Ford Escape vs Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid

The 2024 Ford Escape carried forward the updates from its 2023 redesign, which included a restyled front end, new wheel designs, and an updated trim lineup. These changes, along with next-generation infotainment and enhanced safety features, made the SUV more appealing. The previous model's wide-eyed, toothless smile was replaced by a more aggressive look, although the rest of the SUV retained a soft and generically appealing appearance. The Escape was available in several trims, including Active, ST-Line, ST-Line Select, ST-Line Elite, Platinum, and Plug-in Hybrid, with prices ranging from $29,345 to $40,500, excluding the destination charge. Our test vehicle, an ST-Line Elite, featured Rapid Red paint, black 19-inch wheels, and a Panoramic Vista Roof, bringing the total price to $43,650. The interior, while initially appearing upscale with diamond-stitched leather, revealed excessively glossy surfaces and stiff upholstery, raising questions about its value.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid offered a conservative and familiar design, drawing inspiration from the previous-generation RAV4. This approach resulted in a vehicle that resembled a larger RAV4 with seating for up to eight and ample cargo space. The interior emphasized function over form, with a layer of luxury in the Platinum trim. While glossy hard plastic and unlined storage surfaces were present, the controls were logically laid out, and overall material quality was decent. The climate system was user-friendly, featuring large temperature-adjustment knobs, but the infotainment interface had a tiny volume knob and lacked a tuning knob. The Grand Highlander was available in various trims, including LE, XLE, Limited, Nightshade, and Platinum, with prices ranging from $43,855 to $61,770, including the destination charge.

The 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line Elite offered a choice between a 192-horsepower hybrid powertrain with an expected 39 mpg in combined driving or a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, averaging 26 mpg. Our test vehicle featured the turbo engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive (AWD). The AWD system included a driveline disconnect feature to improve fuel economy, and drivers could select between Eco, Normal, Sport, and Slippery driving modes. The Escape could tow up to 3,500 pounds with the turbocharged engine. While the turbo engine provided quick acceleration, the ST-Line's ride was soft and compliant, with handling that felt nimble in typical driving situations but allowed too much unwanted body motion. The brake pedal was responsive, but the steering felt sluggish and numb. The turbo engine's potential was not fully realized, and the hybrid powertrain was recommended for better fuel efficiency.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max focused on performance with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and electronic full-time AWD with two electric motors, producing 362 net horsepower. This setup allowed the Grand Highlander to accelerate quickly, and its traditional six-speed automatic transmission avoided the droning common in CVTs. While the Hybrid Max offered impressive acceleration, it came with a fuel economy trade-off, achieving 27 mpg compared to the Grand Highlander Hybrid's 36 mpg. The Hybrid Max could tow up to 5,000 pounds, 1,500 more than the Grand Highlander Hybrid. During testing, it averaged 26 mpg on a level driving route and 23.3 mpg on a mountainous evaluation loop. The Hybrid Max's acceleration was smooth, and the ride quality was soft and isolating, although road undulations could cause vertical bounding and lateral rocking. Handling was secure up to a modest point, with early tire scrub and squeal when cornering aggressively.

The 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line featured a black interior with cloth inserts and artificial leather bolsters, accented by red stitching. Leather was optional with the ST-Line Elite trim, but it was not recommended due to its uncomfortable feel. The test model included ambient interior lighting, dual-zone automatic climate control, power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. The front seats were large and supportive, and the back seat was comfortable when slid into its rearmost position. Interior storage was generous in the front, but rear passengers had less accommodation. Cargo volume measured 37.5 cubic feet behind the back seat (34.4 cubic feet for the hybrid) and 65.4 cubic feet with the rear seat folded (60.8 cubic feet in the hybrid). The test vehicle offered deep storage areas on either side of the cargo load floor and a grocery bag hook.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid provided comfortable seating in all three rows, ample storage, and nearly 100 cubic feet of maximum cargo space. However, many storage locations were unlined, potentially contributing to noise and vibration. The Platinum-trim test vehicle featured a Portobello (brown) interior with leather and artificial suede upholstery, heated and ventilated front and second-row seats, and supportive cushions. The second-row captain's chairs with a removable center console created a pass-through to the third row. The rearmost seats were reasonably comfortable for adults and tall teens, with more distance from the head restraint to the rear liftgate than many three-row SUVs. Cargo space measured 20.6 cubic feet behind the third-row seat, 57.9 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.5 cubic feet with the second row folded.

The 2024 Ford Escape featured digital instrumentation, with lower trims having an 8-inch display and upper trims, including the ST-Line Elite, featuring a 12.3-inch display. The test vehicle's 13.2-inch Sync 4 infotainment system was presented in a landscape format, offering an intuitive layout. However, the color theme appeared washed out, and the thin fonts were difficult to reference at a glance. The dual-zone automatic climate controls were integrated into the screen, which was not preferable. Sync 4 included wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and FordPass Connect services. The larger touchscreen added Amazon Alexa and a complimentary three-year subscription to connected navigation. The test vehicle had a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system, but the speakers were damaged. The voice recognition system was excellent, but there was a lag time between inputs and response. The test vehicle also had an optional head-up display (HUD) and Active Park Assist 2.0, a semi-autonomous parking assistance technology.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid featured a 7-inch digital driver display in LE and XLE trims, while Limited, Nightshade, and Platinum trims had a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel. All Grand Highlanders had a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which was tastefully integrated above a traditional climate control panel. The system included wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. Toyota Connected Services plans offered features such as a Wi-Fi hotspot, automatic collision notification, SOS emergency response, and a digital voice assistant. The infotainment system was easy to use, but the delicate, low-contrast font could be hard to see. The digital voice assistant responded quickly and accurately to commands. The Platinum test car included a color head-up display, a camera-based digital rear-view mirror, and a JBL premium audio system with better-than-expected sound quality.

The 2024 Ford Escape came with a standard post-collision automatic braking system and Ford Co-Pilot360, a collection of driving assistance systems. These included forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high-beam headlights. The ST-Line Elite also featured adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, evasive steering assist, lane-centering assist, and a 360-degree surround-view camera system. While driving, the lane-keeping systems displayed inconsistent behavior, and the predictive speed assist slowed the SUV too much for upcoming curves. On freeways, the Co-Pilot360 technology was more effective. The 2024 Escape received five-star ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), except for a four-star rollover resistance rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had not rated the 2024 Escape at the time of writing.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid was equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0), which included a comprehensive list of standard safety features and driver-assistance technologies. These worked with the adaptive cruise control to provide a high level of automation, although not hands-free operation. Proactive Driving Assist (PDA) was also standard, but it was found to be irritating and was often turned off. The safety tech operated with accuracy and refinement, although the lane-keep assist system occasionally strayed too close to lane markers. The Grand Highlander earned a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) but did not achieve the Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) due to "Acceptable" ratings for headlight performance and small overlap frontal-impact protection.