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"The Blue Oval's biggest improvement."
"The Blue Oval's biggest improvement."
The Ford Escape was long in the tooth for a redesign, and finally Ford has done just that. And let me tell you, the new Escape is a dramatic departure from the horrific previous generation.
Trim Levels
Trim Levels
Trim levels and pricing only applies to the 2020 model year Ford Escape.
S
S
MSRP $24,885
(4WD +$1,500)MSRP $24,885
SE
SE
MSRP $27,095
(4WD +$1,500)MSRP $27,095
SE Sport Hybrid
SE Sport Hybrid
MSRP $28,255
(4WD +$1,500)MSRP $28,255
SEL
SEL
MSRP $29,255
(4WD +$1,500)MSRP $29,255
Titanium
Titanium
MSRP $33,400
(4WD +$1,500)MSRP $33,400
Exterior Design
Exterior Design
Ford's mission with the Escape was to lengthen, widen, but squash it a little in the latest Escape. Up front, the design takes a bunch of cues from the recently departed Focus (that actually looks stunning), and the Escape gets more bug-eyed. I was not a fan of the look at first, in fact, I thought that Ford ruined a perfect looking car, worse than even the Nissan Juke. A nice upgrade though is that the Escape comes with LED headlights as standard. The front end looks the most like a Kia Sportage, but has a great amount of hints of the Hyundai Tucson and Porsche Macan. I'm actually starting to like the front end of the Escape, but I think Ford should've done better and styled the Escape more like the smaller Focus sibling.
You can definitely tell this new Escape is a total departure from the previous generation. Around the side, the previous generation Escape had some sharp lines and bulges, and frankly made the car look muscular. Gone is that muscle in this generation, for more smoother and rounder hips. It's pretty boring around the side, but the Titanium trim Escapes come with a 19-inch aluminum alloy rim that I have to say is not quite fitting for the car. I would much prefer the optional rims on the SEL trim rather than the ones on the SEL because the gray parts on the Titanium's rims become black. The Escape stretches 2.4 inches, widens 1.7, and adds 0.8 inches to its wheelbase, but gets squashed a measly 0.2 inches. Ford styled the Escape more like a crossover due to a more boxier, more hardcore SUV that is being called the "Baby Bronco".
Out back of the Escape, the design is also a dramatic departure. The ESCAPE name is now spelled out on the tailgate, and the plastic cladding comes up farther, and gets tucked in by the rear fender just enough to give it the impression it has a rear air duct. Come on Ford. You had to put that unnecessary design detail in there and stick a reflector in there. You gave it a face that makes the Escape look like it's not meant to be in this world. You could have done much better. But hey, I can't complain that every model gets dual exhaust tips. Nice move by Ford.
Interior Design
Interior Design
The interior is the most radically improved part of the brand new 2020 Escape.
This new Escape's interior is super simplistic, stylish, and classy altogether. There's fake wood trim on Titanium models, but I will give it props for looking really close to real wood. The coloring is not great though, and it will throw you off. There's a high percentage of soft-touch materials on the dash, which is great, and it adds to an extreme amount of quality.
I really love the front interior of the Escape, but I have to give a suggestion to Ford. Instead of putting diamonds into the soft touch plastic, why didn't you guys do something different and put a soft-touch portion on the higher part of the door and add leather with some contrast stitching just below it? That would look extremely appealing.
Despite Ford adding only 0.8 inches to the wheelbase, Ford had said that the Escape has 3.4 inches more leg room in the back, which if you did the math, that's 40.7 inches. Ford taunted Chevrolet saying that the Escape has more leg room than their Suburban. The Suburban measures in at 39.7, one inch less than the Escape. "How?" you may say. Well that's because the Escape was the first compact SUV to have a sliding second row seat. That's crazy, but its crazy awesome. It can help you appropriate cargo space, as well as make sure your passengers are comfortable.
Safety & Technology
Safety & Technology
Ford made the new Escape jump into the 21st century with safety and technology. Ford Co-Pilot360 is STANDARD on every Escape, and if you option the Co-Pilot360 Assist will add a cool new feature called Evasive Steering Assist, which will swerve the car out of the way if it can't stop a forward collision, and there is no traffic in either lanes detected. It's cool, but I think it might be a little bit concerning... what if the car doesn't see that there is another car coming? What if it swerves into the path of an incoming tractor trailer?
