2020 Ford Escape vs 2021 Honda CR-V

The 2020 Ford Escape was a very attractive compact crossover, sharing its large grille with the outgoing Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks. The headlights were 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 only behind the Mazda CX-5 and Jeep Cherokee. Inside, the Escape featured a modern cabin with a fully digital instrument panel, floating infotainment screen, and an overall smooth 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 automatic climate control, heated front seats, and a 10-way power driver's seat. The range-topping Titanium trim boasted unique 19-inch wheels, a dual-panel moonroof, and a premium B&O audio system.

The 2021 Honda CR-V, on the other hand, had a design that blended in with other compact crossovers. Its styling was nearly identical to its competitors, with only a few details like the grille opening and some chromed plastic features setting it apart. Honda offered the CR-V in eight colors, but most were shades of gray, black, or white, with only a few vibrant options like Aegean Blue Metallic and Radiant Red Metallic. Inside, the CR-V featured black, gray, and ivory cloth or leather depending on the trim level. Higher trims added wood panels and more chrome for an upscale appearance. The seats had a modern look with sharp details on the edges and headrests. Vehicles like the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson had an advantage over the CR-V in terms of distinctive styling, especially at the mid-tier trims.

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, standard on the SE Sport and available on the Titanium. There was also a plug-in hybrid variant. 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 2021 Honda CR-V came with a 190-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine across all nine trims. It had a 0-60 mph time of about 7.8 seconds. The CR-V used a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that held engine revs at a constant level as the vehicle gained speed. The CR-V came standard with front-wheel drive (FWD), with all-wheel drive (AWD) as an extra-cost option. The CR-V had a unitized body structure with a MacPherson strut setup in the front and a multi-link suspension at the rear. Handling and ride quality were decent, with no real surprises.

The 2020 Ford Escape had a sleeker design than its predecessor, but it lost cargo space as a result. 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, it provided 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space, or 60.8 cubic feet in upper-level trims. The Escape emphasized passenger space, with plenty of headroom and legroom for second-row passengers. The front seats provided commanding seating positions and good visibility. There were also plenty of storage spots for gear, including deep water-bottle holders and multiple trays and compartments.

The 2021 Honda CR-V aimed to fit five people comfortably and carry their gear. It boasted 102.9 cubic feet of passenger volume, four cubic feet more than the Toyota RAV4. With the rear seats folded, it offered 75.8 cubic feet of total cargo volume. The CR-V had different tailgate options depending on the trim, from manual to power-operated and hands-free versions. Roof rails were standard only on the top-of-the-line Touring trim.

The 2020 Ford Escape's base trim had a small 4.2-inch audio control screen, while 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 SE trim was recommended for its value, including an 8-inch Sync 3 screen, automatic climate control, heated front seats, and a power driver's seat.

The 2021 Honda CR-V's base LX trim had a 5-inch color screen with Bluetooth connectivity. Higher trims had a 7-inch high-definition touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Special Edition and EX trims had a 180-watt audio system with six speakers, while the EX-L had eight speakers. The Touring trim had a 300-watt system with a subwoofer and a satellite navigation system. Charging ports were available throughout the CR-V, with the Touring trim adding a wireless phone charger.

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, and automatic high beams. It also had blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver drowsiness monitor.

The 2021 Honda CR-V earned a five-star National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) overall crash test rating and an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award. It received a "Good" rating in the original side crash test and an "Acceptable" rating for the ease of use of its LATCH child safety seat anchoring system. The CR-V's Honda Sensing system included advanced safety features like a multi-angle rearview camera, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, road departure mitigation, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and auto high-beam headlamps. Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was standard from the EX trim upwards.