Sometimes when you do the same thing over and over for more than a decade, you need an escape. That applies to my tester for the week — the 2013 Ford Escape.
The Escape has had the same looks, more or less, since 2001, so an upgrade was very much in order. And this new Escape got much more than an upgrade — it looks like a totally new model.
Modern sporty styling, and a more streamlined, less boxy appearance are immediately noticeable. This makes the Escape look smaller, but that’s more due to the shorter roofline than anything, as the Escape is in fact longer and wider than the previous model.
On appearance, this new Escape fits the sportier and squattier mold of today’s crossover vehicles, while the previous Escape still looked more truck-like.
Inside, the makeover continues with upgraded materials like leather-trimmed seats, leather-
wrapped steering wheel and heated front-row seats. My tester was the top-of-the-line Titanium trim, which also comes with a sunroof, so the interior quality in this trim is especially luxurious. With four available trims (S, SE, SEL and Titanium), the Escape still offers more interior quality and comfortable seats on even the base trim.
Despite the shorter roofline, headroom is ample for all
passengers. Legroom is significant for the driver and passenger, as seats adjust accordingly. Rear passengers will find a surprising amount of room in the second row. I actually had three adults in the second row (for a short errand), and while they were a little cramped, they weren’t on top of each other either, and legroom wasn’t the problem as much as shoulder room.
The Escape would be ideally suited for a family to tote children around in the back, to make better use of its 5-passenger claims.
Ford didn’t stop with cosmetic changes for the 2013 Escape. The old Mazda-based engine was swapped out with a 4-cylinder engine that is both more powerful and more fuel efficient. Also added was a more up-to-date six-speed automatic transmission (manual transmission is no longer available).
Three engine options give the Escape some flexibility in pricing and options. The 2.5-liter,
4-cylinder engine is the least powerful option. There is a
1.6-liter engine with Ford’s Ecoboost engine, which combines fuel-saving technology with turbo direct injection. My tester was the most powerful of the three engine options, the 2.0-liter,
4-cylinder Ecoboost with turbo. It produces 240 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque. This is the same power as last year’s 3.0-liter, V6 engine, but with improved fuel economy.
This engine is suprisingly fast, and the handling is spry. The Escape performs more like a car than a truck, and with all-wheel drive it grips the road through twists and turns.
By shifting into sport mode, the Escape takes the 6-speed transmission to the limit, throwing quick shifts, and I found it performed best in this mode. At first it was noticeably different, but then you quickly adjust and realize that it adds to the sporty feel of the Escape.
In a week’s worth of driving, I averaged 23 MPG. A lot of that was due to my propensity for driving in sport mode (which detracts from fuel economy). The Escape is rated at 21 city and 28 highway.
Base price for the S model is $23,295. My tester came in with an MSRP of $32,120 and then included additional options including the parking technology package, which took my tester to a final price of $36,025.
The parking technology package is valued at $995 and is one impressive feature for those who want to show off to friends or family. It’s especially useful for those who don’t like parallel park. The Escape will search for available parking spots, and then calculate the proper angle to park the vehicle. All the driver has to do is handle the pedals, and the Escape does the steering, hands-free.
See a video of me using the Park Assist feature on Wheels’ Facebook page at
facebook.com/ddnwheels.
The Ford Escape was already a top-selling crossover in the segment, so it was a risk for Ford to make such drastic changes to a stalwart vehicle. In this case, the risk seems to have a nice reward.
Jimmy Dinsmore is the Wheels editor at the Dayton Daily News and may be reached at (937) 225-2115. Follow him on Twitter @wheelseditor