The new Escape comes packed with practically all the features that you should expect for the Escape to remain competitive.
The Escape is currently being tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. I expect the Escape to do very well, Good ratings on all tests and an Acceptable on the passenger-side small overlap crash test. I don't have much faith on its headlight rating because Ford's LED headlights are generally poorly rated because of excessive glare. Follow their social media networks by visiting their website.
Driving Impressions
Driving Impressions
The Escape Titanium that I had drove was equipped with the 2.0L EcoBoost engine paired to an 8-speed automatic. The 2.0L EcoBoost in the new Escape absolutely hauls ASS. With 250 horsepower and 280 lb/ft of torque, it slingshots to 60 mph in an impressive 6.7 seconds. That is the third fastest compact SUV in the segment, without being a performance-oriented trim level. The Escape is only bested by the Chevrolet Equinox 2.0T that does it in 6.6 seconds, and the Mazda CX-5 2.5T Signature that is the fastest at an impressive 6.3 seconds.
When you brake-torque the Escape and launch it, your greeted by nearly a second of wheelspin, and a "scramble" from the brakes as they try to keep grip. It may also even be the 4WD trying to send power where it needs to go, but for sure it is really quick. The previous generation 2.0L EcoBoost was already quick, running a 0-60 time of 7 seconds flat.
Because the Escape is more car-based now rather than a really tall hatchback, handling is dramatically improved. The Escape handles extremely well, and when chucked around corners, it is sure-footed, and has minimal body roll. It's quite sporty. Steering feel is really good, as it is darty and direct. The brakes are the negative with the driving experience. They are extremely firm, and they are very touchy. Even if you lightly touch the brakes, the Escape feels like you are slowing down like you are depressing the brake pedal halfway.
When driving leisurely, the Escape is quiet, comfortable, and has a notably improved ride quality. It is drastically improved from the choppy, loud, and lethargic characteristics that the previous generation Escape had. The powertrain is very responsive, and doesn't require you to push the gas pedal down a ton to get the car to move at a steady pace.
Performance
Performance
Gone is the 2.5L Duratec I4, and here comes both a third-generation hybrid and the first ever plug-in hybrid variant for the Escape. The 1.5L lops off a cylinder and adds cylinder deactivation, for improved fuel economy. The 2.0L EcoBoost remains but gets a small bump in power.
Gas-only Escapes come with a brand new 8-speed automatic transmission, which I wish Ford would've put the 10-speed from the Explorer and Expedition into the Escape as that would probably make the Escape faster, but also give you class-leading fuel economy. Nevertheless, the Escape is a solid performer.
Performance Figures
Performance Figures
2.0L EcoBoost I4
Horsepower (hp @ RPM)
250 @ 0000
250 @ 0000
Torque (lb/ft @ RPM)
280 @ 0000
280 @ 0000
Transmission(s)
8-speed automatic
8-speed automatic
Drivetrain
FWD or Intelligent 4WD
FWD or Intelligent 4WD
EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy)
23 / 31
23 / 31
0-60 Time
6.7 seconds (as tested)
6.7 seconds (as tested)
1/4-mile (sec @ mph)
n/a
n/a
Final Verdict & REVIEWS Score
Final Verdict & REVIEWS Score
The Ford Escape is an extreme improvement from the previous Escape, but it still has just a couple minor drawbacks that don't make it as worthy of a purchase as Ford imagines it will be.
The Ford Escape is an extreme improvement from the previous Escape, but it still has just a couple minor drawbacks that don't make it as worthy of a purchase as Ford imagines it will be.
62/85 | Accumulated Score
62/85 | Accumulated Score
03 | Reliability
03 | Reliability
09 | Ergonomics
09 | Ergonomics
07 | Value
07 | Value
10 | Innovation
10 | Innovation
09 | Electronics
09 | Electronics
09 | Wow factor
09 | Wow factor
09 | Safety
09 | Safety
56/70 | Subtotal Score
56/70 | Subtotal Score
06/15 | Subjective Category
06/15 | Subjective Category
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