2023 Toyota Sequoia vs 2023 Ford Escape

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was a striking presence on the road, with its bold design inspired by the Toyota Tundra pickup truck. The SUV's exterior featured a traditional grille and front bumper, which distinguished it from the Tundra's more unconventional look. Inside, the Sequoia shared many design elements with the Tundra, offering an industrial yet upscale feel, especially in the Capstone trim. This trim level boasted a luxurious cream white-over-black two-tone interior, dominated by a 14-inch infotainment system. However, some materials reminded drivers of its pickup truck origins. The Sequoia lineup included various trims, with prices starting at $79,335 for the TRD Off-road and reaching $95,335 for the Capstone. While the TRD Pro trim offered enhanced off-road capabilities, the Sequoia's overall off-road performance was less impressive than its predecessor.

The 2023 Ford Escape embraced a more European design language, moving away from the blocky exterior of its earlier generations. A refreshed front end with a traditional grille and LED light bar gave it a modern look. The Escape was one of the smallest vehicles in Ford's lineup, with several trim levels available, including the ST-Line Elite, which we tested. This trim featured 19-inch wheels and a sleek design, giving it an upscale appearance akin to a Mazda CX-5. Inside, the Escape's ST-Line Elite trim showcased diamond-stitched leather upholstery, which, while visually appealing, felt hard and plasticky. The seats were comfortable, and the 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat allowed for easy customization. However, the interior was dominated by plastic materials, some of which felt cost-cutting.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was equipped with a hybrid powertrain, featuring a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, a 36-kilowatt electric motor/generator, and a 1.87 kilowatt-hour nickel-metal hydride battery pack. This setup delivered 437 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 583 pound-feet of torque at 2,400 rpm. The Sequoia's towing capacity increased to 4,137 kilograms, and its fuel efficiency improved to 11.7 L/100 km in combined driving with 4WD. During testing, the Sequoia averaged 13.2 L/100 km. The SUV offered various driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+, but its ride quality was occasionally jittery. The steering was slow, and the regenerative braking system felt unresponsive.

The 2023 Ford Escape offered multiple powertrain options, including a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine could be configured with FWD or AWD. Higher trims, like the ST-Line Elite, featured a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, exclusively with AWD. While the Escape's suspension was soft and compliant, it wasn't tuned for performance. The brakes provided predictable stopping power, and the steering was well-weighted, avoiding the twitchiness found in some competitors.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia excelled on highways, offering a quiet cabin with comfortable front seats, a JBL premium audio system, and a triple-zone climate control system. However, the panoramic glass moonroof reduced second-row headroom, and the third-row seat was cramped due to the high floor and low roof. Cargo space was limited, with only 325 litres behind the third row, expandable to 631 litres by sliding the seat forward. Folding the third-row seats increased capacity to 1,387 litres, and with the second-row seats down, the Sequoia could hold 2,460 litres of cargo. Despite the hybrid powertrain's benefits, the Sequoia's overall utility was compromised.

The 2023 Ford Escape offered comfortable seating and excellent ergonomics, with well-positioned armrests and convenient cupholders. The head-up display was easy to adjust for different drivers. However, the Escape fell short in cargo space, with 1,061 litres behind the second row and 1,851 litres with the second row folded. While adequate for daily use, it lagged behind competitors like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Passenger space was also slightly less than rivals, but the back seat's headroom and padded front-seat backs helped maximize comfort for taller passengers.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia featured a new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, with an 8-inch touchscreen on the base trim and a 14-inch screen on higher trims. The system was intuitive, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However, glare on the display was an issue, especially in the Capstone trim. The Intelligent Assistant responded to voice commands, but there were occasional glitches. The Capstone trim included a 10-inch head-up display and a surround-view camera system, though objects appeared closer than they were. The parking sensors and automatic rear braking system effectively prevented accidents.

The 2023 Ford Escape came with Sync 4, featuring an 8-inch touchscreen on lower trims and a 13.2-inch screen on higher trims like the ST-Line Elite. The system was well-organized, with easy navigation between applications. A wi-fi hotspot was available with a subscription. While Sync 4 was occasionally slow to respond, its layout and features were impressive. The audio system included a standard six-speaker setup, with a Bang & Olufsen system optional on higher trims.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, which included forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centring assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and road sign recognition. Additional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safety Connect services. While crash test ratings were unavailable, the Tundra, on which the Sequoia is based, received high marks from the IIHS.

The 2023 Ford Escape received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with high scores in frontal and side-crash tests. However, the IIHS did not award it a Top Safety Pick due to a Marginal score in the side-impact test. The Escape came standard with Ford's Co-Pilot360 suite, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Co-Pilot360 2.0 added adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, and lane-centring technology.