2025 Ford Escape Consumer Reviews
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Active (Most Popular) - $29,895 MSRP
Edmunds suggests you pay
$28,43360 for sale near you
Prices based on sales in VA thru 4/14/25
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2025 Escape, so we've included reviews for other years of the Escape since its last redesign.
Perfect Hybrid
Joe S., 01/28/2024
updated 07/30/2024
2024 Ford Escape ST-Line Elite 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid EVT)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
I have a 2024 Ford Escape St-Line AWD. Excellent mileage, solid, comfortable, quiet and well laid out interior. The transisition between hybrid and gas powered is seamless. Put your foot into it and you can merge, pass or enter an expressway quickly and safely. Drive it smartly and you can get north of 45 MPG..
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24 Escape st line 1.5 Burning/sulfur Smell
Blackjac24, 04/27/2024
2024 Ford Escape ST-Line 4dr SUV AWD (1.5L 3cyl Turbo 8A)
31 of 35 people found this review helpful
I just bought my 24 Escape on April 12, 24 I was driving to my parents house and the check engine light came on with a burning smell at 188 miles. Took car in the next day. They kept it for 1 day said they reprogrammed the module and couldn't duplicate the burning oil smell. Picked it up drove out to my parent the smell was still there and it fills the inside of the car. No check engine light but now there is a different dash light (back of car with slash through and lightning bolts on the ground). Took it back in after driving the car for a while to make sure they could smell it. Kept it for 2 days and said the battery wasn't charging right or something like that( no final paperwork was received) and they couldn't find the burning smell. The smell is now sulfur/burning smell and it sometimes starts earlier than 30 minutes and sometimes longer than 30 minutes. But it comes through the vents of the car. I have tried closing the vents, opening the windows, the smell is outside too. The dealer service says its just new car smell. I have owned enough cars in my life to know the difference of something burning/sulfur smell and new car smell. I am pretty sure the outside isn't supposed to smell like new car smell. The strongest smell is directly over the transmission, and around the car but mostly in the drivers side front, then it comes through the vents. This is one of the worst cars I have owned, I get sick every time I drive it. I will continue to take it in until someone believes me and helps me figure out what's wrong with this car.
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2025 Ford Escape for sale near you
3 of 112 listings
- Active 4dr SUVMSRP: $29,49085 mi away
- Active 4dr SUVMSRP: $29,64568 mi away
- Active 4dr SUVMSRP: $29,83574 mi away
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Awful Transmission Ruins Entire Vehicle
Noaccount71, 02/21/2024
2024 Ford Escape ST-Line Elite 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
16 of 19 people found this review helpful
Purchased new 2024 ST-Line Elite in Western Chicago subs a few weeks ago. Dealer was good to deal with so I won't throw them under the bus here. Outside looks sharp, interior is average. Front seats lack decent side bolstering, which means on corners you must lean into the turn or its awkward and unsettling. Seat heating on low is too hot, I'd hate to use high setting. While the steering wheel does have volume control, it doesn't have on/off for audio. You must lean awkwardly down, forward and to the right to push the on/off button which is almost in the passenger leg area or search the touchscreen, which is at least 3 levels deep to find. The 2.0 engine is very peppy, assuming the transmission cooperates. When the transmission is cold or in a mood, it has great difficulty shifting around 2nd/3rd/4th gears. Read somewhere that it doesn't actually use 3rd gear given this transmission is a bastardized GM 9-speed, but don't know this for sure. The issue is what experts and the Internet call 'low-speed surging'. It can be very severe. Leaving for work this morning on the second turn the engine hit 6k rpm with no engagement with the transmission. I had to let off, then on, then off, and back on the accelerator before it actually found a gear and sent power to the wheels. Meanwhile the person behind me was probably wondering what was wrong with me and the 3-cylinder Honda in front of me left me in the dust. I've read that this is a known issue with the Ford 8F35 transmission, which in the Escape. I had a 2013 Ford Escape and it had some transmission oddities as well, but not as bad as the 2024 Escape. I contacted my Ford dealer, but expect given what I've read for them to state its normal and Ford to ignore. This will be my last Ford ever and I will be trading in before the 3 year bumper-to-bumper warranty expires. If Ford can't design a decent transmission after a decade of constant issues and service bulletins that don't resolve peoples issues, I know the rest of the car will likely have issues as well. I should have bought the Honda CRV...
