2023 Chevrolet Equinox vs 2023 Ford Escape

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox, while not as futuristic as the Kia Sportage or as rugged as the Toyota RAV4, still presented itself as an attractive crossover. Its restrained bodywork was complemented by a chunky front end that made the grille appear smaller, a refreshing change in an industry dominated by aggressive front fascias. The gold Bowtie emblem, though a bit garish against some paint colors, looked lovely on others like Blue Glow Metallic and Harvest Brown Metallic. The Equinox was available in four trim levels: LS, LT, RS, and Premier, with both FWD and AWD options.

Inside, the Equinox Premier trim featured handsome two-tone leather upholstery and standard heated front seats. The interior, though practical and easy to use, felt a bit dated with a small touchscreen and many plastic buttons. The PRNDL shift lever was a welcome feature, offering simplicity and ease of use. The $1,745 Confidence and Convenience II package added valuable features like lumbar adjustments, ventilated front seats, and an HD surround-view camera, making it a recommended addition despite its cost.

The 2023 Ford Escape, in contrast, moved away from its earlier blocky design to adopt a more European aesthetic. The 2023 refresh replaced the cartoonish grille with a more traditional front end, featuring the Ford blue oval logo and a stylish LED light bar. The Escape was available in several trims: Active, ST-Line, ST-Line Select, Platinum, and ST-Line Elite. Our test vehicle, the ST-Line Elite, sported 19-inch wheels and body-color mirror caps, giving it an upscale look akin to the Mazda CX-5.

Inside, the ST-Line Elite trim showcased diamond-stitched leather upholstery that, while visually appealing, felt hard and plasticky. The seats were comfortable and supportive, making the Escape a good choice for long drives. The interior featured a mix of plastic materials, some of which felt cost-cutting. However, the overall design was practical, with well-positioned armrests and convenient cupholders. The 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat was easy to adjust, enhancing driving comfort.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox was powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 175 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque. Despite the slight increase in horsepower from the previous year, the Equinox didn’t feel particularly spritely. It handled low-speed acceleration well but struggled to accelerate above 30 miles per hour. The six-speed automatic transmission, while reliable, held gears longer than newer eight- or nine-speed transmissions, contributing to the engine noise. The AWD system required manual engagement, a minor quirk but not overly annoying. The new electronically assisted brake-by-wire system provided smooth and predictable braking, and the well-sorted suspension handled bumps and potholes nicely, making the Equinox enjoyable to drive.

The 2023 Ford Escape offered multiple powertrain options. The base engine was a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder, delivering 180 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine could be paired with either FWD or AWD. Higher trims like the ST-Line Select, Platinum, and ST-Line Elite featured a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, exclusively with AWD. This engine provided better acceleration and high-speed performance. The Escape’s suspension was soft and compliant, making it comfortable on rough roads, though it lacked the precision of a performance crossover. The brakes were predictable and linear, and the steering was well-weighted, avoiding the twitchiness common in some competitors.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox offered 29.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, expanding to 63.9 cubic feet with the seats folded down. While this was less than most competitors, it was still practical for daily use. Passenger space was ample, with good headroom and legroom for tall passengers. The interior featured higher-quality plastic components, plenty of cup holders, and a decently sized center console bin. The Premier trim’s power liftgate operated nearly silently, adding to the vehicle’s convenience.

The 2023 Ford Escape provided up to 37.5 cubic feet of storage behind the second row and 65.4 cubic feet with the seats folded, making it slightly more spacious than the Equinox. However, it still fell short of segment leaders like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Passenger space was adequate, with good headroom and comfortable, supportive seats. The front-door armrests and center console armrest were well-positioned, and the front-seat cupholders were conveniently arranged. The head-up display was easy to adjust, enhancing driver convenience.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox featured a simple yet effective technology suite. The LS, LT, and RS trims came with a 7-inch touchscreen, while the Premier trim had an 8-inch screen. Despite its small size, the touchscreen was crisp, clear, and easy to use. The infotainment system responded quickly and offered good voice recognition. All trims included wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity. The Premier trim also featured a wireless charging pad. The upgraded driver-information display on higher trims, though simple, provided useful features like music, navigation, and trip computer information.

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 13.2-inch screen. The larger screen significantly upgraded the cabin’s look and was well-organized with individual tiles for navigation, music, and Bluetooth pairing. The system was easy to navigate, though it was occasionally slow to respond. The volume knob’s placement on the far-right side was a minor inconvenience. Overall, Sync 4 offered an impressive feature set, layout, and ease of use.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox came with a suite of standard advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection and braking, lane-keeping assistance, lane-departure assistance, and automatic high beams. However, it lacked genuine level two autonomous driving technology. The NHTSA awarded it five stars overall, but the IIHS gave it a Poor rating in the moderate overlap front crash test and a Marginal score in the side-impact crash 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. The IIHS did not grant it a Top Safety Pick designation, noting a Marginal score in the updated side-impact test. The Escape came standard with Ford’s Co-Pilot360 suite, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high beams. The optional Co-Pilot360 2.0 added adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, lane-centering technology, and a surround-view camera.