2020 Ford Escape vs 2021 Subaru Outback

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. The previous Escape had a more upright rear end, but the new curvaceous design, while attractive, 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 boasted a modern cabin with a fully digital instrument panel, floating infotainment screen, and a smooth, forward-looking design that kept basic controls in familiar places.

The 2021 Subaru Outback, redesigned for the 2020 model year, retained a familiar and comfortable feel reminiscent of older Subaru models. The analog gauges, steering wheel design, and seat forms were similar to previous versions, but the interior was fresher, especially in trims above the base. The Premium trim and higher featured an 11.6-inch portrait display, surrounded by polished black plastic and chrome trim, which provided a modern touch. Quality was evident in the materials used, and the Limited and Touring trims offered a luxury car impression with two-tone leather upholstery and contrast stitching. The Onyx Edition XT featured durable, water-resistant StarTex upholstery with lime green contrast stitching, adding a touch of flair.

The 2020 Ford Escape offered a variety of engine options, starting with a 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 available on the SE, SEL, and Titanium trims. 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. The most efficient version was the non-Sport hybrid, with fuel economy ratings of 44 mpg city, 37 highway, and 41 combined.

The 2021 Subaru Outback's base 2.5-liter flat-four engine produced 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT. This combination struggled to move the vehicle, especially when loaded with passengers and cargo, resulting in slow and noisy performance. The XT trims, featuring a 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four engine, offered a significant improvement with 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque, providing better acceleration and refinement. The turbo XT's fuel economy was slightly lower than the base engine, at 23 mpg city and 30 highway, compared to 26 mpg city and 33 highway. The Outback's handling was designed for comfort, with long-travel springs and 8.7 inches of ground clearance, making it capable off-road. Subaru's electronically-variable AWD system provided excellent traction and stability, with X-Mode optimizing performance for tough conditions.

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. While this was less than competitors like the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester, the Escape focused on passenger space, offering ample headroom and legroom for second-row passengers and a commanding seating position for the driver and front passenger. The interior featured numerous storage solutions, including deep water-bottle holders and multiple trays and compartments.

The 2021 Subaru Outback excelled in cargo space, with 76 cubic feet available with the rear seats folded and 33 cubic feet with them raised. The cargo area was wide, flat, and free of intrusive elements. The Outback provided ample headroom and legroom in all seating positions, with comfortable and supportive seats. Outward visibility was excellent, thanks to thin pillars and a low shoulder height. Storage options included large map pockets, bottle holders, and handy pockets in the front center console. However, some features like push-button start and rear climate vents were only standard on higher trims. The Outback's standout feature was its standard roof rails with integrated crossbars, which could be easily swiveled and locked in place.

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

The 2021 Subaru Outback's infotainment system appeared outdated, with graphics and typefaces reminiscent of older technology. The central screen in the instrument panel was particularly lacking. However, the system included modern features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Subaru EyeSight, standard on all trims, provided adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and forward automatic emergency braking. The system's functionality was impressive but relied solely on forward-looking cameras, which could be impeded in certain conditions.

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. Ford Co-Pilot360, standard on all trims, included advanced safety systems like 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 Subaru Outback featured a stronger and stiffer chassis, with standard driver’s knee and passenger seat-cushion airbags. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was optional on Premium and standard on higher trims. Rear emergency braking and a driver-attention monitor were available on specific trims. The Outback earned a 2020 IIHS "Top Safety Pick+" award, with top ratings in all crash tests and for headlights, and a "Superior" rating for forward emergency braking. The NHTSA awarded the 2021 Outback an overall five-star rating, with four stars for the front passenger in a frontal crash and four stars for the rollover test.