If you have a family or a family of friends, choosing a crossover SUV can be difficult. Sure, you'd probably prefer a backwoods bruiser to a shopping mall cruiser. But just because you need the latter, doesn't mean you can't have the former, which makes the Ford Escape a perfect choice for your next great Escape. After all, who says that you can't have fun in a family-friendly vehicle.
The Escape is offered in six ascending trims - S, SE, SE Sport, SEL, and Titanium - and offers a comfortably high seating position with good head and legroom up front. Rear seat room is equally generous, thanks to a rear seat that slides backwards or forwards six inches, allowing for more room people or stuff. There's a generous 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space when the rear seats are in use, 65.4 cubic with them folded. But best of all is what you'll experience once you turn that knob to drive. The cabin is luxury league quiet thanks to insulated front window glass.Â
You'll be pleasantly surprised to find the Escape's contemporary cabin lacks the juvenile Gameboy aesthetic customary in too many contemporary car interiors. A stunning full-color 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster keeps the driver informed, while a center-mounted flatscreen - 4.2 inches on base models, 8 inches on others - controls the essential functions.
All 2020 at latter Escapes come with Ford's easy-to-use Sync 3 infotainment system, with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Ford+Alexa, Waze navigation, and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi for up to 10 mobile devices. A wireless charging pad is optional, as are additional USB charging ports, and 12-volt sockets. A head-up display is optional on Titanium models.Â
The Escape helps you escape calamity thanks to standard blind spot warning, cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, a rearview camera, and hill start assist. Parking assist and adaptive cruise control assist are optional. It will even parallel or perpendicularly park itself.
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The base S model is a price leader, but it still has creature comforts you'll appreciate, such as automatic headlamps, selectable drive modes, an AM/FM radio and two USB ports.
The SE feels indulgent without the sky-high sticker price, with automatic climate control, an 8-inch touchscreen, Sync 3 infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and a keyless entry keypad. A Panoramic Vista Roof is optional
Stepping up to the SE Sport nets you the Hybrid driveline, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a dazzling 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a fuel filler door release, but it provides a tire inflation kit rather than a spare tire, although it is optional. An SE Sport Premium Package adds 19-inch machined aluminum wheels, a Panoramic Vista Roof, roof rack side rails, a power liftgate, and other worthy indulgences.
Opting for the SEL starts with the SE, and offers the same choice of the three-cylinder engine or plug-in hybrid driveline, but proves to be more opulent. Options include the larger 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with all-wheel drive, adaptive cruise control, Panoramic Vista Roof, and 19-inch machined aluminum wheels.
Being the top-of-the-line, the Titanium has it all, including all-wheel drive, and a choice of the 2.0-liter engine, hybrid or plug-in hybrid drivelines. It throws caution to the wind by adding anything you could ever want.
