[EVDan]

Interesting, somewhat surprising comparison
Escape vs Tucson Hybrids

Tucson stands out in many ways, Escape more basic / simple / functional but very competent.. Although the Tucson wins on refinement & interior the tester surprisingly the tester preferred Escape seats (softer leather & better padding) …
In this comparison the Escape exceeds EPA estimates by a lot; Tucson exceeded EPA by a bit.

 

[Blue22son]

A bit biased here, but the Escape wasn't even a consideration for me. With the cargo and passenger volume it feels like it's nearly a full class size down in comparison to the Tucson, Rav4, Rogue, and CRV. I have similar feelings about the CX-5 and Forester. So not really a fair comparison on fuel economy. The Rav4 cabin comfort also wasn't in the same league as the Rogue, CRV, and Tucson. The Rogue doesn't have a hybrid so to me, the top two in the class are the CRV and Tucson and it's not even close.

 

[phalkon30]

A bit biased here, but the Escape wasn't even a consideration for me. With the cargo and passenger volume it feels like it's nearly a full class size down in comparison to the Tucson, Rav4, Rogue, and CRV. I have similar feelings about the CX-5 and Forester. So not really a fair comparison on fuel economy. The Rav4 cabin comfort also wasn't in the same league as the Rogue, CRV, and Tucson. The Rogue doesn't have a hybrid so to me, the top two in the class are the CRV and Tucson and it's not even close.

Completely agree. Tested a Rogue, CRV, CX-5, Rav4, Outback, and Santa Cruz

Sat in the escape and felt very cramped, didn't test drive. The Tucson was a better fit for me and having a family that travels and camps

Honestly wish I could have snagged a Tucson Hybrid, but needed a car now and none in sight

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Robert2022]

Lack of available AWD with the Escape Hybrid was a deal breaker for me.

 

[SeattleGrey]

Lack of available AWD with the Escape Hybrid was a deal breaker for me.

Same... I was replacing my 2017 Rogue FWD because of snow here and AWD was a hard Must Have (The Ford Escape has AWD in the ICE and Hybrids, but not the PHEV). I had a weird (to some) secondary Must Have in that given how our driveway and garage are oriented a Top Down 360 Surround View is super useful to backing into (or out of if you pull in nose first) our garage so that feature also dictated our vehicle options/trim levels (eliminated the CRV for example). Hyundai Tucson just had a really nice package to offer everything we were looking for (and quite a lot more)

 

[EVDan]

Lack of available AWD with the Escape Hybrid was a deal breaker for me.

Although I believe most folks would do fine without AWD as long as they have the appropriate tires & decent driving skills, , much of the car owning public has been convinced they need AWD.
The Escape PHEV is gonna lose a lot of sales over that issue.

 

[SeattleGrey]

...much of the car owning public has been convinced they need AWD

Maybe I am too far removed from my driving roots in Ohio after living in California for 10 years before moving to a more rural outskirt area of Seattle but this past winter got stuck twice coming up the hill out of our subdivision. To be fair I was still running All Season tires not Snow; but few of my neighbors have dedicated snow tires either. One differentiator predicting one's success getting up that hill was AWD - those with it never skipped a beat, while those of us running FWDs were frequently seen stuck trying to chain up, dig out, or issue a collection of swears or prayers along the road lol.
Somewhat to your point I do remember people when I lived in CA bragging their new car had AWD as if it were somehow going to magically make them a better driver because the salesman said it was better (and was often a price upgrade) but didn't seem to even have a clue what it even was and might not have been able to tell you what the acronym stood for.
In my case between the snow, rain, and an occasional trailhead that's a little loose I figured it couldn't hurt

 

[SeattleGrey]

... I figured it couldn't hurt

Of course I'd be lying if I didn't admit it gave me a good excuse to look around at new SUVs lol. A solid set of good dedicated winter snow tires would definitely have helped but what's the fun in that?

 

[Robert2022]

Although I believe most folks would do fine without AWD as long as they have the appropriate tires & decent driving skills, , much of the car owning public has been convinced they need AWD.
The Escape PHEV is gonna lose a lot of sales over that issue.

AWD is superior to FWD in slippery conditions, plain and simple.

I grew up in central Indiana and always had RWD and FWD cars. In the military I lived in Germany for three years with a 1972 BMW 2002 tii. Spent a year in North Dakota with a FWD '85 Charger. My first 4x4 was a '97 Jeep Wrangler which is great in a foot of snow, but unless you can use the part-time 4WD it's no better than any RWD car. My first AWD car was a 2002 Subaru WRX, and I got spoiled real fast.

No one needs it, but it sure is nice to have.

 

[phalkon30]

This is my first non-FWD vehicle. I've always survived on snow tires, which I stand by having MUCH better stopping distance.

Gotta say, the AWD in the Tucson is a luxury I'll happily pay for in reduced mileage moving forward. I don't need it in WI, but it is so nice to have. Next year I'll put some snow tires on it and really have some confidence.