10 Things You Need to Know About the 2017 Ford Escape

2017 Ford Escape auto rear tailgate

Ford’s Escape compact crossover SUV is one of Ford’s shining success stories. In the sales charts, it does battle with the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 for the top three spots; for Ford, this is the best-selling vehicle in the lineup besides the F-150, with sales growing steadily for the last seven years straight. While it would make sense not to make any changes, Ford has given the Escape a thorough makeover for 2017, insisting it knows the Escape’s customers and has made improvements that would appeal to them.

1) Ford has improved the Edge's styling.

The 2017 Ford Edge's new styling includes trapezoidal grille found on the bigger Edge.Though it looks a bit nose-heavy from some angles, overall we like the new styling; it stands out more than the outgoing Escape and looks great in bright colors like red, orange and blue.

Photo by Ford

2) The new Ford Escape has better interior materials.

Ford updated the Escape's interior with better trim materials and improved air vents. They fitted an electronic parking brake, freeing up space on the center console for more storage space. We like the job Ford has done of simplifying the control layout. The Escape lacks the complicated MyFord Touch infotainment system found in larger Ford SUVs, and the new climate controls are refreshingly easy to use.

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3) The back seats are not as comfortable as the front seats.

While the front seats are comfortable, the back seat didn't impress us very much. It's undersized and thinly padded, and legroom is only mediocre. To be fair, our reviewer doesn't think the Toyota RAV4's back seat is anything to write home about, though the Honda CR-V's is better. In its defense, Ford says most Escape buyers are under-35s or baby boomers, pre- and post-family individuals who don't need the back seat much.

4) Cargo is good, but not the best in class.

Cargo carrying is the Escape's strength; the cargo area is boxy and lined with good-quality materials and the one thing the back seat does really well is to fold perfectly flat. Even so, cargo capacity (38 cubic feet with the back seat in place and 68 cubic feet with it folded) trail the competitors from Honda and Toyota.

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5) The 1.6-liter turbo engine is not an improvement over the previous year.

Ford has replaced last year's 1.6 liter EcoBoost turbocharged engine with a new 1.5 liter turbo unit, which is standard in SE and Titanium trims. This engine is supposed to do the work of a big four-cylinder while getting better fuel economy, but we found acceleration to be tepid at best, and neither the EPA fuel economy estimates nor our observed fuel economy during our brief test drive was very good.

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6) The 2.0-liter Ecoboost offers more power, but not that much economy.

The 2.0 liter EcoBoost engine remains optional in SE and Titanium models. It offers significantly more power than the 1.5, and its fuel economy isn't much worse. Entry-level Escape S models get a non-turbo 2.X, offered exclusively with front-wheel-drive. Its EPA fuel economy numbers aren't very good.

7) The Escape has improved agility.

The Escape was largely designed by Ford's European team, and that shows in the way it drives. The Escape is very agile, though its ride can get busy on bumpy roads. That the optional Sport Appearance Package features 19” wheels, and while larger wheels usually stiffen a vehicle's ride, they help to reduce some of the Escape's jitters.

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8) The Escape's Infotainment functions have some limitations.

The Escape gets the latest version of Ford's Sync infotainment system, now with Android Auto and Apple Car Play connectivity. However, we found that when connected to Android Auto, the nav system's built-in maps are unavailable, and only Google maps are available (which uses up mobile data and renders the system useless with no data connectivity). Also, the phone cannot be used as a Bluetooth media player. (We do not know if Apple Car Play has these same limitations.) Ford says this is the result of the agreement they signed with Google, but we've never seen such annoying restrictions in any other vehicle.

9) Standard feature packaging is better in this year's Ford Escape.

Though the 2017 Escape S model is slightly more expensive than last year, the volume-selling SE and top-of-the-line Titanium models have had their price cut, and they also offer more standard features. Among the standard and optional equipment on the Titanium model: Leather upholstery, a hands-free tailgate (kick your foot under the bumper to open it), adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and assistance, and a semi-automated self-parking system (the driver works the gas, brake and shifter and the Escape steers itself into a spot).

10) Ford Escape is in a very competitive market, so shop around.

Compact crossover SUV buyers have lots of choices, so they need not settle for a vehicle they don't absolutely love. The Mazda CX-5 matches the Escape's fun-to-drive factor, while the Honda CR-V is a better all-rounder, as is Hyundai's freshly-redesigned Tucson. The Toyota RAV4 offers a little more pizzazz in its interior, while the Volkswagen Tiguan offers a better back seat. All of them drive pretty well, but they differ on space and accommodations. We recommend visiting several dealerships to see which one fits you best.

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