2020 Ford Escape Pros vs Cons. Should You Buy?

In the past few years, Ford has directed emphasis away from its sedans in order to focus (mind the pun) on improving its line-ups of SUVs. One of the vehicles that has benefited from this is the Ford Escape. This year, the 2020 Ford Escape is totally fresh, coming hot off of a massive overhaul. Not only has the line-up been redesigned, but the hybrid variant returns from a lengthy hiatus. Ford has made huge strides in order to give the Escape more power than what it had before, and the revamp gives drivers a lot to love.

What's New for 2020?

New for the 2020 Ford Escape is a series of more powerful turbocharged engines. There is also the hybrid variant and a plug-in hybrid that will make its debut mid-way through the model year. Inside and out, the Escape looks like a whole different vehicle.

 

Top 10 Reasons to Buy a 2020 Ford Escape – The Pros

1. An Updated Exterior Design

The 2020 Ford Escape received a massive face-lift as part of the revamp. The front and rear fascia look far more contemporary than they used to, and the lines are a lot sleeker. Additionally, the wheelbase is longer and wider than in its previous iterations. This means that rear seat leg room gets a boost, as does the cargo space available.

2. Strong Powertrain Options

If it is strength and acceleration that you are looking for, then the new Escape has what you are looking for. It has several new options, starting with the base engine, a 1.5-L inline-3 cylinder that is able to muster up 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. Even though something with three cylinders generally does not scream "Power!", the 1.5-L gets a lot of oomph since it is turbocharged. Of course, if that is not enough to satisfy your needs, there is an optional 2.0-L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that gets a solid 250 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque. With all-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic transmission equipped, the vehicle gets plenty of power smoothly delivered to the wheels.

3. CoPilot360 is Now Standard

Tucked into one neat package, the 2020 Ford Escape features the standardization of CoPilot360. This is a suite full of driver aids that consists of the Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross-Traffic Alert, the Lane Keep System, Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Brakes, Adaptive Cruise Control, Evasive Steering Assist, Reverse Brake Assist, a rear-view camera, and Enhanced Active Park Assist. This massive bundle of features is helpful at keeping you safe on the road and typically functions pretty well.

4. An Abundance of Infotainment Features

There are plenty of infotainment features available on the new Escape, making it highly competitive with other vehicles in this segment. All trim levels above the base S trim have an 8-inch touchscreen display. Smartphone app integration via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard, as is 4G LTE WiFi hot spot connectivity. You can opt for a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster that has clear graphics and is easy to read. There are standard USB ports as well as USB-C ports. You can also opt for a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system.

5. Second-row Seats Slide Easily

One of the downfalls of other vehicles is that the second-row does not slide with ease. The 2020 Ford Escape has seats that slide without an issue, allowing for a versatile interior space. If you need more cargo space, you can get it in just a few moments. Then you can slide the seats back into place when you need to put passengers back there. It is all about making life simpler for you.

6. Sedan-like Steering and Handling

The Ford Escape has steering and handling capabilities that make it feel more like a sedan than a SUV. Plenty of feedback makes its way through the steering wheel to the driver, yet it also is not sporty. It feels much more like a sedan, as does the handling. The Escape is well-mannered and a bit spunky, even though it veers ever so slightly away from giving the vehicle a totally smooth ride quality. Still, it is fun and comfortable at the same time.

7. It Can Do Some Off-roading

Off-roading is surprisingly a strong point on the 2020 Ford Escape. A lot of the competitors do not get the kind of ground clearance that is needed to go off-roading, but the Escape's 7.8 inches is enough to do some moderate off-roading. Opting for all-wheel drive makes the Escape an even more capable off-roader. It also makes this Escape suited for driving in areas where there is frequent inclement weather.

8. The Interior Materials

The Escape's interior is made from some chic materials that appear to be high-quality. Sure, this is not a luxury vehicle, but it feels upscale enough. The line-topping trim's leather certainly borders on a luxury SUV, but even the lower trim levels have interiors that speak to their spunky nature.

9. Finding a Driving Position is Easy

Regardless of your height, you can easily find a comfortable driving position. The thigh support is superb, which helps with finding a cozy spot in the cockpit. There is a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel that is highly adjustable, and the seat is power-adjustable for a number of different positions. The 2020 Ford Escape makes getting relaxed for the ride ahead as simple as it comes.

10. User-friendly Controls

The Escape upholds Ford's trend of having user-friendly controls lining its dash and mounted onto the steering wheel. All of the most-used features have buttons that are right there within your reach, and all of the controls are clear to see. Their functions are also pretty straightforward.  

Reasons Not to Buy a 2020 Ford Escape – The Cons

1. Cargo Space is Infringed Upon

The new sloping roofline makes the 2020 Ford Escape look a lot cooler than ever before, but this reduces the amount of cargo space available. You can get between 34.4 to 37.5 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in place depending on your configuration. When you fold the rear seats down, this number maxes out between 60.8 and 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space. That is not as much as what some of the Escape's competitors offer, which is kind of a bummer for this new SUV.

2. Visibility is Limited

Vision out the front windshield is expansive enough, but the sloping roofline does not help with rear visibility. While it is not awful, it could be better. The rear headrests are pretty big and tend to get in the way. That means you get a big blind spot on the passenger side. Of course, blind spot monitoring can help with this, but if you do not want to rely on software to see around your vehicle, then this will be a bit bothersome.

3. A Bumpy Ride Quality

Want a smooth ride? You are not going to get it from the 2020 Ford Escape. Its suspension makes for a bit of a rocky ride on a lot of road surfaces. It is not the worst ride quality out there, but it certainly is not the best. Unfortunately, a lot of the Escape's competitors do better than this.

4. Audio and Navigation are Both Problematic

While the Escape has decent sound quality from its audio system, there are some issues with how clearly satellite radio comes in. The antenna is rather shabby too. It takes a long time to reconnect after the signal drops out, which happens more frequently than most people would like. Navigation is okay aside from the fact that it will default back to Apple Maps when you are hooked up to Apple CarPlay.

How It Stacks Up to the Competition:

2020 Ford Escape vs. 2020 Honda CR-V

The 2020 Ford Escape faces some stiff competition from the 2020 Honda CR-V. The CR-V offers a zippy turbocharged engine, an extremely spacious and welcoming interior, and well-designed storage areas. Its cargo space is superior and smartly designed. However, the CR-V has a weak engine on the base trim that will cause a lot of people to buy higher trim levels. Also, the touchscreen is still a little bit finicky even though the system has been updated.

2020 Ford Escape vs. 2020 Nissan Rogue

The Escape has more competition from the 2020 Nissan Rogue. While visibility is limited and acceleration is hindered by the engine, the Rogue does have front seats with plenty of padding, a ton of features, a cozy ride quality, and an abundance of cargo space that has a lot of versatility. It does not look as fresh as the revamped Escape though.

Conclusion

If you need something with a good amount of power and a huge list of standard features, the 2020 Ford Escape might be appealing. It does not have best-in-class cargo space or good outward visibility from the rear, the Escape does offer some clever solutions with its storage and has enough assistance from the blind spot monitoring system to aid with visibility.