2021 Ford Escape vs 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe

When shopping for a new 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe, buyers chose between SE, SEL, and Limited trim levels. Versions with a “2.0T” in the trim name received a power and performance upgrade courtesy of a turbocharged engine. All-wheel drive (AWD) was an option, allowing the automatic transmission to transfer power from the front wheels to the rear wheels when necessary. Aside from deciding about AWD, a turbocharged engine, and an optional Convenience Package for the SEL, buyers picked a paint color, interior color, and upgrades from a shortlist of dealer-installed accessories. The test vehicle had Limited 2.0T trim and a set of dealer-installed floor mats, bringing the price to $39,170.

The Santa Fe's design was bold and experimental, which might not have appealed to everyone. Controversial elements included the grille shape, stacked front lighting elements, asymmetrical fender stampings, and oversized rear “skid plate” trim. Inside, the dual-cowl dashboard design and diamond-textured speaker grilles added character. Versions with gray or beige interiors presented a high-contrast visual feast. However, materials quality didn’t quite match the high-style design, with glossy plastic covering the lower half of the interior and fairly stiff leather seat upholstery. Build quality was exceptionally good, and the controls operated with refinement.

The 2021 Ford Escape straddled the line between SUV and hatchback. Its curved snout and sleek roofline made it look more like an engorged Focus, but it still had the tall ride height of a proper SUV. This gave the Escape a less truck-like look compared to the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, or Toyota RAV4, but a more generic design than the latest Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage. For 2021, the Escape received new appearance packages for three of its four trim levels, including the SE Sport Appearance Package, SEL Stealth AWD Package, and Titanium Elite Package. Upgrades included 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery with Miko Suede seat inserts, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and leather trim.

The interior design of the Escape didn’t have the same cohesive theme as the exterior. Odd design choices, like an angular instrument cluster, didn’t fit with the exterior. Interior materials were considered low-rent, and even the top Escape Titanium model didn’t get standard leather upholstery, although it did get ambient lighting. Upgrading to the SEL trim level was necessary for dual-zone automatic climate control.

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe had a minimum curb weight of 3,591 pounds and a maximum of 3,946 pounds. The standard 185-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine was not ideal. Instead, the 2.0T trim installed a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 235 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque between 1,450 rpm and 3,500 rpm. This represented increases of 50 hp and 82 lb-ft over the standard engine, with torque available much faster. The eight-speed automatic transmission funneled power to the front wheels unless the optional AWD system was chosen. The test vehicle had FWD and suffered from torque steer under hard acceleration, an issue that disappeared with AWD. Properly equipped, the Santa Fe had a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. The EPA estimated a Santa Fe 2.0T front-driver would get 23 mpg in combined driving, and the test model returned 22.1 mpg.

The 2021 Ford Escape was available with two gasoline powertrains, as well as hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The base powertrain was a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 181 hp and 191 lb-ft of torque, coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission with standard FWD or optional AWD. Buyers could upgrade to the EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbo-four, which produced 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, available only with AWD. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid used a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric assist, producing a total system output of 200 hp. The plug-in hybrid’s larger battery pack allowed it to drive significant distances on electric power alone. The hybrid was available with FWD or AWD, but the plug-in hybrid was FWD only.

The three-cylinder engine was more than adequate for an SUV, and the transition between electric and gasoline propulsion in the hybrid was smooth. However, chassis tuning left a lot to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering making the Escape feel like a chore to drive. For 2021, 2.0-liter, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid models could be equipped with a Class 2 Trailer Tow Package, with a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds for the 2.0-liter engine.

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe offered thoughtful attention to detail, with creative storage spaces and stain-resistant fabric in versions with cloth seats. The test vehicle had eight-way power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated front seats, with the driver’s seat including four-way power-adjustable lumbar support and an extending thigh support. The test model also included a heated steering wheel. The dual-zone automatic climate control system included a Clean Air ionizer, and the air conditioning was effective even with the massive panoramic glass sunroof.

Adults found the Santa Fe’s back seat comfortable, with air conditioning vents, rear side-window sunshades, and heated bottom cushions in the Limited trim. Legroom and thigh support made it a good place to spend time, and the rear seats reclined for added comfort. However, the Santa Fe fell short in cargo space, with 35.9 cubic feet behind the rear seat and a maximum of 71.3 cubic feet. Large storage compartments under the cargo floor were a positive note. The hands-free “smart” liftgate was intelligent, sensing the key fob in proximity to the rear of the vehicle and opening automatically.

The 2021 Ford Escape compared well against more traditionally-styled compact SUVs on interior space. First-row and second-row headroom and legroom were near the top of the segment, and the Escape had a standard sliding rear seat that could be moved to expand legroom or cargo space. Sliding the bench seat all the way back yielded 40.7 inches of rear legroom in non-hybrid models. The placement of the battery pack in hybrid and plug-in hybrid models reduced some legroom.

With the rear seat up and in its default position, the gasoline Escape had 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, while hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had 30.7 cubic feet. Sliding the rear seat forward increased cargo space to 37.5 cubic feet for gasoline models and 34.4 cubic feet for hybrid/plug-in hybrid models. Folding the rear seat yielded 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space in gasoline models and 60.8 cubic feet in hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. Most competitors offered more cargo space, with the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester able to swallow over 70 cubic feet of stuff with their rear seats folded.

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe’s touchscreen infotainment system was a shining example of this technology done right. It had stereo control knobs, main menu shortcut buttons, and a programmable button for any function. Every Santa Fe had Bluetooth connectivity and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. The SEL trim added SiriusXM satellite radio with a free three-month subscription and Blue Link connected services with three free years of service, including remote engine starting, automatic emergency assistance, and more.

The Limited trim added a larger 8-inch display, a navigation system, a surround-view camera, wireless smartphone charging, and a 12-speaker Infinity surround sound system. Technology unrelated to the infotainment system included a head-up display providing data on the windshield within the driver’s line of sight, even showing when another vehicle was in the Santa Fe’s blind spot. The voice recognition system was sophisticated, responding to naturally spoken commands with little trouble.

The 2021 Ford Escape used Ford’s older Sync 3 infotainment system, with base Escape S models only getting a 4.2-inch touchscreen. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot were standard. Upgrading to the Escape SE netted an 8-inch touchscreen with pinch-and-zoom capability and SiriusXM satellite radio with a three-month free trial. The Escape Titanium trim level added a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

Sync 3 remained one of the easier infotainment systems to use, with no issues on previous Escape drives. However, Ford didn’t offer as many standard tech features as competitors, and the Escape missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto bundled with the new Sync 4 infotainment system.

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe earned a five-star overall crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Standard safety features included adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance. A driver monitoring system and a rear-seat reminder system were also standard.

The SEL trim added blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, and a safe exit assist system. The SEL Convenience Package equipped the SUV with an ultrasonic occupant alert system tied to the owner’s Blue Link smartphone app. The Limited trim included a new Blind-Spot View Monitor, showing a live video feed of the blind spots in the center of the instrument cluster.

The 2021 Ford Escape received a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the IIHS, with top “Good” scores in all crash tests and for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. The Escape also earned high marks for front-crash prevention tech but only “Acceptable” and “Marginal” ratings for headlights. The NHTSA gave the 2021 Escape a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests, and four stars in rollover crash tests.

Standard safety features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 banner included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. The optional Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package added adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centering, traffic-sign recognition, park assist, and Evasive Steering Assist.