Ford's Newest Crossover Designed for a Post-Sedan Company
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CARGAZING Escaping the Car World Ford’s Newest Crossover Designed for a Post-Sedan Company By Derek Price WHAT WAS TESTED? CARGAZING.COM t’s been 20 years since Ford What was tested? 2020 first introduced the Escape Ford Escape SE AWD as one of the earliest cross- ($29,935) Iovers, the vehicles that look like SUVs but drive more like Wheelbase: 106.7 in. traditional cars. 180.5 in. What started out as an Length: 85.6 in. experiment at replacing Width: gas-guzzling, truck-based Height: 68.6 in. SUVs turned into an over- Engine: 1.5-liter turbo- whelming success, so much charged three cylinder so that Ford is now dropping (180 hp, 177 lbs.-ft.) most traditional cars from its Transmission: Eight- lineup. Today’s buyers are speed automatic picking small crossovers like Fuel economy: 26 city, 31 the Escape over similar sized highway sedans and hatchbacks. Whether Ford’s largely Why buy it? car-free future succeeds will It has a smartly designed rely on buyers continuing to cabin, sleek good looks prefer vehicles like this one: and wide breadth of pow- the completely redesigned ertrain choices that let you Escape for 2020. pick from highly efficient to The new Escape is bigger sublimely powerful. and much sleeker looking than the old one. It ironically The Ford Escape gets an all-new design for 2020 that makes it look more sleek and car-like, an interesting change at a time seems to be charting a path when Ford is dropping most cars from its lineup. which is a huge improve- toward more car-like styling ment over the 31-mpg high- of the future rather than graceful curves when the passenger legroom or extra ping hybrids, give the Escape engine makes 250 horse- way rating in my three-cylin- boxy shapes of the past, per- actual shape remains utili- room for cargo in back. a wider breadth of perfor- power and — even more der test vehicle. haps with the goal of win- tarian. Driver assist features, mance than most competi- impressively — 275 pound- A plug-in hybrid version is ning over buyers who no It’s brilliant visual trickery. including lane centering, tors. feet of torque, enough to expected to have a range of longer will be able to pick Unfortunately, the attrac- adaptive cruise control, My tester came with the make the new Escape one of “at least 30 miles in elec- the disappearing Focus, tive new exterior set me up Active Park Assist and smallest of the engines, a the quickest vehicles in its tric-only mode,” Ford Fiesta, Fusion and Taurus. for disappointment when I Evasive Steering, make it feel 1.5-liter, turbocharged, class. It’s only available on claims. That means it can be The new body is my first stepped inside. Cheap- like it can almost drive itself three-cylinder unit that the upper SEL and Titanium used as an electric car for favorite change for the feeling, textured plastics for short periods of time. makes 180 horsepower. I was trim levels, though. most daily around-town Escape. It looks great from seem to cover most of the Ford’s SYNC touchscreen skeptical about the tiny For ultimate fuel econo- trips but will still have a gas- most angles, with swept- cabin, a noticeable down- system is improving with engine being enough to pull my, two different hybrid oline engine that’s useful for back headlight shapes, a side in a cutthroat market. each passing generation, the reasonably spacious, variants give you options. longer hauls. sporty, sloping roofline and On space and substance, and it worked flawlessly five-seat crossover up to Powered by electric motors Pricing starts at $24,885 a low, purposeful stance. The though, the Escape is highly while running Apple CarPlay freeway speeds, but it did an and a 2.5-liter gasoline for the base S trim, while the lines are drawn in a way that competitive. connected to my iPhone X. impressive job. engine, the Escape Hybrid is SE Sport Hybrid starts at is a bit deceiving, too, fool- Sliding second-row seats Four powertrain options, If you want more speed, a rated for 37 mpg in the city $28,255. The Titanium tops ing the eye into seeing let you choose between extra half of which are fuel-sip- 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbo and 44 on the highway, the lineup at $33,400. CARGAZING The Ford Escape gets an all-new design for 2020 that makes it look more sleek and car-like, an interesting change at a time when Ford is dropping most cars