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The 40 mpg Cars of 2013

2013 Ford Escape

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Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2014 Ford Escape

Overview

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2013 Ford Escape Review

By Jason Allan

KBB Expert Rating: 7.9

All-new and totally rethought for 2013, Ford's compact crossover SUV is now one of the segment's style leaders, a fuel-efficiency expert and a total tech geek. Highlights include a choice of impressive engines, athletic suspension tuning and an updated version of the MyFord Touch infotainment system. But the first feature buyers will want to show their friends is a power liftgate they can open and close by waving a foot under the rear bumper. Compact SUV shoppers looking for maximum affordability or roominess will want to look elsewhere, but the 2013 Ford Escape is as a must-see for everyone else.

You'll Like This Car If...

Standout styling, class-leading fuel economy and a robust technology package are three reasons to include the new Escape on your small-SUV shopping list.

You May Not Like This Car If...

If you and your passengers like to stretch out, or if you really need the utility of a compact SUV – not just the raised seating position or added bulk – you might find the Escape a bit tight for your liking.

KBB Expert Ratings

Overall Rating

7.9
Driving Dynamics

8.3
Comfort & Convenience

7.3
Design: Interior & Exterior

8.4
Value

7.3
Safety

N/A

How It Ranks

#9

out of 22

MPG

#13

out of 22

Horsepower

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Consumer Rating

7.5 out of 10

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consumer ratings

What's New for 2013

Flaunting not just a new look but a complete character overhaul, the 2013 Ford Escape is even newer than most all-new cars.

Driving the Escape

Driving Impressions The new Ford Escape is the sporty compact car of compact SUVs – a title it shares with the new Mazda CX-5. Ford's recent cars have impressed with European-like driving...

dynamics and feel, and the new Escape continues the trend. When outfitted with the 240-horsepower engine, there's not a competitor that could keep up. Fortunately, the characteristics that contribute to the high fun-factor also help make the Escape a pleasure to drive to the store and the office. The 1.6- and 2.0-liter EcoBoost engines are terrific, both delivering smooth, ready power around town, effortless cruising on the highway and – especially the 2.0 engine – plenty of passing power. It isn't the softest-riding entry in the segment, but most will find it perfectly comfortable. The 2013 Ford Escape is arguably the best-driving compact SUV out there, but the styling, technology and fuel economy are what really set it apart.

Favorite Features

HANDS-FREE LIFTGATE
When your hands are full of shopping bags, furniture or man things, you can just wave your foot under the rear bumper and the liftgate opens automatically. It's Escape sign language for "open sesame."

MYKEY
For teen drivers who always wanted a Big Brother, MyKey lets parents designate a key that will limit top speed, limit audio volume or even disable the audio system altogether until the seatbelts are buckled.

2013 Ford Escape Details

2013 Ford Escape Dashboard, center console, gear shifter view photo

Interior

The inside of the 2013 Ford Escape boasts such an impressive collection of materials, design and available features that it can feel a class above. Don't try to pass it off as a mid-size SUV, though, because the Escape's interior is among the category's smaller cabins.

Exterior

The compact SUV segment is definitely developing a greater sense of style, and the 2013 Ford Escape furthers the trend. Exterior highlights that distinguish upper-tier Escape models include HID headlamps, fog lights, body-color mirrors and trim, dual chrome exhaust tips and big 19-inch wheels (which will eventually need to be re-wrapped in expensive 19-inch tires).

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

At its base price of $23,295, the 2013 Ford Escape S features a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine matched with a 6-speed automatic transmission, 6-speaker AM/FM/CD/Aux sound system, air conditioning, steering wheel with audio and cruise controls, the parent-friendly MyKey system, and a full complement of airbags and electronic safety features. Base model compromises include covered steel wheels and black plastic exterior trim elements.

Optional Equipment

A fully loaded 2013 Ford Escape Titanium can reach all the way past $37,000, but with enough cool features to embarrass many luxury cars. In addition to a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, 4-wheel drive, leather seats and a panoramic moonroof, a top-tier Escape offers blind-spot warning, automatic parallel parking, an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, Sync with MyFord Touch, and a liftgate that opens with a wave of your foot. You could get the new Acura RDX for the same money, but you wouldn't have as many cool features to play with.

Under the Hood

The 2013 Ford Escape is the only compact SUV with a choice of three engines. It would be easier to recommend the excellent 240-horsepower 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine if the 178-horsepower 1.6-liter version weren't more affordable, more efficient, just as smooth, and still plenty powerful for most. The base 2.5-liter engine is probably just fine – we haven't driven the latest iteration – but we'd buy a different compact SUV before buying the base Escape S with which that engine is paired. All three engines are paired with a responsive 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control, driving either the front wheels (FWD) or all four (4WD). If you want 4WD you'll have to choose one of the EcoBoost engines. And if you want the Escape's full towing capacity of 3,500 pounds, you're into the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine (and the towing package eliminates the hands-free liftgate option).

2.5-liter 4-cylinder
168 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
170 lb-ft of torque @ 4,500 rpm
EPA estimated city/highway mpg: 22/31

1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
178 horsepower @ 5,700 rpm
184 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500 rpm
EPA estimated city/highway mpg: 23/33 (FWD), 22/30 (AWD)

2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
240 @ 5,500 rpm
270 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm
EPA estimated city/highway mpg: 22/30 (FWD), 21/28 (AWD)

Pricing Notes

The 2013 Ford Escape S starts at $23,295, but that's with the least desirable of its three engine choices, black plastic exterior trim and covered steel wheels. Stepping up to the Escape SE remedies those shortcomings and adds things like Sync infotainment, but now you're at $25,895 and two to three thousand higher than the better-outfitted Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 base models. At the other end of the price spectrum, a fully loaded Escape Titanium will top out at more than $37,000. While that's almost $7,000 more than a loaded CR-V, it also includes a lot more power and technology. Looking down the road, we expect the new Escape to perform significantly better than its predecessor in the resale market. In other words, you'll get more of your money back when it comes time to trade or sell.

