2021 Subaru Forester vs 2021 Ford Escape

The 2021 Subaru Forester, despite its redesign in 2019, had an exterior styling that appeared dated mainly because it retained many elements from its previous generation. The only significant visual change was the distinct cross-shaped taillights on the fifth-generation model. Subaru seemed to follow the principle of not altering what wasn't broken, considering the boxy, upright shape of the Forester aligned well with consumer preferences for SUV styling. While the base trim with its 17-inch steel wheels appeared plain, the model still exuded a clean, unpretentious look that contrasted favorably with many other compact crossovers.

Sport models, like the one tested, featured orange striping along the lower body and roof rails, a rear spoiler, and black 18-inch alloy wheels, which made a notable enhancement to the vehicle's aesthetic, especially when paired with a complementary color like the Dark Blue Pearl on our test car. This model rode on the Subaru Global Platform, shared with other models such as the Impreza, Crosstrek, Legacy, Outback, and the larger Ascent crossover, emphasizing its consistent design ethos.

Inside, the Forester shared the brand's no-nonsense interior design, featuring practical materials designed for durability rather than aesthetics. The Sport trim added orange accents and cross-stitching, giving a splash of color. Depending on the trim, seats were available in cloth (Base, Premium, Sport) or leather (Limited, Touring), with an All-Weather Package adding thoughtful conveniences like heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and a windshield de-icer.

The 2021 Ford Escape, redesigned in its fourth generation, blended SUV and hatchback characteristics. Its curved front and sleek roofline made it resemble a larger Focus, but with the typical tall ride height of an SUV. This design gave it a less truck-like appearance compared to rivals like the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, or Toyota RAV4, though it risked seeming generic next to more distinct competitors like the Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage.

For 2021, Ford introduced new appearance packages for three of its four trim levels: SE Sport Appearance Package, SEL Stealth AWD Package, and Titanium Elite Package, adding 19-inch wheels and upgraded interior trims.

The interior design, however, lacked cohesion, with mismatched elements like an angular instrument cluster that clashed with the exterior's sleekness. Despite offering amenities such as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and ActiveX upholstery with Miko Suede inserts on higher trims, the Escape’s materials felt subpar, with even the top Titanium trim lacking standard leather seats.

The Forester came equipped with a single powertrain option – a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, mated to a CVT with a manual mode and paddle shifters on certain trims. The engine’s boxer configuration provided a lower center of gravity, a Subaru hallmark. However, while the Forester's power was sufficient for everyday needs, it lacked the punch needed for rapid acceleration or highway merging, and significant wind noise was noticeable at higher speeds.

The Forester’s suspension was tuned for comfort, absorbing bumps well but resulting in significant body roll in corners and excessive bounce on uneven roads. While the ride was smooth, the body movement detracted from overall comfort. Subaru’s AWD system was standard and more sophisticated than many competitors', featuring X-Mode for different surfaces, and Dual X-Mode on Sport trims for “Snow/Dirt” and “Snow/Mud” terrains.

The Forester's off-road capability was decent with its 8.7 inches of ground clearance, but for extreme off-roading, options like the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk or Ford Bronco Sport would be better suited.

The 2021 Escape offered a variety of powertrains: a base 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder with 181 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, either with FWD or optional AWD. A more powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, limited to AWD, was available. Additionally, hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions featured a 2.5-liter engine with electric assist, providing a system output of 200 horsepower, with the plug-in hybrid capable of significant electric-only travel.

The 1.5-liter engine, despite being a three-cylinder, performed adequately, and transitions in the hybrid models were smooth. However, chassis tuning was subpar across all models, leading to a sloppy suspension and lackluster steering that made driving a chore. The towing capacity reached a maximum of 3,500 pounds with the 2.0-liter engine, but figures for hybrids were unspecified.

The Forester accommodated five passengers with ample headroom and legroom, especially notable with its flat roofline, enhancing the sense of space and visibility. The boxy shape allowed 35.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 76.1 cubic feet with them folded down, surpassing competitors like the Honda CR-V and Hyundai Tucson in maximum capacity. However, it lacked a sliding second-row bench for flexible space management.

The Forester’s interior storage included well-sized cupholders and a reasonably spacious center console. Yet, the phone-storage cubby was inadequately sized, and Subaru did not offer wireless charging. The power-adjustable driver’s seat was only available from the Premium trim onwards. Controls for audio and climate were user-friendly, though the numerous buttons on the steering wheel caused some confusion.

Despite its car-like styling, the Escape was competitive in terms of interior space for compact SUVs. Its first and second-row headroom and legroom were among the best, with a sliding rear seat maximizing either passenger comfort or cargo space, providing up to 40.7 inches of rear legroom in non-hybrid models.

In terms of cargo capacity, the Escape offered 33.5 cubic feet with the rear seats up for gasoline models, increasing to 37.5 cubic feet with the seats slid forward. Folding the seats provided up to 65.4 cubic feet for gasoline models. However, hybrid models sacrificed some space due to the battery placement, offering less cargo volume compared to gasoline variants and many rivals like the Subaru Forester or Nissan Rogue.

The Subaru Forester came with the Starlink infotainment system, featuring a 6.5-inch touchscreen standard on base models, along with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, USB ports, and a CD player. Higher trims like the Sport added an 8-inch touchscreen and Harman Kardon audio system, while navigation and additional rear USB ports were available in the Limited and Touring trims.

Despite the screen being slow to boot, the infotainment system's intuitive design with physical shortcut buttons made for an easy user experience. The additional small screens in the dashboard and instrument cluster provided secondary information, which seemed redundant.

The Ford Escape utilized the older Sync 3 infotainment system, with the base Escape S featuring a 4.2-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. Upgrading to the SE trim brought an 8-inch touchscreen with enhanced functionality and SiriusXM radio. The top Titanium trim added a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a premium 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

While Sync 3 was known for its ease of use, the lack of newer tech like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, found in Sync 4, was a drawback compared to competitors with more modern tech offerings.

Subaru excelled in safety with the Forester, earning the highest “Top Safety Pick+” from the IIHS, with top ratings in crash tests and front-crash prevention tech, along with a “Good” rating for headlights. The NHTSA awarded the Forester a five-star overall rating, reflecting its strong performance in various safety tests.

Standard safety features in the Forester included the EyeSight driver-assist suite with adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lead-vehicle start alert. Optional features extended to blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and reverse automatic braking. Subaru’s unique DriverFocus system monitored driver attention levels, adding an extra layer of safety.

The 2021 Escape earned a “Top Safety Pick” rating from IIHS, with favorable scores in crash tests and for LATCH child seat anchors. The NHTSA also gave the Escape a five-star overall rating.

Standard safety features came under the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite, including automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, 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 for emergency maneuvers.