2022 Ford Escape

Overview

With the launch of the similarly sized Bronco Sport last year giving compact SUV buyers an off-road-capable option at their Ford showroom, the 2022 Escape's soft-road capability and carlike ride and handling can continue to serve on-road-oriented drivers. Unlike the Bronco Sport, the Escape can be had with hybrid and plug-in-hybrid powertrains, although the base turbo three- and upgraded turbo-four engines are still offered here. The Escape offers plenty of people and cargo space inside, but its cabin isn't as refined as rivals such as the Hyundai Tucson, the Mazda CX-5, and the Volkswagen Tiguan. Still, the Escape comes standard with desirable driver-assistance features and can be outfitted with plentiful optional luxuries and convenience items—as long as you're willing to pay for one of the higher trim levels.

What's New for 2022?

Other than three new blue colors joining the options sheet—Atlas Blue, Flight Blue, and Iced Blue—the 2022 Escape is the same as the 2021 model.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

The best value of the lineup is the midrange SEL trim with front-wheel drive. The SEL adds plenty of niceties that compact-SUV shoppers will appreciate, including rear parking sensors, memory settings for the driver's seat and exterior mirrors, faux leather upholstery, a remote-start feature, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with heat, a hands-free power liftgate, fog lamps, and roof-rack side rails.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

The 2022 Escape offers a wide range of powertrains, starting with a 181-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine that can be had with either front- or all-wheel drive. The turbo three, while somewhat grumbly and unrefined, provides adequate acceleration and managed to motivate an all-wheel-drive Escape SE to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds at our test track; the plug-in hybrid model matched this result. Upgrading to the 250-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder is the compelling choice and was powerful enough to score a 5.7-second result in the same zero-to-60-mph test. Both gasoline engines are paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. To tackle new competition in the form of the Honda CR-V hybrid and the Toyota RAV4 Prime, Ford also offers two Escape hybrids—one of which is a plug-in—and those powertrains consist of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors which combine to make 221-hp.

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Range, Charging, and Battery Life

The plug-in hybrid model carries a 11.2-kWh battery pack, which is good enough for an EPA-estimated 37 miles of electric-only driving. During our highway fuel economy testing, we managed 25 miles of highway driving before the battery ran out of juice and the Escape switched to gasoline power.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

According to the EPA, the turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder model with front-wheel drive will offer the highest fuel economy estimates among nonhybrid Escape models. It's rated for 27 mpg city, 33 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined; adding all-wheel drive drops those numbers to 26 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined. We tested an all-wheel-drive model with the turbo three-cylinder and managed an impressive 35 mpg during our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route. Although the larger turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with all-wheel drive is rated for 23 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined, we ended up with a 32-mpg highway result in our testing. For those seeking the most efficient Escape, look no further than the plug-in hybrid model, which earns fuel economy ratings as high as 44 mpg city; in our testing, the Escape PHEV returned 36 MPGe on our highway fuel economy route. For more information about the Escape's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The Escape's cabin, while handsomely styled and spacious for both front- and rear-seat occupants, suffers from several low-rent plastic panels, including those on the doors and lower center console. Highly textured cloth seat upholstery is standard, while higher trim levels receive either convincing faux-leather seating surfaces or genuine leather in the top-spec Titanium. Behind the Escape's rear seat is a capacious cargo hold that provides space for up to eight carry-on suitcases, which ties its crosstown rival, the Chevrolet Equinox. We fit 21 cases with the Escape's rear seats folded, but the Equinox held two more.

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Infotainment and Connectivity

While base S models come with a 4.2-inch radio display and an AM/FM radio as the only entertainment, SE trim levels and higher get a larger 8.0-inch touchscreen display with Ford's latest Sync 3 infotainment interface and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto capability. A smartphone app provides remote access to vehicle telematics and remote start on all Escape models, but the most connected and high-tech Escape is the Titanium model, which comes standard with a 10-speaker B&O Play audio system, in-dash navigation, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge display. A pop-up head-up display is optional.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

Ford is offering a suite of driver-assistance features, which it calls Co-Pilot360, as standard on every Escape model. For more information about the Escape's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:

• Standard forward-collision warning with automated emergency braking
• Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
• Standard blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Ford's standard warranty package is fairly basic, especially compared to rivals such as the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage, both of which offer far longer powertrain coverage. The Escape hybrid and plug-in hybrid will both come with a policy that's specific to those models' electrified powertrains and provides up to 100,000 miles worth of protection.

• Limited warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
• Hybrid component warranty covers 8 years or 100,000 miles
• No complimentary scheduled maintenance

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