2024 Ford Escape vs 2023 Ford Escape

The 2023 Ford Escape showcased a modern crossover design that leaned towards a more European aesthetic, moving away from the rugged, boxy look of its predecessors. The refresh in 2023 introduced a more traditional front end, replacing the previous grille with a stylish LED light bar and the iconic Ford blue oval logo. Despite its sleek design, the Escape maintained a compact size, making it one of the smallest vehicles in Ford's SUV lineup. The ST-Line Elite trim, which we tested, featured 19-inch wheels and body-colour mirror caps, giving it an upscale appearance akin to a Mazda CX-5. Inside, the diamond-stitched leather upholstery looked appealing but felt hard and plasticky, though the seats were comfortable for long drives.

The 2024 Ford Escape carried over the updates from the previous year, enhancing its appeal with a more aggressive front-end design. The rest of the SUV retained a soft and generically appealing look. The ST-Line Elite trim we tested came with Rapid Red paint, black 19-inch wheels, and a Panoramic Vista Roof, adding to its sporty appearance. However, the interior, despite its upscale look, suffered from excessively glossy surfaces and stiff upholstery. The 2024 model's interior featured diamond-stitched, perforated leather, but the feel was not as premium as expected for its price. Ford's attention to detail seemed lacking, especially considering the Escape's rumoured discontinuation.

The 2023 Ford Escape offered multiple powertrain options, including a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine delivering 180 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque. This engine could be paired with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, providing competitive performance within its segment. The ST-Line Select, Platinum, and ST-Line Elite trims featured a more powerful 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, exclusively with all-wheel drive. Despite the impressive output, the Escape's suspension remained soft, prioritizing comfort over performance. The brakes offered predictable stopping power, and the steering was well-weighted, avoiding the twitchiness seen in some competitors.

For the 2024 Ford Escape, buyers could choose between a 192-horsepower hybrid powertrain or a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Our test vehicle featured the latter, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The AWD system included a driveline disconnect feature to improve fuel economy, and drivers could select from Eco, Normal, Sport, and Slippery driving modes. The turbocharged engine provided quick acceleration, but the ST-Line's ride was soft, with handling that allowed too much body motion. The brake pedal was responsive, but the steering felt sluggish. The turbo engine seemed wasted in this application, and the hybrid powertrain might offer better long-term savings.

The 2023 Ford Escape provided a comfortable driving experience with soft, supportive seats and excellent ergonomics. The steering wheel felt great to hold, and the armrests were well-positioned. However, the Escape fell short in cargo space, offering up to 1,061 litres behind the second row and 1,851 litres with the second row folded. While it was comparable to the Chevrolet Equinox and Mazda CX-5, it couldn't match the cargo capacity of the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Rogue, or Toyota RAV4. Passenger space was slightly less than some competitors, but the back seat offered good headroom and soft, padded front-seat backs.

In the 2024 Ford Escape, the interior was available only in black, with cloth inserts and artificial leather bolsters. The ST-Line Elite trim added leather seats, ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, and power-adjustable front seats. The front seats were large and soft, providing good support, while the back seat was comfortable when slid to its rearmost position. Interior storage was generous in the front, but rear passengers had less accommodation. Cargo volume measured 1,061 litres behind the back seat and 1,852 litres with the rear seat folded. The test vehicle included deep storage areas and a grocery bag hook, enhancing practicality.

The 2023 Ford Escape impressed with its Sync 4 technology, featuring an 8-inch touchscreen on lower trims and a 13.2-inch screen on higher trims like the ST-Line Elite. The larger screen upgraded the cabin's look and offered an intuitive layout with tiles for navigation, music, and Bluetooth pairing. While Sync 4 was easy to use, it occasionally lagged in response, and the volume knob's placement was inconvenient. A six-speaker sound system was standard, with a Bang & Olufsen system available on higher trims.

The 2024 Ford Escape featured digital instrumentation, with a 12.3-inch display on upper trims. The 13.2-inch Sync 4 infotainment system was presented in a landscape format, offering an intuitive layout. However, the colour theme appeared washed out, and the climate controls were integrated into the screen, which was not ideal. The system included wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The test vehicle had a Bang & Olufsen sound system, but the speakers were damaged. The voice recognition system was excellent, but the wireless charger heated the phone excessively. The optional head-up display was part of the Premium Technology Package, which also included Active Park Assist 2.0.

The 2023 Ford Escape received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in frontal and side-crash tests and four stars in the rollover test. The IIHS did not grant it a Top Safety Pick designation due to a Marginal score in the updated side-impact test. The Escape came standard with Ford's Co-Pilot360 suite, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and more. Co-Pilot360 2.0 added adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, and a surround-view camera.

The 2024 Ford Escape also featured the Co-Pilot360 suite, with additional features like adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, evasive steering assist, and a 360-degree camera system. The lane-keeping systems were inconsistent, and the predictive speed assist slowed the SUV too much for curves. On highways, the Co-Pilot360 technology performed better, with effective lane-keeping and smooth adaptive cruise control. The NHTSA awarded the 2024 Escape five-star ratings, except for a four-star rollover resistance rating. The IIHS had not rated the 2024 model at the time of writing.