2020 Audi Q7 vs 2021 Ford Escape

The 2020 Audi Q7 offered multiple variations, including the 45 TFSI with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and the 55 TFSI with a mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. A performance-tuned SQ7 with a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 was also available. The Q7 55 TFSI, starting at $60,800, came in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trims. The test vehicle, upgraded to Prestige, featured Navarra Blue metallic paint, a Cold Weather Package, and a Towing Package, totaling $74,290. Design updates for 2020 included new front and rear styling, wheels, and lighting elements, enhancing the SUV's appearance. Inside, the Q7 adopted the high-tech dashboard and instrumentation from the Q8, replacing physical controls with three digital displays. The cabin, decked out in Okapi Brown leather and Gray/Brown Fine Grain Ash wood inlays, exuded an upscale and high-tech vibe, with multi-color ambient lighting adding a soothing ambiance at night.

The 2021 Ford Escape, a fourth-generation model, straddled the line between SUV and hatchback with its curved snout and sleek roofline, giving it a less truck-like look compared to competitors like the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester. For 2021, the Escape introduced new appearance packages for three of its four trim levels, including the SE Sport Appearance Package, SEL Stealth AWD Package, and Titanium Elite Package. These upgrades featured 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery with Miko Suede seat inserts, and leather-wrapped steering wheels. However, the interior design lacked cohesion, with odd choices like an angular instrument cluster and low-rent materials. Even the top Titanium model didn't offer standard leather upholstery, and dual-zone automatic climate control was only available on the SEL trim.

The 2020 Audi Q7 55 TFSI debuted a new 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine, generating 335 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. This engine featured a 48-volt mild-hybrid electrical system, enhancing fuel efficiency by reducing the load on the turbocharged V6. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel-drive, the Q7 offered several driving modes through Audi Drive Select. The 55 TFSI drivetrain accelerated the 5,082-pound SUV from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, with a maximum tow rating of 7,700 pounds. The EPA estimated 18 mpg combined, but during testing, it averaged 21 mpg on a road trip and 18.1 mpg locally. The Prestige trim included an adaptive air suspension, adjustable through Audi Drive Select, and the Q7 handled well on both pavement and off-road trails. The cabin remained quiet, thanks to dual-pane acoustic side window glass, and the SUV provided a comfortable and enjoyable driving experience.

The 2021 Ford Escape offered two gasoline powertrains, as well as hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The base 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine produced 181 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available in FWD or AWD. The EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbo-four engine, available only with AWD, delivered 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid models used a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric assist, producing a total of 200 horsepower. The plug-in hybrid's larger battery allowed for significant electric-only driving distances. The Escape's chassis tuning left much to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering making it less enjoyable to drive. For 2021, the Escape offered a Class 2 Trailer Tow Package for 2.0-liter, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid models, with a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds for the 2.0-liter engine.

The 2020 Audi Q7, with its three rows of seats, was best used as a five-passenger vehicle. The third-row seat, suitable only for young children, had a flat cushion and required sliding the second-row seats forward. With the third-row seat in use, cargo space was limited to 14.2 cubic feet, but folding it down expanded capacity to 35.7 cubic feet, and folding both rows provided 69.6 cubic feet. The Q7's cabin was comfortable for a family of four, with agreeable front seats, ample second-row legroom, and features like four-zone climate control and a panoramic sunroof. However, interior storage was limited, with the center console and dashboard screen taking up space, leaving only the glove compartment and door-panel bins for personal items.

The 2021 Ford Escape, despite its car-like styling, offered competitive interior space. First-row and second-row headroom and legroom were near the top of the segment, with a standard sliding rear seat that could be adjusted to expand legroom or cargo space. Sliding the rear seat back provided 40.7 inches of rear legroom in non-hybrid models, though hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had slightly less due to the battery pack. The gasoline Escape had 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up, expandable to 37.5 cubic feet by sliding the seat forward, and 65.4 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had slightly less cargo space. While the Escape's cargo capacity was less than some competitors, it still offered a practical and versatile interior.

The 2020 Audi Q7 introduced the new Multi-Media Interface (MMI) Touch Response technology, combining a 10.1-inch upper touchscreen with an 8.6-inch lower touchscreen. The system included natural voice recognition, handwriting recognition, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation with Google Earth imagery, and Audi Connect subscription services with a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. While the MMI Touch Response was an improvement over the previous setup, dry fingertips sometimes made the virtual buttons unresponsive. The user interface was generally intuitive, and once set up, required minimal interaction. The Prestige trim included a full-color head-up display, though it was invisible with polarized sunglasses, and a Bose premium sound system, which Audi replaced with a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen system for 2021.

The 2021 Ford Escape used the older Sync 3 infotainment system, with the base Escape S model featuring a 4.2-inch touchscreen. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot were standard. Upgrading to the Escape SE added an 8-inch touchscreen with pinch-and-zoom capability and SiriusXM satellite radio. The Titanium trim level included a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. While Sync 3 was user-friendly, the Escape lacked some standard tech features compared to competitors and missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with the newer Sync 4 system.

The 2020 Audi Q7 featured HD Matrix LED headlights, which provided excellent illumination but were rated "poor" by the IIHS for excessive glare. The Q7 came with numerous advanced driving-assistance systems (ADAS), with upgrades available through the Executive Package or Prestige trim. Highlights included Emergency Assist, Turn Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Assist with traffic-jam assistance and lane-centering. However, the traffic-sign-recognition technology and Active Lane Assist proved problematic, leading to issues with adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping. The Q7 received the highest IIHS ratings for collision protection, with only the headlight assessment preventing a "Top Safety Pick+" nod.

The 2021 Ford Escape earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS, with top scores in all crash tests and for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. It also received high marks for front-crash prevention tech but had "Acceptable" and "Marginal" ratings for headlights. The NHTSA gave the Escape a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover tests. Standard safety features under Ford Co-Pilot360 included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. The optional Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package added adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, park assist, and Evasive Steering Assist.