2018 GMC Terrain vs. 2017 Ford Escape
If you’re in the market for a compact crossover SUV, then the 2018 GMC Terrain and the Ford Escape should be on your shortlist.
The GMC Terrain is all new for this year, and the Ford Escape has also been recently redesigned for the 2017 model year.
It’s a testament to the car’s success that it has kept going this long, but the Terrain has made some huge jumps in style and interior quality with this latest redesign. The Terrain is also a proper shrunken SUV, while Ford might just have sacrificed too much function in the name of form.
Wondering which of these is right for your next compact crossover purchase? Keep reading to find out!
Style
Both cars are classed as compact crossover SUVs, but they offer two unique answers to the same question and this is what truly marks them apart.
The GMC Terrain looks like a workhorse. It’s still an SUV at heart and that big, bluff, boxer’s nose that is dominated by the grille gives it an imposing stance. When you close in on someone’s rear view mirror, it will have an effect.
Ford went the other way and made its Escape more car-like and low slung. So, the Ford gains a theoretical handling advantage, but you lose the high-seating position and utilitarian feel of a big SUV.
In some ways, that’s the essence of cars like this and GMC’s decision to stick with a rugged look seems to make a more cohesive car.
Power and Capability
Both cars come with a choice of three engines, but the flagship for both manufacturers is a 2-liter turbo with All-Wheel-Drive.
That makes for an easier comparison.
The Ford delivers a respectable 245bhp and 275lb/ft of torque. The Ecoboost is fast-turning into an icon and, in this package, it powers the Escape from 0-60mph in just over 7 seconds.
The GMC Terrain wins the horsepower war, with the 252bhp powerplant that also sees active service under the hood of the Camaro. It leaves the line with 260lb/ft of torque coursing through the four-wheel-drive.
As a result, the GMC Terrain hits 60mph in under 7 seconds and wins the arms race by a mile.
The GMC Terrain also boasts a 9-speed automatic gearbox, which means it’s always in the right powerband. That’s good for performance and economy, as the GMC returns 22mpg in the city and 28 on the highway.
The Ecoboost is famously frugal, too, and it’s good for 26mpg when you combine city and highway driving. Fuel economy, then, is so close you’ll never notice. But the Ford edges it on paper.
Interior Quality and Function
GMC has gone for a high-tech approach for its all-new interior, together with premium leather and a rugged dash.
You get buttons on the wheel and a central infotainment touchscreen panel that connects with Apple Car Play or Android Auto. So, you can link your phone to your car and the navigation also comes with real-time traffic.
It feels spacious inside the GMC Terrain, too, which counts for a lot. The dashboard and seats are all premium materials and it looks like GMC made an effort.
The Ford Escape, on the other hand, is an elegant car on the outside and the design language, especially in Titanium spec, is pure aggression.
It’s more car-like than the GMC Terrain, which means it willingly gives up its utilitarian feel and high stance. That comes at the expense of interior space and it feels more cramped.
That could be partly down to the GMC’s large SkyScape sunroof that floods the interior with light.
The voice-activated SYNC 3 center console is a great piece of hardware. It’s a voice-activated SYNC 3 system, which is intriguing, but the Ford’s interior as a whole is starting to feel its age.
The Ford is a no-frills experience in every way, while the GMC offers some neat premium touches and that makes the difference.
Safety
The GMC is a totally new model, so inevitably it wins the tech war.
The GMC Terrain comes loaded with sensors that help guide automatic braking systems to get you out of trouble in case of an emergency. The Terrain also has lane assist to take the strain of the steering on the highway.
It will even parallel park for you.
The Ford will park as well, but it can’t quite match the GMC on the advanced active safety measures.
Both cars come loaded with all the passive safety measures we’ve come to expect. So, you’ll get anti-lock brakes, a multitude of airbags and pedestrian crumple zones that have already given the Ford in particular an oddly proportioned hood.
Price and Options
For all the luxurious touches and safety tech, you’ll have to go for the Denali spec GMC Terrain, which starts at $37,520.
That, though, comes loaded with equipment and there really aren’t many optional extra boxes left to tick.
You can save $10,000 by opting for the base-spec car. Even that comes with keyless entry, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and other touches, so GMC has gone big on value.
The Denali is the top drawer with all the tricks, but the driver assists are still an optional extra.
The only comparable Ford, then, is the Titanium specification, which costs $31,745 before you hit the options list.
The Ford does offer a substantial saving, then, but this is a car that is due for a total replacement in the next year or so. That could send used prices into freefall, while the GMC Terrain will hold its value.
Conclusion
These are two great cars that come to the compact crossover SUV sector from totally opposite directions.
The car-like Ford Escape has its charms and it is significantly cheaper, but the bigger, tougher and more advanced GMC Terrain wins the day.