Ford Escape History
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The Ford Escape is a compact crossover SUV that offers a tall, boxy layout that's good for passengers and cargo plus just enough ruggedness for very light off-roading. It remains a good choice for those who need compactness and maneuverability yet want impressive safety and a flexible, spacious interior.
While the Escape has a very boxy, traditional SUV silhouette, it has car-based underpinnings, originally borrowed in part from the Mazda 626. Although the Escape has seen many small refreshes over the years, it hasn't the entire time received a full, ground-up redesign. If you squint just right, the 2001 model looks a lot like the 2012, the last model year that will be offered before a major redesign. Ford has done little over the years to change the basic look of the Escape, which was originally designed to look like a smaller sibling of the Ford Explorer—with some of the same truck-inspired cues. Simply put, the Escape has a style that's either going to attract or turn off shoppers at first sight.
Originally the base engine on the Escape was a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, making 130 horsepower. Some people might consider this engine downright underpowered in the Escape, and it certainly was coarse and unrefined. In 2005, this engine was replaced with a 2.3-liter making 153 horsepower—enough to power the Escape confidently enough, provided you don't carry a heavy load or need to pass quickly on the highway. The 200-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6 that was available gives the Escape a very different character. It's worth noting that real-world fuel economy in four-cylinder versions of the Escape isn't really much better than that of V-6 Escapes.
Interior materials of the Escape through 2007 on all but the top Limited model were quite inferior to those of other vehicles in its class, but the substantial refresh given to the model for 2008 brought upgraded materials throughout. At that time the Escape received new powertrains, including a 240-horsepower version of the 3.0-liter V-6, along with a new 171-horsepower, 2.5-liter base four-cylinder engine. In 2009 and 2010 its entertainment offerings were upgraded and it now offers SYNC, Ford's Bluetooth-driven voice controller for phone, audio, and navigation systems.
Throughout its lifetime, the Escape has earned mostly good scores for safety. The most noteworthy exception is for 2001-2007 models without the optional side airbags, and frontal performance for 2001-2004 models. In the IIHS's new roof-strength test got a mediocre 'marginal' score, keeping it from getting the Top Safety Pick designation this year. The NHTSA did not re-score the Escape after it changed its testing criteria for the 2011 model year.
Since 2004 there has been a Hybrid version of the Escape. Using a system comparable to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, the Escape Hybrid combines an Atkinson-cycle version of the four-cylinder with a sizable battery pack and electric motor system. Fuel economy ratings with the Hybrid rated at 34 mpg city, 31 highway, and the Escape Hybrid has become a favored vehicle among politicians who want to "drive American."
The Escape also spawned the Mercury Mariner and the Mazda Tribute, both of which also had Hybrid variants at one time. Both were discontinued in the 2011 model year.
The Escape is due for a complete makeover in the 2013 model year, with a new version based off the Ford Vertrek concept shown at the 2011 Detroit auto show.
