The Ford Escape is a compact crossover that competes with the Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav4. What makes the Escape special is its optional turbocharged engines and its car-like handling. The Escape’s C1 platform was designed in Germany, and this same platform underpins several Ford vehicles marketed in Europe. This definitely becomes evident when you drive the Escape, as it has that European sense of uniformity and balance in just about everything it does. The particular Escape that I drove was in the Titanium trim level with the 1.5 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder.
When you first start driving the Escape, it definitely feels a little wide at first, and it will feel like a slightly bigger car if you’re used to driving a normal sized sedan or hatchback. Everything responds really nicely, though. Right away you can tell that the ride is smooth, the engine has good low-end pickup, steering is nice and composed, the pedals have good responsiveness, and the visibility is great all around. The front hood has some curvy angles but it slopes down out of your line of sight well, and you can easily see right over the hood onto the road in front of you. The back window is slightly smaller compared to some other crossovers that I’ve driven, but you get a clear viewing angle of the road directly behind you. No issues seeing to the sides of the vehicle, either. Overall, it’s easy to see why the Escape is a highly popular vehicle amongst compact crossover shoppers, as it delivers good visibility, crisp responsiveness, good handling, and a smooth powertrain.
One thing that I really liked about the Escape SE was the 1.5 liter turbocharged engine. At first I thought it felt a little sluggish, but the longer I drove the Escape, the more I realized that this engine works really well for this crossover. It has surprisingly good off-the-line power, and the torque feels strong between 1,000-2,000 RPM. You can really leave traffic in the dust with this engine. It’s fairly quick to rev, and it’s easy to merge into busy traffic and perform quick passing maneuvers. Even when you baby the accelerator and keep the RPMs low, the Escape takes off really well for a compact crossover. This engine feels significantly quicker, smoother, and more predictable compared to the Equinox’s 1.5T. The power band is linear, and the engine remains quiet in the cabin. Overall, this engine really impressed me. It’s got a nice zippy and peppy characteristic about it. You rarely have to exceed 2,000 RPM to get up to speed at a surprisingly quick pace. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought it was the 2.0T from the Titanium trim level.
The 6-speed automatic in the Escape is a good transmission as well. The shifts feel really smooth and composed. There are a few situations where it feels a little dated and down a couple gears, particularly during the 1-2 and 2-3 shift. Those two shifts feel a little slow and spaced far from each other. That said, the transmission does a great job at keeping the engine in the heart of its power band. It gives you the gears that you want, and it listens to your throttle inputs. It has kind of that “read your mind” feel that I really like. It doesn’t feel heavily focused on fuel efficiency like some crossovers, either. The transmission delivers snappy downshifts when you’re going up a hill or preparing to make a passing maneuver on the interstate. There were a few situations where the car in front of me would slow down to make a turn, and the transmission felt a little hesitant to engage itself when I got back on the gas, but it wasn’t a huge deal. Just a minor hiccup in a transmission that otherwise performs really well. It’s definitely better than all those other CVT-equipped crossovers, and this transmission feels miles ahead of the Equinox’s 6-speed automatic.
Steering response in the Escape is nicely weighted. It’s not overly heavy, but it just has a nice weightiness and beefiness to give you that added level of security. The steering in the Escape feels connected with the front wheels, and you can tell that they made an effort in giving this car a more polished and expensive steering dynamic. There is a very slight amount of ponderousness on center and at initial turn in, but for the most part, the steering in the Escape is smooth and refined. It’s not the quickest to respond, but the steering still has a very linear and predictable feel to it. You always feel in complete control of where the car is directing itself, and it’s easy to tell where the car is going to end up. Compared to the Equinox, Rogue, and even the CR-V, the Escape’s steering just feels more planted and solid in my opinion. This car points in a straight line really well, and the steering retains a nice feeling of momentum when you’re rounding corners. You get a smooth return to center, and the Escape maneuvers itself with a certain elegance that many crossovers in this segment are lacking. Overall, it’s a sleek, competent, well weighted steering feel that makes a good impression.
Handling is another notable strong suit of the Escape. The chassis feels surprisingly flat and structured for a compact SUV. You can go around corners quicker than some compact sedans out there, and the Escape just takes it without any drama. The Escape feels a little heavy at times, but not that much heavier compared to your typical midsize sedan. There’s very little body lean in the Escape, and you don’t get much feeling of weight shift, wheel hop, or suspension flex either. Set the cruise control on a windy interstate, and the Escape carves through the corners with this impressive level of security and agility. The Escape glides down the road with no feeling of bounciness or unsettledness, and you get a flat, nimble, and car-like driving dynamic when you toss this SUV around a corner. That German designed platform definitely becomes evident once you experience the solid handling of the Escape, and I think anybody who takes the Escape out on a test drive will be impressed by the level of confidence that this SUV gives you. It’s just a really nice feeling having the additional ride height and visibility of an SUV with the driving dynamics of a much smaller car. I think the only other car that can rival the Escape’s handling is the Mazda CX-5, but even that is debatable.
I was also pleased by the ride quality of the Escape. The suspension has a good blend of stiffness and composure. This car doesn’t ride like a luxury sedan, as you can still feel potholes and road imperfections once in a while, but for the most part the Escape delivers a very calm and relaxing ride. It’s kind of the same reason why I liked the Jetta so much, because everything just stays still and relaxed when you’re eating up miles on the interstate, unlike other cars that get too jittery over rough pavement or require constant steering correction. The Escape never really loses it’s composure no matter the speed or the type of driving situation.
In terms the Escape’s daily commuting abilities, I think everything about this car feels great. The Escape holds really good momentum and glides down the road without any drama. It’s really easy to maintain a constant speed with very little pressure on the accelerator, and the car feels solid and hunkered down, even when you’re just cruising in a straight line. The ride is definitely stiffer but still soft and refined for the most part, until you hit some bigger potholes. Overall though, the Escape feels nice and airy, and I think it makes a much better daily commuter than the Rogue and the Equinox.
There’s definitely some road noise in the Escape. I was hearing some tire noise at higher speeds, as well as some wind noise. At low speeds the cabin remains pretty quiet, but I think this car is slightly on the louder end of the class in terms of actual road and wind noise. Not a big deal, as you don’t really hear any noises associated with cost cutting, but it is something to note.
The accelerator pedal in the Escape has a nice stiff and sturdy resistance to it, and it responds pretty quickly. The accelerator feels very predictable and easy to modulate. The brake pedal is also pretty stiff but I think the bite is a bit vague at times, however the Escape still gives you very smooth and robust stopping power. Overall, no complaints where pedal responsiveness is concerned. The Escape feels nice and tactile in terms of how everything responds.
As for interior comfort, the front seats feel plush and they hug you in place decently well. That said, I did have a chance to sit in the back seat, and I found that everything was a little more cramped than I was expecting. Still very comfortable, but just not as roomy as you would expect from a crossover. It’s kind of like sitting in the back of a compact sedan with just more headroom, so I was a little disappointed about that.
Overall though, the Escape is a nice little compact SUV. Very assuring handling, stiff but composed ride, intuitive (yet a little sluggish at times) 6-speed automatic, and a peppy 1.5 liter turbocharged engine. I really don’t have much to complain about. The transmission could shift a little faster from first to second, and the engine could have slightly more power in the higher revs. The MyFordTouch responsiveness could be a little better as well, but I still thought the infotainment was pretty easy to use and provided decent graphics. The seats are comfortable with smooth leather, and the visibility is great all around. I would probably spring for the 2.0 liter turbocharged engine, but really, the Escape is a great compact SUV. Definitely check it out if you’re in the market for a vehicle like this.