2020 Ford Escape vs 2021 Subaru Forester

The 2020 Ford Escape was a visually appealing compact crossover, featuring a large grille reminiscent of the outgoing Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks, with headlights inspired by the Ford GT supercar. Its design was more curvaceous compared to its predecessor, which had a more upright rear end. Despite this change, the Escape remained one of the best-looking small SUVs, trailing only behind the Mazda CX-5 and Jeep Cherokee. Inside, the Escape boasted a modern cabin with a forward-looking design that retained basic controls in familiar places. The test model featured a fully digital instrument panel, a floating infotainment screen, and an overall smooth, modern design.

The 2021 Subaru Forester, although redesigned for the 2019 model year, retained a styling that appeared older due to its carryover design from the previous generation. The most noticeable change was the distinctive cross-shaped taillights. Subaru seemed to have adopted a "don't fix what isn't broken" approach, maintaining the boxy, upright shape that appealed to many SUV shoppers. The Forester Sport model added orange striping, a rear spoiler, and black 18-inch alloy wheels, which made a significant visual impact, especially with complementary paint colors. The Forester's interior was a practical mix of materials designed to withstand years of use, with the Sport trim adding orange accents.

The 2020 Ford Escape offered a diverse range of four 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. 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 Escape's steering was direct and taut, with strong, responsive brakes, giving it an athletic feel. The most efficient version was the non-Sport hybrid, achieving 44 mpg city, 37 highway, and 41 combined.

The 2021 Subaru Forester came with a single powertrain: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT. The engine's boxer configuration provided a lower center of gravity. The Forester had a 1,500-pound towing capacity and standard Trailer Stability Assist. While power was adequate, the engine lacked the desired thrust for highway merging or overtaking. The suspension was softly tuned, absorbing bumps but resulting in poor body control and noticeable body roll in corners. AWD was standard, with X-Mode for different surfaces, and Sport models featured Dual X-Mode. The Forester had 8.7 inches of ground clearance, enhancing its off-road capability.

The 2020 Ford Escape's sleeker design resulted in reduced cargo space, offering 37.5 cubic feet behind the second row and 65.4 cubic feet with the backseat folded. Hybrid models had slightly less space. Despite this, the Escape prioritized passenger space, providing ample headroom and legroom for second-row passengers. The front seats offered commanding positions with good visibility. The Escape featured numerous storage solutions, including deep water-bottle holders and multiple trays and compartments.

The 2021 Subaru Forester provided above-average headroom and legroom in both rows, thanks to its tall, flat roofline. This design also allowed for excellent outward visibility. The Forester offered 35.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 76.1 cubic feet with them folded, surpassing some competitors. However, it lacked a sliding second-row bench. A power liftgate was optional on the Sport trim and standard on the Limited and Touring trims. The Forester's interior included decently sized cupholders and a reasonably sized center console, though the phone-storage cubby was small. The Forester featured large knobs for audio and climate control, but the steering wheel had numerous buttons, causing some confusion.

The 2020 Ford Escape's base trim featured a small 4.2-inch audio control screen, which stood out due to the floating screen design. The SE trim upgraded to an 8-inch Sync screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Titanium trim included a head-up display, but its flip-up screen design limited its effectiveness for taller drivers.

The 2021 Subaru Forester came with the Subaru Starlink infotainment system, featuring a 6.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM, and USB ports. Sport models added an 8-inch touchscreen and Harman Kardon audio system, while Limited and Touring models included navigation and rear USB ports. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with well-designed graphics and backup analog controls. However, the screen was slow to boot up. The Forester also had a secondary screen in the dashboard and a small screen in the instrument cluster, which seemed overly complex.

The 2020 Ford Escape included a full array of airbags, a reversing camera, traction control, and TPMS. It earned a "Good" rating from the IIHS in all phases of testing. The Escape came standard with Ford Co-Pilot360, featuring 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 Subaru Forester excelled in safety, receiving the highest "Top Safety Pick+" award from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. It came standard with EyeSight, a suite of driver-assist features, including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lead-vehicle start alert. The Forester also offered a driver-monitoring system, DriverFocus, to ensure driver attentiveness. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and reverse automatic braking.