2013 Ford Escape Review

02/12/2013

The most recent set of wheels to take up residence in my garage for a review was the all-new 2013 Ford Escape. With its sleek new design and the addition of more finishing touches than ever before, this crossover has risen up in the ranks and took both me and my husband for surprise with its elegance and class upon first impression. The Escape’s exterior looks have changed a lot and I was super excited to try it out! It is much less boxy and has more of a capsule appearance than previous versions of the Escape.

Now, I have four children- two still in car seats and two in boosters. It’s a no-brainer that I wasn’t going to be able to get all of them into the Escape at the same time, but luckily my oldest is in school full time and the majority of my running around is with just three in tow. I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t be able to fit all three of the car seats in, but with some coaxing it was done and we were able to carry on and go about our business with a rear-facing, forward- facing and booster seat across the back! It was tight though, and if any of our seats were any bigger it likely wouldn’t have been possible. The seats that we were able to squeeze in are a Britax Chaperone, Safety First Air and Graco Booster. The Escape has two sets of lower LATCH anchors in the rear seats. I had no problem finding them because they stick out from the seat cushions and are easy to use. The three tether anchors, which are at the bottom of the second row’s seatbacks, are also easy to use.

I was impressed with the classy-yet-family-friendly interior. The leather seats are definitely a must-have with little ones, the increase in cargo space behind the first and second rows from previous versions of the Escape are fantastic, allowing for ample leg room in the middle, and groceries, kid gear and our light-weight stroller in the rear. I loved the hands-free power liftgate, which uses motion-sensing technology. A quick swipe of the leg under the bumper allows quick and easy access to the hatch, which is definitely a bonus when your arms are full with kids and gear.

The latest version of the popular MyFord Touch system makes it easy to access phone and vehicle controls and features using the central touch screen, buttons, steering wheel controls or voice commands.

Driving the Escape was a real pleasure! It is smooth to navigate and it parks like a dream with its compact body, auto park system, rear view camera system and BLIS (Blind Spot Information System). Ford says, “The Escape is our first SUV to offer class-exclusive Curve Control, which can automatically slow the vehicle when it’s cornering too fast, and Torque Vectoring Control, which can aid acceleration through a turn.”

The 2013 Ford Escape is available in S, SE, SEL and Titanium with great fuel economy in each series with its new EcoBoost engines. MSRP for this vehicle starts at $22, 470.

I felt like a “cool” soccer mom when I was out and about in this vehicle. It’s easy on the eyes and practical for small families. Although we did fit all three of our child restraint seats in, I would suggest that the Escape would be perfect for a family of three or four, as it would be ideal to have space between car seats in the back.

For more information on the 2013 Ford Escape and other Ford Motor Company products and news, visit www.media.ford.com.