Ford Escape vs Chevrolet Trailblazer

The 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer continued to build on its sporty theme with a minor styling refresh that accentuated its aggressive design. The top accent lights were made thinner, and the grille was reshaped to suggest a need for more air intake, giving the vehicle a more athletic and serious appearance. Inside, the Trailblazer received a modern makeover with a new digital instrument panel and an 11-inch infotainment touchscreen, although the digital panel didn't fully occupy its enclosure, giving it a slightly downmarket feel. The materials used in the interior were decent, with padded armrests and fabric inserts in the door panels adding a touch of warmth to the space.

In contrast, the 2024 Ford Escape underwent a significant front-end restyling in 2023, which carried over into the 2024 model, giving it a more aggressive look. The interior of the ST-Line Elite trim featured diamond-stitched, perforated leather, but the glossy surfaces and stiff upholstery detracted from its upscale appearance. The Escape's interior was equipped with ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, and power-adjustable seats, but the lack of ventilated seats was noticeable during hot weather. The Escape's interior storage was generous in the front, but rear passengers were less well accommodated.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer offered two powertrains: a base turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT, and a more powerful turbocharged 1.3-litre three-cylinder engine delivering 155 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. The latter provided better performance, but acceleration was still sluggish, with a zero to 100 km/h time exceeding nine seconds. The Trailblazer's handling was average, prioritizing comfort over sporty driving dynamics, and it smoothed over road imperfections well.

The 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line Elite offered a choice between a 192-horsepower hybrid powertrain and a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Our test vehicle featured the turbo engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and AWD. The turbo engine provided quick acceleration, but the driving dynamics didn't match the sporty appearance. The Escape's ride was soft and compliant, with nimble handling in typical driving situations, but the suspension allowed too much body motion. The brake pedal was responsive, but the steering felt sluggish and numb.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer provided ample front space with good outward visibility, enhancing the sense of roominess. The interior featured a wireless charging pad, medium-sized cupholders, and a deep bin under the armrest for storage. The rear seats offered generous legroom and headroom, making it suitable for adult passengers and rear-facing infant seats. The Trailblazer boasted 716 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, nearly matching the Hyundai Kona's 723 litres, and featured an available hands-free power liftgate.

The 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line's interior was available only in black, with cloth inserts and artificial leather bolsters. The front seats were large and soft, providing good support, and the rear seats were comfortable when slid into their rearmost position. The Escape offered 1,061 litres of cargo space behind the back seat, with deep storage areas on either side of the cargo load floor. Folding the rear seat down increased cargo capacity to 1,852 litres. However, rear passengers had less storage space compared to the front.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer featured an 11-inch infotainment touchscreen standard on all trims, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system's responses were slightly delayed, but the digital instrument panel was easy to read. A native navigation system was not offered, relying on smartphone connectivity instead. The base six-speaker audio system performed well, with an optional Bose premium upgrade available.

The 2024 Ford Escape came with digital instrumentation, with upper trims featuring a 12.3-inch display. The ST-Line Elite test vehicle had a 13.2-inch Sync 4 infotainment system with a landscape format, offering an intuitive layout. However, the display's colour theme appeared washed out, and the climate controls were integrated into the screen. The system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system available. The voice recognition system was excellent, but the wireless smartphone charger heated the phone excessively.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer received five-star ratings from the NHTSA in overall, frontal, and side crash evaluations, with four stars for rollover protection. The IIHS awarded it the highest score of "good" in all crashworthiness tests. Standard safety features included frontal collision warning with automatic emergency braking and lane-keep assist. The optional Confidence package added a blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert, with adaptive cruise control available on certain trims.

The 2024 Ford Escape featured a standard Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring. The ST-Line Elite added adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, and a 360-degree camera system. The Escape received five-star ratings from the NHTSA, except for a four-star rollover resistance rating. The IIHS had not rated the 2024 model, but the 2023 Escape earned Good ratings, except for a Marginal score in a new side-impact test.