2021 Ford Escape vs 2021 Chevrolet Traverse

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was a nod to the past, with its design relying heavily on styling details to distinguish between trim levels, reminiscent of how Chevy once differentiated models like the Impala and Caprice. Its exterior was a classic SUV design with a tall roof, chunky wheel arches, and a big grille, offering a cleaner and more handsome look compared to competitors like the Toyota Highlander or Hyundai Palisade. However, it lacked the personality of the Ford Explorer and Kia Telluride, and the streamlined appearance of the Mazda CX-9. The Traverse's restrained styling highlighted the cosmetic elements of different trims, such as the blacked-out trim on the RS model and chrome accents on the High Country. It shared a platform with the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Cadillac XT6, but aimed for a more blue-collar feel. Inside, the Traverse featured a restrained design with an optional Dual SkyScape sunroof, and while materials were decent, they didn't quite match the car's price tag.

The 2021 Ford Escape, in its fourth generation, straddled the line between SUV and hatchback, with a curved snout and sleek roofline that made it resemble an enlarged Focus. It maintained the tall ride height of an SUV, offering a less truck-like appearance than the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, or Toyota RAV4, but its design was more generic compared to the Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage. For 2021, the Escape introduced new appearance packages for three of its four trims, including the SE Sport Appearance Package, SEL Stealth AWD Package, and Titanium Elite Package, with upgrades like 19-inch alloy wheels and leather-wrapped steering wheels. The interior, however, lacked cohesion with odd design choices and low-quality materials. Even the top Titanium model didn't come with standard leather upholstery, and dual-zone automatic climate control was only available from the SEL trim level.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was equipped with a single engine option: a 3.6-liter V6 producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. While the V6 didn't feel as powerful off the line, it provided ample power for highway merging and overtaking. The transmission generally performed well, though it occasionally delivered rough shifts. The Traverse excelled in highway driving, offering a quiet cabin and comfortable ride, but it lacked agility on twisty roads. Its AWD system required manual activation and could distribute torque between wheels, but this capability wasn't noticeable during driving. The Traverse offered off-road and tow/haul modes, with a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, which was average for the segment.

The 2021 Ford Escape offered a variety of powertrains, including two gasoline engines and hybrid options. 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. An upgrade to the 2.0-liter turbo-four 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, delivering 200 hp, with the plug-in hybrid offering significant electric-only range. The Escape's three-cylinder engine was surprisingly adequate, and the hybrid's transition between electric and gasoline power was smooth. However, the chassis tuning left much to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering. The Escape's towing capacity reached 3,500 pounds with the 2.0-liter engine, but figures for hybrid models weren't specified.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse offered seating for seven or eight, depending on the choice of a second-row bench seat or captain’s chairs. It provided above-average headroom and legroom across all three rows, though not segment-leading. Heated front seats were standard on the RS trim, with ventilated front seats and heated rear seats available on higher trims. The Traverse excelled in cargo space, offering 23.0 cubic feet with all seats up, 57.8 cubic feet with the third row stowed, and 98.2 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. A power liftgate was optional on the LT Cloth trim and standard on higher trims, with a gesture-activated liftgate available on Premier and High Country models. Despite its size, the Traverse was limited in interior storage options, typical of midsize three-row crossovers.

The 2021 Ford Escape, despite its car-like styling, offered competitive interior space compared to traditional compact SUVs. It provided ample headroom and legroom in the first and second rows, with a standard sliding rear seat to adjust legroom or cargo space. Non-hybrid models offered 40.7 inches of rear legroom, second only to the 2022 Hyundai Tucson. However, hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had reduced legroom due to battery 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 seat forward, and 65.4 cubic feet with the seat folded. Hybrid models had slightly less cargo space. While the Escape's cargo capacity was decent, competitors like the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester offered more.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth. Higher trims offered an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, a 4G-LTE WiFi hotspot, and a Bose 10-speaker audio system. Despite smaller screen sizes compared to competitors, the Traverse's system was user-friendly with large icons and retained analog controls for audio and climate. The Traverse also featured a rearview camera mirror and an optional HD surround-view camera system, enhancing visibility and maneuverability. Each row had two USB ports as standard, but wireless phone charging was only available on Premier and High Country trims.

The 2021 Ford Escape used the older Sync 3 infotainment system, with the base S model featuring a 4.2-inch touchscreen. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. Upgrading to the SE trim added an 8-inch touchscreen with pinch-and-zoom capability and SiriusXM radio. The Titanium trim offered 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 rivals and missed out on wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with the newer Sync 4 system.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse received top "Good" scores from the IIHS in all crash tests and a "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention. However, it had "Acceptable" and "Poor" headlight ratings and an "Acceptable" rating for LATCH ease of use. The NHTSA awarded it a five-star overall safety rating, with four stars in frontal and rollover tests, and five stars in side-impact tests. The Traverse offered fewer standard driver-assist features than competitors, with adaptive cruise control only available on the High Country trim. Other features like automatic emergency braking and lane-keep assist were optional.

The 2021 Ford Escape earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS, with top "Good" scores in crash tests and for LATCH ease of use. It also received high marks for front-crash prevention but had "Acceptable" and "Marginal" headlight ratings. The NHTSA gave it a five-star overall rating, with five stars in frontal and side tests, and four stars in rollover tests. Standard safety features under Ford Co-Pilot360 included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency braking. The optional Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package added adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and park assist.