2021 Lincoln Aviator vs 2021 Ford Escape

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator stood out by not mimicking its competitors' styles. Instead, it adopted the successful design language of the larger Navigator, resulting in a sharp-looking vehicle with crisp lines and tasteful chrome accents. Inside, the Aviator's cabin was a testament to comfort and warmth, featuring soft-touch materials and a 10.1-inch touchscreen that elegantly dominated the dash. The piano button shifter and soothing chimes added to the luxurious feel.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Escape had a more car-like appearance, resembling an enlarged Focus with its curved snout and sleek roofline. This design gave it a less truck-like look compared to rivals like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The interior, however, lacked cohesion, with odd design choices and low-quality materials. Even the top-tier Titanium trim didn't offer standard leather upholstery, and dual-zone automatic climate control was only available from the SEL trim level.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator offered a robust 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine across its Standard, Reserve, and Black Label trims, delivering 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. This power was managed by a 10-speed automatic transmission, with options for rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The Grand Touring and Grand Touring Black Label trims featured a plug-in hybrid configuration, boosting output to 494 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque, with a 21-mile electric-only range. The Aviator excelled in highway driving but struggled with body roll in corners and tight city maneuvers.

The 2021 Ford Escape offered a variety of powertrains, including a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 181 hp and 191 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available in FWD or AWD. A more powerful 2.0-liter turbo-four engine delivered 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, exclusively with AWD. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid models used a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric assist, producing a combined 200 hp. The plug-in hybrid could drive significant distances on electric power alone. However, the Escape's chassis tuning left much to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering making it less enjoyable to drive.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator provided 18.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seats, expandable to 41.8 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a total of 77.7 cubic feet with all rear seats down. The second row, especially in the Grand Touring model, offered captain's chairs, a center console, and a digital control panel for various settings. However, the power-button door releases raised concerns about functionality if the battery died.

The 2021 Ford Escape, despite its car-like styling, offered competitive interior space. The first and second rows provided ample headroom and legroom, with a standard sliding rear seat to adjust legroom or cargo space. Gasoline models offered 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up, expandable to 37.5 cubic feet with the seat slid forward, and 65.4 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had slightly less cargo space due to the battery pack placement.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator featured a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the intuitive Sync 3 infotainment system, with a landscape layout that felt natural. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a fully digital instrument panel. The optional head-up display (HUD) provided clear, easy-to-read graphics.

The 2021 Ford Escape used the older Sync 3 infotainment system, with the base S model only offering a 4.2-inch touchscreen. Upgrading to the SE trim added an 8-inch touchscreen with pinch-and-zoom capability and SiriusXM satellite radio. The Titanium trim included a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. However, the Escape lacked the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with the newer Sync 4 system.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator came with the standard Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 package, including automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, and front-and-rear parking sensors. The Co-Pilot 360 Plus package added features like reverse automatic braking, self-parking functionality, and adaptive cruise control. The Aviator earned top marks from both the NHTSA and IIHS, including a Top Safety Pick accolade.

The 2021 Ford Escape received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS, with top scores in crash tests and high marks for front-crash prevention tech. However, its headlights received only "Acceptable" and "Marginal" ratings. The NHTSA awarded the Escape a five-star overall safety rating. Standard safety features 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.