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10 Things You Need To Know About The 2015 Ford Escape

Benjamin Hunting
by Benjamin Hunting
April 17, 2015
4 min. Reading Time
2014 Ford Escape Titanium ・  Photo by Benjamin Hunting

2014 Ford Escape Titanium ・ Photo by Benjamin Hunting

The 2015 Ford Escape is the latest addition to a lineage of compact SUVs that have proven to be strong sellers with American families. Small enough on the outside to park almost anywhere, yet large enough inside to be useful in a variety of different situations, the Ford Escape has a history of fitting into almost anyone's lifestyle with ease. Throw in the fact that it's affordable in entry-level trim and fairly luxurious at the high end, and the versatility of this small crossover is hard to overstate.

Let's take a look at 10 things you need to know about the 2015 Ford Escape.

1. The 2015 Ford Escape Is Family Friendly

One of the reasons most families make the leap from a compact car to a compact SUV is to take advantage of the additional interior room that this class of vehicle promises. In this respect, the 2015 Ford Escape doesn’t disappoint: in addition to offering generous accommodations up front, the Escape is also gifted with a second row of seating that makes transporting even five adults a relatively painless task. It doesn't hurt that the rear row can recline to improve everyone's comfort, and that headroom is also class competitive no matter where you sit in the Ford.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

2. The 2015 Ford Escape Offers Enormous Cargo Space

The 2015 Ford Escape isn't just well-suited for hauling passengers around. The Ford Escape's 68.1 cubic feet of total cargo space is second only to the Toyota RAV4 (70 cubic feet) and Honda CR-V (70.9 cubic feet), and exactly half of that room - 34.3 cubes, in fact - is usable even with the rear row of seating in place. It's easy enough to access the Escape's cargo compartment, too, thanks to an available feature that lets you pop the hatch simply by waving your foot under the SUV's rear bumper.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

3. The 2015 Ford Escape Comes With A Pair Of Turbocharged Engines

The 2015 Ford Escape provides a pair of EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engines for those seeking a high tech drivetrain under the hood. The Ford Escape's 1.6-liter unit produces 178 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, while a more robust 2.0-liter mill can also be counted on to generate 240 horses and 270 lb-ft of twist. The latter is mighty enough to scoot the SUV to 60-mph from a standing start in just seven seconds, and each engine is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

4. The 2015 Ford Escape Is Still Offered With A Value-Oriented Engine

Not everyone is interested in EcoBoosting around town, and in recognition of this fact the entry-level edition of the 2015 Ford Escape comes standard with a naturally-aspirated, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. The 2.5-liter motor produces a respectable 168 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque, and it, too is shifted via a six-speed automatic transmission. The only real caveat in sticking with the base Ford Escape is that all-wheel drive isn't available with the 2.5-liter motor (although if you don't live in a northern climate this might not be much of a deal-breaker).

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

5. The 2015 Ford Escape Makes All-Wheel Drive Optional

If you do opt for an EcoBoost-powered version of the 2015 Ford Escape, you can choose to chip in for all-wheel drive as a traction-adding option. The Ford Escape isn't really intended to head off-road, despite the presence of taller-than-average ground clearance. Instead, its all-wheel drive system is there to help keep the SUV stable should pavement conditions start to get slippery because of ice, snow, or rain. Primarily a front-wheel drive-focused system, if wheel spin is detected at the forward axle the AWD Escape will shuttle torque to the rear wheels within milliseconds to prevent a loss of control.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

6. The 2015 Ford Escape Is Reasonably Fuel Efficient

The 2015 Ford Escape combines its big practicality with relatively small fuel consumption. It starts with the base 2.5-liter engine, which is good for 22-mpg in stop and go driving and 31-mpg on the highway, and stretches up to the 1.6-liter EcoBoost motor and its rating of 23-mpg around town and 32-mpg on the highway. Finally, the mighty 240 horsepower, 2.0-liter EcoBoost delivers 22-mpg city and 30-mpg during highway cruising. In our experience, the bottom and middle rungs of the Ford Escape's drivetrain ladder easily replicate their EPA numbers in real world driving while the 1.6-liter motor has a more difficult time achieving the same feat.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

7. The 2015 Ford Escape Features Three Trim Levels

The entry-level Ford Escape S offers air conditioning, cruise control, 17-inch steel wheels, a CD player, Bluetooth connectivity, a rearview camera, keyless entry, power windows and door locks, and the SYNC voice command system. Stepping up to the Ford Escape SE introduces a power driver's seat, nicer cloth upholstery throughout the vehicle, satellite radio, tinted rear windows, and 17-inch alloy rims, while the range-topping Escape Titanium provides power leather seats (heated up front), 18-inch wheels, keyless ignition, ambient lighting inside the vehicle, the MyFord Touch infotainment system, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual automatic climate control, and parking assistance.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

8. The 2015 Ford Escape Provides Extensive Optional Equipment

If you'd like to upgrade your 2015 Ford Escape a la carte, then you'll have no trouble doing so via the SUV's long list of available options. The Escape S lets you install parking assistance and tinted windows (and adds a remote starter), but the SE trim bundles together a number of features in the Convenience package (parking assistance, dual automatic climate control, MyFord Touch, louder stereo system) and the Leather Comfort package (heated front seats, leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel). The Titanium introduces the Technology package (HID headlights, automatic windshield wipers, additional safety gear, automated parallel parking), and, like the SE, lets you add a panoramic sunroof and a navigation system.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

9. The 2015 Ford Escape Boasts Advanced Safety Gear

The 2015 Ford Escape provides a number of advanced safety features, including a blind spot warning system that monitors either side of the vehicle for unseen traffic (and also functions when reversing the SUV out of a parking space). In addition to this optional driver's aide, all versions of the Ford Escape come with MyKey, which is a feature that allows parents to set a maximum vehicle speed as well as limit the stereo's volume when lending the car out to their teenage drivers. MyKey can even mute the audio system until seatbelts are buckled, which is a virtual guarantee that your brood will comply with the required safety precautions out on the road.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

10. The 2015 Ford Escape Is Competitively Priced

The 2015 Ford Escape starts at an MSRP of $22,960, which makes it almost $1,000 cheaper than a comparably-equipped Toyota RAV4 and $500 less expensive than an entry-level Honda CR-V. The value equation becomes more pronounced at the top end of the scale, for while the $29,245 base price of the Ford Escape Titanium isn't dramatically cheaper than its Japanese competitors, it does offer a much more powerful engine - an important point given that neither the CR-V and RAV4 offer any under the hood upgrades even when ordered in their priciest configurations.

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