2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vs 2021 Ford Escape

The 2021 Ford Escape, a fourth-generation model, straddled the line between SUV and hatchback. Its curved snout and sleek roofline made it resemble an engorged Focus at first glance, yet it maintained the tall ride height of a proper SUV. This design gave the Escape a less truck-like appearance compared to the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, or Toyota RAV4, but it also resulted in a more generic look than the latest Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage. 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 featured 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery with Miko Suede seat inserts, and leather-wrapped steering wheels, among other enhancements. However, the interior design did not match the cohesive theme of the exterior, with odd design choices and low-rent materials, even in the top Titanium model.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, a new seven-passenger model, was an extended-length version of the upcoming redesigned 2022 Grand Cherokee. It featured a third-row seat and more cargo volume, making it distinct from the existing five-passenger two-row Grand Cherokee. The Grand Cherokee L's styling was a strong selling point, resembling a smaller version of the more expensive Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer models. Instantly recognizable as a Jeep with its signature seven-slot grille, trapezoidal wheel arches, and familiar lighting arrangements, the Grand Cherokee L looked impressive across all trim levels. Jeep offered the Grand Cherokee L in various trims, including Laredo, Altitude, Limited, Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve, with prices ranging from $36,995 to $64,235. The Summit trim, equipped with features like a 19-speaker McIntosh premium audio system and advanced technology, represented a substantial improvement over the old model, despite some interior materials not meeting the high price expectations.

The 2021 Ford Escape offered a range of powertrains, including two gasoline engines, a hybrid, and a plug-in hybrid option. 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 in front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). An upgrade to the EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbo-four engine increased output to 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, delivering a total system output of 200 horsepower. The plug-in hybrid's larger battery pack allowed for significant electric-only driving distances. The hybrid was available in FWD or AWD, while the plug-in hybrid was FWD only. Despite the three-cylinder engine's adequacy, 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, 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 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L came standard with a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 293 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available in rear-wheel drive (RWD) or three different 4WD systems. The V6 engine offered a maximum tow rating of 6,200 pounds and an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in combined driving. An optional 5.7-liter V8 engine, available only with Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve trims and 4WD, generated 357 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, increasing towing capacity to 7,200 pounds but reducing fuel economy to 17 mpg combined. The V6 engine provided brisk acceleration but was loud when revved, and the eight-speed automatic transmission sometimes resisted downshifts to improve fuel economy. The Grand Cherokee L featured various driving modes, including Sport, Snow, Mud/Sand, and Rock, with the Summit's Quadra-Drive II 4WD system offering an electronic locking differential and a low-range transfer case setting. The Quadra-Lift suspension provided up to 10.9 inches of ground clearance and 24 inches of water fording capability, making the Grand Cherokee L capable of tackling challenging terrain. The SUV's stiffer structure contributed to a smooth ride and capable handling, with the Quadra-Lift air suspension controlling excess body motions.

The 2021 Ford Escape, despite its car-like styling, compared well against more traditionally-styled compact SUVs in terms of interior space. It offered near top-of-segment first-row and second-row headroom and legroom, with a standard sliding rear seat that could be moved to expand legroom or cargo space. Sliding the rear seat all the way back provided 40.7 inches of rear legroom in non-hybrid models, second only to the 2022 Hyundai Tucson. However, the battery pack placement in hybrid and plug-in hybrid models reduced some legroom. 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 yielded 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space in gasoline models and 60.8 cubic feet in hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. However, competitors like the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester offered more cargo space, with over 70 cubic feet available with their rear seats folded.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L offered comfort and practicality, especially in the Summit trim. It featured heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats with 12-way power adjustment, a heated steering wheel, and a four-zone automatic climate control system with air vents in all three rows. However, the dashboard vents were too small, making it difficult to cool the cabin quickly. The Grand Cherokee L's second-row captain's chairs provided ample legroom and comfort, with manual side window sunshades for added convenience. The captain's chairs could be tipped and slid forward without removing child safety seats, making it easier to access the third row, which was comfortable for all but the tallest adults. The Grand Cherokee L lacked practical storage space for front-seat occupants, but second-row passengers had a storage console that opened in two ways for added utility. Cargo space behind the third-row seat measured 17.2 cubic feet, with a useful storage bin underneath the load floor. Folding the third-row seat down increased cargo capacity to 46.9 cubic feet, and the maximum volume behind the front seats was 84.6 cubic feet.

The 2021 Ford Escape used Ford's older Sync 3 infotainment system, with base Escape S 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 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. While Sync 3 was user-friendly, it lacked some standard tech features offered by competitors and missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with the newer Sync 4 system.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L featured Jeep's latest Uconnect 5 infotainment system, offering faster response times and an improved user experience. Two touchscreen sizes were available: 8.4-inch and 10.1-inch with navigation. The test vehicle had the larger screen, which integrated well with the dashboard. Uconnect 5 included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Alexa compatibility, satellite radio, and connected services with a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The system also featured a natural voice-recognition system with a programmable wake phrase, which worked well during testing. The optional 19-speaker McIntosh high-end audio system provided excellent sound quality, though the McIntosh logo seemed out of place in the interior. Depending on the trim level, the Grand Cherokee L offered a 10.25-inch digital instrumentation panel, a digital rearview mirror, a thermal-imaging night vision system, and a Fam Cam rear-seat monitoring system. The available head-up display remained visible to drivers wearing polarized sunglasses.

The 2021 Ford Escape received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), with top "Good" scores in all crash tests and for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. It also earned high marks for front-crash prevention technology but received "Acceptable" and "Marginal" ratings for headlights, depending on the trim level. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (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 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 with stop-and-go and lane centering, traffic-sign recognition, park assist, and Evasive Steering Assist.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L introduced Active Driving Assist, a hands-on driving-assistance system combining adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability and lane-centering assistance. While the adaptive cruise control worked well, the steering assist felt artificial, and the Jeep's responsiveness to steering input during lane changes was overly sensitive. For the 2022 model year, Active Driving Assist was expected to become a hands-free system. The Grand Cherokee L also featured Intersection Collision Assist, which could detect threats from either side at intersections and apply the brakes if necessary. Additional driver aids included Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist, which steered the Jeep into parking spaces. As of the review's writing, crash-test ratings for the Grand Cherokee L were unavailable, but the new model was expected to improve upon the old Grand Cherokee's aged structure and engineering.