Compare the2026 Ford EscapeVS 2026 Chevrolet Trax

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Escape have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chevrolet Trax doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Ford Escape are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Trax doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Ford Escape achieved a higher rating for its forward collision warning and automatic braking systems than the Chevrolet Trax which was rated “Poor” in these critical safety features.

The Escape has standard Post-Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Trax doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Escape Select/Elite/Platinum offers an optional Reverse Brake Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Trax doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Escape offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Trax doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Escape Select/Elite/Platinum offers an optional 360-Degree Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Trax only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Escape has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Trax’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Escape has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Chevrolet charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Trax and the Trax’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

The Escape’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Trax doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Escape and the Trax have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Escape is safer than the Chevrolet Trax:

	Escape	Trax
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	143	183
Neck Injury Risk	22.5%	28.8%
Neck Stress	185 lbs.	210 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	102	281
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	36.3%	39.7%
Neck Stress	181 lbs.	220 lbs.
Neck Compression	58 lbs.	97 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	220/169 lbs.	196/237 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Escape is much safer than the Trax:

	Escape	Trax
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	POOR
Chest Rating	GOOD	MARGINAL
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD

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 Ford Escape is safer than the Chevrolet Trax:

	Escape	Trax
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.2 inches
Abdominal Force	191 lbs.	288 lbs.
Hip Force	240 lbs.	287 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	97	378
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	68 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	13 inches
HIC	344	464
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	54 G’s
Hip Force	462 lbs.	733 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Escape’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Trax’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

The Escape has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Trax doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

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 Escape’s reliability 22 points higher than the Trax.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Escape first among compact suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Trax isn’t in the top three in its category.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 3 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Escape’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 43 more horsepower (180 vs. 137) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (199 vs. 162) than the Trax’s 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder. The Escape’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 113 more horsepower (250 vs. 137) and 118 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 162) than the Trax’s 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Escape is faster than the Chevrolet Trax:

	Escape turbo 3 cyl.	Escape turbo 4 cyl.	Trax
Zero to 60 MPH	8.4 sec	6.6 sec	9.9 sec
Quarter Mile	16.6 sec	15.1 sec	17.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84.5 MPH	91.2 MPH	78.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Escape 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Trax (27 city/34 hwy vs. 28 city/32 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Escape 1.5 Turbo’s fuel efficiency. The Trax doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Escape FWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Trax (14.8 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Escape AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Trax (15.7 vs. 13.2 gallons).

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Escape, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Trax.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Escape	Trax
Front Rotors	12.1 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	11.3 inches

The Escape stops much shorter than the Trax:

	Escape	Trax
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	180 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	138 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Ford Escape has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Trax has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Escape has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Escape flat and controlled during cornering. The Trax’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Escape has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Trax doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Escape’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (58% to 42%) than the Trax’s (61% to 39%). This gives the Escape more stable handling and braking.

The Escape AWD handles at .87 G’s, while the Trax ACTIV pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Escape ST-Line Elite AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Trax ACTIV (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Escape’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Trax’s (37.2 feet vs. 38 feet).

Passenger Space

The Escape has 6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Trax (104 vs. 98).

The Escape has .4 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 3.1 inches more front hip room, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 2 inches more rear legroom, 7.5 inches more rear hip room and 1.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trax.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Escape has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Trax with its rear seat up (37.5 vs. 25.6 cubic feet). The Escape has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trax with its rear seat folded (65.4 vs. 54.1 cubic feet).

An optional locking center console keeps your small valuables safer in the Escape. The Trax doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Escape offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Trax doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The Escape has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Trax has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Escape uses the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Trax doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When three different drivers share the Escape, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Trax doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Escape’s optional Easy Entry and Exit glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Trax doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Escape Elite/Platinum offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Trax doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Escape Select/Elite/Platinum’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches. The Trax’s power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

The Escape’s standard Intelligent Access allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Start is an extra cost option on the Trax and only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle.

The Escape’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Trax’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Escape Elite/Platinum’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

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 Escape’s available headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Trax’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

The Escape Elite/Platinum’s standard rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Trax doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The Escape 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 Trax doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Escape’s 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. The Trax doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Escape’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Trax LS doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Both the Escape and the Trax offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Escape offers optional rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Trax doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

With standard voice command, the Escape offers the driver hands free control of the radio, climate controls and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Trax doesn’t offer a voice control system.

Compared to the Chevrolet Trax, the Ford Escape Elite/Platinum eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the driver’s visor.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Ford Escape, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Trax isn't recommended.

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