2022 Mazda CX-30 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 featured 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery with Miko Suede seat inserts, and leather-wrapped steering wheels.

Inside, the Escape's interior design did not match the cohesive theme of its exterior. Odd design choices, such as an angular instrument cluster, clashed with the exterior's look. The interior materials felt low-rent, and even the top Escape Titanium model lacked standard leather upholstery, although it did include ambient lighting. Dual-zone automatic climate control was only available starting from the SEL trim level.

The 2022 Mazda CX-30 had the look and styling of a downsized CX-5, with an upright grille and smooth, flowing fenders. Riding on the same platform as the Mazda3, it was essentially a raised-up version of the Mazda3 hatchback. The CX-30 featured an incredibly raked windshield that acted like a greenhouse on sunny days, potentially causing distractions for taller drivers due to its slight curve at eye level.

The cabin of the CX-30 was comfortable and quiet, with everything from buttons to doors feeling solid. It boasted one of the best interior designs among affordable cars, with an artful blend of conventional and digital displays in the instrument cluster and an infotainment screen that rose organically from the smooth dashboard. However, the attractive infotainment system had a steep learning curve, prioritizing form over function. The CX-30 offered various trim levels, each adding more features, with the Turbo Premium Plus model including front-and-rear parking sensors and numerous driver assistance features.

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. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid models used a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric assist, producing 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. Despite the three-cylinder engine seeming inadequate for an SUV, it performed well, and the transition between electric and gasoline propulsion in the hybrid was smooth. However, the chassis tuning left much to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering making it feel like a chore 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 2022 Mazda CX-30's base engine was a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, producing 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. The upgraded 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in our test model was rated at 227 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque on 87 octane fuel, and 250 hp and 320 lb-ft on 93 octane fuel. Power was routed to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The turbocharged engine provided decent acceleration, and a Sport button in the center console altered throttle response and shift mapping, making the CX-30 lively in Sport mode. The CX-30 featured a conventional shifter design, steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, and a manual tap-shift mode on the center shifter. The manual mode pattern was similar to that of race cars, enhancing its performance credibility. The CX-30 had a sporty, refined ride with well-weighted steering and quick, precise turn-in, but the downside was a rough ride over potholes and bumpy roads.

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 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 provided 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space in gasoline models and 60.8 cubic feet in hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. Most competitors offered more cargo space, with the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester exceeding 70 cubic feet with their rear seats folded.

The 2022 Mazda CX-30 provided up to 45.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and 20.2 cubic feet with the rear seats in use, which was about average for the subcompact SUV segment. Our Turbo Premium Plus model featured a power rear liftgate, which was convenient. The front seats had a sliding center console cover, but it could get stuck under the seat when the rear seats were folded, a slight design flaw. The center console offered ample space for personal items, and the front doors had deep pockets for large water bottles. The rear seats provided solid headroom and were suitable for adults on short-to-medium trips, but lacked the rear-seat headroom of the larger CX-5, making them a tight fit for longer drives.

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. Sync 3 was user-friendly, but Ford didn’t offer as many standard tech features as competitors, and the Escape missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with the new Sync 4 infotainment system.

The 2022 Mazda CX-30 had an elegant dash design, with the infotainment screen nestled into the dash and controlled by a rotary dial/joystick in the center console, as well as toggle buttons. This setup was inspired by luxury-car infotainment systems like BMW’s iDrive, but lacked touch functionality, making it less user-friendly. Navigating out of Apple CarPlay was cumbersome, and operating CarPlay and Android Auto with a rotary dial was frustrating. While getting into CarPlay from the Mazda home screen was easy, switching between presets remained a challenge even after learning the system. This could be distracting for anyone borrowing the CX-30.

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 only “Acceptable” and “Marginal” ratings for headlights, depending on the trim level. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave 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, traffic-sign recognition, park assist, and Evasive Steering Assist.

The 2022 Mazda CX-30 came with standard driver-assistance features such as forward collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, rain-sensing wipers, and adaptive cruise control. Our Turbo Premium Plus test model included additional features like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition, front-and-rear parking sensors, and reverse automatic emergency braking. It also had adaptive front headlights that turned with the steering wheel, a 360-degree parking camera, and a head-up display with crisp, bright graphics. The CX-30 earned five out of five stars from the NHTSA and received the highest Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS, with top marks in all crash tests and a “Superior” score for its driver-assistance technology.