Compare the2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross SportVS 2023 Ford Escape

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Atlas Cross Sport 4Motion’s standard Hill Descent Assist allows you to creep down safely. The Escape doesn’t offer Hill Descent Assist.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Atlas Cross Sport has standard Rear Traffic Alert with automatic braking, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Cross Traffic Braking costs extra on the Escape and isn't offered on the Escape Base.

Both the Atlas Cross Sport and the Escape have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport weighs 607 to 1061 pounds more than the Ford Escape. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is safer than the Ford Escape:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Escape
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	48	197
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	64 lbs.	191 lbs.
Hip Force	215 lbs.	240 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	529 lbs.	816 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	309	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 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is much safer than the Escape:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Escape
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	42	391
Head Peak Forces	no contact	93 G’s
Neck Tension	156 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.83 in	1.1 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.1 in	1.77 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	8 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	163	168
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.43 in	1.54 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	379 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	848 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Atlas Cross Sport its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 50 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escape last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

The Atlas Cross Sport comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Escape’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Escape’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Atlas Cross Sport for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Escape.

Reliability

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Escape’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Atlas Cross Sport’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 Atlas Cross Sport’s reliability 17 points higher than the Escape.

Engine

The Atlas Cross Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 88 more horsepower (269 vs. 181) and 83 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 190) than the Escape’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder. The Atlas Cross Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 19 more horsepower (269 vs. 250) than the Escape’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is faster than the Ford Escape turbo 3 cyl.:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Escape
Zero to 60 MPH	7.7 sec	8.4 sec
Quarter Mile	15.9 sec	16.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90 MPH	84.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport 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 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Atlas Cross Sport has 3.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape FWD’s standard fuel tank (18.6 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Atlas Cross Sport has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape AWD’s standard fuel tank (18.6 vs. 15.7 gallons).

The Atlas Cross Sport 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.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Atlas Cross Sport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Escape:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Escape
Front Rotors	13.2 inches	13 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	11.9 inches

The Atlas Cross Sport’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 Atlas Cross Sport stops shorter than the Escape:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Escape
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	137 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Atlas Cross Sport has larger standard tires than the Escape (245/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escape (265/45R21 vs. 225/65R17).

The Atlas Cross Sport SE’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 Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Escape’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Atlas Cross Sport SE has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Escape. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Escape.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Atlas Cross Sport’s wheelbase is 10.6 inches longer than on the Escape (117.3 inches vs. 106.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas Cross Sport is 4.6 inches wider in the front and 5.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Escape.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the Escape’s (58% to 42%). This gives the Atlas Cross Sport more stable handling and braking.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion handles at .81 G’s, while the Escape AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Escape (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Atlas Cross Sport has 7.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Escape (111.9 vs. 104).

The Atlas Cross Sport has 3.2 inches more front hip room, 3.9 inches more front shoulder room, 5.4 inches more rear hip room and 4.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Escape.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Atlas Cross Sport’s rear seats recline. The Escape’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Escape with its rear seat up (40.3 vs. 37.5 cubic feet). The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Escape with its rear seat folded (77.6 vs. 65.4 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Atlas Cross Sport’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Escape doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Ford Escape is limited to 3500 pounds. The Atlas Cross Sport offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The Atlas Cross Sport uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Escape uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Atlas Cross Sport’s front and rear power windows all 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.

If the windows are left open on the Atlas Cross Sport the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Escape can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Escape’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Atlas Cross Sport SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Escape doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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 Atlas Cross Sport’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Escape’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Atlas Cross Sport offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Escape doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Atlas Cross Sport also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Atlas Cross Sport to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Escape doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Escape and aren’t offered on the Escape Base.

When the Atlas Cross Sport SEL is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Escape’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Atlas Cross Sport has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Escape, and aren’t available on the Escape Base. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Escape.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Atlas Cross Sport keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Escape doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Atlas Cross Sport has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Escape.

The Atlas Cross Sport has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Escape S doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Atlas Cross Sport has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Escape Active/ST-Line/Platinum.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Atlas Cross Sport has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Escape S doesn’t offer rear vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Escape and isn’t available on the Escape Base.

The Atlas Cross Sport offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Escape doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Ford Escape isn't recommended.

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