Disclosure: Ford provided this 2013 Ford Escape for me to drive with no compensation, except a full tank of gas. There were no expectations of a review. All opinions are my own.
Recently, I escaped to Key West, driving a very nicely appointed 2013 Ford Escape Titanium Edition. I had never even been inside a Ford Escape before it arrived in my driveway, so I actually went into the experience with zero expectations. Here’s what I thought of it:
Space
Space wise, it’s about the same as the crossover that I drive daily, although I believe the cargo room is larger. The second row of seats fold flat to allow for almost 68 cu. ft. of cargo space. AND, it had the cool Hands Free Liftgate. Automobile manufacturers come out with new stuff every year, but is it really stuff that we can use? Well, the foot activated liftgate is. You just kick the airspace under the cargo area and the door lifts automatically. The feature really comes in handy when you are lugging an armload and don’t have a hand free to find the button to open a traditional liftgate. This model seats 5 comfortably.
Ride and Handling
The ride was great, as was the handling, although I do have to say that there wasn’t much starting and stopping with this trip–it was about 4 hours of straight highway driving. I did encounter some rain while going through the Upper Keys. The Escape hugged the road and we rolled right along. The model was equipped with the Intelligent 4WD system that traction constantly and makes adjustments accordingly. While driving, I couldn’t even tell this was happening.
And, just in case the Hubs ever really gets the boat he keeps threatening to buy, this vehicle has a towing capacity of 3500 lbs.
Inside
New cars now come with cockpits to rival a space shuttle. The 2013 Ford Escape is no different. I did get to tinker around with the Sync/My Ford Touch system. While it worked fine and I thought it was cool, I must also add that the fingerprint smudges of this system would drive me absolutely bonkers. Everytime I touched it to change the radio station or get updated on the navigation, I had to wipe the smudge. That got old really quick!
One of my fave features was the BLIS. This was a little icon on the side view mirrors that let me know when a car was in my blind spot. That was cool!
Wait, did I mention the 10 way power drivers seat? I played with that for at least 10 minutes before I left–like a kid in a candy store. With so many ways to adjust the seat, there’s no excuse for not having a comfy ride, huh? The seats also had heating capabilities but aint NOBODY got time for that in South Florida!
Cool Factor
From the time that I’ve been able to own a car, I’ve always been in love with a sunroof. Well, the 2013 Ford Escape takes sunroof to new heights. This thing had a Power Panoramic VISTA ROOF! Vista roof? Seriously? I guess I’m dating myself by saying sunroof, huh! LOL
In this age of serious penny pinching, the other cool factor is the Eco Boost engine. The vehicle tagline says it “sips fuel and gushes technology.” I’d agree. I drove to Key West and back on a single tank of gas and could actually have gone a good bit farther. My kind of car!
And, let’s examine the Greening of the Escape. The carpeting is produced from recycled plastic bottles. The seat cushion and head restraint foam is derived from soybeans.
Safety
Ford has put some thought into safety in this car. They’ve come up with things like Curve Control where the car senses that you are going too fast to negotiate a curve and Tire Pressure Monitoring that keeps track of your tire pressure.
Final Thoughts: I actually enjoyed driving the 2013 Ford Escape. I wish I’d had more time with it to actually explore all the bells and whistles, though. I feel like new cars are somewhat like new cell phones–you need time to get used to it.
Would I buy the Ford Escape for myself? Probably not–but only because my last child is leaving the nest soon and I’ve envisioned something sleek and sporty in my driveway next. Should YOU buy it? Absolutely. If I crossover fits your needs, I would recommend that you give it a closer look.
