2021 Nissan Rogue vs 2021 Ford Escape

The 2021 Nissan Rogue presented a handsome new styling with a technical appearance, emphasizing its SUV characteristics over a car-like look. The Rogue featured dark gray plastic cladding around its lower perimeter and bold skid plates, giving it a rugged charm, though some might find this too audacious on its back bumper. Clean LED lighting, a prominent V-Motion grille, and well-balanced proportions added to its modern aesthetic, with aluminum wheels up to 19 inches enhancing its overall appearance. Opting for the two-tone paint with a black roof gave it a custom feel. The various trims—Rogue S, SV, SL, and the top-tier Platinum—provided different levels of luxury and amenities, with prices ranging from $25,650 to $35,430 (excluding a $1,095 destination fee). The tested SL model included premium options, resulting in a total price of $35,195. Its interior featured an Almond color leather interior and standard panoramic glass sunroof, creating a light and bright atmosphere. Abundant soft-touch surfaces, appealing simulated wood trim, and well-organized controls enhanced the cabin's quality. The Platinum trim, with its quilted semi-aniline leather and ambient lighting, offered a luxurious feel. Notably, the Rogue's climate control panel had an old-school digital clock look, a feature that stood out.

Conversely, the 2021 Ford Escape, a fourth-generation model, straddled the line between an SUV and a hatchback, with a curved snout and sleek roofline that made it resemble an engorged Focus. This design gave it a less truck-like appearance than rivals like the Honda CR-V or Subaru Forester, but it lacked the distinctiveness of the latest Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage. The 2021 Escape included new appearance packages—SE Sport, SEL Stealth AWD, and Titanium Elite—that offered upgrades like 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery with Miko Suede seat inserts, and leather-wrapped steering wheel with leather trim, respectively. However, the interior design didn’t have the same coherence as the exterior, with some materials appearing low-rent. Even the top-tier Escape Titanium didn’t feature standard leather upholstery but did include ambient lighting, and the SEL trim needed upgrading for dual-zone automatic climate control.

Performance-wise, the 2021 Nissan Rogue had several pros and cons. It featured a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. This output was adequate for daily driving, and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) did a good job of leveraging available torque, with programmed ratios making it feel like a traditional automatic. However, with a curb weight of nearly 3,500 pounds, the Rogue could benefit from additional power. The engine felt underpowered in adventurous scenarios, despite the SUV's capability of up to 8.2 inches of ground clearance, available all-wheel drive (AWD), and new driving modes (Snow and Off-Road). A more powerful turbocharged engine seemed likely in the future, as per Nissan's non-committal hints. The tested front-wheel drive (FWD) Rogue SL registered 27.5 mpg on a varied driving loop, just short of its EPA rating. Based on a new, more robust architecture with a strut front and multi-link rear suspension, the Rogue offered improved ride and handling, aided by features like Intelligent Trace Control and Active Ride Control. The new Vehicle Motion Control system enhanced driving enjoyment by predictively anticipating driver inputs. The standout feature was the new steering, which provided dramatically improved feel and quicker response.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Escape offered a variety of powertrains, including two gasoline options and hybrid/plug-in hybrid variants. The base engine was a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder, producing 181 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine, available in FWD or AWD, provided adequate power for an SUV. The upgraded 2.0-liter turbo-four engine offered a significant boost with 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, but was exclusively AWD. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models shared a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric assist, producing a combined 200 horsepower. The hybrid offered both FWD and AWD, while the plug-in hybrid was limited to FWD. However, the escape's chassis left much to be desired, with suspension and steering that felt sloppy. For 2021, buyers could equip 2.0-liter models with a Class 2 Trailer Tow Package, providing a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. However, towing figures for hybrid powertrains were not specified.

Interior space played a crucial role in the appeal of both models. The 2021 Nissan Rogue featured Zero Gravity seat designs intended to replicate a neutral spine position for enhanced comfort. Compared to previous iterations, the new Rogue’s seats were more comfortable, with different trim levels offering varied materials from cloth to premium leather. The SV and higher trims included dual-zone and triple-zone automatic climate control, and features like heated seats and steering wheel added to the luxury. Notably, the rear side window sunshades and new LATCH anchors improved rear-seat convenience. The Rogue's storage solutions were well thought out; the electronic shifter freed up space under the center console, door-panel pockets accommodated large bottles, and the center armrest featured a butterfly-style opening. Cargo capacity varied slightly between trims, with S and SV offering 31.6 cubic feet, and SL and Platinum providing up to 36.5 cubic feet with a Divide-N-Hide system, ultimately capable of expanding to 74.1 cubic feet with rear seats folded.

The 2021 Ford Escape also provided ample interior space, leveraging its car-like styling to maximize room. Its first and second-row headroom and legroom were near the top of the segment. The standard sliding rear seat allowed adjustments to optimize either rear legroom or cargo space, offering 40.7 inches of legroom when moved back. However, the battery placement in hybrid models reduced legroom slightly. Cargo capacity was competitive but slightly behind the Rogue. Gasoline models offered 33.5 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, expandable to 37.5 cubic feet by sliding the rear seat forward, and 65.4 cubic feet with seats folded down. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had a reduced cargo space of 30.7 cubic feet, expandable to 34.4 cubic feet, and 60.8 cubic feet when folded.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue came equipped with a competitive infotainment system. Even the base S trim included an 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Additional convenience features like Nissan Concierge Personal Assistant required a subscription after the trial period. For easier use, the system included tactile knobs for volume and tuning, though they were somewhat difficult to grasp due to their design. Higher trims like SV and SL added NissanConnect Services, a WiFi hotspot, and voice integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The SL Premium Package and Platinum trim introduced a 9-inch touchscreen with enhanced navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, and a Bose premium audio system. The Platinum trim further offered wireless smartphone charging, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.8-inch head-up display.

The 2021 Ford Escape employed the older Sync 3 infotainment system, lacking the newer Sync 4 found in other Ford models. The base Escape S had a modest 4.2-inch touchscreen, but it did include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. Stepping up to the SE trim provided an 8-inch touchscreen with pinch-and-zoom functionality and SiriusXM satellite radio. The Escape Titanium featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a high-quality 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. While the Sync 3 remained user-friendly, the Escape fell short of competitors by not offering wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, even in its higher trims.

Safety was a priority for the 2021 Nissan Rogue, which came standard with Nissan Safety Shield 360, encompassing a suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). These included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and lane-departure warning, with the notable addition of blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert. Comprehensive airbag protection, a driver monitoring system, and a rear-seat reminder added extra layers of safety. Higher trims featured adaptive cruise control with ProPilot Assist, a surround-view camera system, and the Navi-link system for predictive speed adjustments based on navigation data. The increased use of high-strength steel and improved crash energy deflection also contributed to the Rogue's safety.

The 2021 Ford Escape earned strong ratings from safety organizations. The IIHS awarded it a “Top Safety Pick” rating with top scores in crash tests and LATCH anchors' ease of use, though it received mixed ratings for its headlights. The NHTSA gave it an overall five-star rating. Standard safety features under Ford Co-Pilot360 included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. The Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package offered additional features like adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, park assist, and Evasive Steering Assist for emergency maneuvers.