2024 Chevrolet Trax vs 2023 Ford Escape

The 2023 Ford Escape sported a design that pivoted towards a more European aesthetic, departing significantly from the rugged look of its earlier generations. The first and second generations had a blocky, robust appearance which ironically better matched the contemporary design trends that favored a rugged, boxy style. However, the third generation introduced a sleek, smooth look, which by 2023 had been slightly revisited with a design refresh. This refresh discarded the "cartoonish" grille for a more traditional one, featuring an LED light bar and the iconic Ford blue oval logo. The highest trims, such as the ST-Line Elite, boasted upscale features like 19-inch wheels, body-color mirror caps, and sleek wheel-arch cladding, emphasizing a polished and sophisticated look reminiscent of the Mazda CX-5.

Inside, the ST-Line Elite version showcased diamond-stitched leather upholstery, which while visually stunning, felt hard and plasticky. The seats, though, were soft and comfortable, perfect for long drives. The front seats were flexible, featuring a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat that could be easily adjusted to personal preferences. The predominant use of plastic in the interior detracted somewhat from the overall luxury feel, though certain parts like the center console with its textured appearance stood out positively.

Conversely, the 2024 Chevrolet Trax underwent a complete makeover that rendered it almost unrecognizable compared to its predecessor. The mantra for the design team was "longer, lower, wider," and they delivered an 11-inch increase in length, a near six-inch wheelbase stretch, four inches less height, and a broader stance by two inches. Elements borrowed from the midsize Chevy Blazer, such as its pronounced grille and distinct step between the rear body sides and windows, contributed to a substantial presence for a small vehicle. Whereas the base models came with 17-inch steel wheels, higher trims offered 18-inch and 19-inch aluminum wheels, enhancing the style spectrum.

The interior varied greatly with trim levels, starting with basic cloth upholstery in the LS to Evotex in higher trims. Although Evotex was designed to mimic leather, it felt more like activewear fabric, and each trim, such as the Activ with its yellow contrast stitching or the RS with its blacked-out trim, had its unique flair. The interior layout was clever and practical, designed with a slim profile dashboard that featured a freestanding touchscreen and large round air vents. However, certain materials, like the piano-black plastic on the lower part of the steering wheel in some trims, were not ideally placed due to practicality concerns such as smudging and heating under sunlight.

Ford's 2023 Escape distinguished itself within the compact crossover segment through its multiple powertrain options. The base engine was a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder, which generated 180 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine could be mated with either FWD or AWD, providing flexibility depending on the driver's preference. This engine mode, despite being on the smaller side, held its own, at least on paper, against the competition.

The more powerful option, available in the ST-Line Select, Platinum, and ST-Line Elite trims, was a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This configuration produced an impressive 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. This engine was both paired with the same eight-speed transmission and offered exclusively with AWD. This output allowed the Escape to be quite capable in high-speed passing and merging scenarios. However, the Escape's suspension remained soft and compliant rather than sporty, and the transmission did not feature performance tuning. It also lacked paddle shifters and had an electronic rotary controller that prevented manually forced gear shifts.

Braking in the Escape was noted to be predictable and linear, and it managed to handle rough roads exceptionally well, attributing to the soft suspension. The steering, while a bit vague, was well-weighted, avoiding the twitchiness seen in some over-boosted electric steering systems in other compact crossovers.

In contrast, the 2024 Chevrolet Trax's performance revolved around a single engine choice—a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine replacing the previous 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Despite its smaller size, it delivered robust performance with 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Chevy estimated a faster 0-60 mph time than the previous model by about a second. The new engine's torque curve provided a responsive, worry-free driving experience, particularly impressive considering its small displacement and reliance on a turbocharger. The engine minimized turbo lag effectively, ensuring a prompt acceleration when needed.

The Trax maintained the older generation's six-speed automatic transmission, but now it was offered only with FWD. Chevy aimed to distinguish the Trax from its slightly larger and AWD-capable stablemate, the Trailblazer. The handling was impressive for a subcompact crossover, adopting more car-like characteristics. The increased width gave it a more planted feel, and the nimble handling evoked small, agile cars rather than a typical crossover. Active noise cancellation contributed to a quieter cabin, though tire noise was a noted issue in the 2RS model. The ride was slightly rough but considered a fair trade-off for the enhanced handling capabilities.

