Our Opinion - 2024 Ford Escape Review While more and more companies are adding light-duty off-road versions to their small crossovers, Ford is keeping the Escape focused on its more traditional purpose: making it easy for families to get around on public transportation. The Escape comes with a 2.0-liter inline-four turbocharged engine, a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, and a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, among others, so that it can do these things. The last choice makes this two-row vehicle more flexible than its rivals. Unless you choose the PHEV powertrain, all-wheel drive is an option. Front-wheel drive is the usual setup. On the outside, the Escape has clean, simple lines. The cabin could be more fancy, but there’s plenty of room for people and their stuff. When you move up to the ST-Line or Platinum, better materials are used instead of a lot of cheap plastic in the lower trims. The Escape is a good car, but there are a lot of other models in this broad group that are more fun and exciting, including outdoor-focused models that are better for wading through muddy trails. What's New? After getting a beautiful new front end in 2023, the small SUV Escape will come back in 2024 with no changes to how it looks or how it works. The Active trim will now be the base model, and the Base trim will no longer be made after 2024. Pros and Cons Pros A lot of new, cutting-edge tech. The plug-in hybrid and the hybrid engine. Beautiful style. Cons Simple base engine. More cargo space is needed than most of its rivals. Plastics of low quality and seats that are too uncomfortable. Engine, Transmission, and Performance The Escape comes with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine that can be equipped with either front- or all-wheel drive and 181 horsepower. Ford has two hybrid Escape models, one of which is a plug-in. Both have 210 horsepower engines that are made up of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors. These models compete with the Honda CR-V hybrid and the Toyota RAV4 Prime. On our test track, the base turbo-three gas engine helped the all-wheel-drive Escape SE reach 60 mph in 7.7 seconds. The engine is rough and crude. Both cars got to the same speed with the plug-in hybrid type. The 250-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which can do the same 60-mph test in 5.7 seconds, is the better choice. The hybrids have an automatic transmission that changes speeds all the time, while the gasoline engines come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Safety Ford is making all Escape models come with Co-Pilot360, a set of driver-assistance tools. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have websites where you can find out more about the Escape’s crash test findings. Some important safety factors are: Automatic emergency brakes and forward collision warning are standard. Standard lane departure warning systems help you stay in your lane. Blind spot recognition and rear cross-traffic alert are included as standard features. Internal and External Cargo Capacity The Escape’s cabin is roomy and well-designed for people in the front and back seats. Even though the base models of the Escape have some cheap plastic parts, the ST-Line and Platinum trims look and feel more expensive. But their cabins can’t compare to those of the Mazda CX-5, Mazda CX-50, Kia Sportage, and Honda CR-V, which have the nicest ones in their class. In the Platinum model, the seats are upholstered in rough cloth and have fake leather surfaces that look like real leather. The Escape’s large trunk behind the back seat can hold up to eight carry-on bags, the same amount of room as its crosstown rival, the Chevrolet Equinox. We were able to put 21 cases in the Escape when the back seats were folded down. The Equinox had room for two more cases. Fuel Economy and Actual MPG The EPA says that the Escape model without a hybrid that has front-wheel drive and a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged engine will get the best gas mileage. Results drop to 26 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway, and 28 mpg overall when all-wheel drive is used. This is less than the vehicle’s estimated 27 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg overall. At 75 mph on our highway fuel economy route, we tried a car with all-wheel drive and a turbo three-cylinder engine. It got an amazing 35 mpg. The bigger 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with all-wheel drive is listed at 23 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway, and 26 mpg overall, but our tests showed that it got 32 mpg on the highway. The plug-in hybrid version of the Escape gets up to 44 mpg in the city, according to the EPA. This makes it the most fuel-efficient option for people who want to buy a car. The Escape PHEV got 84 MPGe and 40 mpg on the highway, according to our tests. Infotainment and Connectivity The Platinum and PHEV models have a bigger 13.2-inch tablet display that can be used with the 8.0-inch infotainment system in the Active and ST-Line models. Both screens use Ford’s newest Sync 4 entertainment system, which has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto built-in. Ford says that Escape will automatically receive and install over-the-air changes, so owners will be able to use updated software. A pop-up head-up display, in-dash navigation, a 12-inch digital gauge display, a 10-speaker B&O Play audio system, and other features are all available as options. Range, Charging, and Battery Life The EPA says that the plug-in hybrid model can go 37 miles on power alone thanks to its 10.7-kWh battery pack. The Escape could only go 25 miles on the highway before the battery died. During our tests of how well it used gas on the highway, the car turned to gasoline. Price and How to Choose For the least amount of money, the ST-Line model is the best way to get the more powerful 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged with 250 horsepower. To do this, you need the Select package, which comes with all-wheel drive. A mesh grille, a rear spoiler, and body-colored lower cladding are all part of the ST-Line package. The wheels are 18 or 19 inches and are special. The all-black interior style is brought out by the flat-bottomed steering wheel and red stitching that stands out. Choose the Premium Technology choice if you want the Escape ST-Line to leave more of a digital trail. The current 8.0-inch touchscreen screen and digital gauge screen will be swapped out for 13.2-inch and 12.3-inch screens, respectively.
