2022 Ford Escape Review

If you are looking for an urban SUV focused on small families, the Escape will be perfect for you. It only seats five, but can treat them to some high-quality internal details, up-to-date infotainment, and a selection of powertrain options that leaves no one behind. Unfortunately, all the nice parts of that come at extra cost; the only free lunch here is the large safety package that comes as standard.

If we ever accepted that the SUV is the new obsession in the car world, we would see that the same people who used to buy the Focus could be easily drawn to the Escape. From the powertrain types to the dynamic behavior, everything in this car begs you not to drive it outside the city.

Engine

The base option is a three-cylinder, turbocharged 1.5L engine which makes 181 hp of power and 190 lb-ft of torque. In high-end versions, it is upgraded to a four-cylinder, also turbocharged 2.0L unit which raises those figures to 250 hp and 280 lb-ft. But there are two more available.

The electrified Escape uses a naturally aspirated, four-cylinder 2.5L engine associated with an electric motor. In the self-charging hybrid version, the combined figures are 200 hp and 155 lb-ft. The plug-in hybrid changes the first figure to 221 hp and keeps the other one intact.

Transmission

Both gasoline options are always equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission with overdrive function. Both hybrid options are always equipped with a CVT.

Suspension

The Escape has had average performance in this regard. Its suspensions have no special options or adjustments available and their dynamic behavior yields neither compliments nor complaints.

Steering

Now that Ford offers the Bronco Sport as a light off-road counterpart, the Escape was freed to aim at urban drivers. While it still offers the typically elevated seating position of an SUV, its manners are much more closer to those of a sedan than of an off-roader.

Economy of scale works in tricky ways. Whenever the installation of an item requires complex changes on the car, that item is usually made standard despite being expensive because it would be even more expensive to design a variation of the project which does not use it. Ford has surely used that to equip the 2022 Escape with a rather surprising package of safety items as standard.

Brakes

This model is equipped with standard disc brakes on all wheels and includes ABS, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping system.

Airbags

Every unit of the 2022 Ford Escape brings dual-stage front and side airbags for driver and front passenger, curtain airbags for the first and second seat rows, and knee airbag for the driver. There is also an occupancy sensor to prevent unnecessary deployments.

Electronics

Ford has equipped the 2022 Escape with a long list of electronic systems focused on safety: besides the ones mentioned in the topics above, there are blind-spot monitoring, collision mitigation, cross-traffic alert, driver monitoring, low tire pressure warning, MyKey (package of restrictions aimed at teenage drivers), and roll, stability, and traction control.

Lights

While LEDs are used on the tail lights and the daytime running lights, the standard headlights use projectors with halogen lamps. LED headlights are available at the upscale versions.

Traction control

The standard setting for this vehicle is front-wheel drive, but almost every version can be upgraded with all-wheel drive – some use it as standard. Traction is also improved by the electronic systems mentioned above.

What can you say about the most fuel-efficient compact SUV? The plug-in hybrid may be expensive to buy, but you are surely going to save a lot on gas if you drive it frequently. If that is not your case or you simply want to spend less, the 1.5L makes up for its coarse nature by being the runner up.

Engine size

The gasoline engines are a three-cylinder 1.5L and four-cylinder 2.0L and 2.5L units. The first two are turbocharged and work on their own, while the third is naturally aspirated and works with electric motors in order to make the Escape’s self-charging and plug-in hybrid variations.

Gas per mileage consumption

Among the gasoline-only models, the 1.5L engine accounts for the most fuel-efficient option: the EPA estimates 27 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg combined. If you want the most efficiency in general, the plug-in hybrid makes 40 mpg combined and presents a surprising electric equivalency of 105 MPGe.

The fact that we see this practice so often does not make it any less frustrating. The 2022 Ford Escape can bring many interesting items, such as the B&O audio system, the leather seats, and even the heads-up display, but they are limited to the high-end trim which comes with a high price tag.

Seats

While textured fabric upholstery is standard, intermediate versions replace it with high-quality faux leather and the upscale Titanium with genuine leather. This model has not received noteworthy compliments or complaints regarding the available space.

Design

Ford’s latest design identity aims at angular shapes with a sporty touch which makes the whole style quite modern. That makes the Escape suitable for younger families in that regard. On the other hand, there are too many low-grade plastic parts on certain regions of the cabin.

Infotainment

While the base version gets a highly limited system, most of the others receive an 8” screen which commands the Sync 3 infotainment central which can connect with your smartphone via app to offer a few remote functions. The Titanium adds a ten-speaker B&O sound system and a 12.3” digital gauge cluster.

Overall height and space

The 2022 Ford Escape has a total height of 66.1 inches and offers 103 ft³ of passenger volume. That is used by up to five occupants divided in two rows of seats.

Trunk space

The base volume is 34.4 ft³. If you fold down the second row of seats, you will raise that to a maximum of 60.8 ft³.

The ideas mentioned on the previous topics have a clearer reflection here. In short, the 2022 Ford Escape (and many direct competitors) forces you to choose between an affordable car with subpar appearance and poor equipment list or a nicely-equipped model whose price falls so close to that of larger and more refined models that it is no longer appealing in the end.

The 2022 Ford Escape is available in the following options:

AWD is available at an extra cost of $1,500 and may equip all versions except for the plug-in hybrid versions. When it comes to S, SE, SEL and Titanium, the differences are largely concentrated on the number of items offered as standard, with few trim improvements as well.

AWD/FWD

The standard setup is front-wheel drive. All gasoline and self-charging hybrid versions may be upgraded with all-wheel drive; the only exceptions are the gasoline Titanium, which has AWD as standard, and all the plug-in hybrid versions, which can only use front-wheel drive.

Warranty

The limited coverage is of three years or 36,000 miles while the powertrain coverage lasts for five years or 60,000 miles. Hybrid versions also have a specific components warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles. There is no complimentary scheduled maintenance.