Just bought my wife a new 2016 escape. I had given her my 2014 focus with 21k miles when I bought my f250 a couple weeks ago. She said the focus was to small, and didn't have room for the kids and groceries, funny I never had a problem in 2+ years, and I'm 6'4". She simply wanted a new car. So after haggling on trade in allowance for a couple days, and cutting the cost of the extended warranty by 20%, I surprised her while she was at work last night. I did have to stretch the payments to 60 months, but got the same low payments as the focus.

I wasn't real thrilled about trading the focus that I enjoyed driving, but this escape drives better than any vehicle I've ever had. I put almost 100 miles on it last night. I love the steering, and the ride is great. Not as peppy as the focus, but plenty of power(I got the base s model with the 2.5). The focus handled like a go kart, which I loved with my spirited driving at 5am on the country roads on my way to work. I obviously don't expect the escape to handle as good, but I did hammer it a couple times on the clover leaf on/off ramps, and I didn't have any complaints.

It holds over drive at speed on the hills very well. She had a mid 2000's model 3.0 escape limited at one time, and I hated the way it would drop out of overdrive and rev with every tiny grade.

The interior is simple, very similar to the focus, and has plenty of bells and whistles for a base model. Plenty of leg room, and is big enough for a road trip with a family of four, 1 being in a car seat and the other a 5'4" 10 year old. What really shined, was the back hatch area. It's much larger than I remember in her last escape.

I had never given any thought about buying an escape, and was shocked when she started nagging me earlier this week for one. But this little thing has really impressed me! With that said, I love my gas guzzling, ruff riding, **** poor handling super duty more.

 

Enjoy the new ride . Focus are fun little cars.

 

Ron; glad to see this review. I'll be buying a new CUV in a couple months and the 2017 Escape is on my short list. I've been in a 2011 Sportage for the last five years with no complaints and I like it's sporty handling. Sounds like you drive about like me - nobody pushes me around a ramp, even in my truck. I'll be going for the 2.0L Eco-Boost if I go Ford. The other choice is a 2016 Sportage SX (turbo) if I can find one. The thing that's hard to ignore with the Hyundai/KIA is the 5/60 general warranty and the 10/100 power train. Wise guys would now say 'And you're going to need it' but I didn't with mine. In fact, I have to admit it has been the overall best and most reliable vehicle I've owned in 55 years of owning cars.
But there are certain aspects of the KIA I won't mind losing, like the kidney-cracking ride. Guys like us love a taut suspension but this thing rides like a farm wagon. Or the super-low head clearance getting in, and I'm not tall.
Yep, looking forward to driving some Escapes over the next 90 days.

 

Ford is behind on their warranty for sure. I did whined up buying the 72k bumper to bumper warranty for 1600. First time I've ever bought the extended warranty, and I've got mixed feelings on it because I've never had to use the warranty for anything major.

This is NOT intended as an insult by any means, you work for your money, so spend it how you see fit! I will not even think about buying a foreign assembled vehicle. Both the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tuscan are assembled over seas. If they had to pay the tariffs that ford, Chevy, and dodge did to get their vehicles in most over seas countries, they could not compete in the US market. I know there are a lot of "imports" built here in the usa now, but the cooperate dollar is still going else where. The only import brand I would consider is a Toyota, only because they(along with ford, and Subaru) keep my wife in a job, manufacturing small electrical parts(DENSO). I wish all Americans would buy American, or at least American assembled. I truly feel that the only way Kia and Hyundai made it was by offering the 10/10 warranty, and I will hand it to them, they have come along way since their beginnings. They have become a world class car.

Rant over, give the escape a good test drive, I believe it will sell itself.

 

I don't pay any attention to the politics of buying anything - I try only to get the best product I can for my money. When our automakers lose share to better product, they are forced to improve. If they weren't, we'd still be driving drum-brake dinosaurs.
I think Ford is way out in front of the other USA makers but my question will be 'Have they come far enough?' One thing for sure, when it comes down to a twin-turbo 2.0L engine with 245 HP, I believe I could trust Ford more than Hyundai. At least for now - they have made tremendous leaps in quality over the last 20 years just to catch up.