Ford Escape 2021 review

The entry grade Escape we’re testing here lists for $35,990, before on-road costs.

And while this is the most affordable of all the Escapes this SUV comes standard with many of the features that only come on the higher grades in the line-ups of its rivals.

That’s good news. The not so good news is that the Escape is priced a little bit higher than most of its competitors.

That sounds worse than it is, because the Escape is worth having to hand over a bit more moolah.

Coming standard is:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Privacy glass
• Silver roof rails
• Eight-inch display
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Wireless phone charger
• Sat nav
• Dual-zone climate control
• Push-button start
• Six-speaker stereo
• Digital radio
• Reversing camera
• Proximity key

Base grade Escape pictured (Image: Dean McCartney)

If there’s anything missing here it’s probably leather seats, which are saved for the top-of-the-range Escape. That reminds me, there are three grades in the line-up – the entry Escape, the sporty ST-Line and the posh Vignale.

Escape interior pictured (Image: Dean McCartney)

The new-generation Ford Escape is longer that the previous model at 4616mm end-to-end, wider at 2178mm across and shorter in height at 1680mm tall.

More importantly for Ford it looks nothing like the last one. Which is a good thing, because Ford says the previous model didn’t sell well because it didn’t look as modern as some of its rivals.

Base grade Escape pictured (Image: Dean McCartney)

Well, there’s nothing old looking about this new-generation Escape… apart from the interior. Yes, I’m afraid, it seems as though the designers spent all their time and money on the exterior and not enough on the cabin.

Still, the materials feel high quality and even this entry grade Escape’s interior has a premium look. I also like the small touches such as the textures in the doors.

Base grade Escape pictured (Image: Dean McCartney)

And the seats might not be upholstered leather or even an artificial version of it, but these cloth ones look and feel good while being supportive and comfortable over long journeys.

The Ford Escape is a five-seater and despite its sleek exterior looks space inside is impressively good.

Rear leg- and headroom is excellent. Even at 191cm tall I can sit behind my driving position with plenty of room to move thanks to the ‘’scooped-out’ design of the front seat backs.

Base grade Escape pictured (Image: Dean McCartney)

Cabin storage is great up front with super-sized door pockets, three cupholders and a big centre console box, while those in the rear have two cupholders, but tiny door pockets.

For phones, tablets and other devices all grades come with four USB ports (two type-A and two type-C). There’s the wireless phone charger up front and two 12V power outlets.

Base grade Escape pictured (Image: Dean McCartney)

As a parent who fastens a child into their car seat at least twice a day, I found it frustrating that the Escape’s rear doors didn’t open as wide as a Mazda CX-5’s to give me more space. But the Escape made up for that with standard features such as directional air vents in the back and a proximity key which meant just touching the door handle locks or unlocks the car.

Base grade Escape pictured (Image: Dean McCartney)

That second row rolls on rails and locks into place and this means boot space can be contracted or expanded between 412 litres and 526 litres.

The Escape’s boot has low load lip which means you don’t have to throw your bags high to get them over the top like you’re staging a prison breakout.

The Escape was given the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2020 but this was under 2019 standards from the European testing that year. This is a reminder, too, that when a car maker says their vehicle has a five-star safety rating you should always check to see which year the score is for, because full marks in 2019 is different from a top score in 2020.

Base grade Escape pictured (Image: Dean McCartney)

This shouldn’t put you off as all grades of the Escape come with an outstanding level of standard safety tech such as AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning with cross traffic alert and traffic sign recognition.

Front and rear parking sensors are also standard across the range, so is a reversing camera and auto headlights.

For child seats there are two ISOFIX points and three top tether mounts across the second row.

A space saver spare wheel is under the boot floor.

The Escape has the most grunty engine in pretty much this entire segment. We’re talking 183kW of power and 387Nm of torque. How much is that? Well, V8s in the ’90s used to make this kind of mumbo and this is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, with a turbo of course.

Base grade Escape pictured (Image: Dean McCartney)

The transmission is an eight-speed automatic and the entry grade Escape is front-wheel drive. If you’re looking for an all-wheel drive version of the Escape you’ll need to step up to the ST-Line or Vignale.

Ford says that after driving the Escape on a mix of open and urban roads the 2.0-litre engine should have used 8.6L/100km. Well in my own testing I drove 204.5km of motorways, suburban roads and city streets and used 17.14 litres of premium unleaded petrol. That means I beat the serving suggestion with 8.4L/100km.

Base grade Escape pictured (Image: Dean McCartney)

But that doesn’t mean the engine is super fuel efficient – that’s still on the thirsty side. If you are after something that gets better mileage, then a petrol-electric hybrid version of the Escape is coming in 2021, but it will only be available on the ST-Line grade.

Let’s go for a drive. The first thing you’ll notice is the great acceleration. And then there’s the comfortable ride. You’ll also notice that the steering is sharp… a bit too sharp. And that can make the car ‘wobble’ a bit if you turn too quickly. But like me you’ll adjust to the steering. An elevated ride height and big windows means visibility is great.

You should find the Ford Escape to be reasonably affordable to maintain and service. Servicing is recommended annually or every 15,000km – whichever comes first – and is capped at $299 for the first four years.

Base grade Escape pictured (Image: Dean McCartney)

As far as the warranty goes, the Ford Escape is covered by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. That’s good but not the best. Still it’s also what Mazda and Toyota offer on the CX-5 and RAV4.