F

52 MAY 2020 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

Base/As Tested

Dimensions

Wheelbase

L/W/H

Track, F/R

Interior Volume, F/R

Cargo Volume, F/R

Max Towing

Powertrain

Engine

Power, hp @ rpm

Torque, lb-ft @ rpm

Redline

lb per hp

Driveline

Transmission

Driven Wheels

Final-Drive Ratio:1

Chassis

Suspension

Brakes

Stability Control

Tires

TEST RESULTS

Acceleration

Rollout, 1 ft

30 mph

60 mph

100 mph

110 mph

1/4-Mile @ mph

Rolling Start, 5–60 mph

Top Gear, 30–50 mph

Top Gear, 50–70 mph

Top Speed

Chassis

Braking, 70–0 mph

Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad

Weight

Curb

Distribution, F/R

Practical Stowage

No. of 9 x 14 x 22-in

Boxes, Seats Up/Folded

Length of Pipe

Largest Flat Panel, L/W

Sound Level

Idle/Full Throttle

70–mph Cruise

Fuel

Capacity/Octane

2020 Ford Escape

SE AWD

$29, 800 /$3 0 , 495

106.7 in

180.5/74.1/66.1 in

62.4/61.8 in

54/49 ft^3

65/34 ft^3

2000 lb

turbocharged DOHC

12-valve inline-3

91 in^3 (1496 cm^3 )

181 @ 6000

190 @ 3000

7000 rpm

19.3

8-speed automatic

all

3.81

F: struts, coil springs,

anti-roll bar R: multilink,

coil springs, anti-roll bar

F: 13.0-in vented disc

R: 11.9-in disc

traction off

Continental

ProContact TX

225/65R-17 102H M+S

0.3 sec

2 .5 sec

8.0 sec

24.8 sec

35.0 sec

16.1 sec @ 86

8.5 sec

4.1 sec

5.3 sec

122 mph (gov ltd)

161 ft

0.87 g

34 93 lb

58.0/42.0%

8/21

124.5 in

67.5/41.5 in

39/74 dBA

69 dBA

15.7 gal/91

ifty years ago, nothing screamed

“family car” like a long, low station

wagon plastered with fake-wood sid-

ing. But then the look fell out of style

and carmakers largely stopped build-

ing them for the U.S. Well, the station

wagon is back, only now it’s standing

on tiptoe and we call it a crossover.

Tall is the new normal. Americans

bought roughly 8 .5 million SUVs in

201 9, making it by far the biggest sin-

gle vehicle category. Some 2. 9 million

of those were compact crossovers from mainstream man-

ufacturers, and no wonder: They’re reasonably priced and

good for just about every domestic task, from the dreaded

family road trip to a weekend Home Depot run. There’s a

reason why there are now 16 vehicles in the segment, and

that’s reason enough to sort out the best from the rest.

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which we had not previously reviewed en masse. Then we

added the all-new Ford Escape to see if it might shake up

the established order. We structured the test to experience

aUV`½RRaN`N[fSNZVYfZVTUa.[QdR_R`V`aRQN[fdUV[V[T

from Car and Driver family members who’d hoped to use this

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locale. We stayed local, driving on familiar roads where we

live and work. We drove stretches of nearby Interstate 94

to get a sense of how these modern station wagons would

behave on trips. Then we hit our favorite two-lane loop

searching for glimmers of inspiration behind the wheel.

We ran laps through the big little city of Ann Arbor,

too, bumping across its chunky downtown pavement and

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buses, garbage trucks, and University of Michigan students

more engaged with their phones than their surroundings.

We maneuvered into and out of parking spots at the local

Whole Foods lot. And then we spent an afternoon in the C/D

EPA Comb, mpg

EPA City, mpg

EPA Hwy, mpg

C/D 250-mi Trip, mpg

(^2826)
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