2020 Ford Escape Vs. 2020 Nissan Rogue

Compact crossovers have a lot to offer buyers with all the room they need to haul the family and their cargo and the thriftiness to manage a daily commute affordably. Two great compact crossover options for our Jacksonville area shoppers are the 2020 Ford Escape and the 2020 Nissan Rogue. Which is best for you? Continue reading to find out.

Exterior

The 2020 Nissan Rogue is getting long in the tooth, as its last redesign came way back in 2014. That said, its sporty look has aged well over the years and has seen a few updates to keep things fresh over the years. Up front is where the Rogue puts all its sportiness with its V-motion grille, thin headlights, and shapely hood. From all other angles, the Rogue looks similar to most other compact crossovers.

While some may appreciate this relatively simple look, many buyers prefer a more eye-grabbing design in this class. This is where the all-new 2020 Ford Escape comes into play. This rig takes on a Focus-inspired design with its sweptback headlights and bold grille but maintains the proportions of a sporty crossover with its short overhangs and long hood.

Want to enhance the Escape’s sportiness? Opt for the SE Sport Hybrid model and get treated to a slew of darkening bits, including the gloss-black wheels.

Break out the tape measure, and you’ll see the Rogue is four inches longer and taller than the Escape, but 1.7 inches narrower. The Rogue’s wheelbase is also 0.2 inches shorter than the Escape’s, which shows off the Ford’s cornering-enhanced footprint.

As for exterior features, the Escape is decently equipped with standard 17-inch steel wheels with Sparkle Silver hubcaps, active grille shutters, molded-in-black door handles, bodyside cladding and rocker panels, black upper window trim, black beltline molding, body-color upper bumpers and molded-in-color lower bumpers, daytime running lights, dual chrome exhaust tips, a black grille, LED taillights, halogen headlights with auto on/off, power mirrors with molded-in-black caps, a body-color rear spoiler, a roof-mounted antenna, variable-intermittent windshield wipers, fixed-intermittent rear window wiper, and more.

The Nissan Rogue’s standard exterior features are similar to the Escape’s, but it gains LED daytime running lights.

Advantage: 2020 Ford Escape

•       Sportier looks
•       Cornering-enhancing platform
•       Slick-looking SE Sport Hybrid

Advantage: 2020 Nissan Rogue

•       Traditional looks
•       Standard LED daytime running lights

Interior

Inside, the Nissan Rogue shows off a sportier and more creative side that includes a standard flat-bottom steering wheel, contrasting upholstery, and more to give it a little boost. While it looks great, the simple, button-heavy infotainment system may be a little too much for some buyers.

The 2020 Ford Escape’s all-new cabin takes on most of the design cues buyers want today, including plenty of horizontal lines to visually widen the cabin, a dash-top infotainment screen, a clean dash, and plenty of upscale materials in its higher trim levels.

In terms of in-cabin roominess, the Rogue and Escape are very similar in seating room. In cargo room, though, the larger Rogue gets a leg up on the Escape with 5.8 cubes of extra space with the seats upright and an extra 4.6 cubes with the seats folded.

As for standard interior features, the 2020 Ford Escape comes with the basics and then some. Its standard equipment includes  steering-wheel-mounted controls, front and rear floor mats, a 4.2-inch instrument panel screen, Ice Blue® instrument panel lighting, outside temperature display, a rotary gear  shifter, cloth seating, a six-way manual driver’s seat and four-way manual passenger’s seat, a tilt-and-telescoping urethane steering wheel, power windows with driver-side one-touch-down operation, power door locks, 4G LTE Wi-Fi® hotspot (data plan required), an app-based remote ignition, vehicle unlock and parked-vehicle locator, the SYNC® infotainment system with a 4.2-inch screen, two smart-charging USB ports, a six-speaker AM/FM audio system, and more.

The Nissan Rogue’s standard equipment is a little more tech heavy with its standard 7-inch touchscreen, Android Auto™, Apple CarPlay®, SiriusXM®, overhead LED lighting, and more. Besides these features, the Rogue’s equipment is not too far off from the Escape’s.

Advantage: 2020 Ford Escape

•       More modern and refined cabin

Advantage: 2020 Nissan Rogue

•       More standard tech features
•       Roomier cargo area

Performance

The 2020 Ford Escape has tons of powertrain options, giving all types of buyers an engine that matches their needs. It all starts with a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that pumps out 180 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. This engine pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission and front- or all-wheel drive for a 7.7-second 0-to-60 run while getting up to 30 mpg combined.

The Escape SE Sport Hybrid and Titanium come standard with a 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain that injects 198 horsepower through an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission. This adds up to an 8.7-second 0-to-60 sprint and up to 41 mpg combined.

