2008 Ford Escape Styling

STYLING | 8 out of 10

The newly redesigned 2008 Ford Escape wins acclaim for a comfortable cabin and stylish exterior.

Most of the updates given to the Ford Escape are purely cosmetic, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. On the outside, Edmunds.com raves about the “bolder grill, taller beltline, higher hood and Edge-inspired headlights.” In general, reviews read by TheCarConnection.com found the more progressive lines of the Escape SUV to be a welcome evolution in the seven-year-old design. Cars.com notes that the compact SUV mimics the stylings of its bigger brother, the Ford Explorer, and is less cutesy and more rugged.

The interior of the 2008 Ford Escape has also been redesigned. Automobile.com raved about the posh leather of the Escape; Ford’s new interior is “sporty and suited to a more expensive car.” Other reviews were mixed on the styling of the retooled dashboard. ConsumerGuide cries foul on the “cheap looking, hard plastic panels.” Cars.com is more forgiving, finding the dash appealing, but still conceding that the materials aren’t on par with similar 2008 compact SUVS like the Saturn Vue. Ergonomically speaking, however, all gauges can be seen in a quick glance.

Speaking of materials in the Ford Escape, 2008 is the year this crossover becomes the first car to use 100 percent post-industrial plastic waste in the upholstery (standard fabric seating only). Reviewers felt the added recycling effort is a nice tip of the hat to old Mother Earth, and doesn’t negatively affect the interior styling in the slightest.

Conclusion