2023 Ford Escape vs 2022 Buick Enclave

The 2022 Buick Enclave represented a significant shift from Buick's traditionally conservative styling. Historically, Buick's designs were characterized by softer, less aggressive lines and simple, functional interiors, catering to an older customer base focused on comfort and tradition. However, over the past 15 years, Buick transitioned from a sedan-heavy lineup to an all-SUV portfolio, reflecting broader market trends. The Enclave, introduced in 2008 and redesigned in 2018, became a flagship model, offering a more upmarket feel. The 2022 mid-cycle refresh brought several exterior enhancements, including a new grille, front and rear fascias, and updated headlamps and taillamps. The Avenir trim level featured unique styling elements and 20-inch wheels, while the interior saw upgraded materials and a restyled center console with new push-button gears.

The 2023 Ford Escape, in contrast, embraced a modern European design language, moving away from the blocky aesthetics of its earlier generations. The 2023 refresh replaced the previous grille with a more traditional front end, featuring a stylish LED light bar and the Ford blue oval logo. The Escape offered multiple trim levels, with the ST-Line Elite showcasing 19-inch wheels and body-color mirror caps. Inside, the ST-Line Elite flaunted diamond-stitched leather upholstery, though it felt hard and plasticky. The seats were comfortable and supportive, and the 10-way power adjustable driver's seat made long drives pleasant. However, the interior was dominated by plastic materials, some of which felt scratchy and poorly reinforced.

The 2022 Buick Enclave kept things straightforward with a single powertrain option: a 3.6-liter V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, delivering 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. The Enclave came standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available on all trims. It boasted a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Enclave was known for its quiet and smooth ride, enhanced by the Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping. The Enclave handled various terrains admirably, offering a serene cabin experience thanks to Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology. Despite its size, the Enclave's powertrain was responsive, and the nine-speed automatic transmission performed seamlessly.

The 2023 Ford Escape differentiated itself with multiple powertrain options. The base engine was a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder, producing 180 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine could be configured with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Higher trims, such as the ST-Line Select, Platinum, and ST-Line Elite, featured a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, exclusively with all-wheel drive. While the four-cylinder engine provided impressive output, the Escape's suspension remained soft and compliant, and the transmission lacked performance tuning. The Escape's brakes offered predictable stopping power, and the steering was well-weighted, making it easy to maneuver without feeling twitchy.

The 2022 Buick Enclave offered easy ingress and egress, with excellent visibility thanks to its large windshield and windows. The standard eight-way power driver seat and six-way power front passenger seat, both heated and with power lumbar control, ensured comfort. Premium and Avenir trims added four-way power lumbar with massage and second-row heated seats. The Enclave's spacious cabin accommodated passengers comfortably in all three rows, with ample headroom, legroom, hip room, and shoulder room. The second-row captain's chairs made accessing the third row easy, and the seats flipped and folded for added versatility. The restyled center console featured new push-button transmission gears and a covered compartment with cupholders. The Enclave also offered generous cargo space, with 23.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.4 cubic feet with both rows folded.

The 2023 Ford Escape provided a comfortable interior with soft and supportive seats and excellent ergonomics. The steering wheel felt great to hold, and the armrests were well-positioned. The front-seat cupholders were conveniently arranged, and the head-up display was easy to adjust. However, the Escape fell short in cargo space compared to its segment leaders, offering 37.5 cubic feet behind the second row and 65.4 cubic feet with the second row folded. While the Escape's passenger space was slightly less than some competitors, it offered good headroom and maximized rear-seat legroom with deeply scalloped front-seat backs.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured a standard 4.2-inch driver information center, with Premium and Avenir trims getting a larger, 8-inch reconfigurable version. The Essence trim came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation. The Enclave's infotainment system could pair up to 10 devices, with two smartphones active simultaneously, and included a built-in WiFi hotspot. The Premium and Avenir trims also featured a 10-speaker Bose audio system. Other notable features included a following-distance indicator, HD rear vision camera, Teen Driver technology, adaptive cruise control, head-up display, and HD surround vision.

The 2023 Ford Escape impressed with its Sync 4 technology. Lower trims came with an 8-inch touchscreen, while higher trims, like the ST-Line Elite and Platinum, featured a larger 13.2-inch screen. Sync 4 was well-organized, with individual tiles for navigation, music, and Bluetooth pairing. The system included a static "Home" button for easy navigation. However, Sync 4 was occasionally slow to respond, and the volume knob's placement was inconvenient. Despite these minor annoyances, Sync 4's feature set, layout, and ease of use were impressive.

The 2022 Buick Enclave saw significant updates to its driver-assist and safety tech, with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package becoming standard on all trims. This package included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-change alert with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assistance with lane-departure warning, rear park assist, following-distance indicator, and automatic high-beam headlights. Other standard safety features included a Safety Alert driver's seat, rear-seat reminder system, and HD reversing camera. Premium trims added enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, surround-view camera, head-up display, and rear pedestrian alert. The Enclave received a four-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings in most IIHS crash tests, except for an "Acceptable" score in the updated side-impact test.

The 2023 Ford Escape received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in frontal- and side-crash tests and four stars in the rollover test. However, the IIHS did not grant it a Top Safety Pick designation due to a "Marginal" score in the updated side-impact test. The Escape came standard with Ford's Co-Pilot360 suite of advanced driver assistance systems, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high beams. Co-Pilot360 2.0, available as an upgrade, added adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, lane-centering technology, and a surround-view camera.