2022 Ford Escape vs Chevy Equinox

The Ford Escape offers buyers a spacious interior and cargo space, with comfortable seating for five. This sporty new compact SUV is easy to drive and packed with the latest features and enough head- and legroom for most adults to sit comfortably in both rows. Cloth upholstery is standard and synthetic or genuine leather upholstery, heated and power-adjustable front seats, and a heated steering wheel are available. The base Escape sits on 17-inch steel wheels; while higher trims will give you 18-inch and 19-inch wheels. The SEL trim includes roof rails, imitation leather, fog lights, and parking sensors. Moving up to the Titanium trim, it will add chrome exterior trim, ambient lighting, power-adjustable passenger seat, and auto-dimming rearview mirror. The sliding second-row seats open up to an enormous 40.7 inches of legroom. When rear seats are folded, the maximum cargo space yields 65.4 cubic feet.

The Equinox features a revised striking exterior, offering aerodynamic sculpting and accents that combine style and function. This five-seat compact SUV offers tremendous rear-seat legroom and ample headroom that allows tall adults to sit comfortably. The front seats will keep you supported on a long drive with its well-shaped seats. It is mixed in its interior quality because of hard plastic surfaces, but soft-touch accents are also present. Standard features included are cloth upholstery and four-way manually adjustable front seats. Standard and available features on the LT and Premier trim include leather upholstery, eight-way power-adjustable front seats, heated and ventilated fronts, heated rear seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a heated steering wheel, and driver’s seat memory seat. Optional Sport and Midnight Edition available on the LT trim offers unique gloss-black exterior trim pieces, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and special black alloy wheels. You will get about 30 cubic feet behind the rear seats and around 64 cubic feet with the second row folded down.

Every Escape comes with safety features that include, forward collision mitigation, lane departure mitigation, and a blind-spot monitor (BLIS) to help give you the security you need on our roads. Other safety features include a rearview camera, automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, and rear cross-traffic alert. All this is bundled into the Ford Co-Pilot360. The Escape comes standard with a 4.2-inch display, a USB port, Bluetooth, and a six-speaker stereo. A user-friendly 8-inch freestanding touchscreen, navigation, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, satellite radio, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and an option for a SYNC 3 infotainment system is available.

Equinox offers plenty of driver’s assistance features to feel confident on the road. A lot of features are standard on all trims, but you’ll need to move up to the LT and Premier trim to get the available Confidence and Convenience packages that include added safety and convenience features; such as a power liftgate and a universal garage door opener. Standard features include forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, following distance indicator, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, automatic high-beam headlights, rearview camera, Teen Driver system, and Rear-seat reminder. The Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system comes standard with some great technology features. The L and LS offer the standard features and the LT and Premier add a little bit more. Standard features on all trims include a 7-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, four USB ports, a Wi-fi hotspot, Bluetooth, voice recognition, and a six-speaker stereo.

The 2022 Escape has the choice of a hybrid or plug-in hybrid; and available 1.5-liter EcoBoost or 2.0-liter EcoBoost gas engines with Auto Start-Stop technology. It’s sporty performance and efficient hybrid makes improved power and acceleration to move your vehicle well and drive more like a smaller car. Most trims are driven by the 180-horsepower three-cylinder 1.5-liter EcoBoost turbocharged engine, paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission, providing plenty of power for everyday driving. It earns respectable ratings of 27/33 mpg on the city and highway. When properly equipped, the Escape can tow up to 3,500 pounds. The Escape is available in four trim levels: S, SE, SEL, and Titanium. Starting price for this compact SUV is $26,800 for the S and ranges to $39,570 for the Titanium Plug-In Hybrid.

The Equinox offers only one powertrain for 2022: a 170-horsepower 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. The transmission shifts smoothly, but acceleration is a bit lackluster in its only engine. The Equinox delivers a comfortable ride and takes turns with composure. Opting for larger wheels, will give you a jittery experience, especially over large bumps in the road. Some class rivals are more agile and athletic. The Equinox will tow up to a maximum of 1,500 pounds with its only engine and front-wheel drive is standard with all-wheel drive available on all trims. Fuel economy is estimated at 26/31 mpg city and highway. The Equinox comes in four trim levels: LS, LT, a new sporty RS trim and Premier. Starting price is $26,995 for the Equinox L and ranges to a starting price of $33,795 for the Premier.