Ford's Best-Selling SUV Gets a Complete Makeover

By Jason Fogelson, About.com Guide

Escape really is all-new for 2013. Since hitting the market in 2000, Escape has been through two generations and a refresh, most recently in 2009. The previous generation Escape was a traditional two box design, with a truckish look and a fairly upright windshield. It was masculine and tough-looking, tying in to the Explorer and F-Series aesthetic of the moment. 

Times have changed, and so has the target market for compact utility vehicles. Ford Marketing Manager Jason Sprawka told me that the target for Escape was a woman in her late 20s/early 30s named "Carrie." She will find the new Escape to be a stylish companion, fitting in with the latest crossover designs. Escape has a much more aerodynamic look than before, with a faster, more steeply raked windshield, a lower hood and a much more dynamic, athletic profile than before. Escape is closer to the teardrop shape of a Nissan Murano, Mazda CX-5 or Kia Sportage than it is to the upright look of a Toyota RAV4 or the outgoing Escape.

A big trapezoidal grille opening sits at the center base of the front fascia, while a smaller opening above it houses the blue Ford oval and a single chrome crossbar. Big headlights wrap the front corners horizontally, leading back toward a slightly rising beltline that emphasizes forward motion. The roofline slants gently downward at the rear, again giving that sense of motion. Around back, a good-sized fixed glass rear window provides visibility, and prominent LED taillights wrap around the rear corners.

Overall, it's a pretty successful design, if lacking in much distinction. This is what happens when designers and engineers compete for wind tunnel numbers -- there's little room left for real individuality. At least the final result is well executed, and inoffensive at worst. To my eye, the new Escape looks smaller than the outgoing vehicle -- but my eye is wrong. The new Escape is actually four inches longer than the old one, and slightly wider.

On looks alone, Escape's interior has taken a big step forward. The front cabin is arrayed as a dual cockpit, with the driver and passenger dashboards taking on a separate feel, divided by a right-sized center stack that houses audio/navigation, climate and gear selector. In my Titanium top-of-the-line test vehicle, the MyFord Touch interface operates via an 8" color touchscreen display at the top of the center stack, just where it should be. I'll talk more about technology in a bit -- there's a ton of available technology on the new Escape, much of it class-leading. The Escape steering wheel gets redundant controls, so that it's possible to access much of the vehicle's technology without ever taking your hands off of the wheel, which adjusts manually for tilt and telescope. Nice.

New front seats are well-proportioned and firm enough for an all-day ride. I have big feet and I'm tall (6'2"), and I had a little bit of an issue with the size of the foot box. I had just enough room to get my foot between the brake pedal and the transmission tunnel to reach the gas, and no really comfortable dead pedal for my left foot, as the wheel well intruded into my foot space. Pay careful attention to this space if you're considering an Escape (or any vehicle, for that matter), and make sure that you can get comfortable.

Escape's second row is adequate for a short ride, but there's not enough thigh support for a long ride for a full-sized adult. My test vehicle had the optional Panoramic Vista Roof, which gives a light, airy feeling to the second row when it is opened. Only the front panel moves to let in air, but the big visual opening is spectacular.

Cargo space is up a smidge from the old Escape. The 2013 edition can handle 34.3 cubic feet of luggage behind the second row. Fold down the 60/40-split seat and you can jam 68.1 cubic feet of cargo in your Escape, which is plenty.

 

More big news can be found under the hood of the new Escape. Where the previous generation came with a choice of gas 2.5-liter I-4, gas 3.0-liter V6 or hybrid gas-electric powertrains, the 2013 Escape can be ordered with one of three gas engines: a 2.5-liter I-4 (168 hp/170 lb-ft of torque); the 2.0-liter EcoBoost I-4 (240 hp/270 lb-ft of torque); or an all-new 1.6-liter EcoBoost I-4 (178 hp/184 lb-ft of torque), making its US debut in the Escape. Each engine gets a six-speed automatic transmission, and the turbocharged EcoBoost engines come with front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Front-wheel drive is the only choice for the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine.

My test vehicle was equipped with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost, which gives the Escape a lot of get up and go. Ford claims that you get the power of a V6 with the fuel economy of a four-cylinder with the EcoBoost engine, and it's hard to argue with the numbers. Power delivery is smooth and linear, with an added bit of punch from the turbos as the revs increase. There's also a bit of thrashy noise from the four-cylinder engine, but it's pretty well controlled.

Escape's handling characteristics are very good for a crossover vehicle. The suspension does a very good job of smoothing out the road without eliminating road feel, all while keeping the Escape from wallowing or swaying through curves. Electric power assist steering gives you the best of rack-and-pinion's direct feel, with some help when you need it most. I would almost give Escape the "fun-to-drive" label.

Back to technology, as promised earlier. MyFord Touch and Microsoft SYNC work together to provide one of the best telematics and infotainment interfaces on the market. I find the system to be very intuitive and easy to operate, and it's one of those systems that keeps surprising me with cool features every time I use it. There are other useful optional technologies available as well, including Active Park Assist, Blind Spot Information System with cross-traffic alert and a new four-wheel drive system with Torque Vectoring Control. Ford is tossing everything at the Escape customer, even technologies that are usually reserved for flagship models.

 

I liked the outgoing Escape very much, so I approached the new Escape with a healthy dose of skepticism. I came away from my introduction very impressed. Ford has put Escape right into the compact SUV fray again, and I think a lot of people will take notice -- even if they aren't the "Carrie" target audience that Ford has in their sights. The loaded Titanium model might provoke a bit of sticker shock. At $36,000+, Escape is approaching premium level pricing. Dropping a few of the technology and luxury options brings the price back to a much more manageable level, especially in the SE and SEL trim levels.

The new Honda CR-V has a head start with its 2012 makeover. Toyota's RAV4 has a loyal following, and a reputation for durability. Kia's Sportage and Hyundai's Tucson are fresh models that can be loaded down with features at a discounted price. Mazda's new CX-5 trolls for the same target. Jeep's Patriot retains the masculine appeal that Escape has shed, andChevy's Equinox/GMC's Terrain also offer a ton of available technology.

Escape will do well, I suspect, based not only on its own considerable merits, but also based on the multi-pronged marketing approach that Ford will be applying over the next few months. There's an NBC television show, Escape Routes, that features the vehicle as an integral element, and there will be a lot of what marketing folk call "cross-shopping" when the new Ford Fusion hits showroom floors this summer. Escape will be difficult to avoid, and almost impossible to escape from, over the next few months. That's okay with me. When a new SUV is this good and this well executed, I don't want to escape. I want to drive.

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