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The 2019 Ford Escape is one of Ford's best-selling SUVs. It hits the above average on being fun-to-drive while having the ability to haul what you need.
2019 Ford Escape – media.ford.com | Shop Ford Escape on Carsforsale.com
What’s New for the 2019 Ford Escape
Ford has made the Sync 3 infotainment system standard on every trim except the S. It comes with keyless entry, a push-button start, and one-touch up and down power windows. The 2019 Ford Escape also gets a nice-looking optional Sport Appearance package that’s available on the SEL. It has 19-inch black-painted wheels, blacked-out trim, and sporty two-toned seats. All-wheel drive is an option on the 2019 Ford Escape.
The Breakdown
Handles great on the road
Provides a quiet ride
2.0-liter EcoBoost engine is nice
Appealing exterior design
Not a lot of standard safety assists
2019 Escape Specs
- 168 horsepower from base engine
- 170 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 4 available trims
- 39.2 cu-ft. of cargo capacity
- 68 cu-ft. of cargo capacity with seats down
- Towing capacity of 3,500 lbs
2019 Ford Escape Powertrain
The 2019 Ford Escape’s base engine is a noisy and uninspired 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that uses everyday driving basics. Unfortunately, it’s somewhat overwhelmed by the Escapes size and, although it gets you from point A to B, you’ll want a little more.
The SE is a better value with its 1.5-liter EcoBoost powerplant, although you’ll deal with some turbo lag. Once going, it’s a responsive engine. The Escape also has the 2.0-liter EcoBoost that is much better than either of the other options. The 2.0-liter, which isn’t having to work hard and comes with substantial power, is easier to drive around town with adequate acceleration when passing.
Once you get driving, you’ll appreciate the ride, handling, and quietness of the 2019 Ford Escape. Ford has done an excellent job with the Escape’s ride, and it feels better than its Ford Edge family member. Its handling is competitive with the Mazda CX-5 and it’s much better than the Chevrolet Equinox or Jeep Cherokee.
We appreciate its quick and communicative steering, but we’re still wanting more from the lower trim engines. However, with the 245 horsepower 2.0-liter, you’ll have the power to spare.
2019 Ford Escape Fuel Economy & MPG
If experience with the 2019 Ford Edge with its “EcoBoost” engine is any indication, we can tell you that the 2019 Ford Escape will struggle to get the EPA-rated gas mileage of up to 23 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. This is because Ford, like other automakers, has used four-cylinder turbos to replace larger V6 engine options.
In theory, you’ll get the same or better performance with better gas mileage. However, our experience is that you’ll get better performance, but use a heavy foot on the turbo using more gas. That, plus the 4-cylinder having to pull around weight, will make fuel mileage suffer accordingly.
We feel that owners might be reaching highway mileage that is more around 23 mpg instead of the EPA rated 30 mpg. But, if you’re frugal and not in a hurry, your miles per gallon of gas may be much better.
Towing & Payload
The 2019 Ford Escape can do some towing when you have the appropriate tow package. With the right engine, you can tow up to 3500 pounds. This capability opens up the possibility of hauling everything from motorcycles to camping trailers. We should mention that owners have complained about the weak brakes of the Escape, so be aware if you will regularly tow.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
Although the base engine choices may cause some struggle, the 2019 Ford Escape excels when it comes to comfort. Even the S trim provides an excellent environment to drive in. There are some rough points here and there, and plastics aren’t entirely up to the standards we see in brands like Honda, but the S still provides excellent seats and a well-designed dash layout.
As you move up to higher trim levels, the quality increases, and so does the price. With its leather and convenience items, the top-of-the-line Titanium makes for an excellent long-distance tourer. However, from a functional view, it’s loaded no better than the S. All trims have a sporty dashboard based on the stylish Ford Focus. It even gives the S model some style. We do feel that the SE is your best value though. It has the same storage capabilities and enough conveniences like dual-climate control to serve as a perfect family runabout.
Since the Ford Escape is a smaller SUV, you would expect that it would struggle to swallow up cargo. Instead, you’ll find a very generous 34 cubic feet of space behind the second row and when folded flat, it expands to 68 cubic feet. Compared to the Honda CR-V, which has a top-ranked 78 cubic feet when the rear seat is down, the Escape seems a little lacking. But in the compact SUV class, the Escape bats above average with its amount of cargo space and is more spacious than the Equinox and on par with the Nissan Rogue or Toyota RAV4.
Entertainment & Technology
The base 2019 Ford Escape S comes with Ford’s older SYNC system and, although it has a decent-sounding stereo, some settings, and a basic USB connection, that’s about it. You won’t have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on the S, and the 4.5-inch screen isn’t touch-capable.
If you want the latest Ford technology for the Escape, you’ll need to bypass the S trim and move up to the SE. Ford’s SYNC 3 is standard on the SE, SEL, and Titanium trims. Models with SYNC 3 are paired with an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capabilities. Ford also offers a sweet-sounding Sony ten-speaker system that fills this little SUV with concert sound if you spend more money for the Titanium trim.
Safety Features
The 2019 Ford Escape didn’t do very well in the IIHS tests, received a four out of five stars for an overall score, and picked up a poor rating in the small overlap frontal crash test. However, the Escape received 5-stars with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Like many US manufacturers, Ford makes you pay for safety assists. Unfortunately, the S model can’t get safety assists even if you wanted to pay extra. So, you have to start with the SE to obtain the privilege to pay more for Ford’s optional Safe and Smart package. The only standard safety assists are blind-spot monitoring and reverse parking sensors in the Titanium. Otherwise, if you don’t pay a considerable amount of money, you can’t get what is currently standard in some of the competition.
2019 Ford Escape Trims & Pricing
S -$29,995
Ford’s 168 horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder powers the 2019 Ford Escape S base trim. This trim option also has front-wheel drive as the standard option. The Escape S comes standard with a basic SYNC Enhanced Voice Recognition Communication and Entertainment System with a 4.5-inch screen.
SE – $33,300
The 2019 Ford Escape SE trades in the 2.5-liter normally aspirated engine to get the 179-horsepower 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine with Ford’s six-speed transmission. Convenience features like dual-zone climate control and power-adjustable driver’s seat are added and make the SE a great value. Unfortunately, the excellent SYNC 3 infotainment system is an $800 option.
SEL – $38,760
The 2019 Ford Escape SEL joined the Escape family in 2018 to give buyers ActiveX leatherette seats and some previously optional features. Included are the standard SYNC 3 infotainment system and a power liftgate.
Titanium – $42,355
The 2019 Ford Escape Titanium includes everything from the SEL and adds Sony’s ten-speaker audio system and standard safety assists. However, should you want the 245 horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, you can only have it as an option on the Titanium.
Warranties
The 2019 Ford Escape gets the same marginally acceptable 3 years or 36,000 miles limited warranty and 5 years or 60,000 on the powertrain. That pretty much as basic as you can get. And, adding insult to injury, they don’t provide the complimentary scheduled maintenance you’ll find with Toyota and Hyundai. If anything, you’d think manufacturers would provide complimentary maintenance to get you back to the dealership.
What we think
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Even with 2020 bringing a new Escape, we still think the 2019 Ford Escape is a fine choice for daily travels. As long as you stay away from the S trim and add the safety option package, you’ll be satisfied with this fun and highly functional compact SUV.
