- Ford’s small SUV starts at $27,500 plus $1,495 shipping and handling.
- Updated inside and out, it has larger available screens and a handsome new grille.
Our reviewer called the 2022 Ford Escape “almost really good.” Almost really good isn’t a problem if you don’t have much competition. But, if you’ve been shopping for a compact SUV, you know that the Ford Escape has a LOT of competition. “Almost” means there’s work to do.
For the 2023 model year, Ford is trying to get you to scratch out the “almost” in that sentence. The 2023 Escape isn’t a full redesign of Ford’s compact SUV. It’s a series of tweaks inside and out to win your attention when the competition is everywhere.
Sharp New Exterior Styling
Outside, the Escape benefits from a more handsome front end. Borrowing from its big brothers, the new Escape wears a big-grille look like the larger Ford Edge or the electric Mustang Mach-E. New headlights are shaped almost exactly like the old headlights but somehow appear more sophisticated thanks to an LED daytime running light built into the top and new jewel-look details for the low and high beams. An available full-width daytime running light will probably have some drivers confusing it for an electric car.
A sporty-looking ST-Line trim gets its own separate grille with wider chain-link mesh. Other trims wear black lower-body cladding, but it’s painted to match the rest of the sheet metal on the ST-Line. That change makes it look lower to the ground, though there’s no real change in ride height.
New Trims, Bigger Screens
Speaking of trims, Ford has dropped its old naming system — S, SE, SEL, etc. — in favor of something more descriptive. The Escape now comes in a base model simply called Base, with upgraded editions called Active, Platinum, Plug-In Hybrid, ST-Line, ST-Line Select, and ST-Line Elite.
Inside, new screens dress up the cabin. A pair of 8-inch screens remain the standard offering. But buyers can now opt for a 12.3-inch driver’s instrument screen and a 13.2-inch infotainment screen. Otherwise, aesthetic changes seem limited.
The ST-Line features red contrast-color stitching on black upholstery and a flat-bottom steering wheel that lends a sporty flair.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and a wireless charging pad is optional.
Still Four Powertrain Choices
As before, the Escape is offered with four powertrains. Base models get a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine putting out 180 horsepower. A step up is a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder making 250 horsepower.
A pair of hybrid options return. The base hybrid 2.5-liter 4-cylinder makes 199 horsepower. A plug-in hybrid version uses a 2.5-liter engine with 210 horsepower and gets 37 miles of all-electric range.
Most trim levels start with a front-wheel-drive (FWD) setup and make all-wheel drive (AWD) an option. But the plug-in model can be had only in FWD.
The available Co-Pilot360 safety suite now includes “Intersection Assist.” It can engage automatic emergency braking even when turning. There’s also a new blind-spot warning system that tweaks the steering wheel to help avoid a car in your blind spot. However, the package is not standard on every trim level.
2023 Ford Escape Pricing:
Ford also charges a mandatory $1,495 destination charge on every Escape — a fairly high destination charge for this class of vehicle.
| Trim Level | MSRP |
| Base | $27,500 |
| Active | $28,845 |
| ST-Line | $29,840 |
| ST-Line Select | $34,040 |
| Platinum | $35,965 |
| ST-Line Elite | $38,460 |
| Plug-In Hybrid | $38,500 |
