Compare the2025 Subaru ImprezaVS 2025 Ford Escape

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Impreza has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Escape doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Impreza. But it costs extra on the Escape.

Both the Impreza and the Escape have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 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 Subaru Impreza is safer than the Ford Escape:

	Impreza	Escape
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22.4%	22.5%
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28.8%	36.3%
Neck Stress	158 lbs.	181 lbs.
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	58 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Impreza is safer than the Ford Escape:

	Impreza	Escape
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	194	197
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	144 lbs.	191 lbs.
Hip Force	6 lbs.	240 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	423 lbs.	816 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	254	344

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 Subaru Impreza is much safer than the Escape:

	Impreza	Escape
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	154	391
Head Peak Forces	no contact	93 G’s
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Torso Max Deflection	1.61 in	1.77 in
Pelvis	GOOD	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	892 lbs.	1160 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	736 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 Impreza, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 7.6% to 8.1% less likely to roll over than the Escape, which received a four-star rating.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Impreza’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Escape’s camshafts. If the Escape’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Impreza’s reliability 21 points higher than the Escape.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Ford With 41 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Ford.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru first in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 13th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Impreza RS 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder is faster than the Ford Escape turbo 3 cyl.:

	Impreza	Escape
Zero to 60 MPH	7.4 sec	8.4 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	16.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.1 MPH	84.5 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Impreza lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Escape doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Impreza gets better mileage than the Escape:

			MPG
Impreza
	AWD	2.0 DOHC flat-4	27 city/34 hwy
		2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
Escape
	AWD	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	26 city/32 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Impreza 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.

The Impreza has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape FWD’s standard fuel tank (16.6 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Impreza has almost a gallon more fuel capacity than the Escape AWD’s standard fuel tank (16.6 vs. 15.7 gallons).

The Impreza has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Escape. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

The Impreza has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Escape doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Impreza Sport/RS’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the Escape:

	Impreza Sport/RS	Escape
Front Rotors	12.4 inches	12.1 inches

The Impreza’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Escape are solid, not vented.

The Impreza stops shorter than the Escape:

	Impreza	Escape
60 to 0 MPH	127 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Impreza’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape’s standard 65 series tires. The Impreza Sport/RS’ tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Escape’s optional 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Impreza RS handles at .81 G’s, while the Escape AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Impreza’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the Escape’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.2 feet).

Chassis

The Impreza is 3.9 inches shorter than the Escape, making the Impreza easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces. The Impreza is 5 inches shorter than the Escape AWD.

The Impreza is 7.7 inches shorter in height than the Escape, making the Impreza much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Impreza easier. The Impreza’s trunk lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Escape’s liftover is 28.1 inches.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Impreza is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Escape. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Ford. J.D. Power ranks Subaru third in service department satisfaction. With a 35% lower rating, Ford is ranked 22nd.

Ergonomics

The Impreza’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Escape’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Impreza’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Escape’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Impreza has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Escape doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Impreza’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Escape offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Subaru Impreza and the Ford Escape, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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