Which compact SUV has what it takes to make it through Owosso’s worst winters, the 2025 Ford Escape or 2025 Chevy Equinox? Our buying guide helps you imagine what it’s like to get behind the wheel of each model!
Key Takeaways
- The Escape is the comfiest option — and it’s also available with more luxury features!
- Both compact SUVs deliver the latest technology to keep you safe and entertained on the go.
- With its smooth acceleration and intelligent all-wheel drive, the Escape feels most at home in Michigan winters.
- Equip your Escape with the hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrain for incredible efficiency!
Everyday Comfort: 2025 Ford Escape
If you spend a lot of time on the road, the Escape is by far the best option. With well-shaped and generously cushioned seats, Ford’s compact SUV offers more long-term comfort than its Chevy competitor. We’re also fans of the Escape’s smooth, composed ride, which only adds to your comfort levels. Available options — like dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel — make the cabin practically immune to bad weather!
For comfort, the Chevy Equinox is a close second place. You’ll love its cushy seating and quiet ride. Around town, the suspension keeps things smooth and comfortable. At higher speeds, though, the ride can be a little too springy. Hit a bump as you merge onto the highway, and you and your passengers will go bouncing onto the interstate.
Safety & Infotainment Technology: It’s a Tie!
Both the 2025 Ford Escape and 2025 Chevy Equinox impress with their five-star crash-test scores. And thanks to their respective driver safety aids, these small crossovers also help you keep an eye peeled for danger. Standard items like blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, and forward collision mitigation help you keep your loved ones safe, whether you're on a weekend trip to Lansing or headed upstate for a lakeside vacation.
All-Weather Performance: 2025 Ford Escape
To drive through Michigan winters, the Escape is the easy choice. Its available all-wheel-drive system monitors road and trail conditions, continuously tweaking performance to enhance driver control and safety in any conditions. And the transmission’s smooth, controlled power flow helps you get up to speed without a hitch. Just remember to go easy on the accelerator in icy conditions! When springtime rolls around, the Escape is more fun to drive. Any of the Escape’s four powertrain options churn up more power than the Equinox can muster, enhancing speed and agility.
2025 Ford Escape Performance Options
- Active, ST-Line: turbocharged 1.5L three-cylinder engine (180 hp, 199 lb-ft)
- ST-Line Select and up: turbo 2.0L four-cylinder engine (250 hp, 280 lb-ft)
- Optional for the ST-Line and up: 2.5L hybrid powertrain (192 hp, 155 lb-ft)
- PHEV: 2.5L plug-in hybrid powertrain (210 hp, 155 lb-ft)
- Eight-speed automatic transmission
- Continuously variable transmission (with hybrid or plug-in hybrid)
- Front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive
The Chevy Equinox’s only available powertrain, including its 175-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine, doesn’t really hold a candle to any of the Escape’s fun-loving options. Even the Escape’s fuel-sipping hybrid options deliver more speed and agility than the Equinox! But when it comes to winter cruising, the Equinox does offer all-wheel drive, helping you avoid slippage by distributing power across both axles.
2025 Chevy Equinox Performance Options
- Turbo 1.5L four-cylinder engine (175 hp, 184 lb-ft)
- Continuously variable transmission
- Available eight-speed automatic transmission (included with all-wheel drive)
- Front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive
Most Efficient Model: 2025 Ford Escape
Shopping for efficiency? The Escape helps you save at the pump in more ways than one. With its exclusive plug-in hybrid powertrain, the Escape PHEV trim model earns 40 mpg combined. Put its 37-mile electric range to use, that figure jumps to 101 MPGe! For a hybrid you don’t have to recharge, check out the Escape’s 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain. Whether you choose front- or all-wheel drive, it earns 39 mpg combined (42 city/36 highway).
But even if you decide to stick with pure internal combustion, the Escape still has the edge. Where the Traverse’s only available engine earns max EPA ratings of 27 mpg combined (26 city/28 highway), the Escape’s base engine achieves 30 mpg combined (27 city/34 highway).
If you’re looking for the best compact SUV for snow and ice in Owosso MI in 2025, you’ll find it in the Ford Escape! This small crossover outshines the competition with its all-weather performance, everyday efficiency, and cozy comfort. Visit us at Lunghamer Ford in Owosso to experience the best little SUV in the Midwest!