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2020 Ford Escape review

Research, photos, specs, and expertise
7 photos

Ford Escape highlights

Customer rating

Pros

  • Three engine choices, including a hybrid
  • Sporty sedan-like exterior styling
  • Ample rear seating legroom

Cons

  • Slow-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission
  • Engine stop-start system bucks
  • Poor handling on turns

Mileage (EPA estimate)

23 city, 31 highway, 26 combined

Pricing for current inventory

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A spacious crossover SUV.

A stylish crossover SUV that starts the fourth generation of the model, the 2020 Ford Escape has a sleek exterior with all the styling cues you'd expect of modern Ford models. Three engines, including a hybrid option, give you a great choice of power modes for whatever you require. There's also plenty of room inside, especially with sliding second-row seats; and above all, it makes daily driving an absolute breeze. And for those looking for a family runabout to pick up groceries and the kids from school, the 2020 Ford Escape has you covered.

All Ford Escape years

What is new for the 2020 Ford Escape?

  • Escape trims have been upgraded with Lane Departure Warning, Automated Cruise Control, and Bang & Olufsen Audio as standard equipment this year.
  • Head Up Display features are now available as options on select trims.
  • The SEL trim now comes with Cloth Seats, Heated Steering Wheel, Blind Spot Monitor, and Memory Seat(s) as standard equipment.
  • The SE trim now comes with Blind Spot Monitor as standard equipment.
  • The S trim now comes with Blind Spot Monitor, Turbo Charged Engine, and 4WD/AWD as standard equipment.

2020 Ford Escape trims

Curious how Ford Escape trims differ? Use our side-by-side vehicle comparison to see the differences and similarities

S:

  • 180-hp, 177-lb-ft of torque 1.5L
  • Cloth Seats
  • Rear View Camera
  • Lane Departure Warning
  • Power Mirrors
  • Cruise Control
  • Rear Defroster
  • Blind Spot Monitor
  • Side Airbags
  • View our Ford Escape S inventory

SE:

SEL:

  • Includes all features available on the SE
  • 250-hp, 280-lb-ft of torque 2.0L
  • Remote Start
  • Parking Sensors
  • Heated Steering Wheel
  • Memory Seats
  • Leatherette Seats
  • Leatherette & Cloth
  • Power Hatch/Deck Lid
  • View our Ford Escape SEL inventory

Titanium:

  • Includes all features available on the SEL
  • 250-hp, 275-lb-ft of torque 2.0L
  • Leather Seats
  • Automated Parking
  • Automated Cruise Control
  • Bang & Olufsen Audio
  • Navigation System
  • View our Ford Escape Titanium inventory

Ford Escape photos

5 reasons to buy the 2020 Ford Escape

1. Fresh exterior style

The launch of the fourth-generation Escape for 2020 necessitated a revamped exterior, and Ford certainly delivered on that front. The 2020 Ford Escape looks fresh and contemporary, taking style cues from sport-focused Ford models like the Mustang and GT. It almost doesn't look like your average crossover SUV, but rather a larger sporty sedan or wagon, depending on how you look at it. The 2020 Ford Escape has enough curb appeal to stand out in the crowded crossover SUV market—and parked outside your house.

2. Plenty of space inside

Part of the appeal of a crossover SUV is the impressive interior space offered, and the 2020 Ford Escape lives up to that as well. 104 cubic feet of passenger volume gives you and your passengers plenty of space to stretch out inside, and 37.5 cubic feet of cargo volume can easily cope with most everyday requirements. And, should you need even more storage space in the back, folding the rear seats down expands cargo volume to 65.4 cubic feet. Whether groceries, travel luggage, even furniture for the house, the 2020 Ford Escape transports your stuff in style.

3. Great engine selection

The base 1.5L EcoBoost three-cylinder engine prioritizes efficiency and features automatic cylinder deactivation. And, while it still produces 181 hp—more than enough for the daily drive—it also gets an EPA-estimated 30 mpg combined when in front-wheel drive with the eight-speed automatic transmission.

Meanwhile, the 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost engine boosts the output up to 250 hp and enables the 2020 Ford Escape to provide a towing capacity of an estimated 3,500 lbs. when properly equipped.
This engine manages an EPA-estimated 26 mpg combined when equipped with the eight-speed automatic transmission.

