2022 Ford Escape vs. 2022 Ford Bronco Sport: Price, Fuel Economy, and Features Compared

Automakers can’t have enough small SUVs in their lineups, and Ford has two to choose from: Which is best for you?

Clifford Atiyeh | 

Mar 25, 2022 | 3 min read

Ford

Ford builds two compact SUVs to please two types of buyers. The Ford Escape looks and drives like a lifted car, as it was redesigned for 2020 with a goal to win over drivers of the discontinued Focus hatchback. The Ford Bronco Sport was new for 2021 and is like the first Escape from 2001 — a truck-like design with more off-road capability. Here's how these two Ford SUVs compare.

Price

The 2022 Escape starts at $27,255 with destination fees for the base front-wheel drive (FWD) S trim. There are 10 trims in total. All-wheel-drive (AWD) is a $1,500 option. The SE Hybrid starts at $29,740. The front-wheel-drive-only Escape Plug-in Hybrid begins at $34,785 and is eligible for a maximum $6,843 federal tax credit. The most affordable Escape with the most powerful engine is an SEL with AWD at $35,335. A loaded Escape Titanium Plug-in Hybrid will top out around $44,000.

The 2022 Bronco Sport starts at $28,910 for a base trim with destination (which is higher than the Escape's destination) but comes with standard AWD. The trim lineup is much simpler than the Escape’s. Three more models are available: Big Bend ($30,475), Outer Banks ($34,725), and Badlands ($35,585). A loaded Badlands maxes out around $42,000.

Fuel Economy

As its taller, more robust body suggests, the Bronco Sport consumes more fuel than the sleeker Escape despite sharing the same turbocharged engines and eight-speed transmission. Most Bronco Sport models are powered by a 1.5L turbocharged three-cylinder that delivers 181 hp and estimated fuel economy ratings of 25 mpg city/28 mpg highway by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The top Badlands trim comes with the 2.0L turbo-four, which delivers significantly more power (250 hp) with a mild fuel-economy penalty (21/26 mpg).

Escape models with AWD have the same turbo three-cylinder engine and return 26/31 mpg. That's for the most popular S, SE, and SEL trims. In FWD, the same engine returns 28/34 mpg. The SEL and Titanium with the turbo four-cylinder return 22/31 mpg and come only in AWD. The fuel-economy champ is the FWD Hybrid with a 44/37 mpg rating (the AWD Hybrid performs just 1 mpg worse in the city). Finally, the Plug-In Hybrid delivers up to 37 miles of electric driving and 105 MPGe with the battery charged. It’s rated at 40 mpg combined when the battery is depleted. Both the hybrids make 200 hp and employ a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Features

The Bronco Sport is engineered for moderate off-road driving and features selectable modes tailored to mud, rocks, and other slippery terrain. It’s helped in these endeavors by up to 8.8 inches of ground clearance, all-terrain tires, and an AWD system that's more advanced than the hardware used in the Escape. It also offers more customization for outdoor enthusiasts, such as camping attachments and rubber flooring throughout the cabin. Ford’s Co-Pilot360 driver-assistance suite comes standard and includes automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, and automated emergency braking.

The Escape has no off-road credentials whatsoever and is best suited to paved surfaces and maintained dirt roads. It has the same Sync 3 infotainment as the Bronco Sport but offers a larger (12.3- versus 8-inch) optional digital driver information display. The Escape is quieter than the Bronco Sport, comes with a panoramic moonroof, and has most of the convenience technology from the Bronco Sport in a more car-like wrapper.

Clifford Atiyeh

Clifford Atiyeh is an independent writer, photographer, and creative consultant. He has reported for dozens of websites, magazines, and newspapers in his 20-year journalism career, during which he has tested more than 650 new vehicles. His automotive expertise focuses on product development, market analysis, and the litigation and legislation affecting the industry. Clifford is vice president of the New England Motor Press Association and runs a marketing consultancy.