The crossover has a number of advantages over other popular vehicle types. They’re more spacious and have more cargo volume than sedans, and they tend to go easier on fuel than large SUVs and pickup trucks. They hit a kind of sweet spot that ends up being just right for a lot of people. With so many automakers trying to cash in on that popularity, the crossover segment is brimming with steep competition.
Why consider a Ford Escape for sale when there are so many good options out there to choose from? It’s all about finding that sweet spot. Even within just the crossover segment, there’s enough variety to find the vehicle that suits a driver just right with the perfect-for-them concoction of things like performance, style, space, and comfort. The 2022 Ford Escape has the edge over the competition in a few different ways. It’s got unique styling, a wide range of trims and powertrains, and great safety features that come standard. On top of that, its combination of fuel economy and cargo space earns the SUV a competitive spot in the market.
Styling
We so often see crossovers with angular, aggressive styling that has become the norm in the car industry, which seems like an odd choice for a crossover. Then again, it is a popular look. If you don’t want to drive yourself or your family around in something that has aggressive features, the 2022 Ford Escape offers a great alternative. With its clean, bubbly aesthetic, there aren’t any other vehicles on the market that look quite like it. It has a black, smile-mouth-shaped grille, which is upgraded to chrome on the Escape Titanium Plug-In.
There’s nothing wrong with the mean styling embraced by competing automakers. Those sharp angles and hard-looking edges have certainly found their way to the hearts of many. The friendlier packaging of the 2022 Escape is a nice change of pace, and it’s comfortable to boot. The Explorer has a 104 cu.ft. of passenger space available and up to 65.4 cu.ft. available for cargo space.
Versatility
One of the best things about the 2022 Ford Escape is the array of options it offers prospective buyers. With ten different trims and starting MSRPs in the range of $27,185 to $40,700, there’s a lot of flexibility, allowing drivers to find the right combination of comfort and price. The base model Escape S is the most affordable but still comes standard with several safety features and smart cargo capabilities in the form of second-row sliding seats with a 60/40 split. On the other hand, the lineup-topping Titanium Hybrid comes standard with features like adaptive cruise control and a hands-free power liftgate, as well as trim-exclusive styling elements. The eight trims in between have their own combination of standard features, making it easy for drivers to find a good fit for their budget.
The versatility of the 2022 Escape goes beyond varying comfort features offered across ample trim options; different kinds of powertrain options are part of the package too. It is offered in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive, and it comes with hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and turbocharged gasoline engines. This versatility again translates to increased options for drivers.
Many of us are trying to cut down on money spent at the pump, so it’s great that the 2022 Escape has a plug-in option so people can charge up at home, too. Of course, owning a plug-in hybrid isn’t feasible for everyone, and that’s where the hybrid Escape comes in. Then again, maybe the hybrid SUV doesn’t fit in the budget. There are always the 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter EcoBoost engines, which aren’t too gas thirsty, either.
A lot of automakers have their own options for hybrid, all-wheel drive, plug-in hybrid, etc. However, these options don’t necessarily come in the package of a single model. The Escape’s varying powertrains make it so brand enthusiasts can get exactly what they want out of a vehicle.
Fuel Economy
For an SUV, the 2022 Escape is about as fuel efficient as they come, even in the compact segment. The non-hybrid Escape with the best fuel economy will be of the front-wheel drive persuasion, getting 28 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway for the smaller 1.5-liter three-cylinder. The all-wheel drive version gets 26 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway. These numbers stand up pretty well to comparably-sized competitors. The 2022 Volvo XC40, for example, gets 23 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway when equipped with front-wheel drive, and the 2022 Mazda CX-30 gets 22 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway from its turbocharged engine.
The hybrid and plug-in hybrid Escapes require less gasoline than their turbocharged counterparts. The 2.5-liter hybrid with front-wheel drive gets 44 MPG in the city and 37 MPG on the highway, with efficiency only dropping slightly in the all-wheel drive version, getting instead 43 MPG in the city and 37 MPG on the highway. The 2.5-liter plug-in hybrid powertrain is the most efficient by far, getting 105 MPGe.
Safety Features
Another arena where the 2022 Ford Escape shines is safety. Ford has implemented a comprehensive suite of safety features across all models, dubbed Ford Co-Pilot 360. It includes the following driver assistance features:
Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection: detects potential front-end collisions as well as pedestrians and alerts the driver to a possible collision so they can take proper action. If needed, emergency braking will kick in to help avoid the impact or lessen its severity.
Blind Spot Information with Cross Traffic Alert: uses radar to monitor vehicles’ passing in your blind spot and alerts the driver with indicators located on the side mirrors. Cross Traffic Alert comes in handy when backing out of a space in a parking lot—it alerts the driver of any traffic traveling behind them that may be difficult to see.
Lane-Keeping System: helps the driver maintain the vehicle within the lane by vibrating the steering wheel if the vehicle gets too close to lane markings, using gentle steering if needed to get it back on the right course.
Auto High-Beam Headlamps: the vehicle’s brights will automatically switch on and off in accordance with light and traffic conditions. This system can be very helpful on long stretches of road.
More advanced features start to pile on higher-end trims, but these are the standard features that come on even the base-model Escape S. By making the Ford Co-Pilot 360 suite standard on all vehicles, Ford has shown that they prioritize safety. Most automakers don’t have such comprehensive safety suites on their base model vehicles, forcing drivers to either level up the trim line or pay extra for driver assistance features.
A Cut Above
It’s not easy standing out in the crossover segment. With so much stiff competition, automakers are working harder and harder to keep up in this space. The 2022 Ford Escape cuts through the noise by being able to offer something for so many different people, all while keeping a focus on characteristics that are universally demanded, like safety and efficiency.
