2017 FORD Escape

Never judge a book by its cover!

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4 Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 3 Value Rating: 4

I just purchased a 2017 Ford Escape AWD 2.0 L. It is my first SUV and so far I love it! The style is lacking but I didn't care once I was behind the wheel. This whip handles the road well, it has quick acceleration, and surprisingly it has sharp maneuverability. The ride is so comfortable especially having black leather heated seats! I agree that the inside panel could use some updating but it does have optional voice/touch navigation and ambient lighting with a variety of color choices. The cabin has plenty of room and it's easy to get in/out of. I did drive the 1.5L and it just didn't cut it, it seemed very resistive to acceleration. I test drove the Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda CRV, and Kia Sorento the styling and amenities were tempting (especially in the Santa Fe) but the comfort, quietness, and acceleration just didn't cut it for me.

Very happy new owner

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

We just purchased this car and so far we're very happy with its appearance, comfort, and performance. The finishes inside and out are outstanding. Interior is very well designed and done. Handling, acceleration, steering, brakes are all excellent.

It's at the dealership right now

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 1 Safety Rating: 3 Technology Rating: 3 Value Rating: 3

I had all the alarms on the screen and it just died on me for the 2nd time in as many days the it would not start for me at all so I had it towed to the dealership. They have had it for 4 days now and still can't give me an answer. The car has only 5k miles on it. I didn't qualify for a loaner because I didn't get an extended warranty , didn't think I needed it on an brand new car. I will never buy or lease a Ford product in the future.

Escape review

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

Great quality for the money

New Version of Ford Escape 2017 model

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 4

My review is based on the Titanium 2.0 liter version which was absent from the drop down box of this survey. First, the 2017 Escape has a newer design on the front end, the rear end and the gear shift. I purposely waited for this version even though they had huge discounts on the 2016's especially because I hated the location of the gear shift in the outgoing model. Second, the price, especially at the upper end of this model is steep but the vehicle offers great room, great handling, good fuel economy and great comfort. We've only owned the 2017 Escape for about a month and 1,600 miles and so far it has performed great. Mainly use it around the city and the gas mileage is consistently between 20 and 21 MPG. On the highway it gets about 25 MPG. I'm hoping when we travel on longer trips it will get a little better MPG. It handles very nicely and the steering wheel feels good in the hands and has the option of being heated, which I really like on cold mornings. If you have arthritis or any other hand, finger, wrist issues then you will like this heated steering wheel option. The SYNC 3 is much improved over the previous versions which I personally used when we owned a 2012 Ford Escape and a 2013 Ford Edge. It is fast and responsive and easier to use. The BlueTooth works very well and the ability to use a cord and use your smart phone as the navigation device (Android Auto) but showing on the Escape's big display is great. As a matter of fact, that's why I opted for the Titanium version with the 301 package and not the moon roof/ navigation options. Saved me $795 on the navigation aspect alone. We really like this Escape because it gives us lots of room for cargo and the ability to take other passengers but handles like a much smaller vehicle.

