Compare the2025 Chevrolet TraxVS 2025 Ford Escape

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Trax and the Escape have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Trax is safer than the Ford Escape:

	Trax	Escape
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Compression	20 lbs.	23 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	93/94 lbs.	188/315 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Trax is safer than the Ford Escape:

	Trax	Escape
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	405 lbs.	816 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Chevrolet Trax is safer than the Escape:

	Trax	Escape
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Peak Forces	no contact	93 G’s
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Torso Max Deflection	1.5 in	1.77 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	8 MPH
Head Protection	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Force	335 lbs.	379 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	892 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Trax is 1.4% to 1.9% less likely to roll over than the Escape.

Warranty

The Trax’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Escape’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 9th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 65 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 23rd.

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Trax uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Escape with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Trax stops much shorter than the Escape:

	Trax	Escape
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Trax RS’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escape (245/45R19 vs. 225/65R17).

The Trax LS/LT’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape’s standard 65 series tires. The Trax RS’ optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Escape’s optional 55 series tires.

The Trax has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Escape doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Trax ACTIV handles at .84 G’s, while the Escape ST-Line Elite AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Trax ACTIV executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Escape (27.5 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Chassis

The Chevrolet Trax may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 450 pounds less than the Ford Escape.

The Trax uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Escape doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Towing

The Trax can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Trax can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Escape can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

The Trax’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Escape does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Trax’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Escape’s standard power windows’ passenger windows don’t open automatically.

Recommendations

The Trax was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2025 and 2024. The Escape hasn’t been picked since 2001, and the Escape has only been chosen once.

The Chevrolet Trax outsold the Ford Escape by 32% during 2024.

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