2020 Ford Escape vs 2020 Jeep Renegade

The 2020 Ford Escape was a striking compact crossover, sharing its large grille with the outgoing Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks, and featuring headlights inspired by the Ford GT supercar. The new Escape had a more curvaceous design compared to its predecessor, which came at the cost of some cargo space. Despite this, it remained one of the best-looking small SUVs on the market, trailing only behind the Mazda CX-5 and Jeep Cherokee. Inside, the Escape boasted a modern cabin with a fully digital instrument panel, floating infotainment screen, and a smooth, contemporary design. The base S trim came with 17-inch steel wheels, a 4.2-inch instrument-panel screen, and Sync infotainment with a 4.2-inch screen. Higher trims like the SE added features such as a 10-way power driver's seat and an 8-inch Sync 3 infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The range-topping Titanium trim offered unique 19-inch wheels, a dual-panel moonroof, and a premium B&O audio system.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade was easily recognizable with its signature Jeep round headlights, 7-slot grille, and trapezoidal wheel arches. It was available in Sport, Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk trims, with the Trailhawk being the best for off-roading. Special editions like the Jeepster and High Altitude were also offered. Our test car, the Renegade High Altitude, was loaded with extras, including trendy dark gray 19-inch wheels and a dual-pane panoramic glass roof. The High Altitude trim gave the Renegade a grown-up look with full LED lighting, black headliner, and metallic cabin accents. However, the interior was dominated by hard plastic, making it look inexpensive despite the fancy details.

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 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, available on the SEL and standard on the Titanium, produced 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, providing brisk acceleration. The 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine was part of the hybrid drivetrain, making 198 horsepower, and was standard on the SE Sport and available on the Titanium. A plug-in hybrid variant was also optional on the SE, SEL, and Titanium. The conventional engines used an 8-speed automatic transmission, while the hybrids used a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Escape's most efficient version was the non-Sport hybrid, returning 44 mpg city, 37 highway, and 41 combined. The 1.5-liter turbo engine returned 27/33/30 combined, and the 2.0-liter turbo with AWD returned 23/31/26.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade mostly featured a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. A turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine was available on higher trims, generating 177 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. Both engines came with a nine-speed automatic transmission, with FWD on base models and AWD on higher trims. The turbocharged 1.3-liter engine provided peak torque at 1,750 rpm, making the Renegade feel energetic, but it suffered from turbo lag and a transmission calibrated for fuel economy. The Renegade Trailhawk trim offered the best off-roading capability with its Active Drive Low AWD system. However, the turbocharged engine required premium fuel and averaged just 23.6 mpg, below the EPA estimate of 26 mpg. The Renegade's driving dynamics were less impressive, with a flinty ride, sloppy steering, and a loud cabin making highway driving a chore.

The 2020 Ford Escape had a sleeker design than its predecessor, resulting in less cargo space. 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 folded down, the Escape provided 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space, or 60.8 cubic feet in upper-level trims. This was less than the outgoing 2019 Escape and rivals like the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester. However, the Escape emphasized passenger space, with plenty of headroom and legroom for second-row passengers and commanding seating positions for the front occupants. The interior also featured deep water-bottle holders and multiple trays and compartments for real-world storage solutions.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade's boxy exterior design made the interior feel larger than many of its competitors. The panoramic glass roof added to the sense of space, making the Renegade feel wider, taller, and more open. The eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat made it easy to get comfortable, but the front passenger seat lacked height adjustment. Rear seat space was cramped, but softly padded front seatback trim and good foot room made it acceptable for shorter trips. However, the Renegade had few practical interior storage spots, and cargo volume was limited to 18.5 cubic feet behind the back seat and 50.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.

The 2020 Ford Escape's base trim came with a small 4.2-inch audio control screen, which looked out of place with the new floating screen design. The SE trim upgraded to an 8-inch Sync 3 screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Titanium trim featured a head-up display (HUD) with a small flip-up screen, which was less effective for taller drivers. The latest version of Sync was fantastic, allowing for multi-tasking and a more user-friendly experience.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade impressed with its technology, featuring the familiar Chrysler Uconnect infotainment system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen display. Uconnect 8.4 was easy to use, with volume and tuning knobs and logically arranged menu buttons. It came with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa integration, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The new Kenwood premium audio system offered good sound quality. The Renegade also had a comprehensive driver information center and a parking assist system for both parallel and perpendicular spaces.

The 2020 Ford Escape came with a full array of 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, and automatic high beams. It also included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver drowsiness monitor.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade offered an Advanced Tech Group that included adaptive cruise control, full-speed forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Safety and Security Group added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic warning. The Renegade earned a 4-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with a mediocre 3-star rating for rear-seat occupant protection in side-impact testing. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Renegade commendable scores in most tests, but it did not carry forward its Top Safety Pick rating from 2019.