Decent car but nothing special

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 3 Value Rating: 3

This is my review of the SE edition with 4wd, only other options are heated seats and remote start. Have only owned this car for about a month so I cant comment on long term reliability, but so far, it rides decent enough and theres no squeaks or rattles. I like the styling inside and out, and I have the base engine, but for my purposes, it gets the job done. If you want zoom zoom, get a bigger engine in this car. Esacape, in my opinion, is not a family hauler, its more of a 1 or 2 person car as the rear seat legroom is anemic to say the least (e.g. you have to push a button to fold down the headrest on the rear seat so you can fold down the back seatback to put more stuff in it, or the headrest will hit the front seat. Really Ford? This is an SUV, not a Ford Focus. Another major issue (to me), is the really foolish eco mode which turns off the engine when you fully stop, say at a stop sign, then restarts the engine when you take your foot off the brake. You can turn this mode off by pushing a button, but the default mode is on, so you have to push the button every time you drive the car to turn it off. Apparently Ford likes to annoy its customers. Everyone I have talked to who owns a Ford with this mode, says they don't want it, and shut it off (even an employee at the Ford dealer where I bought my car :-). Also, this mode has to put xtra wear and tear on your starter and battery. The cruise control buttons should swap places with the display controls for gas mileage, etc. would be easier to see and use. And the heater/air conditioning controls, well, theres way too many buttons, this could have been simplified. The backup camera screen is rather small, and recessed into the dash too far, this doesn't affect me, because I really don't use the backup camera very much. My wifes Equinox is bigger than the Escape, has more back seat room and rides much better over bumps and has a bigger backup camera screen. As far as Sync is concerned (this car doesn't have sync 3), I don't use a cell phone with it so I can't comment on that part of it, but I did put around 2.5k mp3's on a USB stick and hook it up. The voice commands leave a lot to be desired with a USB stick. Mainly, the commands it recognizes are few and far between, and the parser/search engine is rather rudimentary. For instance, I told Sync to play the song Pretty Woman. After searching, it came up with the Van Halen song, but not the Roy Orbison song who's title is Oh Pretty Woman. I should have recognized that Pretty woman was part of the title and gave the option as to which I wanted. And also, Sync doesn't recognize folders, and all my songs are neatly organized In folders, so that doesn't work, so I simply have to resort to searching for the folder I want with the buttons. You have to pay $1400 to upgrade to SYNC 3 (with other options in a package), or buy the Titanium edition which costs 5k more. You can get a 9 inch touchscreen with wifi in almost all Chevys as standard equipment??? I still like the Escape, but it has its shortcomings. BTW, im 70years old, and have owned many new cars. They all have their good features, and their faults. I think they made the escape a little too small, and went overboard on Eco mode, which looks to me like a gimmick.

Bad quality.

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1 Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 4 Value Rating: 3

One star for overall rating because of bad quality. The transmission control module was out of order after 1 week of owning of brand new car. I had to leave my new car in the service department for more than one week.

Great car, great value

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

The Escape Titanium has many luxury features found in more expensive SUVs and has met or exceeded expectations.

2017 4WD 2.0 L Titanium Very Impressive - 2

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 4 Value Rating:

I test drove the 2017 4WD 2.0 L Titanium version but the Edmunds pull down menu has not been updated to include that as a review option. Excellent car. The only serious negative is that there is a lot road feedback on the steering wheel. The 2.0 L is an excellent choice with the 4WD as it never felt like it was lagging, very powerful. The interior is very nice and reasonably quiet in terms of road noise. A couple of things to me should be standard at this price point: the side mirrors should power fold, the rear seats should have pulls from the trunk that would let them fold down like the Subaru's, heated steering wheel and vented/cooled seats like Hyundai/Kia offer (I have this on my Kia Optima now and with leather seats in the summer it's a must).

Great little SUV, our second Escape in a row

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 26.5

It is an EXCELLENT vehicle that does just about everything very well to excellently.

Best new car to date...

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

The 2017 Ford Escape Titanium with the 300A (standard) package plus navigation and adaptive cruise control packages is the best new car to date. Our previous cars were two Hondas EX sedans, two G-20 sedans, a 2001 RX 300 Lexus which we still have and a 2005 Toyota Camry EXL, which we traded when we purchased the Escape. The more we use it the more we like it!!! It is the most comfortable car we have ever owned. The 10-way with lumbar front driver and front passenger seats were the first thing that got our attention. No other car in this price range has that for both front seats! The ergonomic design of the center and door arm rests is noteworthy. The new design of the console moving the gear shift down and putting the cup holders to the side plus the new electronic parking brake demanded that we chose the 2017 over the 2016 with multiple buyer incentives. Our only regret: We debated getting the 301A package and now really wish we had. At night in rural areas the headlights are not adequate. The HID lights in the 301A package would have made driving at night safer. Otherwise this is the perfect car for us as far as size, comfort, power, fuel economy and cargo is adequate for our needs.

Escape Shortcomings

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4 Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 4 Value Rating: 4

Air conditioner under-powered. Headliner shows in rear view mirror partially blocking vision. Dust gathers around the rear hatch so one gets dirty when using the hatch. No mute on steering wheel results in distracted driving. Cruise control in awkward to work. Camera is small and intensity is poor. Passenger seat adjustment is awkward to use.

