Ford Escape vs Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid

The 2024 Ford Escape received a significant makeover, carrying over the updates from the previous year. Ford revamped the front end, introduced new wheel designs, and enhanced the technology with next-generation infotainment and safety features. The changes gave the Escape a more aggressive look, replacing the wide-eyed, toothless smile of its predecessor. Despite these updates, the rest of the SUV maintained a soft and generically appealing appearance. The 2024 Escape was available in various trims, including Active, ST-Line, ST-Line Select, Platinum, ST-Line Elite, and Plug-in Hybrid, with prices ranging from $33,049 to $46,999, excluding additional fees. The ST-Line Elite trim, which we tested, featured premium options like Rapid Red paint, black 19-inch wheels, and a Panoramic Vista Roof, bringing the total cost to $49,924. While the interior initially appeared upscale with diamond-stitched leather and tech upgrades, the glossy surfaces and stiff upholstery raised questions about its value.

In contrast, the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid offered a more conservative and familiar design, drawing inspiration from the popular RAV4. This approach resulted in a larger version of the RAV4, with seating for up to eight and ample cargo space. The Grand Highlander's interior prioritized function over form, with a layer of luxury in the Platinum trim. While the glossy hard plastic and unlined storage surfaces explained its value, the controls were logically laid out with matte black surfaces and white iconography. The climate system was user-friendly, featuring large temperature adjustment knobs, but the infotainment interface had its quirks, such as a tiny volume knob and the absence of a tuning knob. The Grand Highlander was available in XLE, Limited, and Platinum Hybrid Max trims, with prices for hybrid powertrains ranging from $57,465 to $69,060, including destination charges.

The 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line Elite offered two powertrain options: a 192-horsepower hybrid with an expected fuel economy of 6.0 L/100 km in combined driving, and a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, averaging 8.4 L/100 km with AWD. Our test vehicle featured the turbo engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and AWD, which was standard in Canada from the ST-Line Select trim and up. The AWD system included a driveline disconnect feature to improve fuel economy, and drivers could choose between Eco, Normal, Sport, and Slippery driving modes. However, the absence of an Off-Road mode was notable. The turbocharged engine provided quick acceleration, but the driving dynamics didn't fully match the sporty appearance. The ride was soft and compliant, with nimble handling in typical driving situations, but the suspension allowed too much body motion. The brake pedal was responsive, but the steering felt sluggish and numb. The turbo engine's potential seemed wasted in this application, and the hybrid powertrain was recommended for better long-term savings.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max emphasized performance with a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine and electronic full-time AWD, producing 362 net horsepower. This setup allowed the Grand Highlander to accelerate swiftly, with the traditional six-speed automatic transmission avoiding the droning common in CVTs. While the Hybrid Max offered impressive power, it came with a fuel economy trade-off, rated at 8.8 L/100 km combined, compared to the Grand Highlander Hybrid's 7.0 L/100 km. The Hybrid Max could tow up to 2,268 kilograms, 681 kg more than the standard hybrid. During testing, it averaged 9.1 L/100 km on a balanced city and highway route and 10.1 L/100 km on a mountainous loop. The Hybrid Max's acceleration was smooth, with electric motors eliminating turbo lag. The ride quality was soft and isolating, but road undulations could cause vertical bounding and lateral rocking. Handling was secure up to a point, with early tire scrub and squeal, but it felt confidence-inspiring at a slower pace. The Grand Highlander offered excellent outward visibility, aided by available camera systems.

