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The 2022 Ford Escape offers a powertrain and a trim for any buyer including big power or outstanding fuel efficiency.
2022 Ford Escape – ford.com | Shop 2022 Ford Escape on Carsforsale.com
What’s new for the 2022 Ford Escape?
Ford has updated the 2022 Escape with three new blue colors including Iced, Flight, and Atlas. Aside from that, nothing changes over the 2021 Ford Escape model year.
The Breakdown
Awesome engines
Options for every buyer
Good safety tech
Not as nice as rivals
Numb handling
Vanilla in car form
2022 Escape Specs
- 181 horsepower from base engine
- 190 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 10 available trims
- 37.5 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- 65.4 cu-ft of cargo capacity with seats down
- Available 12.3″ gauge cluster
- NHTSA 5-Star Crash Test Rating
- 8-year hybrid component coverage
2022 Ford Escape Powertrain
Let’s talk about exactly what the Escape is, an economy car. It’s not really meant to be driven with a bunch of gusto or very far off-road. Nevertheless, when buyers tick the right boxes, they’ll find that it can do both of those things quite handily. The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine is properly quick for a car in this class thanks to its 250-horsepower. The chassis and frame are also well suited to a set of all-terrain tires and a beginner level trail should someone want to tackle them.
Now, let’s chat about what the Escape is really meant for, commuting and other normal daily tasks. For these, it’s outstanding regardless of which engine one might pick. The base 1.5-liter 181-horsepower three-cylinder is poky and a bit brash in the way it buzzes and delivers power. Nevertheless, it’s a testament to how good modern engines are. The hybrid and plug-in versions of the Escape use the same 200-horsepower four-cylinder combined with battery power to achieve up to 41mpg combined. The plug-in version can go up to 37-miles on electric power alone.
The only downside of the Escape is that it’s just not all that sharp and responsive beyond the engine itself. The body rolls quite a lot, the pedals, and steering wheel both provide fairly numb feedback, and the transmission can be a little jerky at times. Still, most of our dissatisfaction came when trying to do things in the Escape that it just wasn’t built to do.
2022 Ford Escape Fuel Economy & MPG
Ford offers a comprehensive trim lineup for the Escape and thanks to that mpg figures are all over the positive side of the map. The hybrid gets 41 mpg combined while the plug-in version sees that number drop to 40. The 2.0-liter motor scores 26 mpg combined and the 1.5-liter jumps up to 30 mpg at best.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
The Escape is a properly comfortable place to be. Tall or short you’ll have enough space inside of either row. The front seats are adjustable enough to make longer drives pretty easy too. Ride quality is good and Ford has done a nice job of ensuring that the Escape isn’t overly affected by poor road conditions. We do wish they had centered a little more attention on the quality of the materials used throughout the cabin. Sure, the Limited and SEL trims are nicely equipped with either leather or faux leather, but below that, things get a little spartan.
The dash, door cards, and seats themselves all feel cheaper than their price tag would suggest. Considering the quality of materials in some of the rivals that Ford is battling here, we’d like to see some improvements for 2023. Still, some features on top trims are fantastic like the big sunroof and the 12.3-inch driver information display. Utility is another highlight though and having almost 40 cubic-feet of cargo area in the back is clear evidence of that.
Entertainment & Technology
We’ve mentioned the big digital gauge cluster already but let’s focus in on what lower trimmed Escape owners can look forward to. The base model gets a very small 4.2-inch radio and that’s all. Above that, every other trim gets an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It’s pretty quick and we love how fast the Sync3 system connects to mobile devices. We also love the integrated application that allows owners to control certain aspects of the Escape including starting it remotely.
Back to those higher end models though, the Escape Titanium is a very nice place to be. It features real leather, a heads-up display for the driver, integrated navigation, and a 10-speaker premium audio system. The navigation system is especially impressive as it’s fast and very easy to use. Every Escape with the 8-inch infotainment system also gets Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
Safety Features
The NHTSA has given the Escape five stars in their crash tests. We also love that Ford equips every model with Co-Pilot 360, a suite of advanced driver safety aids. Those include blind-spot monitoring, forward collision mitigation, and lane-keep assist.
2022 Ford Escape Trims & Pricing
S – $26,010
The base 2022 Ford Escape is probably more of a fleet vehicle than anything else. We say that because it uses a 4.2-inch radio and not much else. What it does come with includes six speakers, a height adjustable steering wheel, 17-inch steel wheels, and an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot. Every Escape gets Co-Pilot360 which comes with lane departure warning, blind-spot warning, and forward collision mitigation. The base engine for most Escape trims is a three-cylinder 181-horsepower unit that drives the front wheels. All-wheel drive is also available.
SE – $27,495
Go for the SE and you’ll get an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as well as satellite radio. It also gets keyless entry and ignition, 17-inch alloy wheels, and chrome exterior trim.
SE Hybrid – $28,495
The Ford Escape SE Hybrid adds a 200-horsepower hybrid powertrain as well as a larger digital driver information display and dual-zone automatic climate control. A continuously variable transmission is the only transmission available with the hybrid or the plug-in version of the Escape.
SEL – $29,970
As it’s just one step below the top, the SEL is a well-equipped model that starts off with two packages that are available extras for the SE. They include the Convenience Package with its dual-zone automatic climate control, power-adjustable driver’s seat, upgraded headlights, and power liftgate. It also gets the Cold Weather package which includes heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated mirrors. Remote start, 18-inch wheels, roof rails, fog lights, faux leather upholstery, and parking sensors also get added to the Escape.
SEL Hybrid – $30,960
Go for the 2022 Ford Escape SEL Hybrid and you’ll get all of the same features as the regular SEL but with the fuel-sipping 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain.
Titanium Hybrid – $33,500
All-wheel-drive is a big draw for the Titanium Hybrid but a lot more is included too. This Escape gets 19-inch wheels, ambient interior lighting, a power-adjustable passenger’s seat, LED headlights and fog lights, as well as Co-Pilot360 Assist+ which includes adaptive cruise control, navigation, and lane-keeping assist.
SE PHEV – $33,540
The plug-in version of the Escape is a fantastic value for those who just need a little runabout. It can go up to 37-miles on electric power alone and does so with the help of a 221-horsepower powertrain and front-wheel drive. All-wheel-drive is not available on the plug-in models. Recharging can take anywhere from 3.3 to11 hours depending on the type of charging unit you use. It uses 18-inch wheels, and gets the same features from the gas-only SE model.
Titanium – $35,955
This version of the Titanium is identical in terms of features but uses the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 250-horsepower and all-wheel drive.
SEL PHEV – $36,275
This version of the Escape combines the SEL trim and its features with the hybrid plug-in powertrain.
Titanium PHEV – $38,785
Finally, this plug-in hybrid Escape Titanium model combines the hybrid drivetrain with the Titanium package but adds an automated parking feature to park the Escape with little if any driver intervention and it loses AWD.
Warranties
The Escape gets the same three year/36,000 mile limited warranty and five year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty as most of its rivals. It offers no complimentary maintenance either. Buyers who opt for one of the hybrid trims will get eight years/100,000 miles of coverage on hybrid components.
What we think
2022 Ford Escape – ford.com | Shop 2022 Ford Escape on Carsforsale.com
There’s little doubt that the 2022 Ford Escape is a versatile vehicle aimed at the average everyday person. It’s highly adaptable and can be had in just about any configuration one might need for regular driving. If you don’t need something bigger, smaller, or more sporty, the Escape is a great vehicle for the money.
