2022 Ford Escape

2022 Ford Escape Overview

Is the Ford Escape a Good SUV?

Yes, the Ford Escape is a good SUV. Models with the base engine get solid gas mileage, and the optional turbo-four helps deliver eager acceleration. The Escape rides smoothly, has two rows of comfy seats, and provides plenty of cargo space. The available SYNC 3 infotainment system is intuitive as well.

The Escape isn’t perfect, however. It doesn’t come with many standard infotainment features, and the cabin isn’t as nice as the interiors of many other compact SUVs .

Ford also builds the Escape Hybrid , which we review separately.

Should I Buy the Ford Escape?

The Escape’s many appealing attributes should merit consideration, and its flaws likely aren’t deal breakers for many shoppers. That said, with a class-average price tag, the Escape doesn’t deliver as much bang for your buck as some competitors, so you may want to shop around.

Find a 2022 Ford Escape for sale near you »

Why You Can Trust Us: 21 Reviews Analyzed

Our car reviews include everything you need to know before heading to the dealership. We combine the opinions of the automotive press with quantifiable data like horsepower specs and cargo space dimensions to form a complete picture of every vehicle we rank. This 2022 Escape review incorporates applicable research for all models in this generation, which launched for 2020.

U.S. News Best Cars has been ranking vehicles since 2007, and our team has more than 75 years of combined experience in the automotive industry. Our car reviews are objective. To keep them that way, our editorial staff doesn’t accept expensive gifts or trips from automakers, and a third party handles all the advertising on our site.

2021 vs. 2022 Ford Escape: What's the Difference?

There are no major differences between the 2022 Ford Escape and the 2021 model.

Compare the 2021 and 2022 Escape »

Here are the key changes for the Ford Escape over the last few years:

• 2022: no notable changes
• 2021: Technology package and Co-Pilot360 suite gained more features
• 2020: fully redesigned with more standard driver assistance features and a revamped engine lineup, including a hybrid powertrain
• 2019: features reshuffled
• 2018: SEL trim debuted

If you're considering an older model, be sure to read our 2019 Escape , 2020 Escape , and 2021 Escape reviews to help make your decision. Also, check out our Best New Car Deals and Best New Car Lease Deals pages to learn about savings and discounts you can find on new vehicles.

Pricing

How Much is a 2022 Ford Escape?

At both ends of the trim spectrum, this Ford costs about as much as most other compact SUVs. The Escape starts at $25,555, while the top-of-the-line Escape Titanium retails for $35,490.

There’s also a Ford Escape Hybrid , which we cover in a separate review.

Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Ford dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Ford deals page .

Ford Escape Versus the Competition

Ford Escape vs. Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V is an annual challenger for the top spot in our compact SUV rankings . It can’t match the Ford’s agility, but in most other respects, the Honda is the better choice. It has more cargo room, classier cabin materials, and slightly better mpg ratings. Both SUVs have similar retail prices, but the Honda gets you a bit more bang for your buck.

Compare the Escape and CR-V »

Ford Escape vs. Ford Escape Hybrid

Other than the powertrain, there’s not much to separate the Ford Escape Hybrid from the gas-only Escape. The Escape Hybrid is available as a regular hybrid or a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Neither model can tow as much as the nonhybrid Escape, and both hybrids have less cargo space. On the flip side, they do get better fuel economy ratings than the nonhybrid Escape, and since they start with higher trim levels, they come with more standard features.

Compare the Escape and Escape Hybrid »

Compare the Escape, CR-V, and Escape Hybrid »

Escape Interior: Nothing Fancy, but Plenty of Space

Escape Interior Quality

The Escape loses points for its cabin materials. There are too many hard plastics, and several rivals look and feel more upscale.

Escape Infotainment, Bluetooth, and Navigation

You’ll want to skip over the sparsely equipped SYNC infotainment system that comes standard in this Ford and opt instead for the intuitive SYNC 3 system. It comes with a touch screen that’s easy to see and responds quickly to inputs. There are also redundant physical controls that are a short reach from the driver’s seat.

