2020 Mazda CX-5 vs. 2020 Ford Escape: Car And Driver Picks A Winner

When Mazda launched the first version of the CX-5 in 2012, the game was changed. No longer were small crossovers designed only to be family-friendly, spacious, and affordable utility vehicles. The CX-5 proved that a small crossover could be family-friendly, spacious, affordable, and remarkably fun to drive.

Then, with the launch of the 2017 CX-5, Mazda raised the bar. Mazda improved the CX-5's ride and handling, made the cabin distinctly more premium, and dramatically decreased NVH levels (noise, vibration, harshness.) The CX-5 has steadily grown more popular.

But now there are new rivals. Mazda already fended off a challenge from the new Toyota RAV4, quite easily we might add. Now, a new Ford Escape comes ready to battle.

Car And Driver threw the two utility vehicles into a comparison test to see which would come out on top. The answer, especially to anyone who's spent time in a CX-5 or remembers that Car And Driver recently named the CX-5 one of the 10 Best vehicles on the market today (for a third consecutive year), is not all that surprising. 

The 2020 Mazda CX-5 beats the Ford Escape, and it does so in resounding fashion. You can read the entire piece at Car And Driver, but here are seven quotes that make it clear why the victory was so, well, clear. 

#7: "What's immediately apparent is that the CX-5 steers, stops, and rides in a way that makes us grin."

#6: "It's just that the CX-5 is tuned better."

#5: "The Mazda, on the other hand, approaches luxury-car standards inside. Its cabin materials simply are richer and better looking."

#4: "However, the CX-5's available space is more useable. We were able to shove nine carry-on-size suitcases in the CX-5's cargo area and 23 with all of the seats down. The Escape swallowed eight with the seats up and 21 with them laid flat."

#3: "After soaking in these these two compact crossovers, the Mazda emerges as a clear winner."

#2: "What you get for that money is more refinement and a crossover that's both better to drive and live with."

#1: "But while the Ford feels like it came off the discount rack, the Mazda never stops feeling like it's more expensive than its price."