Pros
- Acceleration (V6)
- Passenger and cargo room
- Visibility
Cons
- Engine and wind noise
- Interior materials
Acceleration
6/10
While no 4-cylinder Escape models have been made available for testing, a similar Mercury Mariner has better than expected acceleration, even with AWD. The V6 and 6-speed automatic transmission make for a responsive compact SUV. The transmission is the highlight of this powertrain, providing smooth upshifts and snappy downshifts when needed, regardless of which engine you choose.The Hybrid provides decent go, but it's not what you would call quick. The CVT does its best to keep the engine in the strongest part of its power band. Passing response is not strong, especially above 60 mph.
Fuel Economy
4/10
In Consumer Guide testing, an AWD V6 Escape averaged 20.0 mpg in driving slightly biased towards highway use. Similar Mercury Mariner AWD 4-cylinder averaged 23.2 mpg in mostly highway driving over the course of its 4,802-mile extended-use evaluation. In Consumer Guide testing, a 2WD Escape Hybrid averaged 24.5 mpg in a test that included driving mostly in hot weather where the air conditioner was on. Engaging the AC prevents the hybrid system from shutting off the gas engine. An AWD Hybrid averaged 25.9 mpg in sub-zero weather that also prevented engine shut off. Another AWD Hybrid averaged 28.2 mpg in mild weather, where the hybrid system regularly shut off the gas engine.All Escapes use regular-grade gas.
Ride Quality
6/10
Pleasant, given the age of its basic design. Bumps are heard more than they're felt. Some float is noticeable at highway speeds, but it's not bothersome.
Steering/Handling/Braking
5/10
Body lean in turns is well controlled. The steering feels overboosted and numb, especially at low speeds. A tidy turning radius helps in low-speed maneuvering. The Hybrid's braking is intermittently touchy at low speeds.
Quietness
5/10
The V6 engine is smoother and quieter than the conventional or hybrid 4-cylinder. The 4-cylinder is especially loud and crude sounding. All Escape engines trail rival 4- and 6-cylinder engines for overall refinement. Wind and road noise are present but are not in significant quantity to be overly bothersome.
Controls
6/10
The climate controls are simple to use. The navigation system absorbs most audio controls. It complicates some functions by requiring multiple button and/or touch-screen presses for some simple tasks. Redundant steering-wheel buttons and voice programming via Ford's Sync system help.
Details
4/10
Disappointing overall. Escape's interior imparts a low-buck atmosphere with lots of hard-plastic trim and odd panel textures.
Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (Front)
6/10
While the optional sunroof cuts into headroom a bit, most adults should find more than adequate space. Legroom is good for most adults, though taller riders would benefit from longer seat tracks. The seats themselves are comfortably supportive. Visibility is very good in all directions.
Room/Comfort (Rear)
6/10
Another Escape strong point. Knee and foot space are ample, aided by a flat floor. Three adults will fit for short trips on the nicely shaped rear bench. Entry and exit are hampered a bit by narrow door openings.
Cargo Room
8/10
A low, level load deck and opening tailgate glass make for handy cargo loading and hauling. The rear seat backs do fold flat, but require multiple, inconvenient steps to do so. In-cabin small-item storage includes several bins, cubbies, and map pockets in all four doors.
Value Within Class
7/10
Ford's compact crossover has its strengths, including an excellent 6-speed automatic transmission, comfortable passenger accommodations, and the availability of a frugal gas/electric hybrid model. Escape suffers from crude-sounding engines, low-rent cabin appointments, and a basic design that's more than a decade old. Still, Escape earns our Recommended nod for its practicality and attractive pricing.
Highlights
The 2010 Ford Escape receives some new features. This compact SUV is a 5-passenger, 4-door wagon that includes a liftgate with opening glass. It shares its basic design with the Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute. Escape comes in XLS, XLT, and Limited trims, each with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. All have a standard 171-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. Optional on XLT and Limited is a 240-horsepower 3.0-liter V6. The front-drive XLS has a standard 5-speed manual transmission. Optional on those and standard on all others is a 6-speed automatic.
A gas/electric Hybrid model also returns in Base and Limited trims. It teams a 153-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder gas engine with an electric motor. It requires no plug-in charging and uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that behaves much like an automatic. Maximum towing capacity for the 4-cylinder is 1,500 pounds. V6 models tow up to 3,500 pounds. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, curtain-side airbags, and front-side airbags. Also available are leather upholstery, heated front seats, rear-obstacle detection, a navigation system, and Ford's Sync voice-activated control for cell phones and MP3 players. A rearview camera is one of the new features. MyKey allows owners to program a key that can limit the vehicle's top speed and audio volume. Also new is Ford's Active Park Assist, which uses ultrasonic sensors to help automatically guide the vehicle into a parallel-parking space.
Competition
Consumer Guide Automotive places each vehicle into one of 18 classes based on size, price, and market position. Among utility vehicles, Compact SUVs are typically the least costly and offer the best fuel economy. Most utilize a car-type chassis and are not designed for heavy-duty, off-road use. Nearly all are 5-passenger vehicles; some offer seating for 7.
Our Best Buys are the Honda CR-V and Volkswagen Tiguan. Our Recommended picks are the Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Mercury Mariner, Subaru Forester, Suzuki Grand Vitara, and Toyota RAV4.
New or significantly redesigned models include the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, and Mitsubishi Outlander.