Ford Escape vs Porsche Cayenne

The 2024 Ford Escape received a significant makeover, carrying forward the updates from 2023 that aimed to rejuvenate its appeal. The front end was restyled, new wheel designs were introduced, and the trim lineup was revamped. Additionally, Ford enhanced the technology with next-generation infotainment and improved safety features. These changes gave the Escape a more aggressive look, replacing the previous model's wide-eyed, toothless smile. Despite these updates, the rest of the SUV maintained a soft and generically appealing appearance.

In Canada, the 2024 Escape was available in several trims, including Active, ST-Line, ST-Line Select, Platinum, ST-Line Elite, and Plug-in Hybrid, with the Base trim being dropped. Prices ranged from $33,049 to $46,999, excluding destination and dealer fees. The ST-Line Elite trim, which we tested, came with additional features like Rapid Red paint, black 19-inch wheels, the Premium Technology Package, and a Panoramic Vista Roof, bringing the total cost to $49,924. The interior, while initially appearing upscale with diamond-stitched leather and tech upgrades, revealed excessively glossy surfaces and stiff upholstery, raising questions about its value.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne offered a choice between a standard SUV with a squared-off rear end and a sporty Cayenne Coupe. Trim levels ranged from the base Cayenne to the high-performance Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, each with unique exterior touches. Our focus was on the GTS trim, which featured high gloss black trim, a specific front fascia with larger air intakes, tinted headlights, and red brake calipers visible through 21-inch wheels. The Cayenne Coupe included an adaptive rear spoiler. The interior was highly customizable, with options for colour, trim, and seat belts, allowing buyers to create a unique vehicle. Pricing could escalate quickly, with options like custom paint jobs costing around $15,000.

Inside, the Cayenne's cabin was well-organized, with mechanical controls for essential features like HVAC and volume. The shifter toggle was mounted on the dashboard, freeing up storage space. The centre console's tendency to slide with slight pressure was a minor drawback in an otherwise well-thought-out interior.

The 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line Elite offered two powertrain options: a 192-horsepower hybrid with an expected fuel economy of 6.0 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, and a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. The latter averaged 8.4 L/100 km in combined driving with AWD, which was standard in Canada from the ST-Line Select trim and up. The AWD system featured a driveline disconnect to improve fuel economy, and drivers could choose between Eco, Normal, Sport, and Slippery driving modes. The turbocharged engine allowed the Escape to tow up to 1,587 kilograms (3,500 pounds).

Despite the sporty appearance of the ST-Line Elite, the driving dynamics didn't quite match the promise of the ST badge. The turbocharged engine provided quick acceleration, but the ride was soft and compliant, with handling that felt nimble in typical driving situations but allowed too much unwanted body motion. The brake pedal was responsive, but the steering felt sluggish and numb. For most drivers, the Escape ST-Line offered a sporty look and comfortable, isolated driving dynamics, making it suitable for commuting and errands. However, the turbo engine felt underutilized, and the hybrid powertrain or lower-tier Escape models were recommended for better value.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne offered a range of engines, all capable of impressive performance. The base 3.0-litre V6 produced 348 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, while the Cayenne S featured a V8 with 468 hp. The Turbo GT, available only as a coupe, boasted 650 hp. Plug-in hybrid options offered up to 729 hp for peak performance. Our GTS-trim tester had a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 with 493 hp and 486 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed transmission and AWD. Porsche estimated a 0-100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds with the Sport Chrono package and a top speed of 275 km/h.

The GTS trim struck a balance between sporty and high-performance driving. The steering, borrowed from the Turbo GT, allowed for precise turn-in, and the vehicle was 10 millimetres lower than the previous model. Pirelli P Zero tires, stiffer roll bars, and an active suspension contributed to agile handling, despite the Cayenne's 2,250-kilogram curb weight. Sport and Sport Plus drive modes enhanced throttle and transmission performance, while Normal mode provided a comfortable commuting experience. The optional carbon ceramic brakes required adjustment but offered strong stopping power. The Cayenne GTS offered a sporty SUV experience without sacrificing daily driving comfort.

The 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line featured a black interior with cloth inserts and artificial leather bolsters, accented by red stitching for a sporty look. Leather was optional with the ST-Line Elite trim, but it was not recommended due to its uncomfortable feel. Our test model included ambient interior lighting, dual-zone automatic climate control, power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. Ventilated front seats were not available, which would have been appreciated during a heatwave.

