2021 Ford Escape vs 2022 Buick Enclave

The 2021 Ford Escape, a fourth-generation model, balanced the line between SUV and hatchback. Its curved snout and sleek roofline made it resemble an enlarged Focus, yet it maintained the tall ride height typical of an SUV. This design gave the Escape a less truck-like appearance compared to the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, or Toyota RAV4, but it also resulted in a more generic look than the Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage. For 2021, the Escape 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, featuring upgrades like 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery, and leather-wrapped steering wheels.

Inside, the Escape's design choices were less cohesive. The angular instrument cluster clashed with the exterior's smooth lines, and the interior materials felt low-rent. Even the top-tier Titanium model lacked standard leather upholstery, although it did offer ambient lighting. Dual-zone automatic climate control was only available starting from the SEL trim level.

The 2022 Buick Enclave, on the other hand, marked a significant shift in Buick's design philosophy. Historically conservative, Buick's designs featured softer lines and functional interiors, catering to an older demographic focused on comfort. However, over the past 15 years, Buick transitioned from a sedan-heavy lineup to an all-SUV portfolio, reflecting broader market trends. The Enclave, introduced in 2008, replaced older models and quickly became a hit, with a 2018 redesign pushing it further upmarket.

For 2022, the Enclave received a mid-cycle refresh with new exterior styling, including a redesigned grille, front and rear fascias, headlamps, taillamps, and wheel designs. The Avenir trim level featured unique styling elements and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Enclave boasted a restyled center console with push-button gears and upgraded materials. The Avenir trim included standard climate-controlled front seats, heated second-row captain's chairs, and unique trim and seat stitching, enhancing comfort and luxury.

The 2021 Ford Escape offered a variety of powertrains, including two gasoline engines and hybrid options. The base engine was a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder producing 181 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available in FWD or AWD. An upgrade to the 2.0-liter turbo-four engine increased output to 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, delivering a total of 200 hp. The plug-in hybrid's larger battery allowed for significant electric-only driving. The hybrid was available in FWD or AWD, while the plug-in hybrid was FWD only. The Escape's towing capacity reached 3,500 pounds with the 2.0-liter engine, though figures for the hybrid models were not provided.

The 2022 Buick Enclave kept things simple with a single powertrain option: a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Enclave came standard with FWD, with AWD available on all trims. The SUV's maximum towing capacity was 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Enclave's ride quality was enhanced by the optional Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping. This setup provided a smooth, quiet ride, thanks to Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology. The Enclave's powertrain was responsive, with good off-the-line acceleration and a nine-speed transmission that performed seamlessly.

The 2021 Ford Escape, despite its car-like styling, offered competitive interior space for a compact SUV. First and second-row headroom and legroom were among the best in the segment, with a standard sliding rear seat that could be adjusted to increase legroom or cargo space. Non-hybrid models provided 40.7 inches of rear legroom, second only to the Hyundai Tucson. However, the battery placement in hybrid models reduced legroom. Cargo space in gasoline models was 33.5 cubic feet with the rear seat up, expandable to 37.5 cubic feet by sliding the seat forward, and 65.4 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. Hybrid models had slightly less cargo space.

The 2022 Buick Enclave excelled in passenger comfort and space. Ingress and egress were easy, and visibility was excellent. Standard features included an eight-way power driver seat and six-way power front passenger seat, both heated with power lumbar control. Premium and Avenir trims added four-way power lumbar with massage and heated second-row seats. The Enclave's cabin was spacious, with ample headroom, legroom, hip room, and shoulder room in all three rows. The third row could comfortably accommodate six-footers, and the second-row captain's chairs made access easy. The restyled center console featured push-button transmission gears and a covered compartment with cupholders. Cargo space was generous, with 23.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.4 cubic feet with both rows folded. Power-folding third-row seats added convenience.

The 2021 Ford Escape used the older Sync 3 infotainment system, with base models featuring a 4.2-inch touchscreen. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. Upgrading to the SE trim 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. While Sync 3 was user-friendly, it lacked some of the advanced features found in competitors' systems, such as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured a standard 4.2-inch driver information center, with Premium and Avenir trims getting a larger 8-inch reconfigurable version. The Essence trim included an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation. The system could pair up to 10 devices, with two smartphones active simultaneously, and a built-in WiFi hotspot supported up to four devices. The Premium and Avenir trims also featured a 10-speaker Bose audio system. Standard safety and convenience features included a following-distance indicator, HD rear vision camera, and Teen Driver technology. Available features included adaptive cruise control, head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, hitch guidance with hitch view, a digital rear camera mirror, and HD surround vision.

The 2021 Ford Escape received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS, with top "Good" scores in all crash tests and for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. It also earned high marks for front-crash prevention tech but received "Acceptable" and "Marginal" ratings for headlights, depending on the trim level. The NHTSA awarded the Escape a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests, and four stars in rollover crash tests. Standard safety features 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.

The 2022 Buick Enclave saw significant updates to its safety tech, with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package becoming standard on all trims. This package included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-change alert with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assistance with lane-departure warning, rear park assist, following-distance indicator, and automatic high-beam headlights. Additional standard features included a Safety Alert driver's seat, rear-seat reminder system, and HD reversing camera. Premium trim added enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, surround-view camera, head-up display, and rear pedestrian alert. The NHTSA had not published crash-test ratings for the 2022 Enclave at the time of writing, but the IIHS gave it "Good" ratings in all but one crash test, where it received an "Acceptable" score.