2020 Lincoln Navigator vs 2021 Ford Escape

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator stood out with its luxurious design, featuring chrome and brightwork that differentiated it from the Ford Expedition, on which it was based. The Lincoln Embrace lighting system, lattice-type grille insert, and illuminated star logo added to its distinctiveness. The Navigator also offered a new Reserve Monochromatic Package with body-color enhancements and 22-inch black-painted wheels, available in White, Ceramic Pearl, and Infinite Black. The test vehicle, a standard-length Navigator Reserve with 4WD, was priced at $92,385 and included the Luxury and Reserve Monochromatic option packages. Inside, the Dark Slate leather interior featured 30-way Perfect Position front seats with heating, ventilation, and massaging functions, a dashboard with mid-century modern styling cues, and a panoramic glass roof.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Escape had a more car-like appearance, resembling an engorged Focus with its curved snout and sleek roofline. It offered 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 wheel and trim. However, the interior design lacked cohesion, with odd choices like an angular instrument cluster and low-rent materials. Even the top Titanium model did not come with standard leather upholstery, although it did feature ambient lighting.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator was powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It offered multiple drive modes, including Conserve, Normal, Excite, Slippery, Deep Conditions, and Slow Climb (with the optional towing package). The Navigator's maximum towing capacity was 8,700 pounds with RWD and 8,300 pounds with 4WD, aided by the Pro Trailer Backup Assist system. The SUV averaged 16.4 mpg on the testing loop, with an EPA rating of 18 mpg combined. Despite its size, the Navigator's adaptive damping suspension and body motion control provided a hint of athleticism, although it was best suited for open roads and smooth pavement. Around town, features like a tight turning radius, parking assist system, and numerous camera views helped with maneuverability.

The 2021 Ford Escape offered two gasoline powertrains, as well as hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The base 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine produced 181 horsepower and 191 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available in FWD or AWD. The EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbo-four engine increased output to 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, 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. The plug-in hybrid's larger battery pack allowed for significant electric-only driving. The Escape's chassis tuning left much to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering making it a chore to drive. The 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 Lincoln Navigator required a climb to enter, but once inside, passengers enjoyed ample space and comfort. The test vehicle's 30-way Perfect Position front seats, power-adjustable pedals, and heated steering wheel provided exceptional comfort. The second row offered a choice between a three-person bench or two captain's chairs, with the latter option including a large center console and audio system controls. The third-row seat provided class-leading legroom and thigh support. Cargo volumes were also class-leading, with the standard-length model offering 19.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.5 cubic feet behind the second row, and a maximum of 103.3 cubic feet. The longer Navigator L increased these measurements to 34.3, 73.3, and 120.2 cubic feet, respectively.

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 bench seat all the way back provided 40.7 inches of rear legroom in non-hybrid models. The gasoline Escape had 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up, increasing to 37.5 cubic feet with the seat slid forward. Folding the rear seat yielded 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had slightly less space due to the battery pack, with 30.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up, 34.4 cubic feet with the seat slid forward, and 60.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator's Sync 3 infotainment system was its least impressive feature, taking time to load content. However, it offered Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Lincoln Connect services with a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, and wireless device charging. "Phone As A Key" technology allowed the smartphone to function as the vehicle key. The voice recognition system worked reasonably well, but was not as advanced as some competitors. The Reserve's Luxury Package included a 20-speaker Revel Ultima audio system with three listening profiles. Additional technologies included a surround-view camera system and a head-up display, but the test vehicle did not have the optional Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system.

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, the Escape lacked some standard tech features compared to competitors and missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with Sync 4.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator came with the standard Lincoln Co-Pilot360 collection of advanced driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot warning with trailer coverage, rear cross-traffic warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Reserve trim added adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability. The Navigator's adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance operated with refinement and subtlety. The Navigator received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, although the RWD model had a three-star rollover resistance rating. The IIHS had not tested the 2020 model.

The 2021 Ford Escape received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS, with top scores in all crash tests and for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. It also earned high marks for front-crash prevention tech, but had "Acceptable" and "Marginal" ratings for headlights. 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, traffic-sign recognition, park assist, and Evasive Steering Assist.