2021 Ford Escape vs 2021 BMW X5

The 2021 BMW X5 was a testament to BMW's high-quality craftsmanship, fitting seamlessly into the brand's true SUV range. Its design, from the iconic kidney grille to the body shape, ensured it was unmistakably a BMW. The X5 featured full adaptive LED headlights and various trim-specific styling elements, such as matte aluminum grilles and high-gloss black finishes on M Sport models. The interior, while consistent with BMW's design language, was criticized for its overuse of black plastic and parts-bin components, though it did offer plenty of leather and soft-touch materials. The M Sport models added unique, aggressive styling elements, including an M sports steering wheel and exclusive interior trim strips.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Escape straddled the line between SUV and hatchback, with a curved snout and sleek roofline that made it resemble an engorged Focus. Despite its car-like appearance, it maintained the tall ride height of an SUV. For 2021, the Escape introduced new appearance packages for three of its four trim levels, enhancing its visual appeal with features like 19-inch alloy wheels and ActiveX upholstery. However, the interior design lacked cohesion, with odd choices like an angular instrument cluster and low-rent materials. Even the top Titanium model didn't offer standard leather upholstery, though it did include ambient lighting.

The 2021 BMW X5 offered a range of powertrain options, all paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base X5 sDrive40i/xDrive40i featured a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine producing 335 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. The X5 M50i came with a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, delivering 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, while the X5 M offered 600 hp, increasing to 617 hp with the Competition Package. The new X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid combined a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine with a 24-kilowatt-hour battery, achieving 389 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque, and up to 30 miles of all-electric range. Despite its power, the X5's steering and handling were criticized for being less engaging than other BMW SUVs, with a Lincoln-like driving experience. Fuel efficiency varied, with the X5 M achieving 15 mpg combined, the X5 M50i at 18 mpg, the X5 xDrive at 23 mpg, and the X5 xDrive45e rated at 50 MPGe when using both electricity and gas.

The 2021 Ford Escape offered two gasoline powertrains, as well as hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The base engine was a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder from Ford’s EcoBoost range, producing 181 horsepower and 191 pound-feet 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, achieving a total system output of 200 hp. The plug-in hybrid's larger battery allowed for significant electric-only driving. However, the Escape's chassis tuning left much to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering making it less enjoyable to drive. The 2.0-liter engine models could tow up to 3,500 pounds, but towing figures for the hybrid and plug-in hybrid were not provided.

The 2021 BMW X5 made good use of its interior space, with well-placed cupholders and a wireless phone charging pad. The seating was spacious and comfortable for short trips, though the front seats felt hard after extended periods. The rear seats were comfortable for kids and two adults, with an optional third row available. The climate controls were easy to manage, and the split liftgate with full power functionality made loading cargo convenient. The X5 xDrive45e offered slightly less cargo space than the traditional X5, but the difference was minimal. However, the rear doors did not open very wide, making it challenging to move children and cargo in and out.

The 2021 Ford Escape compared well against more traditionally-styled compact SUVs in terms of interior space. It offered near-top-of-segment headroom and legroom in both rows, with a standard sliding rear seat to adjust legroom or cargo space. Non-hybrid models provided 40.7 inches of rear legroom, while hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had slightly less due to battery placement. The gasoline Escape had 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up, expandable to 37.5 cubic feet by sliding the seat forward, and 65.4 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had slightly less cargo space. Despite its car-like styling, the Escape's cargo capacity was less than competitors like the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester, which offered over 70 cubic feet with their rear seats folded.

The 2021 BMW X5 came with a robust list of standard features, including a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 10-speaker sound system, voice recognition, Bluetooth, five USB ports, navigation, HD Radio, satellite radio, automatic climate control, proximity key, and a panoramic moonroof. Optional upgrades included remote start, a head-up display, quad-zone automatic climate control, a wireless smartphone charger, massaging seats, a Wi-Fi hotspot, a 16-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system, a 20-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system, rear sunshades, and a dual-panel panoramic roof. The iDrive system required some acclimation but was user-friendly once familiar.

The 2021 Ford Escape used the older Sync 3 infotainment system, with base models featuring a 4.2-inch touchscreen. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. Upgrading to the SE trim 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 the newer Sync 4 system.

The 2021 BMW X5 came equipped with a comprehensive list of standard safety features, including blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, fatigue and focus alert, lane departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. However, the Driving Assistance Professional Package's adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems had issues, particularly in bright sunlight and light rain, causing safety concerns. The X5 received nearly all Good ratings from the IIHS and a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, despite being the subject of seven recalls.

The 2021 Ford Escape earned 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 received high marks for front-crash prevention tech but had mixed ratings for headlights. The NHTSA awarded the Escape a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover 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.