2021 Ford Escape vs 2021 Buick Encore GX

The 2021 Buick Encore GX was praised for its stylish design, which was a significant improvement over the original Encore, often referred to as “the shoe” by GM insiders. The Encore GX had well-proportioned lines and came in three trim levels: Preferred, Select, and Essence. The Sport Touring (ST) package was available across all trims, adding a racy look. Buyers could choose between FWD and AWD, with two turbocharged three-cylinder engines: a 1.2-liter for FWD and a 1.3-liter for both FWD and AWD. Pricing ranged from $24,200 to $30,600, with our test model, an Essence trim with a 1.3-liter engine, priced at $35,065 after options and destination charges. Despite the high price, Buick offered significant discounts for GM customers and attractive lease deals for non-GM owners.

Inside, the Encore GX’s cabin met the expected quality levels for a small SUV, though the interior design wasn’t as clean as the exterior. The analog gauges were hard to read, and the HUD vibrated on anything but smooth pavement, highlighting the vehicle’s lack of refinement. The sun’s glare made the fuel gauge indicator lights difficult to see. Overall, the Encore GX’s interior had some shortcomings, especially given its premium positioning.

The 2021 Ford Escape, with its fourth-generation model, straddled the line between SUV and hatchback. Its curved snout and sleek roofline gave it a less truck-like appearance compared to competitors like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. 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. These packages added features like 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery, and leather trim.

The interior design of the Escape didn’t match the cohesive theme of the exterior, with odd choices like an angular instrument cluster and low-quality materials. Even the top Titanium model lacked standard leather upholstery, though it did offer ambient lighting. The Escape’s interior materials were considered low-rent, and the overall design didn’t impress.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX offered two turbocharged three-cylinder engines. The standard 1.2-liter engine produced 137 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 162 pound-feet of torque at 2,500 rpm, providing adequate acceleration for the 3,000-lb. SUV. However, the 1.3-liter engine was the preferred choice, delivering 155 hp at 5,600 rpm and 174 lb-ft of torque at just 1,600 rpm. This engine was available with both FWD and AWD, depending on the trim level. The FWD models used a CVT, while the AWD models had a nine-speed automatic transmission and a Watt’s linkage rear suspension.

Despite the turbocharged engines, the Encore GX’s driving experience was described as adequate. It could cruise at 80 mph on the freeway, but the ride quality was inconsistent, feeling brittle over poorly maintained roads and bouncy over bumps. Buick’s QuietTuning efforts didn’t make the cabin particularly quiet. The Encore GX’s handling was flat, and the brakes performed well, though the pedal was sometimes hard to modulate. The steering was light, making the SUV easy to maneuver. Fuel economy averaged 28.2 mpg, slightly below the EPA estimate.

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, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. FWD was standard, with AWD optional. The EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbo-four engine, available only with AWD, produced 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid models used a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric assist, delivering a total system output of 200 hp. The plug-in hybrid’s larger battery allowed for significant electric-only driving.

The three-cylinder engine was adequate for the Escape, and the hybrid models offered smooth transitions between electric and gasoline propulsion. However, the chassis tuning left much to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering making the Escape feel like a chore to drive. For 2021, the Escape could be equipped with a Class 2 Trailer Tow Package, with a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds for the 2.0-liter engine.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX offered a high seating position, with supportive front seats suitable for long drives. The test vehicle featured a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, 8-way power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. However, the back seat was less comfortable, with limited legroom and a low, flat seat cushion. Interior storage was good, with a trunk capacity of 23.5 cubic feet, expandable to 50.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The test vehicle had a hands-free power liftgate and a fold-flat front passenger seat for carrying long items.

The 2021 Ford Escape compared well against other compact SUVs in terms of interior space. It offered near-top-of-segment headroom and legroom in both rows, with a standard sliding rear seat to adjust legroom or cargo space. Sliding the rear seat back provided 40.7 inches of rear legroom in non-hybrid models. The gasoline Escape had 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up, expandable to 37.5 cubic feet with the seat slid forward and 65.4 cubic feet with the seat folded. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had slightly less cargo space due to the battery pack.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX Essence featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity for two devices, and Buick Connected Services with a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The test vehicle also had a navigation system, natural voice recognition, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and a high-definition surround-view camera, thanks to the Advanced Technology Package. Wireless smartphone charging was included in the Convenience Package. Despite the added packages, the test car lacked the available 7-speaker Bose premium sound system. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with quick response, impressive voice recognition, and a simple interface.

The 2021 Ford Escape used the older Sync 3 infotainment system, with the base Escape S model featuring a 4.2-inch touchscreen. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot were standard. Upgrading to the Escape SE 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 easy to use, the Escape lacked some standard tech features offered by competitors and missed out on the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with Sync 4.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX came standard with Buick Driver Confidence, which included forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was standard on Select and Essence trims and optional on Preferred trim. Adaptive cruise control was available, along with Teen Driver technology and a Tire Fill Alert system. The adaptive cruise control’s stop-and-go function required manual reactivation after a few seconds of idling, and the lane-keeping assist felt unnatural. The Encore GX earned a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, but the IIHS had not tested it.

The 2021 Ford Escape received a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the IIHS, with top 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 had lower ratings for headlights. The NHTSA gave the Escape a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover tests. Standard safety features under Ford Co-Pilot360 included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, 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.