Yahoo Autos 2023 Ford Escape Review | The refreshed Escape ST-Line looks good with better tech
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — I’ve always liked the current Ford Escape and have been able to look past its flaws, chiefly uninspired looks and drab interiors, in favor of its respectable driving dynamics and overall practical execution within the small SUV segment. Its refresh for the 2023 model year helps smooth some of those rough edges out. It’s still nothing mind-blowing, and the Escape inhabits a mighty competitive slice of the market, but the new ST-Line Elite trim only reiterated why I like this vehicle, and now it’s even easier to recommend.
The 2023 Ford Escape gets subtle exterior updates that go a long way to making this little crossover more attractive. It sees the most improvements up front, where a new grille mimics the handsome looks of the Ford Edge, with even a whiff of Mustang Mach-E. The grille transforms in shape from a goofy smile to a determined grimace, and is moved higher in the fascia with the Blue Oval placed inside instead of above (which is why it now looks more like the Edge instead of the European-market Focus). The new LED headlights — reflectors are standard, but higher trims get projectors — get a more serious look to them, too. Our ST-Line Elite also has a fresh light bar spanning the width of the nose below the hood (it looks fantastic at night), which is a tad reminiscent of the thicker bar spanning the face of the F-150 Lightning. The hood is also slightly reshaped with more prominent creases.
That aforementioned ST-Line is a new appearance offering available at different levels across the revamped Escape trim lineup. The ST-Lines get a unique black mesh grille up front. Along the sides, they get body color cladding on the fenders and door moldings, as opposed to the contrast black on other trims, as well as small “ST-Line” badges. Our ST-Line Elite’s glossy black-painted wheels give a nice contrast to the Rapid Red Metallic paint, as do the black window surrounds — other Escapes get chrome brightwork here and not for the better. In back, the ST-Line trims get a bigger spoiler and a unique black skid plate. This Escape, with its tweaked front end and new ST-Line looks, exudes significantly more athleticism than before.
But, in terms of performance, there’s actually nothing additionally athletic about the 2023 Escape. The same powertrain options remain. A 1.5-liter EcoBoost (read: turbocharged) inline three-cylinder engine, standard in the Base, Active and ST-Line trim, produces 180 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque, put to either the front or all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. ST-Line Select, ST-Line Elite and Platinum trims get a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder offering 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, with all-wheel drive as standard. The ST-Line trim and up can also be had with a hybrid powertrain making a total of 192 hp, and either front- or all-wheel drive. The Escape PHEV is now the range-topping trim, with a total of 210 system hp and 37 miles of EV range. It’s still only available with front-wheel drive.
The updated Escape interior is highlighted by an available 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment display running Sync 4 software. In addition to being big and impossible to miss, this new unit’s graphics are remarkably sharp, and the screen is quick to respond. The rub here is that many of the controls you normally expect to have their own hard buttons are now activated through the touchscreen. Climate controls, seat heating and most audio controls live there, but the ones that keep you warm or cool are permanently docked at the bottom of the screen. There’s still a physical volume knob on the center stack, as well as the steering wheel-mounted audio controls. Lower trims with the eight-inch touchscreen do get physical controls for audio and HVAC. We can celebrate the fact that wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard across the Escape lineup. The iPhone projection worked quite well, with the HVAC controls still accessible along the bottom of the display, and the Escape’s native home screen just a single, easy touch away. The latter is a big improvement for Ford – getting out of Apple CarPlay used to be a frustrating tap-tap-tap situation.
