2023 Subaru Outback vs 2023 Ford Escape

In 2023, Subaru gave the Outback a noticeable facelift. The front end featured redesigned LED headlights, a restyled grille, and a revised bumper with dark gray vertical cladding, giving an impression of large air intakes at each corner. The aggressive appearance was further enhanced by a jutting simulated skid plate, fog lights in oversized housings, and asymmetrical wheel arch trim reminiscent of the Wilderness model. The Outback's new look was divisive; some may have liked it, while others might have found it excessive. Opting for a dark paint color could help tone down the design elements, whereas the Onyx Edition, featuring black wheels and trim, complemented the bold styling better.

The Onyx Edition became more accessible in 2023, available with the base powertrain as well as the turbocharged option, reducing the entry price significantly. Prices for Outbacks with the standard 2.5-liter engine ranged from $28,395 to $39,845, while the turbocharged XT models ranged from $38,445 to $42,295. Our test vehicle was a Touring trim with the standard powertrain, decked out in Cosmic Blue paint and Java Brown premium Nappa leather upholstery. The interior of the Touring trim stood out due to its contrasting Java Brown leather, dashboard and door panels, and light gray stitching. Despite some hard plastic trim, the cabin didn’t look or feel cheap. However, the large infotainment screen and center console’s gloss black trim collected dust and smudges easily.

Contrastingly, the 2023 Ford Escape shifted toward a more rugged, boxy aesthetic. This new design departed significantly from the older blocky exterior, adopting a more European styling language. The 2023 refresh replaced the cartoonish grille with a traditional front end, complete with the blue Ford oval and a stylish LED light bar.

The Escape offered multiple trim levels: Active, ST-Line, ST-Line Select, Platinum, and ST-Line Elite. Our test model was an ST-Line Elite which came with 19-inch wheels, body-color mirror caps, and wheel-arch cladding for a sleek design. The Escape presented an upscale look similar to the Mazda CX-5, although its leather upholstery felt hard and plasticky, contrasting with the look. Despite this, the seats were comfortable and made for pleasant long drives. The luxurious but hard-wearing cabin seemed built to endure years of use.

Subaru used its characteristic horizontally opposed boxer engines in the Outback for 2023. Our test vehicle, which weighed 3,781 pounds, featured the standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. The CVT transmission worked well at lower speeds but struggled during passing and climbing, making the vehicle feel underpowered. Subaru claimed a 3,500 pounds towing capacity, but the engine might have been overstretched with heavy loads. Fuel efficiency was also underwhelming, delivering only 25.6 mpg against the EPA’s estimate of 28 mpg.

The Outback XT versions, equipped with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, generated a more robust 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. However, this upgrade, albeit expensive, offered significant performance improvements. All Outbacks featured Active Torque Split AWD and an X-Mode traction system, enhancing its off-road capabilities along with hill descent control.

While navigating city streets, the Outback’s visibility, compact size, and height made it easy to park. However, the standard engine’s lack of power was felt keenly on highways and hills. The suspension, though firm at lower speeds, provided excellent ride quality overall.

In contrast, the Ford Escape offered multiple powertrain options. Alongside hybrid models, it offered a base 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 180 horsepower and 199 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine could be equipped with either FWD or AWD, making it competitive within the segment.

Higher trims like the ST-Line Select, Platinum, and ST-Line Elite were powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering 250 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, exclusively with AWD. While this engine provided better acceleration and handling at higher speeds, the Escape could not be mistaken for a performance crossover due to its soft suspension and lack of transmission tuning. The transmission control used an electronic rotary dial, lacking paddle shifters for manual gear changes.

Ford did well with the Escape’s braking system, providing linear and predictable stopping power. The suspension, although soft, handled New England’s pothole-riddled streets comfortably. Steering inputs were well-weighted, avoiding overly twitchy responses common in many compact crossovers.

The 2023 Subaru Outback focused on utility, from its purposeful roof rack to its practical dashboard storage shelf and host of accessories. The interior, especially in the Touring trim, offered a premium feel with its 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heating and ventilation, and heated rear outboard seats. Passengers enjoyed comfort and ample legroom, even during long trips.

Cargo space was ample, with 32.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 75.6 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The flat, textured door sills provided useful steps to reach the roof rack, perfect for loading additional cargo.

On the other hand, the Ford Escape’s interior excelled in comfort and ergonomics. The seats were soft and supportive, making long journeys pleasant. However, it lagged in cargo space compared to leading competitors, offering 37.5 cubic feet behind the second row and 65.4 cubic feet with the second row folded, falling short of the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Rogue, and Toyota RAV4.

Passenger space was adequate but not exceptional, with slightly less legroom in the rear than some rivals. However, the back seat’s headroom was commendable, and the scalloped front-seat backs helped make the most of available space.

Subaru equipped most of its 2023 Outback models with a high-tech Starlink 11.6-inch touchscreen. Physical controls included a volume knob, tuning knob, and buttons for climate control and defrosters, with most features embedded into the touchscreen. The system supported wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from the Premium trim level onwards and offered connected services through a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. The Touring trim also included a digital rearview mirror and a front-view camera.

However, the voice recognition system struggled with basic commands, making it nearly unusable. The system’s interface, while improved, was not user-friendly, and the embedded climate controls added to the frustration.

Ford's Escape featured the impressive Sync 4 infotainment system with an available 13.2-inch touchscreen. This system was intuitive, with individual tiles for navigation, music, and Bluetooth pairing. The static "Home" button allowed quick navigation between applications, though the system could be slow to respond, and the dashboard layout made reaching the volume knob inconvenient.

Subaru's commitment to safety shone with the 2023 Outback. EyeSight, the suite of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), included features like adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and an Automatic Emergency Steering system. The Outback scored top marks across all crash tests by the IIHS.

Ford’s Escape also boasted an extensive safety suite branded Co-Pilot360, 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. The Escape earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA but a marginal score in IIHS’s side-impact test, preventing it from achieving the Top Safety Pick designation.