The 2021 Chevrolet Equinox is a small-size SUV with a great predicted reliability rating and some good strengths. The Equinox is fun to drive and offers plenty of active safety features and infotainment technology. The 2021 Ford Escape is stylish and also offers some impressive features of its own. Let’s look at both.
Design
The Equinox features a striking exterior, offering aerodynamic sculpting and accents that combine style and function. This five-seat compact SUV offers tremendous rear-seat legroom and ample headroom that allows tall adults to sit comfortably. The front seats will keep you supported on a long drive with its well-shaped seats. It is mixed in its interior quality because of hard plastic surfaces, but soft-touch accents are also present. Standard features included are cloth upholstery and four-way manually adjustable front seats. Standard and available features on the LT and Premier trim include leather upholstery, eight-way power-adjustable front seats, heated and ventilated fronts, heated rear seats, heated rear seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a heated steering wheel, and driver’s seat memory seat. Optional Sport and Midnight Edition is available on the LT trim and offers unique gloss-black exterior trim pieces, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and special black alloy wheels. You will get about 30 cubic feet behind the rear seats and around 64 cubic feet with the second row folded down.
Redesigned in 2020, the 2021 Ford Escape SUV offers buyers a roomy interior and cargo space. With seating for five, this stylish new compact SUV is easy to drive and packed with the latest features. Both rows have enough head- and legroom for most adults to sit comfortably. Cloth upholstery is standard and synthetic or genuine leather upholstery, heated and power-adjustable front seats, and a heated steering wheel are available. The sliding second-row seats open up to an enormous 40.7 inches of legroom. When rear seats are folded, the maximum cargo space yields 65.4 cubic feet.
Safety and Technology
The Equinox offers plenty of driver’s assistance features to help you feel confident on the road. A lot of features are standard on all trims, but you’ll need to move up to the LT and Premier trim to get the available Confidence and Convenience packages that include added safety and convenience features. Some of those added features are a power liftgate and a universal garage door opener. Standard features include forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, following distance indicator, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, automatic high-beam headlights, rearview camera, Teen Driver system, and Rear-seat reminder. The Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system comes standard with some great technology features. The L and LS offer the standard features and the LT and Premier add a little bit more. Standard features on all trims include a 7-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, four USB ports, a Wi-fi hot spot, Bluetooth, voice recognition, and a six-speaker stereo.
Ford Escape’s popular safety features include, Evasive Steering Assist, Lane Keeping System, and Blind-Spot Information System (BLIS) to help give you the security you need on our roads. Other safety features include a rearview camera, automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, and rear cross traffic alert. All this is bundled into the Ford Co-Pilot 360. The Escape comes standard with a 4.2-inch display, a USB port, Bluetooth, and a six-speaker stereo. A user friendly 8-inch freestanding touchscreen, navigation, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, satellite radio, a Wi-Fi hot spot, and an option for a SYNC 3 infotainment system is available.
Performance/Trims and Pricing
Equinox dropped its more powerful 2.0-liter engine this year, making its only power for this model year a 170-horsepower 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. The transmission shifts smoothly, but acceleration is a bit lackluster in its only engine. The Equinox delivers a comfortable ride and takes turns with composure. Opting for larger wheels, will give you a jittery experience, especially over large bumps in the road. Some class rivals are more agile and athletic. The Equinox will tow up to a maximum of 1,500 pounds with its only engine; and front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is available on all trims. Fuel economy is estimated at 26/31 mpg city and highway. The Equinox comes in four trim levels: L, LS, LT, and Premier. Starting price is $23,800 for the Equinox L and ranges to a starting price of $31,400 for the Premier.
The Escape handles well for a compact SUV. It offers three different powertrain options ranging from sporty performance to a new efficient hybrid, with improved power and acceleration to move your vehicle well. Its sporty performance and handling make it drive more like a smaller car. The 180-horsepower three-cylinder EcoBoost turbocharged engine and 250-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine provide plenty of power for everyday driving. It earns ratings of 27/33 mpg on the city and highway. When properly equipped, the Escape can tow up to 3,500 pounds. The Escape is available in four trim levels: S, SE, SEL, and Titanium. Starting price for this compact SUV is $24,885 for the S and ranges to $33,400 for the Titanium.
Overall
The 2021 Chevrolet Equinox is a solid crossover with excellent predicted reliability. It offers an array of standard safety features and technology; as well as plenty of room for comfortable seating. It lags some in its performance and cabin quality, offering one engine choice and hard plastics for its interior. The 2021 Ford Escape delivers a turbo-four engine option and a high predicted reliability rating, but several interior features also come with hard plastics. Overall, they are both appealing vehicles in the small SUV segment
