The sporty 2024 Ford Escape is fun for everyone and is a great every day driver for work. While it has its aficionados, 2024 is, unfortunately, likely the last model year before an EV comes to take its place. If you’re thinking of getting one, now is the time, but before you sign on the dotted line, let's take a look at how it stacks up against the ever popular Honda CR-V.
Key Takeaways:
- The Ford Escape has only seen minor changes for 2024.
- The 2024 Escape has dropped the previous year’s base model, which is now fleet only. Today’s consumer line starts with the Active trim.
- Ford is discontinuing the Escape to focus its energies on EVs.
What Trim Levels are Available For the 2024 Ford Escape?
The 2024 Escape lost its base model from the year before—that is now “fleet only”. This year’s consumer line-up starts with the Active trim:
- Active: $29,495
- ST-Line: $30,490
- ST-Line Select: $34,040
- Platinum: $37,465
- ST-Line Elite: $38,460
- Plug-in Hybrid: $40,500
The Honda C-RV is nearly equally priced and has the same number of trim-levels.
- LX: $29,500
- EX: $32,010
- Sport-Hybrid: $34,050
- EX-L: $34,660
- Sport-L Hybrid: $37,050
- Sport Touring Hybrid: $40,200
What Engines Are Found Under the Hood of the 2024 Ford Escape?
The Escape’s Active and ST-Line come standard with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine that packs a light punch with 180 horsepower and 199 lb-feet of torque. The ST-Line Select, ST-Line Elite, and Platinum lines feature a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering a respectable 250 horses and 280 lb-ft of torque. Its PHEV features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors with 210 horsepower and 155 lb.-ft of torque.
The ST-Line Select, ST-Line Elite, and Platinum are even more powerful, thanks to a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine supplying 250 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. These trims also have the option of AWD with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
In comparison, the CR-V line (with the exception of the Hybrid) has only a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, delivering 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque. Its Hybrid features a 2.0-liter inline-four cylinder with two electric motors, delivering 204 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque.
The 2.0 allows higher trim-levels a towing capacity of up to 3,500 pounds. In comparison, the 2024 Honda CR-V has a maximum towing capacity 1,500 pounds: it can tow only about 1,000 pounds on gas-powered trims.
The Escape’s PHEV gets 37 mpg overall; in hybrid mode, it checks in at 40 mpg combined. Higher trims also have the option of a hybrid four-cylinder engine, which earns them 39 mpg combined. The Honda also checks in at 40 mpg combined for its hybrid.
What Infotainment System is Found in the 2024 Ford Escape?
Lower-level trims on the Escape feature an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that can be updated to a 13.2-inch display, which is standard to the ST-Line Elite and Hybrid Platinum trims. The Honda’s touch screen is smaller, at 7.0-inches, but the EX-L, Sport-L Hybrid, and Sport Touring Hybrid trims have a 9.0-inch infotainment display.
Both the Escape and CR-V have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but the CR-V's features are fairly basic from there. Meanwhile, the Escape’s Wi-Fi hotspot, phone integration and an advanced GPS system will make your drive that much more pleasurable.
How Much Cargo Space Does the 2024 Ford Escape Have?
The 2024 Ford Escape and Honda CR-V are both fairly spacious. The Escape seats five occupants and has 37.5 cubic feet with the seats filled. Rear seats can be slid forward or backward to accommodate passengers of all sizes.
When the rear seats are folded down there’s 65.4 cubic feet of space. The CR-V has a little more space, 39.2 cubic feet, with 75.8 cubic feet when rear seats are folded down.
Is the 2024 Ford Escape Better Than the 2024 Honda CR-V?
While there’s a lot of similarities between the two, the Ford Escape's many engine options trump the CR-V’s. Ford is leaning into the EV market and the end of the Escape is nearing. If you’re looking for a jaunty and reliable SUV that will check all your boxes, now is the time to take a test drive at Karl Flammer Ford. Call us today!