Toyota RAV4 Vs. Ford Escape: Compare Cars - The Car Connection
The Escape decisively beat the RAV4 in our comparison, with higher scores for styling and interior design, fuel efficiency, and a strong advantage in performance. The current Ford Escape brought an attractive, athletic look and a vastly improved interior to a model previously known for its upright, SUV-like lines and utilitarian cabin. Now the Escape offers rakish angles and almost the look of a hot hatchback, while the Toyota's more evolutionary styling direction--a few odd lines included--is tidy but lacking in charm. Behind the wheel, the Escape's combination of a rather low dash but upright driving position feels a little more carlike than the RAV4's tall, boxy cabin. The RAV4 is supposed to get some upgrades for 2016, but this year, the cabin trims and surfaces of the top models feel cut-rate (the base LE has more charm). The Escape offers a well-damped, taut ride and sportier roadholding than the pedestrian RAV4's softer, more compliant suspension and body roll in corners. In the RAV4, you still hear the engine perhaps more than you should, and Ford's larger turbo engine can become raucous when pushed hard as well. The Toyota RAV4 offers only a single powertrain for now: a 176-horsepower 2. 5-liter four-cylinder engine with a six-speed automatic transmission. Source: www.thecarconnection.com
