Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Ford Escape

Ford continues its radical redesign of mainstream models with the 2013 Ford Escape. Managing Editor David Thomas heaps praise on the compact crossover and compares it favorably to the rest of the class in almost every category. The only place it falls short is on price, which is actually high. Read his full review to see if you think the Escape is worth the money.

2013 Ford Escape Review

Comments

it will be interesting to see how well it sells vs. the current 'old' model which has sold like hot cakes....

I Agree. I think Ford may have ruined a good thing. It's an ok design but not the little truck we have all come to know. I hope the gamble pays off.

I unfortunately have to agree with Mark. People bought the old escape in droves when much more sophisticated options where out there. I know alot of them were sold with money on the hood, but wasn't THAT much cheaper than the competition which means people actually liked it. People like simple- look at the Passat and Jetta.

I really like it and I hope it remains the success it has been. Kudos to Ford for starting to build great cars and not dumbing them down so that they fit into a particular price.

Broq

Does either turbo take premium gas? I'm not clear on that. I thought I read the taurus turbo recommends premium, which is a drawback in a mainstream vehicle. Also, little was said about interior storage, recent fords are lacking in this regard. I don't see any storage in the center stack area or to the left of the steering wheel.

sheth,
Neither of the four-cylinder turbos requires premium fuel no. 87 Octane is recommended.

You're right I did not comment on interior storage. It was a pretty long review as it was.

But you're right, there aren't any cubbies other than the decent sized covered bin. I posted a picture on my Google+ page so you can see. Definitely needs a spot for your cellphone!
https://plus.google.com/u/0/112388084332269912219/posts

In terms of style many here in the office agree that there is no other CUV that looks like the old Escape anymore. Why would Ford give that up.

The reason is really because of the need for global designs that can be shared and the Escape was already developed for other markets under the Kuga name.

I think the design will resonate well because it's "handsome." Not too wild, too macho or too rounded. The old design could also be called handsome I think. Not a stunner, but something that could still be considered attractive.

Its my understanding that the kuga is actually smaller than escape even though they share styling and platform. I wouldn't be surprised if the escape was larger because compact cuvs in europe tend to b quite small.

While we know many aren't fans of mft for operational reasons, a side affect seems to be elimnation of storage in the center stack. Most cars have modest under armest storage these days so you need as much extra space as you can get. The focus has been dinged for lack of practical storage space and escape continues this. Its a cuv, people expect space to stash stuff. I think gms idea with the malibu, xts, etc is something we will see more of down the line. There is no reason you can't create space behind the screen for a phone.

Sheth,

I think you're making your GM love way too obvious. Sure, GM makes some great vehicles that people should consider, but try to mention some other better examples as well. All I ever see from you is "GM this" and "GM that." Getting kind of old.