2021 Ford Escape vs 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, despite its decade-old design, maintained a timeless appeal. It showcased traditional Jeep styling cues like a 7-slot grille and trapezoidal fenders, presenting a balanced appearance suitable for both rugged trails and upscale settings. This versatility made it attractive to a diverse range of buyers. Prices for the Grand Cherokee started at $32,150 for the Laredo and went up to $52,495 for the Summit, with high-performance SRT and Trackhawk versions priced at $68,895 and $87,400, respectively. The tested Limited X model, priced at $53,275, featured a Slate Blue Pearl paint, ventilated hood design, sport-themed front bumper, and 20-inch aluminum wheels, giving it a mild-custom look.

However, the interior of the Grand Cherokee, especially models priced over $50,000, was a letdown. While premium materials were used, they were applied over a foundation that lacked substance, making the abundance of hard plastic more noticeable and irritating. This was a significant drawback for an otherwise well-designed SUV.

The 2021 Ford Escape, a fourth-generation model, straddled the line between SUV and hatchback with its curved snout and sleek roofline, giving it a less truck-like look compared to competitors like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. For 2021, the Escape introduced new appearance packages for three of its four trim levels, including the SE Sport Appearance Package, SEL Stealth AWD Package, and Titanium Elite Package. These upgrades included 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery with Miko Suede seat inserts, and leather-wrapped steering wheels.

The interior of the Escape, however, did not match the cohesive theme of its exterior. Odd design choices, such as an angular instrument cluster, clashed with the exterior's sleek look. The materials used inside were also considered low-rent, with even the top Titanium model lacking standard leather upholstery. Despite these shortcomings, the Escape offered a practical and spacious interior, making it a competitive option in its segment.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee came equipped with a standard 295-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6 engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, providing satisfying acceleration and an EPA-rated 21 mpg in combined driving. However, the test vehicle achieved only 19.4 mpg. For those seeking more power, three V8 engines were available: a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 in the SRT with 475 hp and 470 lb-ft, and the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 in the Trackhawk with 707 hp and 645 lb-ft, capable of 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

The Grand Cherokee offered various 4WD systems, with the Limited X featuring the Quadra-Trac II 4WD with a 2-speed transfer case. It excelled off-road with its Selec-Terrain traction control and hill descent control technology. However, on pavement, the driving dynamics were mixed, with impressive grip but excessive suspension movements. The steering and brakes were average, attempting to balance daily driving and off-roading needs.

The 2021 Ford Escape offered 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, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available in FWD or AWD. An upgrade to the 2.0-liter turbo-four engine increased output to 250 hp and 280 lb-ft, available only with AWD. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid models used a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric assist, producing a total of 200 hp, with the plug-in hybrid offering significant electric-only driving range.

Despite the small engine size, the three-cylinder engine performed adequately, and the hybrid models offered smooth transitions between electric and gasoline propulsion. However, the chassis tuning left much to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering making the Escape feel like a chore to drive. For 2021, the Escape also offered a Class 2 Trailer Tow Package for 2.0-liter, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid models, with a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds for the 2.0-liter engine.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee offered seating for five and cargo space of 36.3 cubic feet behind the backseat, expanding to 68.3 cubic feet with the backseat folded down. Heated and 8-way power-adjustable front seats ensured comfort, though the Limited X lacked ventilated seats. The thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel was a pleasure to grip, and the armrests were softly padded. Rear passengers, including children, found the backseat comfortable, with adequate legroom and rear air conditioning vents.

Interior storage was decent, with a handy tray in the center console and sizable door-panel bins compensating for a small bin under the center armrest and a limited glovebox. Grocery bag hooks on the front seatbacks were a thoughtful touch.

The 2021 Ford Escape, despite its car-like styling, offered competitive interior space. First-row and second-row headroom and legroom were near the top of the segment, with a standard sliding rear seat that could be moved to expand legroom or cargo space. Sliding the rear seat all the way back provided 40.7 inches of rear legroom in non-hybrid models, though hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had reduced legroom due to the battery pack placement.

The gasoline Escape offered 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up, expandable to 37.5 cubic feet by sliding the rear seat forward. Folding the rear seat provided 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had slightly less cargo space, with 30.7 cubic feet with the rear seat up and 60.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. While competitors like the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester offered more cargo space, the Escape's interior was practical and spacious.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee featured the Uconnect infotainment system, known for its speed, graphics, and ease of use. However, the bouncy ride could make it difficult to accurately select virtual buttons on the display. The voice recognition system was user-friendly. The Limited X trim included an 8.4-inch touchscreen, navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, SiriusXM satellite radio, and SiriusXM Guardian connected services. A 4G LTE WiFi data plan was available, supporting up to eight devices. The test vehicle had a 9-speaker Alpine premium sound system, though a 19-speaker Harman Kardon system was available in higher trims.

A unique feature of Uconnect was the Off-Road Pages app, providing information related to off-roading, such as altitude, GPS coordinates, and power distribution. The SRT and Trackhawk models had Performance Pages for tracking performance metrics.

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

While Sync 3 was user-friendly, it lacked some standard tech features offered by competitors and missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with the newer Sync 4 system.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee offered three collections of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). ProTech I, standard on all trim levels, included a reversing camera, parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. ProTech II added low-speed forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Advanced ProTech II included full-speed forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, semi-autonomous parking assist, and rain-sensing wipers.

Despite these features, the Grand Cherokee had unimpressive crash-test ratings. The NHTSA gave it an overall rating of 4 stars, with a 3-star rollover resistance rating for rear-wheel drive models. The IIHS rated it Marginal for driver protection and Poor for front passenger protection in the small overlap frontal-impact test. The headlights also rated Poor unless upgraded to the Acceptable HID headlights in the Premium Lighting Group.

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. It also earned high marks for front-crash prevention tech, though the headlights received "Acceptable" and "Marginal" ratings depending on the trim level. The NHTSA gave the 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.