2021 Jeep Cherokee vs 2021 Ford Escape

When the 2021 Jeep Cherokee first made an appearance, its styling was a topic of hot debate. Initially, many struggled to embrace the unusually short grille and swept-back headlights. However, over the years, perceptions began to soften. By 2021, the Cherokee had established its presence with a more balanced appearance that wasn’t as jarring as it once was. Despite lingering reservations about the front design, the Cherokee's overall proportions seemed more harmonious.

A significant factor in the Cherokee's exterior aesthetics was the trim level. The entry-level Latitude with its 17-inch wheels and front-wheel drive had a simple, utilitarian look that wouldn't stand out much in a rental fleet. Conversely, the 80th Anniversary Edition, with its 19-inch Granite Crystal wheels and painted lower body cladding, presented a far more refined and attractive image.

Jeep displayed mastery in optimizing the rooflines across its lineup. While the Wrangler boasted options like three different tops and the Renegade offered a sliding top with removable panels, the Cherokee featured an expansive panoramic sunroof that covered the entire roof, adding a luxurious feel and abundant natural light to the cabin.

Despite its divisive styling elements, the Jeep Cherokee in 2021 managed to hold its own in a crowded SUV market. Its resemblance to the larger Jeep Grand Cherokee, particularly when viewed from the front, further underscored its rugged and distinctive Jeep identity.

The 2021 Ford Escape, in contrast, straddled the line between an SUV and a hatchback. Its curved front and streamlined roofline lent it a sporty look reminiscent of a bloated Ford Focus, yet it retained the higher ride height typical of an SUV. This design choice made the Escape look less truck-like compared to the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, or Toyota RAV4. However, it also rendered the Escape’s design more generic than the unique profiles of competitors like the latest Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage.

In 2021, Ford introduced new appearance packages for three of the Escape's four trim levels. These included the SE Sport Appearance Package, SEL Stealth AWD Package, and Titanium Elite Package, which brought enhancements such as 19-inch alloy wheels on the SE Sport and SEL Stealth, and premium materials like ActiveX upholstery with Miko Suede seat inserts for the SEL Stealth, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and trim for the Titanium Elite.

While the exterior of the Ford Escape impressed with its cohesive design, the interior vision seemed somewhat disjointed. An angular instrument cluster felt out of place compared to the smooth exterior lines. Additionally, the interior materials often felt subpar, and even the range-topping Titanium trim did not come with standard leather upholstery, although it did include ambient lighting. The lack of standard dual-zone automatic climate control in lower trims like the SEL also left much to be desired.

The 2021 Jeep Cherokee offered three engine choices, each aligning with different trim levels. The base Latitude and Latitude Plus trims came equipped with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 180 horsepower. Stepping up to the 3.2-liter V-6 engine brought a significant boost, raising output to 271 horsepower. At the top of the range was the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 270 horsepower and an impressive 295 pound-feet of torque. The turbo-four was available on the new-for-2021 Latitude Lux and the Cherokee Limited trims.

In terms of acceleration, none of these engines set performance records. Test drives revealed that a similarly equipped 2019 Cherokee managed to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in about 7.2 seconds with the V6, and around 7.4 seconds with the turbo-four. These timings were decent, but the Cherokee was not designed to thrill at every throttle input.

Transmission duties were handled by a nine-speed automatic from ZF, which initially had some teething issues but had matured into a reliable and fuel-efficient system, standing out positively against the less-loved continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) found in many rivals.

Being a Jeep, off-road capability was a core attribute, especially with the Trailhawk model. The Trailhawk came equipped with Jeep Active Drive Lock, offering a 56:1 crawl ratio, and Selec-Speed Crawl Control, making it surprisingly adept in off-road conditions, with the ability to conquer challenging terrains with relative ease. Nonetheless, unlike the Wrangler, the Cherokee was also offered in FWD, mainly for affordability reasons and to keep prices competitive in rental fleets. This meant that prospective buyers should double-check driveline specifications to avoid unintended FWD purchases.

The 2021 Ford Escape provided a variety of powertrains, including traditional gasoline options along with hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. The base engine was a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder EcoBoost, churning out 181 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available with FWD or AWD. An upgrade option included the 2.0-liter turbo-four EcoBoost, which punched out 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, available only with AWD and also mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The hybrid and plug-in hybrid models combined a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric motors, yielding a total system output of 200 horsepower. Notably, the plug-in hybrid featured a larger battery pack allowing for extended electric-only driving, though it was available solely with FWD, whereas the hybrid offered both FWD and AWD configurations.

Though a three-cylinder engine might seem underwhelming for an SUV, it proved adequately capable. The transitions between electric and gasoline power in hybrids were smooth, enhancing the driving experience. However, chassis tuning fell short, with sloppy suspension and steering making the Escape feel more cumbersome than agile. This remained unchanged from the 2020 models, indicating no improvements for 2021.

For those needing towing capacity, the Escape’s 2.0-liter engine equipped with the Class 2 Trailer Tow Package could handle up to 3,500 pounds, although Ford did not specify towing figures for its hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants.

