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Identifying the First-Gen Ford Mustang2025 Ford Escape Review
Ford’s compact SUV offers six trim options, a great Sync4 infotainment system, and three different engine options to maximize your driving experience.
2025 Ford Escape – ford.com | Shop 2025 Ford Escape on Carsforsale.com
What is New for the 2025 Ford Escape?
The fourth-generation Ford Escape is a compact SUV whose current generation launched in 2020. The Escape enters the fray with minor updates over last year, drivetrain choices galore, solid features, and six trims to choose from in 2025.
The Escape is one of Ford’s bread-and-butter vehicles and has been since its debut in 2001. Though not much new apart from a few minor options packages come in 2025, the Escape is doubling down on what’s made its fourth generation succeed. With the titanic task of fighting the CR-V, RAV4, and Rogue, the addition of optional AWD across the range might pay real dividends.
Carsforsale.com Score
8.6/10
Powertrain
Score
8.5/10
Interior
Score
8.5/10
Technology
Score
8.75/10
Value
Score
8/10
The Breakdown
Not bad looking for a crossover
Good fuel economy across the range
Spacious Interior
Expensive on the high-end
Not the best warranty
A decent little SUV
Ford Escape Specs
- 180 horsepower from base engine
- 199 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 6 available trims
- 37.3 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- 65.4 cu-ft of cargo capacity with seats down
- Five-star safety rating
- Three-year, 36,000-mile basic warranty
- Five-year, 60,000-mile powertrain warranty
2025 Ford Escape Drivetrain 8.5/10
The Escape offers a few different options for powertrains. Starting with the entry-level Escape Active , a 1.5-liter turbo three-cylinder engine from the EcoBoost family makes it unique from the rest of the range. It’s paired with an eight-speed transmission and makes a respectable 181 horsepower.
Moving up the range, the ST-Line family of trims, as well as the swanky Platinum trim, share the option of a two-liter turbo EcoBoost four-pot making 250 horsepower or a hybrid powertrain with a 2.5-liter, 192-horsepower I4 with a 1.1 kWh battery hybrid system. In hybrid getup, you get Ford’s own brand of PowerSplit CVT.
In terms of actual MPGs, the base performs well with 33 MPGs on the highway and 27 in the city in front-wheel drive getup and 30 combined. The 2.0 four-cylinder engine nets you 23 MPG in the city and 31 on the highway, and the normal hybrid improves on that with 44 MPG in the city and 37 on the highway.
Alternatively, if max efficiency is what’s required, a 163-horsepower Atkinson cycle plug-in hybrid drivetrain based on the standard hybrid’s architecture nets you 42 MPGs in the city and 37 on the highway. In straight-electric mode, you’ll get 37 miles of range before you need to charge up. Not bad for a PHEV, but it’s still better suited to supplementing the engine most of the time.
All-wheel-drive is optional on the base trim and standard, starting with the ST-Line Elite. No 2025 Escape is exactly a speed demon; you’ll reach 60 mph from a dig in anywhere from 6.6 to 7.7 seconds, depending on the engine. But neither does it need to be fast. In the only category that matters to most people, that being fuel economy, the Escape is a formidable competitor.
2025 Ford Escape Interior 8.5/10
On the face of it, the Escape is a perfectly normal crossover inside. On further inspection, it’s actually a pretty intelligent use of interior space. Spacious seating for five, including the driver, works out to an impressive 40.7 inches of rear legroom and 42.4 upfront. Cargo space is equally stellar, with 37.5 cubic feet with the rear seats extended and 65.4 with the seats folded.
Typical for entry-level interiors, the base Active trim makes do with cloth seat upholstery, while the next up, the ST-Line, adds vinyl inserts for a more premium feel. The ST-Line Select adds contrasting red stitching to the party, and the ST-Line Elite trades the standard front seats for sports buckets with the same stitching.
Moving to the Escape Platinum trim, you ditch cloth and vinyl for Ford’s proprietary ActiveX vegan leather seat coverings. Strangely, ActiveX isn’t standard for the range-topping PHEV but rather an optional extra. It’s the only real downside of an otherwise well-thought-out interior.
2025 Ford Escape Tech and Features 8.75/10
Ford‘s battle strategy for success in the 2020s is to provide commendable levels of tech and features across the range. The Escape is no different, making great use of a standard eight-inch center touchscreen with iOS and Android connectivity, plus Ford’s Sync4 entertainment suite. Even on the base trim, an optional 13.2-inch center screen is available, as is a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a ten-speaker Bang and Olufson stereo system.
Dual-zone climate control is available from the base model, a real plus for picky families, as are the single USB-C and USB-A ports, plus a 12v outlet up front and dual USB-C ports in the back. With that much connectivity, everyone in the family can charge up all at once with no hassle at all. Better still, the PHEV sports a 120v power port you can charge a laptop with.
If that’s not enough, the Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+ with Adaptive Cruise Control available starting with the ST-Line Elite will blow your mind with how clever it is. That’s on top of the usual suite of driver assistance features included in most new cars these days, though many are locked behind options packages and high-end trims. Still, like its bigger cousin, the Explorer, Ford did a very nice job tailoring the blue oval flavor just about perfectly.
2025 Ford Escape Trims & Pricing
Active – $28,400
The base Escape trim is arguably its most clever. With a peppy three-cylinder engine over a four-banger, plus nearly every luxury from higher trims available as an option, there’s more selection here than any other base model in its sector.
ST-Line – $29,395
The ST-Line adds 18-inch metallic painted alloy wheels, an eight-way power sliding driver’s seat, and the option of either a four-cylinder straight ICE or battery-hybrid powertrain. A nice step up from the Active.
ST-Line Select – $32,230
Adding to the standard ST-Line Trim, the Select adds a power liftgate and ditches standard 2WD for standard full-time all-wheel drive. It’s a very nice incremental improvement over the previous trim.
ST-Line Elite – $36,540
The ST-Line Elite: The big selling point of the ST-Line Elite is the standard 13.2-inch LCD touchscreen, a full 5.2-inch difference over the standard Escape center screen. ActiveX vegan leather seats make their debut as an option at this trim.
Platinum – $35,545
Take the optional ActiveX seats from the ST-Line Elite and make them standard equipment, plus trim-specific alloy wheels, and the Platinum has clout for days.
Plug-in Hybrid – $38,400
Of course, the main selling point of the PHEV is that tasty plug-in hybrid drivetrain. It’s an expensive set of wheels, especially for its market segment. But we’re sure the savings in fuel make it worth while.
Overall Value 8/10
In a vacuum, the Escape is a competent little crossover. It’s also a very solid value compared to middle-of-the-road competitors like the Nissan Rogue, for instance. Keep in mind that the Rogue makes do with a three-pot engine across the range compared to the Escape’s single three-cylinder trim. But the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V likely still keep Ford engineers awake at night.
Overall Score 8.5/10
2025 Ford Escape – ford.com | Shop 2025 Ford Escape on Carsforsale.com
That’s not to say you should forgo Ford’s crossover when searching for the next compact SUV. With tech for days, good fuel economy, and an excellent safety rating, the Escape still ticks all the boxes.
2025 Ford Escape FAQ
Does the Escape Platinum have paddle shifters?
Yes, the Ford Escape Platinum has paddle shifters.
Which version of the Ford Sync comes with the 2025 Escape?
Ford’s Sync 4 entertainment suite is standard with the Escape platform.
Is the Ford Escape AWD?
AWD is available across the range and standard, starting with the ST-Line Select.
