Ford Escape vs Audi Q3

The 2021 Audi Q3 featured a massive corporate grille that paired well with its stout, chunky styling, presenting an idea of utility and dynamic handling. The cabin echoed a mechanical, modern aesthetic with a dash design that framed the center touchscreen, making it a standout feature. However, the Q3's interior, while still modern and refined, felt less special as Volkswagen's non-luxury interiors caught up in design.

The 2021 Ford Escape, with its curved snout and sleek roofline, looked more like an engorged Focus but maintained the tall ride height of an SUV. For 2021, it introduced new appearance packages for three of its four trim levels, including the SE Sport Appearance Package, SEL Stealth AWD Package, and Titanium Elite Package. The interior, however, lacked a cohesive theme and featured low-rent materials, even in the top Titanium model.

The 2021 Audi Q3 came equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive (AWD). The S-Line trim offered a more potent version of the same engine, delivering 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The Q3's handling was nimble, and it provided a comfortable ride, making it engaging and enjoyable to drive.

The 2021 Ford Escape offered two gasoline powertrains, as well as hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The base powertrain was a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 181 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional AWD. The EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbo-four engine delivered 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, available only with AWD. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid models used a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric assist, producing a total of 200 hp. The Escape's chassis tuning left much to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering making it a chore to drive.

The 2021 Audi Q3 provided 48 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 23.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats. While the cargo space was subpar for the class, the Q3 made up for it with ample passenger space. The front seats were comfortable, and the rear seats offered impressive headroom and legroom, making it suitable for four passengers on a road trip.

The 2021 Ford Escape compared well against more traditionally-styled compact SUVs in terms of interior space. It featured a standard sliding rear seat that could be moved to expand legroom or cargo space. With the rear seat up, the gasoline Escape had 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, which increased to 37.5 cubic feet when the seat was slid forward. Folding the rear seat yielded 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space in gasoline models. However, hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had less space due to the battery pack placement.

The 2021 Audi Q3 came standard with an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system running Audi's MMI system, featuring Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. The upgraded system included a 10.1-inch touchscreen with navigation. Other available features included wireless device charging, satellite radio, and a Bang & Olufsen 15-speaker premium audio system. The Audi Virtual Cockpit replaced the conventional instrument cluster with a customizable digital display.

The 2021 Ford Escape used Ford's older Sync 3 infotainment system, with base models featuring a 4.2-inch touchscreen. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot were standard. Upgrading to the SE trim level added an 8-inch touchscreen with pinch-and-zoom capability and SiriusXM satellite radio. The Titanium trim level included a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. However, the Escape missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with the newer Sync 4 system.

The 2021 Audi Q3 came standard with Audi Pre Sense and Pre Sense Front, which included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection. Lane-departure warning was also standard. Optional driver assistance features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and traffic-sign recognition. Additional available features included a 360-degree camera system, front-and-rear parking sensors, and self-parking assist.

The 2021 Ford Escape received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Standard safety features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 banner included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. The optional Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package added adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, park assist, and Evasive Steering Assist.