• Standard infotainment features: a 4.2-inch display, a six-speaker stereo, USB ports, and a Wi-Fi hot spot
• Available infotainment features: an 8-inch touch screen, navigation, a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo, HD Radio, satellite radio, wireless device charging, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay
• Other available features: a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a panoramic sunroof, single- or dual-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, and remote start

For more information, read What Is Apple CarPlay? and What Is Android Auto?

Escape Cargo Space

Not many compact SUV rivals best this Ford when it comes to cargo capacity. The Escape gives you up to 37.5 cubic feet of room behind the rear seats and 65.4 cubes with the rear seats folded down.

How Many People Does the Escape Seat?

The Escape seats five people. Both rows have enough head- and legroom for most adults to sit comfortably. Further boosting space is the rear seats’ sliding capability, which is rare in the class. In addition to being roomy, the seats are comfortable and provide all-day support.

Escape and Child Car Seats

There are two complete sets of LATCH connectors for the rear outboard seats and a tether anchor for the rear middle seat. This LATCH system is very easy to use.

Read more about interior »

Escape Performance: Solid, but not Spectacular

Escape Engine

The Escape comes standard with a 181-horsepower turbocharged three-cylinder engine, and it’s available with a 250-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder. Both are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The base three-cylinder engine produces sufficient power for getting around town or cruising on the freeway, but it's not especially muscular. For something spicier, check out the four-cylinder option. With either engine, you’ll have to tolerate the transmission, which occasionally gets the gear wrong and is generally less refined than some rival gearboxes.

Escape Gas Mileage

With its base three-cylinder engine, the Ford Escape gets 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, which are good ratings for a small crossover. The numbers drop to 26/31 if you opt for all-wheel drive. Models with the upgraded engine (which only come with AWD) are the least fuel-efficient, returning 22/31 mpg city/highway.

Escape Ride and Handling

The Escape rides smoothly on pavement, and its suspension does a good job absorbing most road flaws. Handling is solid but not necessarily sporty. You’ll notice some body roll around turns, and you may wish for better road grip in front-wheel-drive models.

Escape Towing Capacity

When properly equipped, the Escape can tow up to 3,500 pounds.

Read more about performance »

Escape Reliability

Is the Ford Escape Reliable?

The 2022 Ford Escape has a predicted reliability score of 81 out of 100. A J.D. Power predicted reliability score of 91-100 is considered the Best, 81-90 is Great, 70-80 is Average, and 0-69 is Fair and considered below average.

Ford Escape Warranty

Ford backs the Escape with a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Read more about reliability »

2022 Ford Escape Safety

Score: 9.2/10

Crash Test Results

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2022 Ford Escape an overall safety rating of five out of five stars, with five stars in the frontal and side crash tests and four stars in the rollover test.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Escape the highest rating of Good in all six crash safety tests. For forward visibility, the Escape's headlights received either the second-lowest rating of Marginal or the second-highest rating of Acceptable, depending on trim.

The IIHS uses a different scale for grading collision avoidance features. The Escape received the highest rating of Superior for its standard and optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention systems. The standard vehicle-to-pedestrian system also earned a Superior rating, while the optional vehicle-to-pedestrian system received the midtier rating of Advanced.

Safety Features

Standard driver assistance features:

• Blind spot monitoring
• Rear cross traffic alert
• Forward collision warning
• Pedestrian detection
• Forward automatic emergency braking
• Rearview camera
• Lane keep assist
• Lane departure warning
• Driver drowsiness monitoring
• MyKey (lets you do things like set speed and audio volume limits for secondary drivers)

Available driver assistance features:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane centering assist
• Rear parking sensors
• Traffic sign recognition
• Head-up display
• Parallel and perpendicular park assist

Escape Dimensions and Weight

The Escape is 15 feet long. Its curb weight ranges from 3,298 to 3,566 pounds.

Where Is the 2022 Ford Escape Built?

Ford builds the 2022 Escape in Kentucky.

Which Ford Escape Model Is Right for Me?

The 2022 Ford Escape comes in four trims: S, SE, SEL, and Titanium. Buyers should check out the SE trim, which is the lowest model to feature the user-friendly SYNC 3 touch-screen infotainment system. It also offers several comfort and driver assistance features you can’t get in the base trim. If you want the turbocharged four-cylinder engine, you’ll need to step up to at least the SEL trim.

