If you are on the ball, you will notice that in a straight line, there is less front to back pitching (we tend to call it porpoising) when going over an undulating road. Gong over a washboard is no big deal as the tail stays behind where it is supposed to. Uneven road surfaces don't upset the Escape, as it feels connected to the road at all times with good feedback coming up the steering wheel. You can still get a bit of a feeling for what is going on through the seat of your pants, but it is more difficult than it used to be.

Front Seat
Escape seats, particularly the two front buckets, are very comfortable. When set comfortably, you should be able to sit for hours and watch the world go by. Legroom is good and the seat has a full range of adjustments. How much is power adjustable depends on the trim level you choose. In the driver's seat, Escape makes life real easy with large easy-to-read instruments that are well illuminated at night. Once you get used to the layout of the switches and controls, which takes about a day, you are ready to go get groceries or to go across the country.

Legroom is good and the seat has a full range of adjustments.

Back Seat
If you are relegated to the back seat, you A) are not the one making the payments and B) going to have an OK ride. Ford says that three will fit across the rear, but I would think more like two kids and a referee. Full-size adults like me are going to fit much better when there are just two.

As an SUV, the roofline stays up nice and high so headroom is just not an issue for most of us. Legroom is pretty good, but if the front seat is back too far legroom gets a bit tight and getting in and out does require a bit of unfolding.

Tires
Off-road ability of the Escape is tire limited. Ford has chosen to put street tires on as OEM and if the farthest you'll go off road is your driveway, they will be fine. If you have to do some serious driving away from pavement or gravel roads, you should consider having an extra set of "normal" tires and expect a slight drop in fuel economy.

Conclusion
Other than that one concern, the Escape can put a grin on my face, is agile enough to keep me out of trouble in town and frugal enough so that I can afford to drive it. That means it is worth a test drive if you are shopping for a new compact SUV.


Photo Credit : Charles Renny