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A close friend of mine, an interdenominational minister who lives with his wife in western Nevada close to Lake Tahoe, is very interested in a new 2016 Ford Escape...and, while not ruling them out, is not really interested in its (many) competitors. He has personal/spiritual reasons for wanting an Escape, which I don't need to go into. He needs AWD (All-Wheel-Drive) and enough power to get over the high mountains in that area and/or through bad weather....so, that rules out the base Escape S model, which has a non-turbo in-line four and FWD (Front-Wheel-Drive) only. Since the S model is irrelevant, I won't even list its specs. Both the upmarket SE and Titanium models offer a choice of FWD or AWD, and the choice of a 1.6L Ecoboost Turbo in-line four of 178 HP and 184 ft-lbs. of torque (not much more power than the base non-turbo engine) or a larger 2.0L Ecoboost Turbo in-line four with 240 HP and 270 ft-lbs. of torque. Both engines come with a standard 6-speed Select-Shift automatic (the only transmission available), and either FWD or AWD can be paired with either engine. The fact that both turbo engines are offered this way on both the SE and Titanium line is not immediately apparent on the web site...you have to go into the "Build Your Own" feature to find that out (more on that below). The 2.0L turbo is a $1195 option on both of them.
Both turbo engines, however, can use 87-octane regular gas.....a significant saving at the pump over many previous-generation turbos, which generally required more expensive 91-octane premium gas. Turbos, however, on the other hand, often require more expensive full-synthetic or other Turbo-Approved oils, which can drive up the cost of oil changes...and the turbo itself, even with good care and sensible operation (i.e.....not driving lead-footed all the time), may or may not last the entire life of the engine. EPA mileage ratings between the two turbo engines, despite the significant difference in power ratings, are quite similar (only 1 to 2 MPG apart).....probably because the smaller engine has to work harder than the larger one to drag around virtually the same amount of weight.
My friend, in Nevada, has already checked out the interior of the new Escape and likes it (both he and his wife are tall, so front headroom and legroom are important)...rear seats aren't a big deal, since they rarely carry passengers in back except when their grown-up kids visit. That's probably a good thing, too, since the last Escape I looked at in detail and reviewed inside, a few years ago, had a cheaply-done rear seat that was just awful....about the equivalent of a thinly-padded park bench. I wouldn't have wished it on my 11th-grade English teacher, who, at the time, I couldn't stand LOL.
So, he found the basic design acceptable, but wanted my advice and test-drive....so, I decided to test-drive (and briefly inspect) both an SE and Titanium model, also comparing their two drivetrains and interior/trim features. I figured I'd go ahead and do a write-up and post a copy of it here, not just for him (he's on a separate E-mail-list of mine), but for anyone here in the forum also interested in a turbo or AWD Escape. This is NOT a review (or even a partial-review) in my usual sense of reviews, but simply a relatively brief comparison between two trim-levels of the same vehicle. (as if ANYTHING I write about vehicles can be described as brief LOL)
Figuring out even general pricing on the 2016 Escape I can be rather difficult on the web site, because of the way Ford has set it up (that's why I didn't give the list prices like I usually do) . Ford doesn't give all the base prices of both FWD and AWD models up front. You pretty much have to go through the "Build Your Own" feature, which tosses in the freight/destination charge, but also tosses in a $1500 rebates and/or incentives like the current "Friends and Family" pricing campaign that Ford is pushing. But, in general, list prices for typical vehicles in stock (minus the rebates/incentives), run from 25-30K for AWD SE models to 30-35K for AWD Titanium models (sometimes more for heavily-optioned Titaniums). Asking prices at this dealership, though, that are posted on its web-site, discount about 5-6K off the official factory list.
To get a general comparison on the road between the two price lines and engine-sizes, I chose an AWD SE cloth-interior with the 1.6L turbo engine; and an AWD Titanium with leather interior and the 2.0L turbo engine. The Titanium comes standard with larger wheels/lower-profile tires and a feature I like.......Ford's much-publicized foot-sweep feature under the rear bumper that releases and opens the hatch lid for you if both of your hands are full of packages or grocery-bags. Both models also had, as standard, Ford's effective Roll Stability system (which Ford got from Volvo when they owned that company). Most stability systems monitor only steering input and yaw-angle.....this system also monitors body-roll angle as well, to help even further in preventing rollovers. Volvo and Mercedes typically lead the industry in safety features, so it is not surprising that that was originally a Volvo feature. Like with most newer Ford products, all Escape models that do not have the electronic blind-spot-avoidance feature get small side-mirror inserts that expand the are of coverage in a convex manner....I like that feature.
