Ford Escape (2015)

Pros
Very good power—Ford is getting a lot of punch out of its small, Eco-boost 4-cylinder engines. Ford has changed the gear ratios to give the Escape good acceleration, but it’s at the expense of fuel economy.
It’s fun…er to drive compared to its primary competition, which is the Honda CR-V. That’s not to say it’s exactly fun to drive, though. It’s still a crossover, and not a car.
Handles pretty well. While the CR-V is probably more comfortable, the Escape does steer and turn better than the CR-V.
People love the way it looks. It’s a cool looking little vehicle. It’s small, and easy to maneuver in the city, and in parking lots.
Very modern, up-to-date interior. Makes the CR-V’s interior seem pretty outdated.
The visibility out the front is great. In fact, the huge, sloping windshield made us feel like we were in a minivan rather than a crossover.

Cons
We were really disappointed with the ride quality, especially in the back, which is noisy and bumpy. It’s a stiff, harsh ride. If you have to ride in the back, you’ll hate this car.
Very disappointing mileage. We couldn’t get our average mileage up over 20.5 mpg, even with a fair amount of highway driving.
It’s a skinny car. You’re cheek-to-jowl with the person next to you. The CR-V, by comparison, feels wider and more spacious. There’s a little personal-space issue with the Escape.
At this point, we’d still pick a CR-V over the Escape. It’s a better value, quieter, rides better, gets much better fuel economy, and has a far better record of durability and reliability. Its looks are dowdy by comparison, and it's basically an appliance to drive, but it’s a damned good one.
The Escape had a large number of recalls, a number of which were related to the 1.6 liter engine. They’ve just announced a new, 2017 redesign that features a new, 1.5-liter engine, updated styling, and some additional features, including an update of the much-verbally abused sync entertainment interface. We’ll review that when it comes around. Ford is hoping the Escape’s reliability issues are behind them, but one never knows until you’re talking in the past tense. Stay tuned.