2014 Ford Escape

The 2014 Ford Escape sports an inline-4 Ecoboost engine aimed at efficient fuel economy while offering a towing capacity of 3,500 lbs. This coupled with a 4 out of 5-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA makes the Escape an excellent choice. Moreover, the top-of-the-line Titanium trim gets a host of updated features like a power tailgate, park assist features, and a bold, sporty, and easily likable sporty design theme.

The 2014 Ford Escape comes in a total of 3 trims, namely S, SE, and Titanium, available in 5 possible combinations. The trims are offered in either FWD or AWD combinations. Powering these trims are the 2.5 Liter Duratec inline-4 or the 1.6L and 2.0L Ecoboost Inline-4 engines. The Titanium trim might be the go-to variant for the people who want all the features on offer. The complete distribution of features across the trims is given in the table below.

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While the SE trim might not boast the loaded up-to-the-brim tag of the Titanium variant, we strongly feel that this might be the go-to variant for the masses. The SE trim is a massive upgrade from the Base S variant. It comes equipped with the 1.6L Ecoboost inline-4 engine and has a ton of other features as optional extras. For those who can, we recommend opting for the AWD variant for demanding conditions or one of those days when you don’t want to get stuck.

The 2014 Ford Escape has 3 engines on offer. The base 2.5L Inline-4 Duratec engine produces 168 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque, while the 1.6L Inline-4 EcoBoost engine offers a healthy 178 hp and 184 lb.-ft. of torque and is standard on SE and Titanium trims. The hero of the story is the 2.0 Inline-4 EcoBoost engine offering a 240 hp and 270 lb.-ft of torque for those spirited runs when needed and is optional on the Titanium trim. All engine options come mated to a standard six-speed automatic transmission. All trims except the base S trim come in standard FWD configuration, while AWD is available as an option.

All these engines combined with AWD system and Torque Vectoring Control offer a very capable package that can munch miles. One interesting thing to observe while choosing your Ford Escape is the class-exclusive active grille shutters available on all the trims as standard. This features aims on improving the aerodynamics of the car and thus also aids fuel efficiency.

The Forester with its 2L Flat four engine is the quickest of the lot, but Escape falls no short of performance with its 8.7 seconds of 0-60 time. The six-speed automatic transmission on the Escape is very adequately tuned that doesn’t let even the 1.6L Ecoboost feel lethargic. With the highest-rated payload capacity of the lot, the Escape ensures that your weekend getaways don’t fall short of that extra camping gear. While the Subaru offers the least payload, it gets the quickest times of the lot. All other vehicles are around the same time on average.

While the Ford Escape proves itself in the performance and handling department, it might not be as impressive as other vehicles in the segment with its real-world fuel economy figures. The 2.5 Duratec returns 25 mpg combined with 22 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. The 1.6-liter Ecoboost inline 4 with FWD config returns 26 mpg combined with 23 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. The 2.0-liter Ecoboost inline-4 optional on the SE and Titanium trim returns 25 mpg combined. The AWD variants of the 2014 Escape are rated 1-2 mpg less. The vehicle comes equipped with a 15.1-gallon fuel tank, which puts its driving range over 400 miles on the highway.

The Ford Escape is quite economical to drive when compared to others in the segment. However, both Outlander and Forester outperform Ford in terms of efficiency. Combine that with large fuel tanks, they can easily do 500 miles on highways on a full tank. Although the Escape is the one with the smallest tank, the figures are quite good for real-world driving.

The S and SE variants of the 2014 Escape feature a cloth interior with slightly detailed graphics on SE trim. You also get an eight-way power-adjustable driver seat with power lumbar support and reclining rear seats in the SE trim. The range-topping Titanium Trim features a full leather interior, while it still misses out on a leather-clad dashboard. Moreover, you can also add dual-zone climate control with the Convenience package, whereas the Leather Comfort package will provide leather upholstery along with heated front seats. 

Also available on offer is a very nifty tech, the power tailgate. When you reach up to the gate with the key in your pocket, you just need to wave your foot near your rear bumper and the gate will open itself. Apart from that, the fit and finish are nice and feel very familiar with every Ford vehicle. The MyFord 8-inch color touch display is updated and in line with modern times. There are also steering mounted controls on offer with an additional 4” panel on the instrument cluster. Although the cargo space on offer is average, when the rear seats are folded up, 34.3 cubic feet of space is available. Folding down the rear seats further expands the space to 68.1 cubic feet.

All cars in the competition can accommodate 5 people as standard, while Mitsubishi Outlander can seat up to seven people, but this eats into the cargo space, and it comes with only 10.3 cu-ft of cargo capacity. This is not adequate in any way for 7 people. The 2014 Honda CR-V is the most spacious of the lot in terms of both interior passenger room and cargo space. Standout interior features include:

• 8-way power-adjustable driver seat 
• Reclining rear seats
• Dual-zone climate control
• Heated front seats
• Leather upholstery
• Ambient interior lighting

How intuitive is the 2014 Ford Escape’s infotainment?

The S and SE trim on the Ford Escape feature a 4.2-inch panel that supports SiriusXM satellite radio, voice activation, rearview camera, and navigation. The higher Titanium trim features an 8” touch screen LCD display with MyFord tech that gives phone connectivity and navigation features. The Titanium trim also has an optional 10-speaker SONY sound system for the enhanced audio experience. Standout infotainment features include:

• 8-inch touchscreen with the MyFord Touch electronics interface
• Sync services
• Sony 10-speaker sound system
• Navigation system
• Satellite radio

The 2014 Escape has a wagon-like look with a raked roofline. It might not look like a true-blood off-roading SUV, but it does its job pretty well. There’s a privacy glass on offer on the rear fascia. The design is sporty yet simple enough to carry its big footprint. There are halogen lamps and twin-barrel Bi-Xenon lamps on offer. The 17” and 18” stock wheels are offered with chunky tires to conquer all those unpaved roads and provide a smoother city ride. There are optional 19” inch Nickel finished alloys that give an amazing side profile. Apart from these features, you also get a panoramic sunroof and a power liftgate as you go up the trim level or through optional packages.

The Ford Escape is the shortest of the bunch, but it is still heavier than the rest. Its wide-body stance gives it a bulky look too. The CR-V sits a little taller than the others, and this translates to a better interior room. Although the Escape is the shortest crossover in the competition, it manages the longest wheelbase. When comparing the curb weight, the Ford Escape is the heaviest option in the competition. Standout exterior features:

• Xenon headlights
• Rear privacy glass
• Panoramic sunroof
• Power liftgate
• 19-inch alloy wheels

The private safety testing agency IIHS gave the 2014 Escape “Good” safety rating in 4 tests. However, the Ford Escape also got the lowest possible safety rating in the driver and passenger small overlap front tests. The NHTSA gave the 2014 Escape a rating of 4/5 stars in front and rollover crash tests with an overall rating of four stars. Apart from the structural safety, Ford has provided standard and advanced safety features, and some of them are given below:

• Blindspot monitor
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Parallel park assist
• Automatic Lights
• Ford MyKey 

The 2014 Ford Escape is definitely a practical decision amongst the competition. The interior might be a carryover from other Ford vehicles, but it’s well laid out. The cargo area might just be average, but the interior seating space is comfortable and spacious. The AWD option coupled with the 2L Ecoboost engine makes this a very capable off-road and on-road vehicle. The car might be a highly raked vehicle, but the sharp steering and chassis make it as agile as a car. Also, Ford has paid heed to additional features and options for towing capability to further ease the weekend getaways.