On the road, given the significant difference in wheels/tires and the sizable difference in rated power between the 1.6L and 2.0L turbo engines, I expected a lot more difference in feel and response between the two than I actually noticed. (the similar EPA mileage ratings may be no co-incidence, either). While I didn't really hammer either of the two engines (both odometers showed only 5 miles on each, so they were obviously not broken-in and ready for it), neither one could really be described as a powerhouse, but had adequate torque for normal driving without a heavy load (I didn't test them with a lot of weight on board, but my friend usually doesn't drive that way). The 1.6L seemed to have less turbo-lag with the torque kicking in, while the 2.0L seemed to take a little longer for response, and delivered more torque. The difference between the two, though, power-wise, to the seat of my pants, just didn't seem that great. The AWD system, of course, adds weight and drag over the standard less-complex FWD system. Both engines were reasonably well-refined and smooth/quiet for their small sizes, though certainly not in Lexus territory. The 6-speed Select-Shift transmission was generally refined both in manual and full-automatic modes, though the manual-shift rocker-switch was awkward.....more on that below. Steering response on both was quick by SUV standards, with not much difference between the smaller and larger tires in reaction to steering-input, and body roll was kept in check (again, the standard Roll-Stability system helped). Steering-feel on both of them, though, with the electric power-steering unit, was about as dull and appliance-like as you could imagine....more or less akin to driving a delivery truck. Wind noise and road-noise were both reasonably well-damped, though you could tell you weren't in a luxury vehicle. I expected a stiffer ride with the Titanium's larger wheels/tires (which, with many vehicles, is usually the case), but it was only slightly so....both had reasonably good ride comfort over smooth roads and minor bumps, though you could feel and hear the Titanium thump a little more over sharp bumps. Both had generally effective brakes, but a poorly-placed brake pedal for large feet/shoes like mine, that was both high and far away from the gas pedal. A big shoe like my circus-clown size 15 could hang up on the edge of the brake pedal, and I had to be careful lifting my foot of the gas when braking and sliding it left. (Oh, and yes...the back seat-comfort, especially the cloth one, is STILL awful on the 2016 model. Like I described above...check it out carefully before purchasing it for carrying adults in back, as it's basically a thinly-padded park bench). And both had an awkward-operating brushed-metallic rocker-switch on the shifter that controlled the shifting in the "S" manual-sport-mode. (GM also uses the same awkward design on some of its shifters).
So...were there ANY significant seat-of-the pants differences between the two? Well, the leather front seats in the Titanium model, to me, felt more comfortable on the small of my back/legs/rump than the cloth seats in the SE....on an all-day trip, I'd probably rather be in them. There were some differences in complexity and ease-of-use between the two SYNC/stereo systems.....Ford has been working hard to improve both, as it has been a major source of owner-complaints, and the one in the SE seemed a little lees complex. And the Titanium, of course, had more driver/passenger comfort-conveniences like the push-button starting.
Recommendations? Though there are a few features on the Titanium that I like that are not available on the SE (like the foot/bumper hatch release and a generally more comfortable front seat), if it was my money, I'd probably go with the SE, and, if I was going to spend a lot of time in the high mountains, go the $1200 extra for the 2.0L engine...though models like that might be hard to find on a lot, and require a special-order and a 4-6 week wait from the factory. I didn't feel a lot of difference between the two on the D.C. area's low flat roads near sea level, but at high elevations in the West where my friend lives, the 2.0L might have a better power reserve. But, IMO, I think really loaded Titanium models are probably a waste of money. Some of them can run in the high 30s, and, for that price, one can move up to (or close to) an AWD Lincoln MKC, which is a upscale/luxury-SUV done on the same vehicle platform as the Escape....but with a choice of 2.0L and 2.3L turbo-four engines. (I'd almost certainly get an MKC if it was a choice of that or a loaded Titanium in the same price range). The MKC, with its nice wood trim and soft lines, has what I think is a substantially nicer interior and body lines than either the Escape SE or Titanium...but its one Achilles heel, at least in its first year of production, is a lower-than-average reliability rating from Consumer Reports. The Escape, while not quite as low as the MKC in the reliability department, has not been as reliable either as, say, many of the small SUVs from Japan or Korea.