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Looks of a compact SUV, the power of a sports car
FusionPilot, 08/09/2024
updated 02/10/2025
2024 Ford Escape Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
Replaced a 2013 Ford Fusion with this 2024 Ford Escape Platinum 2.0 L eco-boost 250 HP engine. This is my first SUV and I am very happy with the vehicle. It’s not perfect but it checks all the boxes. The really good - the 2L turbo 4 banger is amazing. 250 HP in this little car makes it a wolf in sheep’s sheet metal. The 8 speed is smooth and best of all, it’s not a slush-box CVT. Deciding you don’t want a CVT eliminates about half the potential compact SUV choices. The electronics are excellent. I have to admit they take some time to learn, but as I become increasingly familiar with them I really like Ford’s SYNC 4. The available drive modes - sport, slippery, normal, and economy really change the driving dynamics. Sport in particular makes the car even more exciting by making the accelerator more responsive, changing the shift points and making this hot hatch even hotter. Gas mileage is impressive - in mixed driving I am getting 25 MPG, compared to 19 or so in the Fusion I previously had. And the Fusion also sported a 2L eco-boost, so I’m guessing the 8 speed is contributing to that. And the 10 speaker B&O audio system is excellent, again comparing it to the 6 speaker Sony system in the Fusion. Finally I find the car one of the quietest vehicles I have ever owned. At normal highway cruise speeds there is little or no wind or road noise at all. The good - seats, seating position, steering and brakes are fine. I don’t share the negative feelings expressed by some other reviewers. The looks of the vehicle are also attractive, having been updated in 2023. The things they missed - there is no “global window open/close” that other Fords have. Why, Ford? It’s just software after all! The big display is great but the map appears in washed-out colors that make it difficult to see when underway. It’s helpful to be able to glance at the map to gauge where a turn is coming, or where a street intersection is; that is much safer than looking around in all directions while driving. Finally, the transition from a sedan to the SUV means a much higher seating position, and I find myself driving 10 to 15 MPH faster without realizing it - you have to be careful there! All in all I am very happy with my purchase. UPDATE February 2025 It's been a trouble-free six months with the Escape. Everything is working as it is supposed to; I have no complaints about fit and finish, reliability, and as-delivered condition. I continue to be impressed with the engine and despite its peppy performance, the gas mileage continues to be in the mid-20s in mixed driving. Several minor things that may be the "nature of the beast" I have noticed. When you have Apple Car Play connected, the Ford Sync system will not place calls. You have to use Siri and the Apple system. That's not necessarily bad but I got used to the simple "Phone" command in the earlier Sync system in my Fusion, and I think this system is a bit more complicated. It's a car, after all, not a living room full of hi-fi and intelligent speakers. Keep it simple, folks! The map contrast is still a point I would address - either make the background color different or increase the color of the roads and markers. I've learned to live with it, but it could be better. Comparing it to the earlier Fusion, the Fuze was definitely easer to read with a quick glance while you are driving. Inside the car on the visor there is a placard about rollover risk, noting that the Escape's higher CG makes it more prone to instability in radical maneuvers. I have never sensed any such tendency to over-lean or not comply with turns and even quick movements in traffic when some other driver intrudes on your lane. I suppose technically it is less stable than a low-slung sports car, but if you truly "drive" this vehicle rather than "aim" it, you get a feel for the dynamics and it is plenty stable. A driver should be able to sense the willingness of a vehicle to handle and not be tempted to push it past its limits. The Escape is fine in this department. If I had a magic wand and could have Ford do anything I wanted, I'd ask them to extend the rear of the vehicle about 12". It would dramatically alter the load-capacity, especially with the back seats up. Frankly, I miss the deep trunk of the Fusion and have had several occasions when things were too long and had to be shoe-horned in. However in fairness, the height of the rear compartment is light-years ahead of the sedan, and takes tall things without complaint that would not fit in a three-box sedan. I truly dislike the automatic stop-start system, and turn it off whenever I get in the car. It's a shame that the driver can't permanently switch it off - but that is not a complaint about Ford; it is apparently the same thing with all vehicles. Other than the map contrast I mentioned earlier, the screen, the driver's display, and the HUD are excellent, provide useful information, and are easy to adjust (after you get some familiarity). I don't understand why some reviewers have commented negatively about the HVAC controls at the bottom of the screen. I find them intuitive and responsive, and am very happy with all the electronics in general. Ford gets credit for some significant improvements in driver assist items, compared to earlier vehicles (and my earlier Fusion). They absolutely nailed the automatic high beams, keeping the highway well illuminated while automatically dimming for oncoming traffic. The system is flawless. The "Coast to Coast Lightbar" across the hood makes you easily noticed even in daylight. My subjective experience is that people are not pulling out in front of me as much as they did in the Fusion. You are well lit up and easy to see for traffic. That's a big safety plus in my opinion. All in all with over 6 months' experience I am very, very happy with this vehicle. It's not perfect, but it's fun to drive, versatile, and a pleasant experience, even on a trip of several hundred miles. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.
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Not quite there yet!
CSmith, 03/25/2024
2024 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid EVT)
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
Overall I like the vehicle but it does has some issues that they need to work on. Automatic speed sign recognition is terrible as it reads every speed limit sign including ones not meant for you like it sees a 70mph and speeds you up to that then 20’ feet later it sees the truck limit then immediately slows you down to that when that is not the limit for cars and suvs. The side mirrors reflect the door handles and you constantly think there is something on the mirrors. Quality issues abound with Ford still like rear bumper was missing screws. Interior has a lot of cheap materials.
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