Perhaps the best thing the 2012 Ford Escape has to offer is rugged looks. Like the eleven generations which have gone before it, the Escape inspires confidence in Ford’s reputation for reliability and safety; and with over a million Escapes on the road today, Ford must be doing something right.
The automobile media hasn’t exactly been crowing over the new Escape, saying that it brings nothing new to the SUV table. It looks the same, drives worse, and the interior has cheap-seat feel. Still, there’s something to be said for predictability. The Escape scores high in overall performance tests and, generally gets the nod for drive-ability. Because of its chassis, the Escape behaves more like a car on the road - a plus for anybody who has taken a vintage Blazer on a road trip. This is not your daddy’s SUV.
The 2012 Escape seats five and is available in three trim levels: the XLS, XLT and Limited. Base-models are powered (some say under-powered) by a 2.5-liter, 171 horsepower four cylinder with either a five-speed stick or six-speed automatic. EPA tells us that the new Escape equipped with FWD and the more fuel-efficient six-speed automatic gets 21-mpg city and 28 highway or 23 MPG combined. Not great, but not bad either when you compare it to other SUVs in its class. The Escape’s optional 3.0-liter, 240 hp V-6, rates 25 highway mpg and 21 combined. All-wheel drive cuts into the mpg, dropping it to 18 mpg in the city, 23 highway and 20 combined.
Technologically speaking, the 2012 Ford Escape has a nice array of high-tech toys, which may actually be the best thing about it. It comes with AM/FM, in-dash single CD player with CD MP3 playback stereo and auxiliary MP3 audio input. It has speed-sensitive volume control and is available with optional SYNC, which provides hands-free control of several functions using voice commands. SYNC will make your calls, control your music, alert you to traffic snarls and provide you with turn-by-turn directions to wherever you want to go.
Also in the technology department, the Escape offers Auto-Park – quite possibly Ford’s greatest innovation since the original Henry Ford was in charge of the company - which identifies and maneuvers itself into a parallel parking slot while all you have to do is look after the throttle and the brake.
This years Ford Escape doesn’t stack up well next to other cars in its class. It starts at $21,000 – a little pricier than other, ritzy compact crossovers. Ford will also be doing a tread-up redesign next year, so honestly, it’s probably better to wait for the 2013 model if your heart is truly set on a Ford Escape.