There’s also a Ford Escape Hybrid , which we cover in a separate review.

Ford Escape S

The Escape S sports a base price of $25,555. It comes with a 181-horsepower turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive.

Standard features include cloth upholstery, a 4.2-inch digital gauge cluster, a 4.2-inch infotainment display, a six-speaker stereo, USB ports, and a Wi-Fi hot spot.

Standard driver assistance features include a rearview camera, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, forward automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and driver drowsiness monitoring. Some of these features are part of Ford’s Co-Pilot360 suite of driver assistance tech.

You can add all-wheel drive for $1,500.

Ford Escape SE

The Escape SE starts at $27,035. In addition to the base trim’s features, the SE comes with push-button start, an 8-inch touch screen, satellite radio, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay.

The Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package ($895) adds navigation, adaptive cruise control, lane centering assist, and traffic sign recognition. The Cold Weather package ($645) includes automatic climate control, remote start, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel.

The Convenience package ($945) adds a power-adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a power liftgate. Ford gives you a $110 discount if you add both the Cold Weather and Convenience packages.

You can add a panoramic sunroof for $1,495 and AWD for $2,145.

Ford Escape SEL

The Escape SEL’s starting MSRP sits at $29,505. The SEL comes standard with synthetic leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power liftgate, remote start, and rear parking sensors.

You can upgrade to a 250-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive for $3,945 (you can add AWD without the turbo-four engine for $2,145). You can add a panoramic sunroof for $1,495.

The Technology package ($1,050) adds a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a hands-free power liftgate, a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo, and wireless device charging. The Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package ($895) is also available.

Ford Escape Titanium

The Escape Titanium retails for $35,490. This is the only model that comes standard with the 250-horsepower turbo-four engine and all-wheel drive. Standard features in the Titanium include genuine leather upholstery, a power-adjustable passenger seat, adaptive cruise control, lane centering assist, traffic sign recognition, a hands-free power liftgate, and navigation.

The Titanium Elite package ($2,175) adds a head-up display, parallel and perpendicular park assist, a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo, HD Radio, and wireless device charging. You can add a panoramic sunroof for $1,495.

Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Ford dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Ford deals page .

See 2022 Ford Escape specs and trims »

The Final Call

The 2022 Ford Escape doesn’t blow away the competition in the compact SUV class , but it does a lot of things well. At the top of the list is its spacious interior, as it has more passenger and cargo room than many rivals. It’s not the sportiest or most upscale vehicle, but if those aren’t top concerns for you, then consider giving this Ford SUV a test drive.

Don't just take our word for it. Check out comments from some of the reviews that drive our rankings and analysis.

• "The 2022 Ford Escape compact crossover/SUV is almost really good. … What prevents it from being a bigger hit is the exceptionally strong competition. Some have greater flair to their looks, others put a larger amount of standard equipment in their base models, a few have stronger resale values. What's more, the Escape lacks the kind of driving experience that could make those other downsides seem more bearable. When rivals are scoring nine out of a possible 10 (metaphorically speaking), a steady 7.5 isn't quite enough." -- Kelley Blue Book
• "The 2022 Ford Escape … competes in one of the most hotly contested segments around, with rivals including the Honda CR-V, Jeep Cherokee, Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4. The Escape was fully redesigned just a couple of years ago, which explains the lack of changes or upgrades for the 2022 model. The Escape does a lot of other things right. Its cabin is comfortable and spacious, and it's available with lots of technology and advanced driver aids. And although its cargo area isn't class-leading, what is here is right on the mark for what we expect from small SUVs. Less appealing is how the Escape drives. Essentially, we expect a little more refinement and handling precision." -- Edmunds
• "… the new Escape will compete with a gaggle of solid competitors. On top of the aforementioned CR-V, CX-5 and RAV4, there's the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Compass, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan to contend with. That's some seriously stiff competition, but with its well-built cabin, strong tech game and excellent ride comfort, the Escape makes a strong argument for being a top contender in this class." -- CNET (2020)