Optional on SEL and Titanium trims is a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder that pushes 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission and out to all four wheels. This ships the Escape to 60 mph in a shocking 5.7 seconds and allows it to tow up to 3,500 pounds.

There will also be a 209-horsepower plug-in hybrid Escape, but the details are not available yet.  

The 2020 Rogue has a simpler powertrain that includes only a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine pushing 170 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque through an eCVT and out to the front or all four wheels. This adds up to a so-so nine-second 0-to-60 gallop and a 1,102-pound towing capacity.

Advantage: 2020 Ford Escape

•       Better base fuel economy
•       Big thrift in hybrids
•       Plug-in hybrid coming
•       Super quick with 2.0-liter
•       Superior towing

Advantage: 2020 Nissan Rogue

•       No decision paralysis

Pricing and Features

The 2020 Ford Escape lineup has five trim levels – S, SE, SE Sport Hybrid, SEL, and Titanium – and their starting prices range from $24,885 to $33,400.

The 2020 Nissan Rogue has just three trim levels: S, SV, and SL. Their starting prices range from $25,300 to $31,690.

2020 Ford Escape Key Features and Pricing by Trim

S: $24,885

•       1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine
•       Eight-speed automatic transmission
•       Front-wheel drive with auto brake hold
•       Electric power steering
•       Electric parking brake
•       17-inch steel wheels with Sparkle Silver hubcaps
•       Active grille shutters
•       Molded-in-black door handles, bodyside cladding, and rocker panels
•       Black upper window trim
•       Black beltline molding
•       Body-color upper bumpers and molded-in-color lower bumpers
•       Daytime running lights
•       Dual chrome exhaust tips
•       Black grille
•       LED taillights
•       Halogen headlights with auto on/off
•       Power mirrors with molded-in-black caps
•       Body-color rear spoiler
•       Roof-mounted antenna
•       Molded-in-silver front and rear skid plates
•       Variable-intermittent windshield wipers
•       Fixed-intermittent rear window wiper
•       Center floor console with armrest
•       Steering-wheel-mounted controls
•       Front and rear floor mats
•       4.2-inch instrument panel screen
•       Ice Blue® instrument panel lighting
•       Outside temperature display
•       Rotary gear shifter
•       Cloth seating
•       Six-way manual driver’s seat
•       Four-way manual passenger’s seat
•       60/40 split-folding rear seat
•       Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
•       Urethane steering wheel
•       Power windows with driver-side one-touch-down operation
•       Power door locks
•       4G LTE Wi-Fi® hotspot (data plan required)
•       Remotely start and unlock vehicle
•       Parked-vehicle locator
•       SYNC® infotainment system
•       Enhanced voice recognition
•       911 Assist®
•       4.2-inch infotainment screen
•       AppLink®
•       Two smart-charging USB ports
•       Six-speaker AM/FM audio system
•       Compass
•       Remote keyless entry
•       Ford MyKey®
•       SOS Post-Crash Alert System™
•       Automatic high-beam headlights
•       Blind-spot monitoring
•       Lane-keep assist
•       Lane-departure warning
•       Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
•       Forward collision alert
•       Rearview camera
•       Post-collision braking

SE: $27,095

•       All S features, plus
•       Chrome upper window moldings
•       Body-color door handles
•       Chrome grille surround
•       Tinted rear glass
•       17-inch Shadow Silver aluminum wheels
•       Automatic climate control with rear air ducts
•       Unique cloth upholstery
•       Heated front-row seats
•       10-way power driver’s seat
•       Rear center armrest
•       Illuminated vanity mirrors
•       Halogen projector headlights
•       LED signature lighting
•       Heated mirrors with body-color caps
•       SYNC® 3 infotainment system
•       8-inch touchscreen
•       Apple CarPlay®
•       Android Auto™
•       SiriusXM® satellite radio
•       Keyless ignition
•       SecuriCode keyless entry keypad

SE Sport Hybrid: $28,255

•       All SE features, plus
•       2.5-liter hybrid four-cylinder engine
•       eCVT
•       Black upper window moldings
•       Black mirror caps
•       Black grille surround
•       17-inch Ebony Black aluminum wheels
•       Leather-wrapped steering wheel
•       12.3-inch full-digital gauge cluster
•       Spare tire delete
•       Tire inflator kit and sealant
•       Pedestrian alert sounds

SEL: $29,255

•       All SE features, plus
•       Fog lights
•       Hands-free gesture power liftgate
•       Black roof-rack rails
•       18-inch machined-face aluminum wheels
•       Two-position memory for the power driver’s seat and mirrors
•       Sport Contour seats
•       ActiveX seating material
•       Leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel
•       One-touch-up/down front and rear power windows
•       Remote ignition
•       Rear parking sensors