The Escape's front seats were large and soft, providing good support over time. The height-adjustable front passenger seat was a rare feature in the segment. The back seat was comfortable when slid into its rearmost position, and the SUV's doors allowed for easy entry and exit. Interior storage was generous in the front, but rear passengers had less accommodation. Cargo volume measured 1,061 litres behind the back seat (974 litres for the hybrid), expanding to 1,852 litres (1,721 litres in the hybrid) with the rear seat folded down. Our test vehicle included deep storage areas and a grocery bag hook in the cargo area.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne offered a la carte customization, with few standard features. The base model included eight-way power-adjustable seats, heated but not cooled or massaging, two-zone climate control, soft-close doors, a heated steering wheel, and ambient lighting. Higher trims offered limited upgrades, with the GTS featuring a GT Sport steering wheel and Race-Tex headliner. The Turbo GT added stainless steel pedal pads and illuminated carbon fibre door-sill guards. Packages bundled features like heated rear seats and a panoramic roof, but most options required additional payment.

The Cayenne's options list was extensive, allowing for customization of interior materials, seat adjustments, and more. However, the Cayenne could only accommodate five people, with no third-row seating option. The second row offered ample headroom, even in the coupe body style. The Cayenne's towing capacity was impressive, with the base V6 engine capable of towing 3,500 kilograms and accommodating over 635 kilograms of payload. Cargo space was smaller than competitors, with 772 litres behind the second row and 1,708 litres with seats folded down in the standard model. The coupe version offered 576 and 1,486 litres, respectively. The PHEV models had slightly reduced cargo space.

The 2024 Ford Escape featured digital instrumentation, with an 8-inch display in lower trims and a 12.3-inch display in upper trims. Our ST-Line Elite test vehicle had the larger display, which offered pleasing graphics and ample data. The 13.2-inch Sync 4 infotainment system impressed with its landscape format and intuitive layout, though the colour theme appeared washed out, and thin fonts were difficult to read. Climate controls were integrated into the screen, which was not ideal.

Lower trims had an 8-inch display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and FordPass Connect services. The larger touchscreen added a one-year subscription to connected navigation. A Bang & Olufsen premium sound system was available, but our test vehicle's speakers were damaged. Sync 4 exhibited lag time between inputs, and the wireless smartphone charger overheated an iPhone. The voice recognition system was excellent, and switching between Apple CarPlay and the native environment was easy.

The engine start/stop button was oddly placed where a stereo volume knob usually is, and the volume knob was where a radio tuning knob would be. Our test vehicle included an optional head-up display (HUD) that projected data onto a clear plastic piece rising from the dashboard. The HUD was part of the Premium Technology Package, which also included leather, the Bang & Olufsen sound system, and Active Park Assist 2.0. The semi-autonomous parking assistance technology worked well but was impractical in busy areas.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne boasted a curved 12.6-inch digital gauge cluster with up to seven views, including the classic Porsche five-circle design. A 12.3-inch touchscreen display ran the Porsche Communication Management system, featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Spotify, Apple Music, satellite radio, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. An optional 10.9-inch passenger screen allowed for navigation and media control, video streaming, and lap time recording, with a screen filter preventing driver distraction.

The screens were well-organized and responsive, with voice control available for many functions. Our tester, a German-spec car, lacked North American GPS files, so we couldn't sample the navigation system. A head-up display (HUD) provided information to the driver, though it appeared dim with polarized sunglasses. The system included night-vision assist, but the standard HD-Matrix Design LED headlamps made the feature less impactful. Four high-speed USB-C charging ports and a cooled wireless charging area were appreciated, preventing phone overheating while charging at up to 15 watts.

The 2024 Ford Escape came with a standard post-collision automatic braking system and the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of driving assistance systems. Key features included forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high-beam headlights. Our ST-Line Elite also had adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, predictive speed assist, evasive steering assist, lane-centring assist, and a 360-degree surround-view camera system.

During testing, the lane-keeping systems displayed inconsistent behaviour, and the predictive speed assist slowed the SUV excessively for upcoming curves, causing irritation among other motorists. The adaptive cruise control and lane-centring systems shut down unexpectedly, prompting manual control. On highways, the Co-Pilot360 technology performed better, with effective lane-keeping and smooth adaptive cruise control in stop-and-go traffic. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the 2024 Escape five-star ratings across the board, except for a four-star rollover resistance rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had not rated the 2024 Escape at the time of writing, but the 2023 model received Good ratings, except for a Marginal score in a new side-impact safety test.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne offered standard parking sensors, forward collision warning, and blind-spot monitoring, but adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and lane-departure warning were optional. Porsche's advanced adaptive cruise control system, InnoDrive, looked ahead approximately 3 kilometres to prepare for traffic incidents, but we couldn't test it due to our car's German specifications. Porsche did not offer a hands-off/eyes-up driving assist system.

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had rated the 2025 Porsche Cayenne for safety, and recent years of the Cayenne had not been rated by either organization.