Both for my friend, and for anyone else interested in an AWD Escape....hope that helps.
The redone 2017 just broke on the internet today. I'd steer anyone to the new model vs. the dated one.
Thanks. You may have a point, Fizzboy. My friend asked me to test-drive the present model...but that new one certainly looks better, IMO. The present one has what IMO is an ugly front end, an awkward manual-shift mode, and an awful rear seat. And it also lacks a hybrid, shuffling that role off to the C-MAX, which is a small wagon, but not really an SUV. The 2017, though, is likely to cost more.
Ford will probably sign up people for test-drivea and pre-paid Mastercards at the D.C. show again in late January....looks like the new Escape might be a good candidate for its use.
Thanks. You may have a point, Fizzboy. My friend asked me to test-drive the present model...but that new one certainly looks better, IMO. The present one has what IMO is an ugly front end, an awkward manual-shift mode, and an awful rear seat. And it also lacks a hybrid, shuffling that role off to the C-MAX, which is a small wagon, but not really an SUV. The 2017, though, is likely to cost more.
Ford will probably sign up people for test-drivea and pre-paid Mastercards at the D.C. show again in late January....looks like the new Escape might be a good candidate for its use.
It's not ALL new, so there will likely still not be a hybrid. Shifter looks to be the same, just now situated closer to the driver since they went with an electric parking brake. Seats are also likely the same. There's Sync 3 which is a fairly big upgrade in usability. I'll see it at the show tomorrow.
The popular-selling Ford Escape gets a refresh that brings a facelifted exterior and loads more technology and safety features. The crossover made its word debut in the days before the 2015 L.A. Auto Show officially begins.
Here are four things you need to know about the 2017 Ford Escape:
It Gets New Engine Options
Set to go on sale in early spring 2016, the Escape’s naturally aspirated 2.5-liter Duratec four-cylinder will be carried over, while the 1.6L EcoBoost option will be replaced by two new EcoBoost engines: a 1.5L four-cylinder as standard and an optional 2.0L twin-scroll EcoBoost four-cylinder. Output figures haven’t been officially released yet, but Ford expects 180 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque for the 1.5L unit. The 2.0L turbo unit is rated at 245 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque. All engines will continue to be paired to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Both EcoBoost engines will come standard with stop/start technology, which Ford promises will be smoother on restart than cars that are much more high-end than the Escape. Ford representatives said the restart will be “virtually invisible.”
It Gets a Slight Facelift
The Escape gets Ford’s corporate trapezoidal grille, similar to the one seen on the new Edge. This brings the Escape’s look to be more in line with the rest of Ford’s lineup and updates a look that was really getting old. Besides a new grille, the exterior gets nipped and tucked throughout to make it more aerodynamic, but new halogen projector headlamps and LED tail lights, new fog lights, new alloy wheels, and a slightly wider stance round out the rest of the crossover’s refreshed look.
The Interior Has Been Upgraded
Ford put a lot more effort into refreshing the interior. The traditional parking brake has been axed in favor of and an electronic switch, which clears up a lot of space on the center console for more useful storage cubbies. The steering wheel has also been tweaked so it’s easier to see the gauges behind it, and the buttons and switches on the steering wheel have also been made easier to use. In general, Ford wanted to make the interior more user-friendly. The Escape should also be be quieter from the inside, and ride comfort has also been improved.
The Escape Has A Lot of New Technology
In terms of technology, the Escape comes with a lot of it: adaptive cruise control with collision warning, faster USB charging ports, a heated steering wheel, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, driver alert system, and a parking assist that can both parallel and perpendicular park are all new for the 2017 model year. The Escape will still come with the hands-free liftgate, capless fuel filler, a rear view camera, blind spot monitoring, and the Sync3 infotainment system.
The Escape will also be the first Ford to have SYNC Connect, a system that works with an Apple or Android smartphone app to give a driver real-time updates on the car’s status. Using the app, a user can unlock or lock doors, start the engine, heat or cool the car, check fuel levels, and even remember where they parked.
Pricing for the 2017 Ford Escape will be announced closer to market launch.
11-16-15, 06:42 PM
MM Comparison: 2016 Ford Escape SE/Titanium AWDs