Titanium: $33,400

•       All SEL equipment, plus
•       2.5-liter hybrid four-cylinder engine
•       eCVT
•       Acoustic-laminated glass
•       Bright upper window molding
•       Bright beltline molding
•       LED fog lights
•       19-inch machined-face aluminum wheels with Dark Tarnish-painted pockets
•       110-volt power outlet
•       Ambient lighting with floor lights
•       Dual-zone automatic climate control
•       12.3-inch digital gauges
•       Sport Contour seats
•       Leather seating
•       Six-way power passenger’s seat
•       Navigation
•       SiriusXM® Traffic and Travel Link
•       10-speaker B&O sound system with a subwoofer
•       HD Radio™
•       Universal garage door opener
•       Active Park Assist 2.0 with reverse and front parking aids
•       Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centering
•       Evasive steering assist

2020 Nissan Rogue Key Features and Pricing by Trim

S: $25,300

•       2.5-liter four-cylinder engine
•       CVT
•       Front-wheel drive
•       Eco and Sport driving modes
•       Brake assist
•       Speed-sensitive electric power steering
•       Cruise control
•       17-inch steel wheels with hubcaps
•       Halogen headlights with automatic on/off
•       LED taillights
•       LED daytime running lights
•       Black door handles
•       Power, body-color mirrors
•       Rear spoiler
•       Air conditioning
•       Rear climate control vents
•       Power windows with driver’s side one-touch up/down
•       Power door locks with auto locking
•       Remote keyless entry
•       Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
•       Variable-intermittent windshield wipers
•       Intermittent rear wiper
•       Illuminated vanity mirrors
•       Overhead LED map lights
•       Mood lighting
•       Overhead sunglasses storage
•       Front center console
•       Four cargo tie-down hooks
•       Divide-N-Hide cargo management
•       Six-way manual driver’s seat
•       Four-way manual passenger’s seat
•       40/20/40 split-folding second-row seats
•       Cloth seating
•       Gunmetal interior door finishers
•       NissanConnect infotainment system
•       7-inch touchscreen
•       Apple CarPlay®
•       Android Auto™
•       Hands-free text messaging
•       Bluetooth® connectivity with audio streaming
•       Four-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system
•       MP3/WMA playback capability
•       Two USB power
•       SiriusXM®
•       Steering-wheel-mounted controls
•       Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
•       Lane-keep assist
•       Blind-spot monitoring
•       Rear cross-traffic alert
•       Rearview camera
•       Automatic high-beam headlights
•       Lane tracing
•       Hill-start assist
•       Rear-door alert

SV: $26,720

•       All S features, plus
•       17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
•       Chrome exterior door handles
•       Heated mirrors with integrated LED turn signals
•       Roof rails
•       Hands-free power liftgate
•       Tinted rear glass
•       Dual-zone automatic climate control
•       Nissan Intelligent Key® with push-button ignition
•       Remote engine start with alimate control
•       Sight-way power driver’s seat
•       Heated front seats
•       Leather-wrapped steering wheel
•       Leather-wrapped shifter knob
•       Chrome interior door handles
•       Six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system
•       Rear parking sensors
•       Automatic rear braking

SL: $31,690

•       All SV features, plus
•       19-inch alumiunum-alloy wheels
•       Electronic parking brake
•       Fog lights
•       Auto-dimming rearview mirror
•       HomeLink® universal home remote
•       Four-way power passenger’s seat
•       Memory for driver’s seat and mirrors
•       Leather seating
•       Heated steering wheel
•       Metallic interior door finishers
•       Naviigation
•       Voice recognition
•       NissanConnect services
•       SiriusXM® Traffic and Travel Link®
•       Nine-speaker Bose® premium audio system
•       360-degree camera
•       ProPilot Assist

Who Should Buy the 2020 Ford Escape

The 2020 Ford Escape boasts an impressively sporty design and equally impressive performance, making it a great option for youthful buyers seeking a family vehicle matching their personality. Plus, those with a longer commute will appreciate the Escape’s superior fuel economy.

Who Should Buy the 2020 Nissan Rogue

Got a lot of cargo to haul and need every inch of space you can get? The Nissan Rogue is a great option. Also, buyers who want all the latest tech in without checking option boxes will find standard Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ in the Rogue.

Is the 2020 Ford Escape the right compact crossover for your family? Head down to Garber Automall, serving Orange Park, Jacksonville, Fleming Island, and the surrounding areas, to see and drive it yourself. Whether you need a fuel-efficient crossover for your daily commute to Fleming Island, a roomy rig to get the kiddos to grandma’s house in Jacksonville, or a quick crossover to tear up the back roads of Orange Park, the 2020 Escape has you covered. See all our in-stock 2020 Escape models through our online inventory page, choose a few you like, and schedule a test drive.