whatever and thought it was ok, but I don't think I can trust it for some of the reasons you mentioned above and the TSB's and little problems that would drive you nuts. That, and the retarded amount of tech that my mom would never use.

Drove a C-max SEL too. That was interesting.

bryan40oop > 7:07 02/06/2015 at 15:34

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It's littered with little problems here and there. The most expensive repairs I seen under warranty was easily the electrical components. BCM, APM, etc etc. And the sync my touch, if you find yourself in a ford / lincoln with my touch, get premium care warranty from ford.

Vimto > 7:07 04/15/2015 at 22:33

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I don't have any experience with either vehicle but I do own a 2.0T Ecoboost Ford Fusion SE. IMO its amply powered, if not very quick and taught for a family sedan of its size, and averages 27 mpg consistently, I get around 32 on the highway usually.

Reliability wise, it hasn't had any engine or transmission issues in 48k miles, but it has a couple of trim issues. glassy plastic band separating the side windows just behind the a-pillars is pulling out on both sides and the passenger side sun visor keeps falling out of the roof. Other than that, it seems like quality.