2022 Acura RDX 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 gave the Escape a less truck-like appearance compared to the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, or Toyota RAV4, but a more generic design 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 included 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery with Miko Suede seat inserts, and leather-wrapped steering wheel and trim.

The interior of the 2021 Escape did not match the cohesive theme of its exterior. Odd design choices, such as an angular instrument cluster, clashed with the exterior styling. Interior materials were found to be low-rent, even in the top Escape Titanium model, which lacked standard leather upholstery but did feature ambient lighting. Dual-zone automatic climate control was only available starting from the SEL trim level.

The 2022 Acura RDX required a close look to spot its styling changes. Inspired by the larger MDX model, the RDX featured modifications to its grille surround and front and rear bumper styling, along with updated wheel designs and paint colors. The limited-production, hand-built RDX PMC Edition returned in exclusive Long Beach Blue Pearl paint with an Orchid white interior. The PMC Edition, named after the Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio, topped a lineup that included the base model and option packages named Technology, A-Spec, Advance, and A-Spec Advance, with starting prices ranging from $42,300 to $53,300, excluding a destination charge of $1,045.

Our test vehicle, equipped with the new-for-2022 A-Spec Advance package, featured extra-cost Apex Blue Pearl paint and an Orchid interior, totaling $53,645, including the destination charge. The RDX A-Spec Advance justified its expense with high-quality interior materials, solid build quality, and a much quieter interior. Despite some reservations about the new vertical air inlet design, the RDX demonstrated more flair for style than many of its rivals.

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 from Ford’s EcoBoost range, producing 181 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It came with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD). An upgrade to the EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbo-four engine increased output to 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, available only with AWD and the same eight-speed automatic transmission. 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 hp. The plug-in hybrid’s larger battery pack allowed for significant electric-only driving distances. The hybrid was available with FWD or AWD, while the plug-in hybrid was FWD only. The 2021 Escape could also be equipped with a Class 2 Trailer Tow Package, offering a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds with the 2.0-liter engine.

The 2022 Acura RDX featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 272 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 280 pound-feet of torque between 1,600 rpm and 4,500 rpm. This engine, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, provided an enjoyable driving experience. However, heavy-footed drivers would find it challenging to achieve the EPA fuel economy rating of 23 mpg, as our test averaged 20.6 mpg. The RDX came with standard FWD for the base, Technology, and A-Spec packages, while the Advance and A-Spec Advance packages included Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. This torque-vectoring AWD system could deliver up to 70 percent of the engine’s power to a single rear wheel, enhancing driving dynamics on winding roads. For 2022, Acura revised the RDX’s Integrated Dynamics System (IDS) and re-tuned the adaptive-damping suspension, providing a smoother ride in Comfort mode and greater responsiveness in Sport mode. The RDX also offered a quieter ride, thanks to Active Sound Control enhancements and added sound-insulation measures.

Despite its car-like styling, 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, with a standard sliding rear seat that could be moved 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. However, the battery pack placement in hybrid and plug-in hybrid models reduced some legroom. 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 rear seat forward. Folding the rear seat provided 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had slightly less cargo space, at 30.7 cubic feet with the rear seat up and 60.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded.

The 2022 Acura RDX, though a compact SUV, offered ample room for four adults and their luggage, with everyone seated beneath a standard panoramic sunroof. The RDX emphasized a sporty driving position and featured a dramatic positioning of the oversized IDS driving mode knob on the center of the dashboard. The control layout required a learning curve, with transmission buttons and switches beneath the IDS knob and the True Touchpad Interface (TTI) infotainment system control pad. The A-Spec, A-Spec Advance, and PMC Edition used metallic gauge faces with red markings that were difficult to read in low-light conditions. The standard 12-way power-adjustable and heated front seats were comfortable and supportive, with available ventilation. The thick-rimmed, flat-bottom steering wheel, new for 2022, was available with a heated rim. Dual-zone automatic climate control was standard, and Iconic Drive ambient lighting was available in all but the base trim level. The back seat, however, felt flat and lacked support, though heated rear seat cushions were available on some models. The RDX featured a standard power liftgate with available hands-free operation, opening to reveal 29.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 58.9 cubic feet with the rear seat folded.

The 2021 Ford Escape used Ford’s older Sync 3 infotainment system, with the 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, 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 2022 Acura RDX featured the True Touchpad Interface (TTI) infotainment system, pairing a 10.2-inch display screen with a sectioned touchpad controller on the center console. The TTI required a learning curve, as it offered a direct one-to-one relationship between the touchpad and the display screen. Despite its complexity, the TTI became more natural to use over time. The 2022 RDX included Amazon Alexa Built-in, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a wireless charging pad. Standard features included satellite radio and AcuraLink connected services with access to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Starting with the Technology package, the RDX included a navigation system. Three premium sound systems were available: a nine-speaker setup in the base RDX, a 12-speaker system by ELS Studio in the Technology package, and a 16-speaker ELS Studio 3D surround-sound audio system in higher packages. The Advance and A-Spec Advance packages also included a 10.5-inch head-up display.

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 tech but received “Acceptable” and “Marginal” ratings for headlights, depending on the trim level. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded 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.

The 2022 Acura RDX featured several safety-related changes, including structural upgrades to improve side-impact safety. Acura aimed to maintain a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, though ratings for the 2022 model were not yet published. New safety features included a rear seatbelt reminder system and additional features in the standard AcuraWatch collection, such as pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with lane-change assist, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Technology package and higher trims included front and rear parking sensors with low-speed automatic braking. AcuraWatch's adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems were mostly accurate but not as smooth as some rivals. The NHTSA awarded the 2022 RDX a five-star overall crash-test rating, with four-star frontal-impact and rollover resistance ratings and five-star side-impact ratings.