ford escape
Escape flees to sharper-looking better-handling life
7/7/2013
My daughter, a devoted Jeep Liberty girl who fell in love with the bug-eyed generation, was disappointed when Liberty evolved into a bigger, boxier model.
No surprise that the boxier Escape - some called it the mini-Expedition - never appealed to her much, either.
Perhaps I'll introduce her to the completely redesigned 2013 Ford Escape, which went the other way and dropped the boxy look for a leaner, sleeker crossover-like stature.
In fact, the new Escape is everything the last generation was not.
For starters, it's 2.8 inches longer and 1.3 inches wider, and that means more room inside. But it's also 1.6 inches less tall and has softer lines, which gives it a smoother, sleeker look.
Perhaps to no one's surprise, it shares its underpinnings with a crossover, the European Ford Kuga. And that crossover connection translates to improved driving dynamics and comfort.
It's a firmer ride and sportier, Ford folks say, because that is what drivers wanted.
Escape also has left behind the V-6. Three 4-cylinders now make up the power choices. A 2.5-liter engine from last year is what you get on the base model. It gets 168 horsepower and 167 pound-feet of torque.
More interesting is a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-4 that puts out 178 horses and 184 pound-feet of torque. And, more fun than that, is the third member of this power group: a 2.0-liter inline-4 that gets 270 horses and 270 foot-pounds of torque. It's optional on the middle two trims, standard on the top-of-the-line Titanium. No hybrid this year.
The turbo engine offered plenty of pep and power in all sorts of situations. Even passing on an upgrade gave me everything I needed.
Corners are assisted with a Curve Control system that brakes the inside wheels if you head in too fast.
All distribute power with a smooth-shifting 6-speed automatic transmission. You can take control with manual buttons on the shifter, but why
7/7/2013
My daughter, a devoted Jeep Liberty girl who fell in love with the bug-eyed generation, was disappointed when Liberty evolved into a bigger, boxier model.
No surprise that the boxier Escape - some called it the mini-Expedition - never appealed to her much, either.
Perhaps I'll introduce her to the completely redesigned 2013 Ford Escape, which went the other way and dropped the boxy look for a leaner, sleeker crossover-like stature.
In fact, the new Escape is everything the last generation was not.
For starters, it's 2.8 inches longer and 1.3 inches wider, and that means more room inside. But it's also 1.6 inches less tall and has softer lines, which gives it a smoother, sleeker look.
Perhaps to no one's surprise, it shares its underpinnings with a crossover, the European Ford Kuga. And that crossover connection translates to improved driving dynamics and comfort.
It's a firmer ride and sportier, Ford folks say, because that is what drivers wanted.
Escape also has left behind the V-6. Three 4-cylinders now make up the power choices. A 2.5-liter engine from last year is what you get on the base model. It gets 168 horsepower and 167 pound-feet of torque.
More interesting is a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-4 that puts out 178 horses and 184 pound-feet of torque. And, more fun than that, is the third member of this power group: a 2.0-liter inline-4 that gets 270 horses and 270 foot-pounds of torque. It's optional on the middle two trims, standard on the top-of-the-line Titanium. No hybrid this year.
The turbo engine offered plenty of pep and power in all sorts of situations. Even passing on an upgrade gave me everything I needed.
Corners are assisted with a Curve Control system that brakes the inside wheels if you head in too fast.
All distribute power with a smooth-shifting 6-speed automatic transmission. You can take control with manual buttons on the shifter, but why