Ford Escape vs INFINITI QX60

The 2022 INFINITI QX60 underwent a comprehensive redesign, marking the beginning of its second generation. This transformation included a new exterior and interior design, updated powertrains, and advanced technologies, aligning it with its Nissan counterpart, the Pathfinder. The QX60's exterior boasted a striking appearance with a prominent grille, slim LED headlights, and chrome accents, giving it a concept-car-like look. The interior was spacious and luxurious, featuring quilted leather upholstery and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display, emphasizing a wide and open feel. Built in Tennessee, the QX60 showcased high craftsmanship and build quality.

The 2023 Ford Escape, in contrast, embraced a more European design language, moving away from its previous blocky exterior. The refreshed model featured a traditional front end with a stylish LED light bar and the Ford blue oval logo. The Escape was one of the smallest vehicles in Ford's lineup, offering various trim levels, including the ST-Line Elite. The interior of the Escape ST-Line Elite was equipped with diamond-stitched leather upholstery, although it felt hard and plasticky. Despite this, the seats were comfortable, and the vehicle provided a smooth ride, making it suitable for long drives. The Escape's design leaned towards an upscale appearance, similar to a Mazda CX-5.

The 2022 INFINITI QX60 featured a nine-speed automatic transmission, replacing the previous CVT, resulting in a superior driving experience. The 3.5-litre V6 engine delivered 295 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque, providing smooth acceleration and deceleration. Fuel consumption was rated at 11.9 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 9.5 on the highway, and 10.8 combined. The QX60's suspension, with MacPherson struts in the front and an independent multilink setup in the rear, offered a smooth and serene ride, although it wasn't designed for aggressive cornering. The vehicle excelled on highways and suburban streets, providing comfort for passengers in all rows.

The 2023 Ford Escape offered multiple powertrain options, including a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 199 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The ST-Line Select, Platinum, and ST-Line Elite trims featured a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 280 lb-ft 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 twitchy inputs. The Escape was well-suited for everyday driving, especially on rough roads.

The 2022 INFINITI QX60 offered a spacious and versatile interior, akin to a luxury minivan, with traditional SUV-style doors. The three-row SUV provided ample storage, charging ports, and comfort for all passengers. The centre console featured a cubby for smartphones, cupholders, and covered storage. The second-row seats could slide and fold, allowing easy access to the roomy third row. The QX60 offered 411 litres of luggage space behind the third row, expandable to 1,178 litres with the third row folded, and 2,135 litres with both rows down. It had a towing capacity of up to 2,721 kilograms with additional equipment.

The 2023 Ford Escape provided comfortable seating and excellent ergonomics, with well-positioned armrests and convenient cupholders. The head-up display was easy to adjust for drivers of different heights. However, the Escape fell short in cargo space compared to segment leaders, offering up to 1,061 litres behind the second row and 1,851 litres with the second row folded. Passenger space was slightly less than competitors, but the back seat offered good headroom. The Escape was suitable for daily use but might feel cramped during larger moves.

The 2022 INFINITI QX60 impressed with its technology offerings, including full LED lighting, a power liftgate, and a 12.3-inch InTouch Interactive infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto. Higher trims featured a 10.8-inch head-up display and a smart rearview mirror. The QX60 offered a nine-speaker audio system in lower trims and a 17-speaker Bose Performance series sound system in higher trims. Infiniti InTouch services provided connectivity features via a smartphone app.

The 2023 Ford Escape featured Sync 4 technology, with an 8-inch touchscreen on lower trims and a 13.2-inch screen on higher trims. Sync 4 was well-organized, with easy navigation between applications. A wi-fi hotspot was available with a subscription. The Escape's audio system included a standard six-speaker setup, with a Bang & Olufsen system optional on higher trims. While Sync 4 was intuitive, it was occasionally slow to respond, and the volume knob's placement was inconvenient.

The 2022 INFINITI QX60 had not yet been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA, but the previous generation received high safety ratings. The QX60 came with a comprehensive set of standard safety features, including multiple airbags, LATCH connectors, and advanced driver assistance systems like forward emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot warning. ProPilot Assist was standard on most trims, with optional features like adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera system.

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 grant it a Top Safety Pick designation due to a Marginal score in the side-impact test. The Escape came with Ford's Co-Pilot360 suite of driver assist features, including forward-collision warning, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring. Co-Pilot360 2.0 added adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera for enhanced safety.