2021 Ford Escape vs 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen completely overhauled the Tiguan for the 2018 model year, introducing an all-new second generation of its compact crossover SUV. The redesign addressed the original Tiguan’s biggest shortcoming—its diminutive size—and aimed to make it more competitively priced against rivals like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The result was a vehicle that maintained a stylish and conservatively German exterior, though some cost-cutting measures were evident upon closer inspection.

The Tiguan’s exterior styling was contemporary Volkswagen, featuring clean and simple lines with a horizontal grille connecting the headlights. Inside, however, the design was plain, with dull surfaces and hard black plastic. The cockpit was simple, bordering on boring, though the optional digital dashboard and glass-covered touchscreen infotainment system were highlights.

The 2021 Ford Escape straddled the line between SUV and hatchback, with a curved snout and sleek roofline that made it look more like an engorged Focus. Despite its car-like appearance, it retained the tall ride height of a proper SUV. 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, which added features like 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery, and leather trim.

Inside, the Escape’s design choices were less cohesive, with an angular instrument cluster that didn’t quite match the exterior. The interior materials felt low-rent, and even the top Titanium model didn’t come with standard leather upholstery. However, the Escape did offer ambient lighting and dual-zone automatic climate control on higher trims.

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan was powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. This engine drove either the front or all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Tiguan’s powertrain offered snappy throttle response and minimal turbo lag, but its larger size and weight made it only moderately quick. The Tiguan’s curb weight ranged from 3,757 pounds for the front-wheel-drive model to 3,847 pounds for the all-wheel-drive version.

The Tiguan’s engine was relatively quiet, with a deep and refined sound at high revs. The cabin was well-insulated from wind noise, making it a quiet highway cruiser, though some road noise could filter through on rough surfaces. The Tiguan’s handling was impacted by its larger size, with a longer wheelbase that made it feel less nimble. The suspension was soft, providing a comfortable ride even on rough roads. The Tiguan’s steering firmed up in sport mode but remained too light in normal mode.

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 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The upgraded 2.0-liter turbo-four engine produced 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, available only with all-wheel drive.

The Escape hybrid and plug-in hybrid used a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric assist, producing a total of 200 horsepower. The plug-in hybrid’s larger battery pack allowed for significant electric-only driving. The hybrid was available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, while the plug-in hybrid was front-wheel drive only. The Escape’s chassis tuning left much to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering making it feel like a chore to drive. For 2021, the Escape 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 Volkswagen Tiguan excelled in practicality, starting with its second row of seats, which could slide up to seven inches fore and aft, making the third row actually useful. The third row had enough legroom for shorter adults and was cozy for kids. Front-drive Tiguans came with the third row as standard, while all-wheel-drive models were standard five-seaters with the third row available as a $595 option.

The Tiguan’s third row was roomier than many in larger vehicles, though the low cushion position relative to the floor was a drawback. The second-row seats folded flat, providing 65.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row collapsed. Two-row Tiguans offered 73.5 cubic feet of cargo space, more than the Ford Escape or Toyota RAV4 but slightly less than the Honda CR-V. The Tiguan’s front seats offered plenty of hip and shoulder room, and the abundant glass and seating position made it feel roomier than its numbers suggested.

The 2021 Ford Escape compared well against more traditionally-styled compact SUVs in terms of interior space. First-row and second-row headroom and legroom were near the top of the segment, and the Escape featured a standard sliding rear seat that could be moved fore and aft 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, second only to the 2022 Hyundai Tucson.

The gasoline Escape had 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up and in its default position, 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 provided 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 both exceeding 70 cubic feet.

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan featured the MIB II infotainment system, which was set to be replaced by MIB3 the following year. The current system was already one of the best on the market, with the base S trim using a 6.5-inch touchscreen display. Higher trims featured an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen with a glass surface, bright colors, and a speedy processor. The Tiguan S had a single USB-C port in the front, while higher trims had two USB-A ports in front of the gearshift lever and a third in the second row. A wireless charging pad was available on trims above S.

VW’s Digital Cockpit, a fully digital instrument panel, was available on top SEL trims. It could be customized and reconfigured, including a setting to display a panoramic map. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, as was Bluetooth connectivity and a WiFi hotspot.

The 2021 Ford Escape used the older Sync 3 infotainment system, with base Escape S models 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 Escape Titanium trim level included a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

Sync 3 was user-friendly, but Ford didn’t offer as many standard tech features as competitors. The Escape missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that came with the newer Sync 4 system.

For the 2020 model year, Volkswagen improved the Tiguan’s standard safety package, adding forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert to all models. However, features like adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assistance and LED headlights with automatic high beams were reserved for the top SEL trim. VW equipped all 2020 Tiguan models with Car-Net, a telematics package that connected the vehicle to an owner’s smartphone or watch through an app. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rated the Tiguan a Top Safety Pick for top-of-the-line SEL Premium models with LED headlights, while most Tiguans with halogen headlights received poor ratings.

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 received “Acceptable” and “Marginal” ratings for headlights, depending on the trim level. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (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, traffic-sign recognition, park assist, and Evasive Steering Assist.