2020 Ford Escape vs 2019 GMC Acadia

The 2019 GMC Acadia was a handsome SUV with a shorter wheelbase that provided an athletic stance and an upright grille that gave it an upscale appearance. Despite not being marketed as a luxury SUV, it was as nice as, if not nicer than, the more expensive Buick Envision. The Acadia had broader appeal than other GM vehicles like the Chevrolet Equinox and Buick Envision. Although considered a midsize SUV, it felt closer in size to compact competitors like the Nissan Rogue.

The Acadia came in several trims: SL, SLE-1, SLE-2, SLT-1, SLT-2, and the range-topping Denali. The base SL trim featured 17-inch painted aluminum wheels, 7-passenger seating, remote keyless entry, 3-zone climate control, and heated power side mirrors. Higher trims added features like LED headlights, power liftgate, fog lights, premium stereo systems, and various driver-assistance features. The SLT-1 AWD trim with the Black Edition appearance package added 20-inch aluminum wheels with black accents, giving the Acadia a more menacing look.

The 2020 Ford Escape was a very attractive compact crossover, sharing its large grille with the outgoing Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks, and featuring headlights inspired by the Ford GT supercar. The previous Escape had a more upright rear end, but the new curvaceous design came at a cost. Despite this, the Escape remained one of the best-looking small SUVs on the market, perhaps behind the Mazda CX-5 and Jeep Cherokee.

Inside, the Escape revealed a fantastic, modern cabin with a forward-looking design that kept basic controls where they belonged. The test model featured a fully digital instrument panel, floating infotainment screen, and an overall smooth, modern design. The Escape was available in S, SE, SE Sport, SEL, and Titanium trims, with the base S trim offering 17-inch steel wheels, a 4.2-inch instrument-panel screen, and Sync infotainment with a 4.2-inch screen. Higher trims added features like automatic climate control, heated front seats, satellite radio, and a 10-way power driver's seat.

The 2019 GMC Acadia offered two engines: an inline 4-cylinder and a V6. The V6 was not available in the base SL or SLE-1 trims but was optional in the SLE-2 and SLE-1 with FWD, and standard in the SLT-1 AWD, SLT-2, and Denali trims. The base 4-cylinder engine made 193 horsepower, while the 3.6-liter V6 engine produced 310 horsepower, delivering fantastic acceleration. Power was sent through a 6-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels or available AWD. The AWD system featured GMC’s Active Twin Clutch system, allowing drivers to switch between FWD, AWD, Sport mode, and All-Terrain mode. The V6 Acadia could tow up to 4,000 pounds when properly equipped. The best fuel economy came from the base SL with the 4-cylinder engine and FWD, returning 21 mpg city, 26 highway, and 23 combined. The SLT-1 AWD with the V6 returned 17/25/20, and in a week of combined driving, it observed 19.8 mpg.

The 2020 Ford Escape offered four 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 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, available on the SEL and standard on the Titanium, made 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. The 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine was part of the hybrid drivetrain, making 198 horsepower, standard on the SE Sport and available on the Titanium. There was also a plug-in hybrid variant. Conventional engines sent power through an 8-speed automatic, while hybrids used a CVT. The 3-cylinder engine and non-plug-in hybrid setup were available with FWD or AWD, while the turbo engine and plug-in came standard with AWD. The most efficient version was the non-Sport hybrid, returning 44 mpg city, 37 highway, and 41 combined. The SE Sport returned 43/37/40, the 1.5-liter turbo engine returned 27/33/30 combined, and the 2.0-liter turbo with AWD returned 23/31/26.

The 2019 GMC Acadia provided a solid amount of space for the driver and front passenger, with deep trays for small items and functional in-door bins. The SL, SLE-1, and SLE-2 featured 7-passenger seating with a middle bench seat, while the SLT-1 AWD had captain’s chairs, reducing seating capacity to 6. The second-row seats were comfortable and provided decent head- and legroom, but the third-row seats were not very roomy and suitable only for kids. The Acadia offered 12.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, 41.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and up to 79 cubic feet with both rows folded. This was small for the midsize SUV class, barely more than the biggest compact crossovers. However, the test model came with rubberized floor mats, making it great for outdoor activities.

The 2020 Ford Escape had a sleeker design but lost cargo space compared to its predecessor. It offered 37.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, dropping to 34.4 cubic feet in hybrid models. With the backseat down, it offered 65.4 cubic feet or 60.8 cubic feet in upper-level trims. This was less than rivals like the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, and Volkswagen Tiguan, but similar to the Mazda CX-5. Ford emphasized passenger space, with plenty of headroom and legroom for second-row passengers and commanding seating positions for the front passengers. There were also plenty of storage spots, including deep water-bottle holders and multiple trays and compartments.

The 2019 GMC Acadia’s base SL trim came with a 7-inch touchscreen running GMC’s IntelliLink infotainment system, featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, five USB ports, and a WiFi hotspot. The SLT-1 trim upgraded to an 8-inch screen, and the Denali added standard navigation. Higher trims also added a 4.2-inch color information display within the gauge cluster, with the Denali featuring an 8-inch display. The Acadia was also available with a color head-up display providing information such as vehicle speed, engine rpm, and safety alerts.

The 2020 Ford Escape’s base trim had a small 4.2-inch audio control screen, but the SE trim upgraded to an 8-inch Sync screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Titanium trim featured a head-up display (HUD) with a small flip-up screen. The latest version of Sync allowed for multi-tasking, enabling the use of different apps on the phone while projecting on the car’s display. The HUD, however, was less effective for taller drivers, as it often fell below their line of sight.

The 2019 GMC Acadia came standard with front- and side-impact airbags, a reversing camera, and traction control. The Driver Alert Package 1, standard on the SLT-1 and optional on the SLE-2, added a blind-spot warning system, lane-change alert, and rear park assist. The SLT-2 trim added the Driver Alert Package 2, which included low-speed forward automatic braking, lane-departure warning, pedestrian detection, forward-collision alert, adaptive headlights and high beams, rear cross-traffic alert, and front and rear parking sensors.

The 2020 Ford Escape came with front- and side-impact 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 also came standard with Ford Co-Pilot360, a suite of advanced safety systems including forward-collision warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver drowsiness monitor.