2020 Ford Escape vs 2021 Land Rover Range Rover

The 2020 Ford Escape was a striking compact crossover, borrowing design elements from the Ford GT supercar, with a large grille reminiscent of the Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks. Its curvaceous design, while aesthetically pleasing, resulted in a slight compromise in cargo space compared to its predecessor. Despite this, the Escape remained one of the most attractive small SUVs, trailing only behind the Mazda CX-5 and Jeep Cherokee. Inside, the Escape boasted a modern yet practical cabin, featuring a fully digital instrument panel and a floating infotainment screen, maintaining a balance between futuristic design and user-friendly controls.

In contrast, the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover exuded luxury and sophistication, with a design that paid homage to its rugged roots while embracing modern elegance. The SUV's timeless look was accentuated by hallmark design cues such as blacked-out windshield and roof pillars, and clean styling lines. Inside, the Range Rover offered a high-contrast, mid-century modern ambiance with its Ivory-color interior. Despite its luxurious appeal, the InControl Touch Pro Duo infotainment system was not as intuitive as newer systems, requiring a learning curve for users to fully utilize its features.

The 2020 Ford Escape offered a diverse range of powertrains, including 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, while a plug-in hybrid variant was also available. The Escape's steering was direct and taut, offering an athletic feel, with strong, responsive brakes enhancing its sporty personality. Fuel efficiency varied across powertrains, with the non-Sport hybrid achieving 44 mpg city, 37 highway, and 41 combined.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover offered a range of powertrains, including turbodiesel V6 and supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engines, as well as mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The HSE Westminster special edition featured a mild-hybrid turbocharged inline-six engine, delivering 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The Range Rover's 4WD system, with a two-speed transfer case and Terrain Response 2 traction control, ensured its legendary off-road capability. The adaptive air suspension provided a classic wafting sensation, while the SUV's power built smoothly, offering near-total cabin silence. However, the steering was relatively slow, and the adaptive air suspension struggled to manage the vehicle's weight and tall center of gravity on winding roads. The EPA rated the Range Rover's fuel economy at 20 mpg combined, with our test averaging 18.5 mpg.

The 2020 Ford Escape's sleek design resulted in reduced cargo space, offering 37.5 cubic feet behind the second row, dropping to 34.4 cubic feet in hybrid models. With the backseat folded, cargo space expanded to 65.4 cubic feet, or 60.8 cubic feet in upper-level trims. Despite this, the Escape prioritized passenger space, providing 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 Land Rover Range Rover's air suspension included a kneel mode for easier entry and exit, though shorter passengers found it challenging to access the SUV. The front seats were decadently comfortable, wrapped in quality leather upholstery, while the second row lacked thigh support and adjustability, resulting in a slouched seating position. Despite this, the back seat offered quad-zone climate control and heated and ventilated outboard seating positions. Storage space was limited, with dual glove compartments compensating for the small center-console bin. Luggage volume was also restricted, with a maximum cargo space of 59.8 cubic feet. A button in the cargo area activated the suspension kneel function for easier loading.

The 2020 Ford Escape's base trim featured a small 4.2-inch audio control screen, while the SE trim upgraded to an 8-inch Sync 3 screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Titanium trim included a head-up display (HUD) with a flip-up screen, though it was less effective for taller drivers. The latest version of Sync allowed for multitasking, enhancing the user experience.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover's instrumentation and infotainment were fully digital, with three displays offering numerous programmable features. The InControl Touch Pro Duo system, while not entirely intuitive, could be navigated by those familiar with smartphones or tablets. The system's two 10-inch touchscreens posed a distraction while driving, and the head-up display was ineffective with polarized sunglasses. The Range Rover also featured a waterproof Activity Key wristband and an iGuide smartphone app for added convenience.

The 2020 Ford Escape came standard with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including front- and side-impact airbags, a reversing camera, traction control, and a tire-pressure-monitoring system. It earned a Good rating from the IIHS in all phases of testing. The Ford Co-Pilot360 suite included advanced safety systems such as forward-collision warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams, along with blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver drowsiness monitor.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and front and rear parking sensors as standard. Optional packages offered additional driver aids, such as adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, and a 360-degree surround-view camera. The HSE Westminster Edition included the Drive Pro and Park packages, though the adaptive cruise control was slow to respond in certain situations.