2020 Ford Escape vs 2021 Ford Edge

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. Its more curvaceous design, compared to the previous model's upright rear end, came at a cost in terms of cargo space. Despite this, the Escape remained one of the best-looking small SUVs on the market, trailing only 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, forward-looking design that kept basic controls easily accessible.

The 2021 Ford Edge, while not significantly changed since its 2019 refresh, continued to offer a clean and contemporary exterior. The refresh successfully integrated the current Ford look with the existing Edge body shell, making it a more refined alternative to the Chevy Blazer and Hyundai Santa Fe. The Edge Titanium models featured extra chrome, while the ST trim sported a blacked-out grille, standard 20-inch wheels, and a body kit. Inside, the Edge's design showed its age, with awkward tweaks to accommodate new features like a larger touchscreen. Titanium models had leather upholstery, and ST models included sporty front seats with added bolstering and contrast stitching.

The 2020 Ford Escape offered a diverse range of engine options, starting with a new 3-cylinder engine producing 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, delivered 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, providing brisk acceleration. The hybrid drivetrain, combining a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with electric power, produced 198 horsepower and was standard on the SE Sport and available on the Titanium. A plug-in hybrid variant was also offered. The conventional engines used an 8-speed automatic transmission, while the hybrids employed a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Escape's steering was direct and taut, with strong, responsive brakes, giving it an athletic feel. Fuel economy varied, with the non-Sport hybrid achieving 44 mpg city, 37 highway, and 41 combined.

The 2021 Ford Edge primarily used a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available in FWD or AWD. The Edge ST performance model featured an EcoBoost twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6, generating 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque on 93-octane fuel, with standard AWD and model-specific suspension tuning. The Edge ST also offered an option package with upgraded brakes and 21-inch wheels with summer tires. The Edge's towing capacities were respectable, with the base FWD four-cylinder model towing up to 3,958 pounds, the AWD four-cylinder up to 4,122 pounds, and the V6-powered Edge ST up to 4,525 pounds.

The 2020 Ford Escape's sleeker design resulted in reduced 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 folded, the Escape provided 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space, or 60.8 cubic feet in upper-level trims. Despite the reduction, the Escape emphasized passenger space, with ample headroom and legroom for second-row passengers, and commanding seating positions for the front occupants. The interior featured numerous storage solutions, including deep water-bottle holders and multiple trays and compartments.

The 2021 Ford Edge remained competitive in interior space, offering the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers and ample legroom in both rows. It provided 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place, expanding to 73.4 cubic feet with the seats folded, trailing only the Honda Passport and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. Higher trim levels included a foot-activated power liftgate. The Edge's rotary shift knob freed up space on the center console, but the narrow console width limited the available space. The raised console allowed for a storage nook below, though its out-of-the-way location made it less convenient.

The 2020 Ford Escape's base trim featured a small 4.2-inch audio control screen, which stood out as an eyesore due to the floating screen design. The SE trim upgraded to an 8-inch Sync 3 screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, offering a fantastic user experience. The Titanium trim included a head-up display (HUD) with a small flip-up screen, which was less effective for taller drivers. The latest version of Sync allowed for multitasking, enhancing the overall functionality.

The 2021 Ford Edge was equipped with Ford's latest Sync 4 infotainment system, featuring a 12-inch touchscreen and standard wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Additional standard features included Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Edge ST models came with a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. The Edge also included four USB ports, with two rear USB ports added for the 2021 model year. Sync 4's simple graphics and straightforward menu layouts made it user-friendly, and the wireless connectivity was a notable advantage over some competitors.

The 2020 Ford Escape came with a comprehensive array of safety features, including 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 included Ford Co-Pilot360, a suite of advanced safety systems such as forward-collision warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver drowsiness monitor.

The 2021 Ford Edge was an IIHS “Top Safety Pick,” scoring the top “Good” rating in all crash tests and the top “Superior” rating for front crash prevention tech in vehicle-to-vehicle situations. It received an “Advanced” rating for vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention tech, and “Acceptable” and “Poor” headlight ratings depending on the trim level. The NHTSA awarded the Edge a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests, and four stars in rollover crash tests. The Edge's standard safety features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 banner included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, post-collision braking, dynamic brake support, and rear parking sensors. Adaptive cruise control and Evasive Steering Assist were standard on all but the base SE trim.