2017 Escape Titanium First 250 Miles!

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating:

This is the 2.0 liter brand new 2017 AWD Titanium. I should say I traded in a 2014 Escape with 61000 miles I put on it in 24 months. I drive 80 mile commute daily. Ford is now taking the Honda approach. Pay attention to details and fix the little things. There are strong improvements in the new model. Sync 3 is vastly improved easy and highly intutitive. The handling is just a little better with less steering resistance. the car is noticeably quieter. The shiny black plastic is gone replaced with a much higher quality material. The shape of the rear and the front are better looking. All in all every issue I noticed in the 2014 has been improved or eliminated as an issue. Drives like a sports car, and I look forwards to my commute each day. Mileage good for the first 200 miles at 25 in mixed hills and interstate.

No Escaping the Segment—but that's more than OK

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: Performance Rating: Interior Rating: Reliability Rating: Safety Rating: Technology Rating: Value Rating:

THIS IS A 2.0 engine, not the 2.5 labelled above. There was no option to select 2.0 model. I purchased a 2.0 Ecoboost model—a 4 cylinder that supposedly gets the gas mileage of an economical 4 cylinder while boasting the power, save the horses of a 6 cylinder engine. The driver can get the results of the former in DRIVE mode, and the later in SPORT mode, of which the transition is the easiest to shift on the fly in the Escape than the push button methods of other like SUVs. I find early on that the engine nearly measures up to this claim. Paddle shifters are available on my model, though I really don't quite grasp the logic of paddle shifters generally. The ride is firm and composed. The steering is very good, though not as connected to the road, in my opinion, as other notable vehicles in its class. Returning now to the ride. To what do I have to compare the ride to? As an owner of a 2005 Highlander—which never left me in the lurch or side of the road, I was impressed to the last day of my ownership of this vehicle as to the manner it floated over pothole patched roadways that predominate on long, country, suburban roads, while affording a 360 view of everything going on around me. As such, I drove this vehicle like a sportscar. The 2017 Escape appears to keep this pace, though visibility is somewhat more limited. I had found that side window cameras on other vehicles in this segment may have the potential to help for quick lane shifts, but my new vehicle did not include this feature (only a backup camera). As both a techie—I love the touchscreen (and the technology packages offered, besides this detail, are the best I've seen in all the models tested, especially for the price. Comparably supplied tech packages on mid-sized SUVs jack the price up prohibitively for my expenses. However, as a pure driver? I don't need no stinkin' badges—I mean tech to back up, make turns, or parallel park. In my former vehicle, I drove through city streets and the like to the extent that one passenger asked me if I liked motorcycles. I did all these owning to the line of sight around the vehicle. The new Ford has a front windshield that slopes down very far—reminding me of a Toyota Prius. I am not sure whether this is to give the sensation of a commanding view of the road or not. Don't get me wrong, it succeeds here, but here's the rub: with the motor supposedly giving the impression of a 6 cylinder and the 18 inch tires, on the SE Trim, and the general overall impression reminding me of my erstwhile Highlander (in terms of looks and theoretical performance) I have not yet justified in my mind the potential similar price that the lower end 6 cyl, mid-sized SUV's and the Escape. The strangest thing is that my mother, of all people told me to be sure to drive over plenty of bumps before purchasing the vehicle. Having purchased the vehicle I am finding–and this is a very preliminary impression-that one can definitely feel every jolt and tittle of said bumps and holes on the road. I feel it, but the vehicle is rugged enough that it has no truck with any given road you find yourself on. But I think this is true of every compact SUV. Generally, I love this vehicle and may venture to guess the Ford Escape may move up a notch or two in this category this year! Nevertheless, I would not yet pass this small SUV off as a midsized performing SUV—but we'll see. I was one of the first to buy the 2017 Ford Escape in my area. Oh, one more thing to note. I must admit that I wanted to buy a manly car in my price range that is not overly cumbersome. When I first saw the 2017 Escape drive up (the salesperson) wasn't even aware they had it in yet—so as I was looking in the lot he drove up in it, surprising me. What a surprise! I was like: "that's my next vehicle (I hope it lasts 12 years), it looks cool." Of course one review on YouTube said that the Escape has had 60% of it buyers female! Oh well. Note well: this is a very preliminary review. My main impression is that it is no Highlander, but I bet it could surpass the vehicles in its own class.