2017 Ford Escape review – Roadshow

The Good With available Sync 3, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and a superior suite of driver aid features, 2017 Ford Escape blows the competition away where tech is concerned. The new, smaller 1.5-liter Ecoboost engine’s performance is on par with much larger engines from the competition. For 2017, the Escape gains Sync Connect — a 4G/LTE data connection that allows remote features and monitoring.

The Bad The awkward cabin design sinks the touchscreen deep into the dashboard, where it’s hard to reach and see. The 1.5-liter turbocharged engine offers no significant power or economy advantages over the competition’s naturally aspirated 2.5 liters.

The Bottom Line The new engine option is a nice evolution, but only adds a small improvement to the already excellent 2017 Ford Escape. However, seemingly smaller tech changes, like the addition of Sync Connect, Android Auto, CarPlay and a few driver aid features, make a much larger impact.

Major changes to chassis and sheet metal used to signal a new generation of a particular model, but Ford’s 2017 Escape feels like a whole new car with just engine and tech changes. Much of its structure carries over from the previous model year, but redesigns for grille and interior, engine upgrades, driver assistance systems and new connected technology adds up to more than a simple refreshed model.

Let’s start in the engine bay. Last year’s base 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated engine and the 2.0-liter turbocharged Ecoboost engines persist. The larger engine is good for 168 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. The 2.0-liter turbo gets a 5 horsepower boost, to 275, and a 5 pound-feet torque boost, to 245. Those are pretty big numbers for a small SUV, and something to consider if you frequently fill all the seats, carry cargo and pull a trailer.

Pint-size power: New 1.5-L Ecoboost engine

In the middle is the new 1.5-liter Ecoboost option: a tiny, turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission in either front-wheel drive or on-demand all-wheel drive configurations. Even for a small SUV, that’s a pint-size power plant, but with 179 boosted horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, it’s just a tad more powerful than Ford’s and the Toyota RAV-4’s 2.5-liter engines.

Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow

You’d think that downsizing the engine would net fuel efficiency gains; and it does…sort of. At 24 combined mpg (22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway) for the all-wheel drive example that I tested, sure, the 1.5-liter Ecoboost the most efficient Escape model in Ford’s the lineup, but only just barely. Mazda’s CX-5, the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V all best it across the board with their naturally-aspirated, 2.5-liter, AWD configurations.

In its favor, the smaller Ecoboost engine is a pretty good powertrain, delivering decent performance around town and on the highway. It’s amazing how, after a few miles behind the wheel, the novelty of the small engine wore off quickly and I was able to just appreciate its solid, lag-free power delivery.

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To help save fuel, Ford implements idle-stop on the new Escape, which shuts down the engine at stop lights. When editor Wayne Cunningham tested the Escape earlier this year, his highest praise for this feature was that he didn’t even register it happening, as the car quietly brought the engine back to life when he lifted a foot from the brake.

Light off-road testing

During an extended, light off-roading session at California’s Hollister State Vehicular Recreation Area, I was also able to appreciate the engine’s ability to smoothly deliver consistent torque and the all-wheel drive system’s eagerness to shuffle power from front to rear to pull the Escape over rough terrain and up some genuinely steep inclines lined with loose sand.

Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow

The 7.8-inch ground clearance kept me from scraping the undercarriage over larger bumps, and the independent suspension did a fairly good job handing basic off-road duties; however, the Escape never really felt at home. My SE model’s $1,295 Sport Appearance package 19-inch wheels and street-oriented tires probably didn’t help much in the dirt.

A sport mode for the transmission and paddle shifter helped with on-road performance, allowing me to bypass some of the six-speed automatic transmission’s tendency to find itself in too tall a gear, but ultimately this is neither a sports car or a true off-roader, so I found myself grateful and impressed by the Escape’s modest abilities in either of these areas.

Sync 3 with CarPlay, Android Auto

My example also came equipped with a SE Technology Package, a $1,395 suite that bundles in Ford’s new Sync 3 infotainment system with apps, along with some rudimentary safety tech.

Sync 3 is a pretty good get for the Escape. I’d say it’s a must-have option that’s streets ahead of the old MyFord Touch setup. The built-in interface is quick to respond to inputs, like typing an address without stopping between each letter press, and the visuals are crisply rendered. The onboard navigation (a $795 option on top of Sync 3) also works well with features like traffic data and voice commands that don’t suck.