Compare the2026 Honda PassportVS 2025 Ford Escape

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Honda Passport has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Escape doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Passport deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Passport’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Escape’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Passport’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Escape doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Passport 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Honda Passport weighs 935 to 1432 pounds more than the Ford Escape. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Ford With 33 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Honda higher than Ford.

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

Engine

The Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 105 more horsepower (285 vs. 180) and 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 199) than the Escape’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder. The Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 35 more horsepower (285 vs. 250) than the Escape’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Passport 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 Passport has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape FWD’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Passport has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape AWD’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 15.7 gallons).

The Passport 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.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Passport higher (7 out of 10) than the Ford Escape (6). This means the Passport produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Escape every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Passport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Escape.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Passport	Escape
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.1 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.9 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Passport has larger standard tires than the Escape (265/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Passport TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escape (275/60R18 vs. 225/65R17).

The Passport’s 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.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Passport has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Escape.

The Passport 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.

The Passport offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Escape; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Passport’s wheelbase is 6.9 inches longer than on the Escape (113.6 inches vs. 106.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 5.6 inches wider in the front and 6.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Escape.

For greater off-road capability the Passport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Escape (8.3 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Passport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Passport has 15.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Escape (119.1 vs. 104).

The Passport has .5 inches more front headroom, 3.1 inches more front hip room, 4.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, .2 inches more rear legroom, 4.1 inches more rear hip room and 5.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Escape.

Cargo Capacity

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Escape with its rear seat up (44 vs. 37.5 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Escape with its rear seat folded (83.8 vs. 65.4 cubic feet).

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Passport’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Escape doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Passport TrailSport Elite’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

The Passport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escape’s (5000 vs. 2000 pounds).

Ergonomics

The Passport’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Escape.

The Passport’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.

On a hot day the Passport’s driver can lower all 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.

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

The Passport’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford charges extra for heated mirrors on the Escape.

When the Passport is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Escape’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Passport’s standard 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.

Both the Honda Passport and Ford Escape offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Passport offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Escape’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The Passport has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Escape. The Passport TrailSport Elite 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 Passport TrailSport Elite 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 Honda Passport has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Homelink® is only available on the Escape Elite/Platinum.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Passport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Escape.

The Passport TrailSport has a 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 both the Honda Passport and the Ford Escape, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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