2020 Ford Escape vs 2021 Jeep Cherokee

The 2020 Ford Escape was a visually appealing compact crossover, sharing its large grille with the outgoing Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks. Its 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, trailing perhaps only the Mazda CX-5 and Jeep Cherokee. Inside, the Escape featured a modern cabin with a fully digital instrument panel, floating infotainment screen, and a smooth, contemporary design.

The 2021 Jeep Cherokee's styling had become more accepted since its debut. While the short grille opening and swept-back headlights were initially controversial, they had grown on many over the years. The Cherokee's exterior appearance varied significantly with trim levels. The entry-level Latitude with 17-inch wheels and FWD looked quite basic, while the 80th Anniversary Edition with 19-inch Granite Crystal wheels and painted lower body cladding looked much more refined. The Cherokee also offered an optional panoramic sunroof, enhancing its appeal. Overall, the Cherokee stood out in a crowded field of crossover SUVs, bearing a resemblance to the larger Jeep Grand Cherokee from the front.

The 2020 Ford Escape offered a diverse range of engine options, including a new 3-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, standard in the S, SE, and SEL trims. Additionally, there was a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine available on the SEL and standard on the Titanium, delivering 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid drivetrain, featuring a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine combined 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 available on the SE, SEL, and Titanium trims. The conventional engines used an 8-speed automatic transmission, while the hybrids employed a CVT. The Escape's most efficient version, the non-Sport hybrid, achieved fuel economy ratings of 44 mpg city, 37 highway, and 41 combined.

The 2021 Jeep Cherokee offered three engine choices. The Latitude and Latitude Plus trims came with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower. The 3.2-liter V-6 engine, available on higher trims, delivered 271 horsepower. The top-tier engine was the 2.0-liter GMET4 turbocharged four-cylinder, producing 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Despite these options, none of the engines provided outstanding acceleration, with the V6 and turbo-four achieving 0-60 mph times of around 7.2 and 7.4 seconds, respectively. All Cherokee models featured a nine-speed automatic transmission, which had proven to be a capable and fuel-efficient option. The Cherokee Trailhawk model excelled in off-road capability, thanks to features like Jeep Active Drive Lock and Selec-Speed Crawl Control.

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, which dropped 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 other rivals like the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester. However, the Escape prioritized passenger space, offering ample headroom and legroom for second-row passengers, along with 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 Jeep Cherokee, positioned between the smaller Renegade and larger Grand Cherokee, fell short in terms of cargo space. It offered 26 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 55 cubic feet with the second-row seats folded, placing it at the bottom among compact SUVs. However, the Cherokee provided about 102 cubic feet of passenger volume, making it competitive in that metric. The interior layout was simple and businesslike, with a clean design that didn't strive for luxury or excessive technology. Trim levels significantly influenced interior quality, with the Latitude featuring rubberized black plastic, the Trailhawk offering suede seat inserts and contrasting stitching, and the Latitude Lux boasting perforated Nappa leather upholstery.

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, recommended by CarGurus, upgraded to an 8-inch Sync screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The latest version of Sync allowed for multitasking, enabling the use of different apps on the phone while projecting on the car's display. The Titanium trim included a head-up display (HUD) with a small flip-up screen, which had limitations for taller drivers.

The 2021 Jeep Cherokee featured the Uconnect infotainment system, available with 7-inch and 8.4-inch touchscreens, depending on the trim level. The system was praised for its user-friendly interface and minimal latency issues. The Cherokee supported both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though only via wired connections. It also offered a 4G WiFi hotspot and integration with Amazon Alexa. Remote start was available, a feature not offered by all manufacturers. The Uconnect system was consistent across Stellantis brands, providing a familiar experience for users.

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 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. Additional standard features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver drowsiness monitor.

The 2021 Jeep Cherokee did not earn a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS. However, it received top "Good" scores in every crashworthiness category and a G+ score for the ease of use of the LATCH child seat anchors. The Cherokee's headlights received mixed ratings, with upper trims rated "Acceptable" and lower trims rated "Marginal." The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Cherokee a four-star overall safety rating. The Cherokee offered advanced safety features as standard, including lane departure warning with lane keep assist, full-speed forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind spot monitoring. Adaptive cruise control with stop and go was available only on the Limited and Trailhawk trims.