The Ford
Escape isn’t a luxury liner, but it’s nicely equipped. It can be had for a reasonable price,
enabling you to stick with just one job to pay for it. The Escape is uncomplicated and utterly
functional. It can be an errand-runner
or a comfortable daily driver-commuter.
What’s not to
like? No wonder it’s so popular, with
annual sales topping 300,000. That makes
it Ford’s second-best seller behind the longtime overall sales champ, the Ford
F-Series of pickups.
Turns out
there’s more to like about the Escape in 2017, as it gets a major reworking.
My tester was
the 2017 Escape SE FWD priced at $25,100 to start and a relatively hefty
$29,975 on the bottom line with a significant lineup of optional extras.
About those
changes for 2017 …
Ford tweaked
the Escape’s hood and trapezoidal grille, giving the SUV an attractive, sporty
appearance that also looks capable of smashing through some serious mud in
off-road mode.
Inside, the
gear shifter has been moved, storage bins have been added and a push-button
electronic parking brake has replaced the previously entrenched, hand-operated version.
Those changes
alone create a more comfortable and functional cabin.
Power on my
ride came from a 1.5-liter turbo 4 that was adequately enthusiastic when asked
and quietly efficient on freeway runs. It’s
rated just shy of 180 horsepower.
As has been
true of past Escapes, this one handled very much like a midsize sedan, a very
good thing. And volunteer passengers
were impressed with the amount of interior room.
Fuel mileage
is pretty fair at 23 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.
Cool standard
features included the “ice blue” lighting arrangement, a 10-way power driver’s
seat and easy-to-use audio controls on the steering wheel.
The tester had
extras that included a power liftgate, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and
special 19-inch black-aluminum wheels. The
options were nice, but I would have been perfectly happy with the standard
perks.
Oh, and the
Escape can be had with adaptive cruise control, a collision-warning system and
auto start-stop technology. As usual, I
disabled the start-stop feature for my driving tastes, but just making the
point: the Escape really goes beyond the basic SUV.
It’s worth
your consideration, whether you are looking to trade in an older sport-ute or
pondering your first-ever SUV.
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