Ford Escape review: The best used hybrid car

What’s new in the Ford Escape? Let’s start off with the styling. For 2020, designers created a body that’s vastly easier on the eyes than its predecessor. Sure, some of the design cues are derivative, and the front end is borrowed from Ford’s European sedan offerings, but overall, it’s a pleasing aesthetic. 

Let’s look at the Escape from the inside out. In the past, even top-rung titanium trim had a hard time convincing people that the Escape’s interior was comfortable, refined and thoughtfully designed. The 2020 model leaves all that behind, with even the bottom-end SEL trim level proving a worthy challenge to comparable competitors.

If you’re upgrading from an earlier-generation Escape, you’ll likely notice the improvements right away. Engineers took great efforts to eliminate road and wind noise, and sounds from under the hood—engine noise, vibration and harshness—have been hushed. The feeling of tranquility never wanes, all the way up to and including highway speeds.

Ford paid attention to various surfaces and touch points, and the Escape offers a much friendlier environment to interact with. Additionally, Ford’s SYNC infotainment system has been given a slicker interface and is noticeably quicker to respond.

Anyone who found the older model a little small in the cargo area will be delighted by the commodious hold, and passenger room has been increased enough to make longer trips more comfortable.

Is this car durable? The Escape Hybrid is a vehicle of choice for taxi cabs in New York City, with many cab companies running fleets of these machines—a testament to how well they hold up after they’ve left the showroom floor.

The Ford Escape engine: What’s really inside this used car?

The Ford Escape’s latest hybrid engine is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder gasoline unit (regular grade is fine), teamed up with two electric motors to generate 200 horsepower.

The electric motors are powered by a dedicated hybrid battery pack that recharges automatically while you drive around. Electricity stored within can be used to boost the power of the gas engine, or take over the work of driving the Escape fully in some situations, reducing fuel usage.

Though standard Escape Hybrid models have no plug to connect, the available Plug-in hybrid version does. Whenever it’s convenient, connecting to an external power source can store enough electricity for 60 kilometres of all-electric driving within the PHEV model’s larger battery. The Ford Escape PHEV not only offers conventional hybrid operation when it is using gasoline, it also allows for dozens of kilometres of all-electric driving every day of the year—enough to get many Canadians off of gasoline for their daily commutes.

The all-wheel drive works with no driver decision-making required, delivering the traction required for use in inclement weather and for tackling winter conditions common in much of Canada. Using a quality set of winter tires will dramatically improve the performance of the Escape’s AWD, braking and traction management systems in winter driving, allowing drivers to get the most out of the car’s weather-busting tech.