2020 Ford Escape vs 2019 Ford Edge

The 2019 Ford Edge received a facelift that included a new grille, headlights, and lower front fascia, giving it a sportier appearance. The rear also saw updates with new taillights and a larger black panel replacing the red connector between the taillights. Despite these exterior changes, the interior remained largely unchanged from previous models, feeling dated and heavily reliant on plastics. The cabin did offer useful features like a new rotary shifter and plenty of standard and available features across its SE, SEL, Titanium, and ST trims.

In contrast, the 2020 Ford Escape boasted a sleek, modern design inspired by the Ford GT supercar, making it one of the best-looking small SUVs on the market. Inside, the Escape featured a forward-looking yet practical cabin with a fully digital instrument panel and a floating infotainment screen. The Escape was available in S, SE, SE Sport, SEL, and Titanium trims, each offering a range of features from basic amenities in the S trim to premium touches like a dual-panel moonroof and a B&O audio system in the Titanium trim.

The 2019 Ford Edge offered a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine across all non-ST trims, producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, available in both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) configurations. The ST trim featured a more powerful 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, delivering 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque, exclusively with AWD. The Edge ST provided impressive acceleration and handling, especially in Sport Mode, while maintaining a smooth ride over rough roads. Fuel economy for the base 2.0-liter engine with FWD was 22 mpg city, 29 highway, and 25 combined, while the ST returned 19/26/21.

The 2020 Ford Escape offered a variety of engine options, including a new 3-cylinder engine making 180 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, standard in the S, SE, and SEL trims. The SEL and Titanium trims featured a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. The SE Sport and Titanium trims also offered a hybrid drivetrain with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, making 198 horsepower, and a plug-in hybrid variant. The conventional engines used an 8-speed automatic transmission, while the hybrids employed a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Escape's most efficient version, the non-Sport hybrid, returned 44 mpg city, 37 highway, and 41 combined, while the 2.0-liter turbo with AWD returned 23/31/26.

The 2019 Ford Edge's cabin, though dated, was practical with deep cargo bins, USB ports, and available wireless charging. The front seats were comfortable, but the ST's bucket seats were not ideal for taller drivers. The rear seats offered ample head- and legroom, and the cargo space was generous with 39 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to 73.4 cubic feet with the seats folded down.

The 2020 Ford Escape's sleeker design resulted in slightly reduced cargo space, with 37.5 cubic feet behind the second row and 65.4 cubic feet with the seats folded down. Hybrid models had even less cargo space. However, the Escape emphasized passenger comfort with plenty of headroom and legroom in the second row, and a commanding seating position for the driver and front passenger. The cabin also featured numerous storage solutions, including deep water-bottle holders and multiple trays and compartments.

The 2019 Ford Edge's base infotainment system featured a small 4.2-inch screen with basic functionality, while the SEL and higher trims offered an 8-inch Sync 3 system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration. The Sync 3 system was user-friendly with intuitive menu layouts, despite its middling graphics.

The 2020 Ford Escape's base trim also came with a small 4.2-inch screen, but the SE trim and above featured an 8-inch Sync 3 screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Titanium trim included a head-up display (HUD) with a flip-up screen, which was less effective for taller drivers. The latest version of Sync allowed for multi-tasking, enhancing the overall user experience.

The 2019 Ford Edge came standard with a reversing camera, traction control, and a full complement of airbags. It also included Ford’s Co-Pilot360 suite of driver-assistance features, such as automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, automatic high-beams, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Higher trims could be upgraded with the Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package, adding adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, and a lane-centering system.

The 2020 Ford Escape also featured a full array of airbags, a reversing camera, traction control, and a tire-pressure-monitoring system (TPMS). It earned the best overall score of Good from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) in all phases of testing. The Escape came standard with Ford Co-Pilot360, which included forward-collision warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver drowsiness monitor.