The 2021 Jeep Cherokee occupied a niche between the smaller Renegade and the larger Grand Cherokee within Jeep's lineup. It competed in the compact crossover segment alongside vehicles like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

Despite its positioning, the Cherokee lagged when it came to utility and cargo space. It offered 26 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and expanded to 55 cubic feet with the second-row seats folded, placing it at the lower end of the spectrum among compact SUVs. Competitors like the Mazda CX-5, Ford Escape, and Kia Sportage outclassed the Cherokee in both cargo dimensions.

In terms of passenger space, the Cherokee’s 102 cubic feet of volume was competitive, being slightly smaller than some rivals like the Ford Escape but larger than others such as the Kia Sportage.

The Cherokee's interior was straightforward, featuring a clean and businesslike design without unnecessary distractions. Luxury was directly tied to the selected trim level. Basic trims like the Latitude primarily used black plastic, whereas models like the Trailhawk offered more upscale touches with suede seat inserts and contrasting stitching. The Latitude Lux stood out with its perforated Nappa leather upholstery for an added touch of sophistication.

The 2021 Ford Escape compared favorably with its compact SUV peers when it came to interior space. Both the first and second rows offered ample headroom and legroom. A notable feature was the Escape’s sliding rear seat, which allowed adjustment to either maximize passenger legroom or expand cargo space. When the bench seat was pushed all the way back, it provided 40.7 inches of rear legroom in non-hybrid models, ranking second in the segment behind the 2022 Hyundai Tucson. However, the placement of the battery pack in hybrid and plug-in hybrid models reduced this legroom.

The Escape's cargo space was more generous than the Cherokee's. With the rear seats up in their default position, gasoline models offered 33.5 cubic feet, while hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had 30.7 cubic feet due to the battery. Sliding the rear seat forward increased this capacity to 37.5 cubic feet for gasoline models and 34.4 cubic feet for hybrids. With the rear seats folded, gasoline models boasted 65.4 cubic feet, and hybrid variants provided 60.8 cubic feet. However, despite these figures, other compact SUVs like the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester could accommodate over 70 cubic feet with their rear seats folded.

The 2021 Jeep Cherokee excelled in its infotainment and climate control systems, courtesy of Stellantis' Uconnect interface. Unlike some competitors that required navigating multiple menus, the Cherokee offered straightforward access to heated seat controls and climate settings through intuitive rotary knobs and up/down buttons. The Uconnect system was available with either a 7-inch touchscreen on the Latitude, Latitude Plus, and Latitude LUX trims, or an 8.4-inch touchscreen on the Limited and Trailhawk trims. Both options were user-friendly and responsive.

Standard features across all trim levels included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, although they were not wireless. The Cherokee also provided a 4G WiFi hotspot and Amazon Alexa integration. Remote start functionality was available, a convenience not universally offered by rivals.

Across different Stellantis models, the Uconnect system maintained consistency, providing familiarity and ease of use to Cherokee buyers.

The 2021 Ford Escape used the older Sync 3 infotainment system instead of the latest Sync 4. Base models (Escape S) featured a basic 4.2-inch touchscreen but included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. Moving up to the Escape SE added an 8-inch touchscreen with pinch-and-zoom capability and a complimentary three-month trial of SiriusXM satellite radio. The Titanium trim level further enhanced the tech package with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a premium 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

While Sync 3 was still easy to navigate and reliable, it lacked some advanced features. The Escape missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that came with Sync 4, putting it a step behind tech-savvy competitors.

Safety ratings were a mixed bag for the 2021 Jeep Cherokee. From the IIHS, the Cherokee did not earn a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ designation, although it scored “Good” ratings in all crashworthiness categories and a top-tier G+ rating for the usability of its LATCH child seat anchors. The Cherokee's headlights were rated variably, with upper trims receiving an “Acceptable” rating, while others were deemed “Marginal” for subpar lighting performance.

The NHTSA gave the Cherokee a four-star overall safety rating, noting a slight deficiency in front driver-side crash protection.

Standard safety features across the Cherokee lineup included lane departure warning with lane keep assist, full-speed forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot monitoring. Adaptive cruise control with stop and go was only available on the Limited and Trailhawk trims, and as part of an optional package on the Trailhawk.

In comparison, the 2021 Ford Escape earned higher accolades. The IIHS awarded it a “Top Safety Pick” rating, with top “Good” scores in all crash tests and LATCH anchor usability. It also received high marks for its front-crash prevention technology, though its headlights' ratings varied, from “Marginal” to “Acceptable”.

The NHTSA rated the Escape with a five-star overall safety rating, achieving five stars in both frontal and side crash tests, while securing four stars in rollover tests.

Ford's standard safety features included under the Co-Pilot360 banner were comprehensive: 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 elaborated on this with adaptive cruise control (with stop-and-go and lane centering), traffic-sign recognition, park assist, and Evasive Steering Assist.