The 2023 Ford Escape provided a comfortable, ergonomic experience for both driver and passengers. Soft and supportive seating, combined with excellently positioned armrests and conveniently arranged cupholders, contributed to overall comfort. The vehicle featured a head-up display that was easily adjustable for varying driver heights. However, its cargo capacity fell short when compared to the segment leaders, offering 37.5 cubic feet of storage behind the second row and 65.4 cubic feet with the seats folded. While close in size to the Chevrolet Equinox and Mazda CX-5, it couldn't compete with the more generously proportioned Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Rogue, or Toyota RAV4. Despite its slightly tighter dimensions, the Escape retained adequate backseat headroom and featured scalloped, softly padded front-seat backs to maximize rear legroom.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax, while larger on the exterior, didn’t uniformly translate that space into its interior. It offered three extra inches of rear-seat legroom and slight increases in front-seat legroom. However, first-row headroom remained the same, and second-row headroom decreased by 0.7 inch. There was also decreased shoulder room in both rows due to seat positioning. Nonetheless, the Trax provided the most rear-seat legroom among its competitors like the Nissan Kicks and Hyundai Venue, despite the latter having marginally better headroom and front-seat legroom. Comfort in both front and back seats was satisfactory, particularly given the price range. The driver’s low seating position along with low window sills provided excellent outward visibility, though it didn’t offer the elevated perspective many SUV enthusiasts prefer. Cargo space increased by approximately 12%, with 25.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 54.1 cubic feet with them folded, slightly surpassing the Kicks and substantially more than the Venue.

The 2023 Ford Escape demonstrated its technological prowess with the Sync 4 infotainment system. Standard on lower trims was an 8-inch touchscreen, while upper trims like the ST-Line Elite and Platinum flaunted a larger 13.2-inch display. The larger screen transformed the interior’s aesthetic, providing a modern, high-tech feel. Sync 4 was intuitive, featuring individual tiles for navigation, music, and Bluetooth connections, with seamless transitions between systems like Android Auto and native navigation. The fixed “Home” button in the top-left corner simplified the interface further. Despite minor annoyances such as the slightly slow response times and the inconveniently placed volume knob, the overall usability and features of Sync 4 stood out positively.

Technology in the 2024 Chevrolet Trax saw significant upgrades, featuring an 8-inch touchscreen on the base LS and 1RS trims, while the LT, 2RS, and Activ trims benefited from an 11-inch touchscreen and an 8-inch digital instrument cluster. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and wireless phone charging were introduced, enhancing connectivity. Wi-Fi capability persisted as a standard feature. The intuitive and user-friendly infotainment system was complemented by the high-definition, logically arranged screen. Vertical shortcut buttons facilitated ease of operation, although the screen’s driver-oriented tilt and analog climate and volume controls limited access for the front passenger. The digital instrument cluster across the higher trims added to the modern, user-friendly appeal, with information transferable from the main screen, compensating for the lack of a head-up display. Multiple USB ports ensured ample charging options, though the rear-seat ports and wireless charging pad were trim-specific and sometimes ergonomically challenging.

The 2023 Ford Escape excelled in safety, achieving a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with top marks in frontal and side-crash tests and a four-star rating in the rollover test. However, it missed out on IIHS Top Safety Pick designations, scoring Marginal in the updated side-impact test, while scoring Good in other evaluations. Ford’s Co-Pilot360 suite came standard with features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The upgraded Co-Pilot360 2.0 added advanced features like adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, lane-centering technology, and a surround-view camera.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Chevrolet Trax's crash-test ratings from IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of evaluation. However, it featured a solid array of standard driver-assist technologies, including automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and forward collision warning. Optional upgrades added adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear park assist. Further safety was provided through the standard Teen Driver system, which enhanced safety measures and monitoring for young drivers.