from its lineup. Escaping the Car World Ford’s Newest Crossover Designed for a Post-Sedan Company By Derek Price My tester came with the small- CARGAZING.COM est of the engines, a 1.5-liter, tur- t’s been 20 years since Ford first bocharged, three-cylinder unit introduced the Escape as one of that makes 180 horsepower. I was the earliest crossovers, the vehi- skeptical about the tiny engine Icles that look like SUVs but drive being enough to pull the reason- more like traditional cars. ably spacious, five-seat crossover What started out as an experi- up to freeway speeds, but it did an ment at replacing gas-guzzling, impressive job. truck-based SUVs turned into an If you want more speed, a 2.0- overwhelming success, so much so liter, four-cylinder turbo engine that Ford is now dropping most tra- makes 250 horsepower and — ditional cars from its lineup. Today’s even more impressively — 275 buyers are picking small crossovers pound-feet of torque, enough to like the Escape over similar sized make the new Escape one of the sedans and hatchbacks. quickest vehicles in its class. It’s Whether Ford’s largely car-free only available on the upper SEL future succeeds will rely on buyers and Titanium trim levels, though. continuing to prefer vehicles like For ultimate fuel economy, two this one: the completely rede- different hybrid variants give you signed Escape for 2020. options. Powered by electric The new Escape is bigger and motors and a 2.5-liter gasoline much sleeker looking than the old engine, the Escape Hybrid is rated one. It ironically seems to be for 37 mpg in the city and 44 on charting a path toward more car- the highway, which is a huge like styling of the future rather improvement over the 31-mpg than boxy shapes of the past, per- highway rating in my three-cylin- haps with the goal of winning over der test vehicle. buyers who no longer will be able The freshly redesigned Escape’s cabin features a touchscreen interface mounted high on the dash where it’s A plug-in hybrid version is to pick the disappearing Focus, easy to use without the driver’s eyes veering too far from the road. expected to have a range of “at Fiesta, Fusion and Taurus. least 30 miles in electric-only The new body is my favorite It’s brilliant visual trickery. Sliding second-row seats let you tem is improving with each pass- mode,” Ford claims. That means it change for the Escape. It looks Unfortunately, the attractive choose between extra passenger ing generation, and it worked can be used as an electric car for great from most angles, with new exterior set me up for disap- legroom or extra room for cargo in flawlessly while running Apple most daily around-town trips but swept-back headlight shapes, a pointment when I first stepped back. Driver assist features, CarPlay connected to my iPhone will still have a gasoline engine sporty, sloping roofline and a low, inside. Cheap-feeling, textured including lane centering, adaptive X. that’s useful for longer hauls. purposeful stance. The lines are plastics seem to cover most of the cruise control, Active Park Assist Four powertrain options, half of Pricing starts at $24,885 for the drawn in a way that is a bit deceiv- cabin, a noticeable downside in a and Evasive Steering, make it feel which are fuel-sipping hybrids, base S trim, while the SE Sport ing, too, fooling the eye into see- cutthroat market. like it can almost drive itself for give the Escape a wider breadth of Hybrid starts at $28,255. The ing graceful curves when the actu- On space and substance, though, short periods of time. performance than most competi- Titanium tops the lineup at al shape remains utilitarian. the Escape is highly competitive. Ford’s SYNC touchscreen sys- tors. $33,400. A CLOSER LOOK AT A GLANCE FACTS, FIGURES AND RATINGS What was tested? 2020 Ford Escape SE AWD Wheelbase: 106.7 in. Ratings Why buy it? ($29,935). Options: Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist With Adaptive Length: 180.5 in. Style: 9 It has a smartly designed cabin, Cruise Control ($695). Price as tested (including $1,195 Width: 85.6 in. Performance: 6 sleek good looks and wide destination charge): $30,630 Height: 68.6 in. Price: 7 breadth of powertrain choices Engine: 1.5-liter turbocharged three cylinder Handling: 6 that let you pick from highly effi- (180 hp, 177 lbs.-ft.) Ride: 6 cient to sublimely powerful. Transmission: Eight-speed automatic Comfort: 7 Fuel economy: 26 city, 31 highway Quality: 7 Overall: 7.