Ford Escape vs Hyundai Santa Fe

Ford Escape vs Hyundai Santa Fe Specs

There are various components that must come together when looking at performance, and both the Ford Escape and Hyundai Santa Fe do a good job of delivering a fun-to-drive experience. However, the 2020 Ford Escape offers more power and engine options to choose from.

With the Ford Escape, you'll have a range of engines to pick between, with the most energetic being a 2.0L EcoBoost® 4-cylinder that generates a whopping 250 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. This setup is coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (AWD)-front-wheel drive (FWD) is available with the three other engine options.

The Hyundai Santa Fe, by comparison, offers a 2.0L 4-cylinder motor that generates 235 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. The transmission is a standard 8-speed automatic and the drivetrain will be either FWD or AWD.

• The 2020 Ford Escape has an available engine that's more powerful than the Hyundai Santa Fe, achieving 250 horsepower and 280-lb ft of torque compared to the Hyundai Santa Fe's 235 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.
• Overall, the Ford Escape engine lineup has four varieties, while the Hyundai Santa Fe offers just a pair of options.

Fuel Economy Estimates

Performance means something different to every person. For you, maybe going as quickly as possible or weaving around rural roads isn't the end goal. Fuel economy is typically the other aspect of performance that comes into play. When comparing the fuel economy ratings for the 2020 Ford Escape and Hyundai Santa Fe, there's a large divide that favors the Escape.

The reason the Escape so easily surpasses the efficiency of the Hyundai Santa Fe is because it offers a pair of hybrid engines, one of which delivers a set amount of all-electric range.

Each hybrid Escape motor utilizes a 2.5L hybrid engine with your choice of plug-in capabilities or not. If you decide to go for the standard hybrid setup, the EPA-estimated fuel economy rating is a stunning 44 city/37 highway MPG.

The Santa Fe, by comparison-in either its standard or optional performance setup-lags well behind. The standard offering reaches just an EPA-estimated 22 city/29 highway MPG, while the optional setup delivers an EPA-estimated 20 city/27 highway MPG.

Customizing the SUV to Your Liking

At some point in the car-shopping process, you're going to want to add or remove certain features, implement unique styling traits, or further personalize the SUV to your daily needs. The easiest way to do this for modern vehicles is by scoping out the trim levels of the model and choosing the right fit for your lifestyle.

With the Ford Escape, a hearty 9-trim lineup provides far more personalization opportunities than the comparative 5-trim offering from Hyundai.

The first two Hyundai trims feel similar, with the SE and SEL offering a decent range of standard features. Moving to the SEL 2.0T introduces the upgraded motor and little else. At the top of the lineup is the Limited and Limited 2.0T. The difference between the pair again comes down to the engine you want. Each offering does its best to push the Hyundai Santa Fe onto the brink of near luxury, yet unfortunately falls short of that lofty target.

With Ford, you get started with a more feature-laden standard offering, the S, before moving up to stylish, efficient choices like the SE, SE Sport Hybrid, and SE Plug-In Hybrid. The fact that the hybrid engines are offered so early in the trim level lineup is a big attraction for many eco-minded families and solo commuters.

From there, you have the SEL and SEL Plug-In Hybrid. The following trims round out the 2020 Ford Escape lineup:

• Titanium Hybrid
• Titanium
• Titanium Plug-In Hybrid

Comparing Safety Features

Keeping you and your passengers protected is a major priority for the Ford Escape and Hyundai Santa Fe.

Each model sports appealing technology, with the Escape placing an emphasis on improved vision by adding Park Out Assist and Reverse Perpendicular Parking. This duo makes it much easier to maneuver in and out of tight spaces.

The capper for the parking systems of the Ford Escape is the available Active Park Assist 2.0 setup. Basically, Active Park Assist 2.0 is an automated way to park your vehicle. You simply need to follow these steps to have your Escape ease its own way into a perpendicular or parallel spot:

1. Line up with the parking space you're hoping to fit into (if you hold down the Active Park Assist button, the Escape can help you find an open spot, too).
2. Shift the 2020 Ford Escape into neutral.
3. Hold down the Active Park Assist button.
4. From there, your Escape will accelerate, decelerate, and steer its way into place!

The Hyundai Santa Fe aims to deliver similar peace of mind when attempting to park with its Parking Distance Warning - Reverse system. However, this SUV simply can't match the extensive parking package offered by the Ford Escape. Certainly, you won't find an automated parking system as thoughtful as that of the Escape!