2021 Ford Escape vs 2021 Buick Enclave

The 2021 Buick Enclave harkened back to the brand's glory days with its big, shiny, and impressive design. After a period of decline, Buick found its footing by offering globally-sourced and rebadged GM vehicles. The Enclave, the largest of Buick's four SUVs, stood out with its American-made build and premium looks, especially in the Avenir trim, which featured a unique grille, extra brightwork, and polished 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Enclave Avenir boasted a minimalist design with organic forms, polished accents, and luxurious leather, although the wood trim was not genuine. The only downside was the fussy electronic transmission shifter, which users quickly adapted to.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Escape straddled the line between SUV and hatchback with its curved snout and sleek roofline, giving it a less truck-like appearance 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 added features like 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. However, the interior design lacked cohesion, with odd choices like an angular instrument cluster and low-quality materials, even in the top Titanium trim.

Under the hood, the 2021 Buick Enclave featured a 3.6-liter V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, available in both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD). The V6 produced 310 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 266 pound-feet of torque at 2,800 rpm, allowing for a maximum tow rating of 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Enclave's acceleration was strong, and it handled like a smaller SUV despite its size. The nine-speed automatic transmission performed flawlessly, and the premium-tuned suspension with continuously variable damping provided a smooth ride. The Enclave achieved an EPA-rated 21 mpg in combined driving, with a range of up to 460 miles on a full tank.

The 2021 Ford Escape offered a variety of powertrains, including two gasoline engines, a hybrid, and a plug-in hybrid. The base engine was a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder producing 181 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available in FWD or AWD. The upgraded 2.0-liter turbo-four engine delivered 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet 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 combined 200 horsepower. The plug-in hybrid could drive significant distances on electric power alone. 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 Buick Enclave was one of the largest SUVs in its class, offering ample space for six to seven passengers. The Avenir trim featured 12-way power-adjustable front seats with massaging functions, heated and ventilated leather seats, and a heated wood-and-leather steering wheel. The Enclave's cabin was designed for comfort and quiet, with Active Noise Cancellation and laminated windshield glass. The third-row seat was spacious and easy to access, and the cargo area offered 23.6 cubic feet of space behind the third row, 58 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a maximum of 97.6 cubic feet with the second row folded.

The 2021 Ford Escape, despite its car-like styling, offered competitive interior space. The first and second rows provided ample headroom and legroom, with a sliding rear seat that could be adjusted to expand legroom or cargo space. The gasoline Escape models offered 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up, expandable to 37.5 cubic feet with the seat slid forward, and 65.4 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had slightly less cargo space due to the battery pack, with 30.7 cubic feet behind the rear seat, 34.4 cubic feet with the seat slid forward, and 60.8 cubic feet with the seat folded. However, competitors like the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester offered more cargo space.

The 2021 Buick Enclave's infotainment system met basic expectations but fell short in some areas. It featured an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, and USB charging ports in all three rows. Upgrades included a premium sound system, navigation, wireless smartphone charging, and a surround-view camera system. However, the Enclave lacked features like a larger screen, smart home digital assistant integration, and high-end audio components. The Avenir trim's 8-inch touchscreen was the largest available, and the 10-speaker Bose sound system was underwhelming compared to competitors. The rear camera mirror was a neat feature, providing a live video view of what was behind the Enclave.

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 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 found in competitors and missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with the newer Sync 4 system.

The 2021 Buick Enclave needed improvement in its safety systems, as many features were restricted to higher trim levels. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were only available from the Essence trim upwards, while the Driver Confidence Plus Package, which included forward-collision warning, low-speed automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and more, was standard only on the Premium and Avenir trims. Adaptive cruise control with enhanced automatic emergency braking was exclusive to the Avenir trim with the optional Avenir Technology Package. The Enclave lacked lane-centering assistance, rear automatic braking, self-parking, and advanced Level 2 driving assistance technology. Despite these limitations, the Enclave received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and high marks from the IIHS, though it missed out on a Top Safety Pick accolade due to Marginal headlight performance.

The 2021 Ford Escape earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS, with top scores in all crash tests and high marks for front-crash prevention tech. However, its headlights received "Acceptable" and "Marginal" ratings depending on the trim level. 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 crash tests. Standard safety features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 banner included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, 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.