2021 Honda CR-V vs 2021 Ford Escape

The 2021 Honda CR-V had a design that blended into the crowded compact crossover market. Its styling was nearly identical to its competitors, with only minor details like the grille and some chromed plastic features setting it apart. The color options were limited, especially for the base LX trim, which only offered black, silver, and white. The interior featured black, gray, and ivory cloth or leather, with higher trims adding wood panels and more chrome for a more upscale appearance. However, vehicles like the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson offered more distinctive styling, particularly at mid-tier trims.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Escape straddled the line between SUV and hatchback, with a curved snout and sleek roofline that made it look more like an enlarged Focus. It had a less truck-like appearance compared to the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, or 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 packages added features like 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery with Miko Suede seat inserts, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. However, the interior design choices were odd, and the materials felt low-rent, even in the top Titanium model.

The 2021 Honda CR-V was not designed for high-speed thrills but offered smooth and steady acceleration with its 190-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It took about 7.8 seconds to reach 60 mph, which was competitive within its class. All trims featured a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which provided a less engaging driving experience compared to competitors like the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson, which offered conventional eight-speed automatic transmissions. The CR-V came standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available as an option. Its suspension setup included a MacPherson strut in the front and a multi-link suspension at the rear, providing decent handling and ride quality.

The 2021 Ford Escape offered more variety in its powertrains, including two gasoline engines and hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The base 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine produced 181 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. An upgrade to the 2.0-liter turbo-four engine increased output to 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid models used a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric assist, producing a total of 200 horsepower. 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 Honda CR-V was designed to fit five people comfortably and carry their gear. It offered 102.9 cubic feet of passenger volume and 75.8 cubic feet of total cargo volume with the rear seats folded. The cargo area could be accessed via a manual tailgate on lower trims, a power tailgate on the EX-L, and a hands-free power tailgate on the Touring trim. Roof rails were only standard on the top Touring trim.

The 2021 Ford Escape, despite its car-like styling, provided ample interior space. It featured a standard sliding rear seat that could be moved to expand legroom or cargo space. With the rear seat in its default position, the gasoline Escape offered 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 37.5 cubic feet by sliding the 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 due to the battery pack placement. Most competitors offered more cargo space, with the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester exceeding 70 cubic feet.

The 2021 Honda CR-V's base LX trim had a 5-inch color screen with Bluetooth connectivity. Higher trims featured a 7-inch high-definition touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. The Special Edition and EX trims had a 180-watt audio system with six speakers, while the EX-L added two more speakers. The Touring trim boasted a 300-watt system with a subwoofer and satellite navigation. Charging ports were plentiful, with USB ports in the front and second rows, and a wireless phone charger in the Touring trim.

The 2021 Ford Escape used the older Sync 3 infotainment system, with the base S model featuring a 4.2-inch touchscreen. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot were standard. The SE trim upgraded to an 8-inch touchscreen with SiriusXM satellite radio. The Titanium trim added 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 and missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with Sync 4.

The 2021 Honda CR-V excelled in safety, earning a five-star overall crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award. However, it did not achieve the highest Top Safety Pick+ rating due to lower scores in headlight evaluation and the updated side crash test. The CR-V's Honda Sensing system included a suite of advanced safety features as standard, such as a multi-angle rearview camera, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, road departure mitigation, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and auto high-beam headlamps. Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was standard from the EX trim upwards.

The 2021 Ford Escape also received high safety ratings, with a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. 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.