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2013 Ford Escape Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

7.5

Out of 10

Based on 46 Ratings for the 2013 - 2014 models.

Review this car

Value

7.5/10

Quality

7.6/10
Reliability

7.8/10

Performance

8.5/10
Comfort

8.2/10

Styling

8.4/10

My 10th Ford and I'm not having these issues.

By CascadeSkier (WA) on Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 12,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "Style,Handling,Blind Spot Recognition"

Cons: "Quirky Sync"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"2013 Titanium 4x4 loaded. I average 24 mpg mixed driving and on long trips I have gotten 30 mpg, hills will kill the mpg, when I drive up to the mountains for skiing I avg 22 mpg round trip. No issues with quality of this vehicle no rattles sticking windows etc. Yes Sync is a little quirky and sometimes won't connect to my Android phone, shut BT off/on and all is ok. Good ride and tackles the snow as any 4x4 should, other's complain about being stuck and throttle response not good, shut off the traction control (like the manual says) and you will be fine. I do have the issue in wet slushy snow of hydroplaning a bit, 19" low profile tires who are you kidding this is going to happen. I bought a set 17" plain steel wheels with snow tires for next year. Overall after 6 months I'm very pleased with this SUV."

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

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Very pleased with this Ford

By Bama (VA) on Tuesday, May 14, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 2,400

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Great ride and easy handling"

Cons: "srotage access and cup holders"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I have had this car for 5 weeks now and have put about 2000 miles on it with no problems at all getting around 27 to 28 mpg with plenty of pickup in the 2.0. I do wish it had a bigger fuel tank so far thats my only complant the electric steering is the best it took some getting use to but now we love it the My Touch has had no problems go far let me drive this car another 6 months to see if anything changes"

3 people out of 3 found this review helpful

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Headache of a Car - Ford 2013 SEL

By Susan (MA) on Friday, May 10, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 1,500

10 5.0

overall rating 5 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 5/10
Value: 6/10
Reliability: 4/10
Quality: 5/10
Performance: 8/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 7/10

Pros: "Interior Design, Foot Activate Lift Gate"

Cons: "MyFord touch Not Working, Wind Noise"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"After purchasing this car it gets RECALLED (Dec 2012). So, I wasn't able to enjoy the vehicle for 2 months it was sitting at the dealerships lot. Something to do with car bursting into flames or something. After FINALLY getting to drive our semi-brand new car (I say semi- cause it was driven by the dealership during the 2 month stay...gave us 150 miles... to our "brand new car") Now the car has problems. The MyFord Touch goes blank OFTEN, while driving some type of wind noise can be heard in the car, the handle to the door from the outside gets jammed, so your door won't close. You have to find a way to close it until you can drive. The blue lights that you can turn on or off for your interior smells like burning if you turn it back on from being off. Explains why the dealership service depo always turns it off. The car itself drives good, nothing to complain there. Interiors are lovely. The driver seat doesn't always remember your seat settings. Sometimes the car seat is way too high even after not adjusting it. I leave my seat adjustments alone but when I go to start my car after a long work day it's either way too high or way too low. Doesn't remember your settings? Is it suppose to do that? Oh did I mentioned I brought my car into the dealership service department NUMBER of times to fix the MyFord touch ALWAYS, ALWAYS going blank? I was recommended to buy Ford. After the test drive I decided it is a good car. But after owning it for 3 months, its a car FULL of headaches and frequent visits to the dealership service department. Did I mention this is a brand NEW car I purchased?"

3 people out of 3 found this review helpful

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Great car to drive

By Karrick (TX) on Tuesday, May 07, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 1,200

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "Good deal very comfortalbe. Good milage"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"WE love ours 25.4 mpg right off the lot. WE have put 1200 miles in 14 days and the average mileage is 24.7mpg. That includes freeway and city with a lot of 10 mile per hour driving in parks. We have the SE base package with the 2.0"

1 person out of 2 found this review helpful

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Maybe my last Ford...

By Frustrated (MN) on Friday, May 03, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 1,500

10 6.0

overall rating 6 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 6/10
Value: 6/10
Reliability: 7/10
Quality: 7/10
Performance: 8/10
Styling: 7/10
Comfort: 8/10

Pros: "Style, size, carlike ride"

Cons: "Poor mileage, wind noise, no cargo cover."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 4

"I've always driven Ford's but this may be my last. I almost bought a Subaru Outback but settled for the Escape SEL. I like the size, most of the features, drives easy, looks good. Really disappointed with the mileage - it is nowhere near what they predict. Averaging 21.5 mpg so far which is ridiculous. Ford service blames the winter fuel mix... Mileage is important to me and I should have bought something else... at least that is how I feel at this point."

6 people out of 10 found this review helpful

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Nice small SUV, some disappointments

By Silver19903 (MD) on Tuesday, April 23, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 8,600

10 8.0

overall rating 8 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 8/10
Quality: 8/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 8/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 7

"Because of garage limitations in a townhouse, had to go with a small SUV. With the turbo, the best mileage is about 24; gas tank too small. Nice ride and pick up."

6 people out of 6 found this review helpful

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