This is what it's like to take a Ford Escape on a road trip to the heart of the US auto industry
The Escape is a versatile compact crossover SUV with fairly restrained styling. It doesn't call a lot of attention to itself, particularly in a charcoal-gray paint job that Ford has dubbed "Magnetic." It was actually designed by Ford in Europe. There, it's known as the Kuga.
For the most part, design in this segment is low-key. If you move up to luxury brands, things can get a bit more bold. But Ford is aiming this car squarely at middle-class families and, increasingly, first-time buyers who aren't interested in sedans. That said, the 2016 Escape's design is a monument to the sleek and modern compared with the box-on-wheels vibe that earlier examples of the vehicle favored. At the time, the Escape shared a platform with the Mazda Tribute.
Compact SUVs have considerable cargo space behind their rear hatches. Throw in all-wheel-drive and the Escape presents a compelling package for suburbanites on a budget. The Escape can't haul around a large family, but for two parents and two kids, it's fine.
The "Titanium" trim level is top-of-the-line, and the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine uses turbocharging to produce 240 horsepower from an inline 4-cylinder engine, mimicking a V6 but delivering around 25 miles-per-gallon.
You may be asking yourself: "How did the Escape get so dirty?" We'll get to that in a minute.
First, check out the comfortable, but unfussy interior.
The instrument cluster and steering wheel controls are what you would expect at this price point, in this segment.
The seats in our test car were leather, with modest topstitching. As with most Ford seats, they're quite comfortable: not too firm and not too soft.
Not a lot of chrome bling in here. Mostly, brushed metal and good old-fashioned automotive plastic. Given that an Escape is likely to fall in for some abuse, this isn't a bad thing.
A 6-speed transmission keeps the power flowing. Overall, the engine is fairly smooth and doesn't feel labored at highway velocities.
And we have cupholders! For rear-seat passengers, they're located in this pull-down unit in the center.
There's an all-important 110-volt outlet in the back seat, for passengers who need to rejuice their devices without connecting to the infotainment system.
Here's the small storage compartment between the front seats, and that's where you'll find a pair of USB ports.
Bringing us to our next highlighted feature: Sync 3, Ford's infotainment system, which just received an update.
We'll get to Sync 3 on its own in a later review, but the updated version keeps it simple as far as the functionality goes (the software was developed not by Microsoft, as with Syncs past, but by Blackberry.)
The navigation is straightforward and works well.
Coordinates can be input using the button and toggle below the screen. It's not exactly intuitive, but you get used to it.
And hey, look! It will even order you a pizza!
A USB cable allows you to access your own music library on a smartphone.
And you have Sirius satellite radio, as well.
My journey with the Escape was going to be a long one. But the cargo area was up to the task, which would take me on my most extended road trip in about a decade.
I drove from BI's suburban New Jersey test-car HQ to Detroit, Michigan. And back!
Let's just take a sec to consider what the Escape is up against. This segment is the most rapidly growing in the US market. The Escape is taking on stalwarts, such as the Toyota RAV-4 ...
... and the Honda CR-V. Buyers are also considering the Nissan Rogue, the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Chevy Trax, and probably the Subaru Forester.
For me, most other compact SUVs are more like exaggerated hatchbacks or pumped-up sedans than they are full-size SUVs of reduced size. The Escape, however, has always struck me as being a proper little brother to the full-size Explorer, even though the Escape has its roots in European car design. For what it's worth, Ford sold over 300,000 Escapes in 2015.
My road trip started out with downright balmy weather.
I had stimulating auditory company in Elvis Costello's lengthy recent memoir — which the post-punk songwriter and musician read himself.
However, as the journey progressed, a storm that nailed Detroit already started to move in my direction. Luckily, conditions never got truly gnarly. But a certain amount of focus on driving was required, and I was glad that the Escape had AWD.
After a lot of hours behind the wheel — but with only about a third of Elvis' book listened to — I arrived at my destination. Always been a big Motel 6 guy. Great value for the road warrior on the move!
The winter weather wasn't finished, however. I woke up early the next day to find the Escape layered in snow.
For the next two days, I would be checking out the North American International Auto Show in downtown Detroit. Here's the Michelin Media Center, in a ballroom that was as big as a hangar deck on an aircraft carrier.
This dude was there.
And I got to see some pretty snazzy rides — minus snowy blankets — like Henrik Fisker's new all-American supercar, the VLF Force 1.
The snow kept right on coming down. And it got COLD in Motown.
More snow.
It "cleared" to conditions of uniform dreariness after the show's media days wrapped up, so the Escape and I repaired to my office away from the office to continue working.
The Escape was starting to cry out for a bath.
The ride back to the Garden State was, mercifully, sunny and relatively clear.
I fueled myself for the drive with delicious American snacks.
And went slightly out of my way to visit an iconic American cultural institute: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Hello Cleveland!!!
During my trip, we got the sad news that David Bowie died. RIP, Ziggy Stardust, seen here in his full glam glory at the Hall of Fame.
I also took the opportunity to briefly worship at the altar of the almighty Fender Stratocaster.
The trip in total was about 1,200 miles. I gassed up about as many times as I figured I would. The Escape's MPGs were satisfying, but not remarkable. You pay a bit of a price for the AWD. You could do ever-so-slightly better than I did with different engine and drivetrain setups, but overall fuel economy was typical for this segment — one that's surging now thanks to cheap gas.
Here's a cool feature, and an unexpected one on a vehicle in this price range: adjustable ambient lighting. If you don't like blue ...
... you can switch to orange ...
... or green, or any of several other tones.
I arrived back home in one happy piece, having not quite listened to Elvis Costello relate his entire life story.
I've tested the Escape before and have always been really pleased with its combination of versatility, pep, technology, and — to be honest — potential to absorb with aplomb the everyday punishment of being a daily driver.
Due to the popularity of compact SUVs, Ford is very lucky to have the Escape in the portfolio. It's an excellent "default" vehicle for many people, especially anyone living in the Northeast or Upper Midwest.
I had to contend with some lousy weather, but the Escape passed the test. It was comfortable enough as a freeway cruiser — not a big sedan, to be sure, but a far cry from the small cars of my youth.
The bottom line? The Escape was a good friend for the long haul. Sometimes, you don't need a car to serve up endless thrills. Sometimes, you need a car that gets the job done.
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