The 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line featured a black interior with cloth inserts and artificial leather bolsters, accented by red stitching for a sporty touch. Leather was optional in 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. However, ventilated front seats were absent, which would have been appreciated during a heatwave. The front seats were large and supportive, with a height-adjustable front passenger seat, a rarity in the segment. The back seat was comfortable when slid to its rearmost position, and access to all four doors was easy. Interior storage was generous in the front, but rear passengers had fewer accommodations. Cargo volume measured 1,061 litres behind the back seat (974 litres for the hybrid), expanding to 1,852 litres (1,721 litres in the hybrid) with the rear seat folded. The test vehicle offered deep storage areas and a grocery bag hook in the cargo area.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid provided comfortable seating in all three rows, ample storage, and over 2,700 litres of maximum cargo space. However, many storage locations were unlined, potentially contributing to noise and vibration. The Platinum-trim test vehicle featured a Portobello interior with leather and artificial suede upholstery, adding a touch of luxury. The front and second-row seats were heated and ventilated, with supportive cushions. The rear doors were long, requiring ample space to open, which could be challenging when buckling a child into a safety seat. The mid-height corners of the rear doors had sharp angles, posing a risk of dents to neighbouring vehicles. The test vehicle had second-row captain's chairs with a removable centre console, creating a pass-through or a generous portal to access 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 behind the third-row seat measured 586 litres, with some compartmentalized storage underneath. Folding the third-row bench seat expanded cargo capacity to 1,640 litres, and folding the second row provided 2,761 litres of space.

The 2024 Ford Escape came with digital instrumentation, featuring an 8-inch display in lower trims and a 12.3-inch display in upper trims. The ST-Line Elite test vehicle had the larger display with pleasing graphics and ample data. The 13.2-inch Sync 4 infotainment system impressed with its landscape format and intuitive layout. However, the colour theme appeared washed out, and thin fonts were challenging to read at a glance. The dual-zone automatic climate controls were integrated into the screen, which was not ideal. Lower trims had an 8-inch display with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and FordPass Connect services. The larger touchscreen added a one-year subscription to connected navigation. The test vehicle had a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system, but the speakers were damaged. Sync 4 exhibited lag time between inputs and response, and the wireless smartphone charger heated an iPhone excessively. The voice recognition system was excellent, and switching between Apple CarPlay and the native environment was easy. The engine start/stop button was oddly placed, and there was no tuning knob. The test vehicle also had an optional head-up display (HUD) and Active Park Assist 2.0, which worked well but was impractical in busy areas.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid featured a 7-inch digital driver display in XLE trim, with a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel in Limited and Platinum trims. All Grand Highlanders had a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, tastefully integrated above a traditional climate control panel. The system included wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. Toyota Connected Services plans offered features like automatic collision notification, SOS emergency response, safe teen driver settings, cloud-based navigation, and a digital voice assistant. The infotainment system was user-friendly, but the inability to view two main-menu screens simultaneously and the low-contrast font were drawbacks. The digital voice assistant responded accurately to commands, and the JBL premium audio system delivered better sound quality than expected. The Platinum test car had a colour head-up display, a camera-based digital rear-view mirror, and a surround-view camera system.

The 2024 Ford Escape came equipped with a standard post-collision automatic braking system and Ford Co-Pilot360, a suite of driving assistance systems. Key features 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 had adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, evasive steering assist, lane-centring assist, and a 360-degree surround-view camera system. However, the lane-keeping systems displayed inconsistent behaviour, and the predictive speed assist slowed the SUV excessively. The adaptive cruise control and lane-centring systems shut down unexpectedly during testing. On highways, the Co-Pilot360 technology performed better, with smoother adaptive cruise control and more confident lane-keeping. The NHTSA awarded the 2024 Escape five-star ratings across the board, except for a four-star rollover resistance rating. The IIHS had not rated the 2024 Escape at the time of writing, but the 2023 model received Good ratings, except for a Marginal score in a new side-impact safety test.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid was equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0), offering a comprehensive suite of standard safety features and driver assistance technologies. The system included lane keep assist for highway driving, working with adaptive cruise control for a high level of automation, though not hands-free like Ford's BlueCruise or GM's Super Cruise. Proactive Driving Assist (PDA) was also standard, automatically braking and steering to maintain safe distances, but it was found to be irritating and often turned off. Overall, the Grand Highlander's safety tech operated with accuracy and refinement, though the lane keep assist system occasionally strayed too close to lane markers. The camera system's takeover of the screen at intersections was more annoying than helpful. The Grand Highlander received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA but fell short of the IIHS Top Safety Pick rating due to "Acceptable" ratings for headlight performance and small overlap frontal-impact protection.