I'm not sure either one can claim original ownership. They both use a Taurus-derived drive train on a modified Mazda 626 chassis.
You are certainly correct there, at least for now.
It’s more complicated than that.
The Escape/Mariner/Tribute uses a heavily modified Mazda 626 chassis, combined with a 2.5L Duratec (Joint Mazda/Ford design) or a 3.0L Duratec (which debuted on the 1996 Taurus) for an engine... For a transmission, you get either a manual from who-knows-where or an automatic that was a GM/Ford Joint Venture....