2026 Ford Escape

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We tested the Escape ST-Line Elite with the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. This motor makes plenty of power, allowing it to easily squirt through traffic and accelerate up to highway speeds. In Edmunds' testing, our Escape covered 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds, which is better than rival small SUVs with an upgraded engine.

Unfortunately, the eight-speed automatic transmission shifts slowly and can be jerky with its upshifts. Downshifts are similar, and you'll feel multiple small shocks as you decelerate. Even the engine stop-start system bucks the Escape when it restarts the engine as you take your foot off the brake. It all feels terribly unrefined and like something that Ford should have fixed before putting the Escape on sale. The Escape's handling is disappointing too. It rolls a lot and has a ponderous feel as you go around turns.

The Escape's advanced driving aids work well, and almost all are standard. The lane centering feature works quite well on the highway, avoiding the "ping-ponging between the lanes" effect found on many rivals.

The Escape with the turbo 2.0-liter engine, which is what we tested, gets an EPA-estimated 26 mpg combined. This is better than other small SUVs with similarly potent engines. Though the estimates are stellar, our observed fuel economy with our test vehicle fell short of expectations. We averaged just 20.2 mpg in our own real-world testing.

Overall, we're happy with the level of comfort the Escape offers. The front seats are well shaped and have a pleasing amount of cushioning. The rear seats are also comfortable and provide a suitable amount of thigh support for adults. It's also fairly quiet at speed, with road noise the prevailing source of sound intrusion. A dual-zone climate control system is now on the options list. Unfortunately, ventilated front seats and heated rears remain unavailable on any Escape trim.

Got small kids? You'll like that the Escape's LATCH anchors are exposed and near the front of the seatback, so you shouldn't have any issues with installing safety seats. The tether anchors are located halfway down the back seats and are easily accessible via the gap between the headrest and seatback. There's also enough space to install a rear-facing child seat with little trouble.

The Escape has a cargo area that's a little smaller than most compact SUVs, at 33.5 cubic feet. We like the low floor and high seatbacks, affording you a lot of vertical storage space before luggage cuts into rear visibility. The rear seats don't fold flat, but the outboard seat belts can be disengaged from their seat holsters so there's no obstruction while loading cargo. Interior storage is much better, with large cubbies in the front and sizable door pockets in the back. All cupholders have anti-tip tabs, which is fairly uncommon in this vehicle class.

The Ford Escape's infotainment system is a highlight. The navigation setup is easy to use and quick to act, but oddly the newest version doesn't show you directional info when a point-of-interest search returns multiple locations (e.g., a Starbucks is 1 mile forward, or 0.5 mile to the left), as the pre-refresh version did. The standard six-speaker audio system is excellent for a base system, producing clear audio and punchy bass. The optional 10-speaker B&O system is even more impressive for this price class. Smartphone integration is excellent, and every model comes with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and plenty of power points throughout the cabin.

The Escape's interior has plenty of soft-touch plastics up front, while hard plastics are generally silver, gloss black or otherwise textured in a way that shows effort. The synthetic leather upholstery on lower trims is surprisingly convincing, though the genuine leather on our test vehicle was too stiff to be comfortable. The panel gaps are a little inconsistent and the interior door handles feel inexcusably cheap, but overall it's an appealing cabin for the price.

Ford's pricing is competitive with other small SUVs. Ford offers basic warranty coverage for three years/36,000 miles, with powertrain coverage and roadside assistance for five years/60,000 miles. All are average for the class.