2021 Jeep Wrangler vs 2021 Ford Escape

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler retained its iconic styling, characterized by circular headlights, a seven-slat grille, exposed bolts and hinges, and protruding bumpers and fenders. Depending on the trim level, the Wrangler could take on different looks with painted or exposed fenders, soft top or hardtop, and other individual styling touches. However, it always maintained its unmistakable identity. Inside, the Wrangler was not designed for comfort but rather for rugged charm. The upright seating position, limited legroom, and somewhat awkward seat adjustments were all part of its appeal to the right type of driver.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Escape had a more car-like appearance, with a curved snout and sleek roofline that made it look like an engorged Focus. This design gave it a less truck-like look compared to competitors like the Honda CR-V and 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. Inside, the Escape's design choices were less cohesive, with some materials feeling low-rent, even in the top Titanium model.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered a diverse powertrain lineup, including gas, diesel, mild-hybrid, and a Hemi V8. The standard 3.6-liter V6 produced 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, available with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. Other options included a 270-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 with 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque, and a plug-in hybrid variant called the Wrangler 4xe, which made 275 hp and offered up to 22 miles of electric range. The Rubicon 392 featured a 6.4-liter V8 engine, cranking out 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, turning the Wrangler into an off-road supercar. The Rubicon 392 also included beefed-up frame-rails, a 2-inch lift with Fox shock absorbers, and upgraded brakes.

The 2021 Ford Escape came with two gasoline powertrains, as well as 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 and available in FWD or AWD. The upgraded 2.0-liter turbo-four engine delivered 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 of 200 hp. The plug-in hybrid's larger battery pack allowed for significant electric-only driving. However, the Escape's chassis tuning left much to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering making it less enjoyable to drive.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered multiple top options, including the zipper-less Sunrider soft-top, a premium black cloth soft top, and a classic-looking tan soft top. The Freedom top was a three-piece hardtop with removable panels, available in black or body color. The Rubicon 392 featured the Sky one-touch power top, a power-retractable canvas panel that operated at speeds up to 60 mph. Inside, the Wrangler's cabin was all-function, with a small center console bin, glovebox, and effective in-door cargo nets. The Wrangler Unlimited provided 31.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and up to 72.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

The 2021 Ford Escape 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. The gasoline Escape had 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up, expandable to 37.5 cubic feet by sliding the seat forward. Folding the rear seat yielded 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had slightly less space due to the battery pack, with 30.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up and 60.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Sport came with a basic 5-inch screen for radio and vehicle settings. The 7-inch Uconnect screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was optional on the Sport S and standard on other trims. The sharp 8.4-inch Uconnect screen was also available, featuring crisp graphics and intuitive layouts. The Rubicon 392 included a color TFT screen in the instrument panel and a clever off-road camera nestled between the front grille slats, providing a clear view of the trail ahead.

The 2021 Ford Escape used Ford's older Sync 3 infotainment system, with the base Escape S models getting a 4.2-inch touchscreen. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot were standard. 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 found in competitors and missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with Sync 4.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered optional modern driver-assistance features like forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring. However, lane-departure warning was not available. A backup camera with dynamic guidelines was standard, and a live tire-pressure monitoring system was available, useful for off-roading.

The 2021 Ford Escape received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS, with top scores in all crash tests and for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. The NHTSA gave it a five-star overall safety rating. Standard safety features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 banner included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, 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.