2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer vs 2024 Ford Escape

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer presented itself as a compact yet robust SUV, echoing the design cues of its larger sibling, the Chevrolet Blazer. It struck a balance between ruggedness and sophistication, with intricate lighting elements and dark chrome trim enhancing its upscale appearance. The Activ and RS models offered unique styling, with the Activ featuring a rugged front fascia and the RS boasting a sporty look with blacked-out trim and dual exhaust outlets. The contrasting roof options added a distinctive touch, reminiscent of retro designs, while the interior, with its mix of leatherette upholstery and copper-toned accents, provided a unique personality without screaming "outdoor adventure."

In contrast, the 2024 Ford Escape underwent a significant facelift, shedding its previous wide-eyed look for a more aggressive front end. Despite these changes, the overall design remained soft and appealing. The Escape was available in multiple trims, including the sporty ST-Line Elite, which featured Rapid Red paint and black wheels. However, the interior, despite its diamond-stitched leather and tech upgrades, felt less luxurious due to excessively glossy surfaces and stiff upholstery. The Escape's design updates made it more appealing, but it still lacked the attention to detail that could elevate its overall feel.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer shared its platform and powertrains with the Buick Encore GX, offering a standard 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 137 horsepower and an optional 1.3-liter turbo-three producing 155 hp. The 1.2-liter engine was limited to front-wheel drive, while the 1.3-liter could be paired with all-wheel drive. The Trailblazer Activ model, equipped with the 1.3-liter engine and nine-speed automatic transmission, provided a decent amount of power and a pleasing exhaust note. However, the transmission's lack of refinement was noticeable, with some rough shifts. The Activ's dampers, tuned for gravel roads, worked well on pavement, offering good ride quality despite some body roll and occasional bouncing over road imperfections.

The 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line Elite offered a choice between a 192-horsepower hybrid powertrain and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower. Our test vehicle featured the turbo engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. The Escape's driving modes included Eco, Normal, Sport, and Slippery, but the lack of an Off-Road mode was telling. While the turbo engine provided quick acceleration, the ST-Line's ride was soft and compliant, with handling that allowed too much body motion. The steering felt sluggish, and the brake pedal was responsive but lacked the sporty driving dynamics promised by the ST badge. The turbo engine seemed wasted in this application, and the hybrid powertrain or lower-tier models might offer better value.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer, despite being one of the smallest SUVs, offered decent utility with generous headroom and mid-pack legroom. It provided more rear legroom than its Buick Encore GX sibling and comfortable rear seats for short trips. The Trailblazer's cargo space measured 25.3 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 54.4 cubic feet with them folded, respectable for the segment but behind competitors like the Kia Seltos. The interior featured clever storage solutions, including a covered storage bin and a deep tray, although the small dashboard carve-out's function remained unclear.

The 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line offered a black interior with cloth inserts and artificial leather bolsters, accented by red stitching. The test model included ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, and power-adjustable front seats, but lacked ventilated seats. The front seats were large and supportive, while the rear seat was comfortable when slid back. The Escape provided generous front storage but less for rear passengers. Cargo volume was 37.5 cubic feet behind the back seat and 65.4 cubic feet with it folded. The test vehicle featured deep storage areas and a grocery bag hook, enhancing its practicality.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, Bluetooth, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. An 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, Bose audio, and wireless charging were optional. Despite the smaller optional screen, it was well-suited to the dashboard, with easy-to-read graphics and logical menus. The combination of a smaller instrument cluster screen and analog gauges effectively conveyed information, aided by smart design touches like a pedestrian-detection icon.

The 2024 Ford Escape featured digital instrumentation, with upper trims like the ST-Line Elite boasting a 12.3-inch display. The standout was the 13.2-inch Sync 4 infotainment system, presented in a landscape format with an intuitive layout. However, the color theme appeared washed out, and the climate controls were integrated into the screen, which was not ideal. The system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with the larger screen adding Amazon Alexa and connected navigation. The test vehicle had a Bang & Olufsen sound system, but damaged speakers prevented a sound quality assessment. The voice recognition system was excellent, but the wireless charger heated the phone excessively. The optional head-up display projected data onto a clear plastic piece, included in the Premium Technology Package with other features.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer offered standard safety features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and a Teen Driver system. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. The Trailblazer earned a 2022 Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with high marks in crash tests and front-crash prevention tech.

The 2024 Ford Escape included a post-collision automatic braking system and the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite, featuring forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and more. The ST-Line Elite added adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, and a 360-degree camera system. While the Co-Pilot360 technology performed well on freeways, it showed inconsistent behavior on other roads. The Escape received five-star ratings from the NHTSA, except for a four-star rollover resistance rating. The IIHS had not rated the 2024 model at the time of writing, but the 2023 model earned Good ratings, except for a Marginal score in a new side-impact test.