4. A hybrid option for enhanced efficiency

For the first time since 2013, the 2020 Ford Escape provides a hybrid powerplant, and it's very impressive. A 2.5L Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine is mated to two electric motors to generate 198 hp and 153 lb-ft of torque in total. Even more impressively, this engine is capable of an EPA-estimated 41 mpg combined and up to an estimated 44 mpg in the city.

If you're after a Ford Escape that'll serve you well as a city runabout, look for one with this hybrid engine.

5. Lots of driver convenience features

You get plenty of great features with the 2020 Ford Escape. The base model includes features like a tire-pressure monitoring system, as well as the Ford CoPilot360 suite of features: forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, a rearview camera, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Even on the base model, that's more than enough to make every journey as stress-free as possible. Additionally, there are features like a reverse sensing system (Escape SEL trim) and Active Park Assist 2.0 (Escape Titanium trim) available elsewhere in the range.

Similar vehicles

If you're interested in the 2020 Ford Escape, you should also check out these similar vehicles from Previous generation years.

Image of Ford Explorer | CarMax

The 2017–2019 Ford Explorer will comfortably take your family and luggage on your next adventure with a good baseline of technology and flexible interior space. A trio of engines is available across five different trim levels. For 2020–2021, the Ford Explorer gets a complete redesign. New for 2020 is a 10.1-inch portrait touchscreen (Platinum Technology Package), an available 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot for ten devices (all models), and AWD with up to seven different terrain modes (optional on all, included in ST, Platinum).

 A 2020–2021 Ford Explorer equipped with the 3.0L twin-turbocharged V6 engine can tow up to an estimated 5,600 pounds when properly equipped.

On base-model 2017–2019 Ford Explorer models, you'll find:

  • Power driver's seat

  • A six-speaker sound system with Bluetooth integration

  • Steering wheel-mounted cruise and audio controls

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Ratings & reliability

Customer ratings

4
Above Average

RepairPal gave the Ford Escape an overall reliability rating of 4 out of 5 stars, which RepairPal describes as Above Average. This rating ranks Ford Escape 14th out of 29 among Compact SUVs.

View RepairPal's full rating of the Ford Escape

Ford Escape features and specs

SEL 2WD 4D Sport Utility

Standard Features

  • ABS Brakes
  • Air Conditioning
  • Alloy Wheels
  • AM/FM Stereo
  • Android Auto
  • Apple CarPlay
  • Automatic Transmission
  • Auxiliary Audio Input
  • Blind Spot Monitor
  • Bluetooth Technology
  • Cloth Seats
  • Cruise Control
  • Front Seat Heaters
  • Heated Steering Wheel
  • Lane Departure Warning
  • Leatherette & Cloth
  • Leatherette Seats
  • Memory Seat(s)
  • Overhead Airbags
  • Parking Sensors
  • Power Hatch/Deck Lid
  • Power Locks
  • Power Mirrors
  • Power Seat(s)
  • Power Windows
  • Rear Defroster
  • Rear View Camera
  • Remote Start
  • Satellite Radio Ready
  • Side Airbags
  • Smart Key
  • Sync System
  • Traction Control
  • Turbo Charged Engine
  • Automated Cruise Control
  • Full Roof Rack
  • Navigation System
  • Panoramic Sunroof
  • Running Boards
  • Tow Hitch

Drive Wheels

Front Wheel Drive (2WD)

Engine size

1.5L

Horsepower

180

Torque (ft-lbs)

177

Engine type

Turbo Gas

Fuel capacity

14.7

Wheelbase

106.7"

Overall length

180.5"

Width

74.1"

Height

66.1"

Leg room

F 42.4"/R 38.8"

Head room

F 40"/R 39.3"

Front tires

P225/60HR18

Rear tires

P225/60HR18

Seating capacity

5

Max towing capacity

200/2000 lbs.

Transmission

Automatic

2020 Ford Escape FAQ

More about the 2020 Ford Escape

Color options

Exterior colors:

  • Agate Black

  • Dark Persian Green

  • Desert Gold

  • Ingot Silver

  • Magnetic

  • Oxford White

  • Rapid Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat

  • Sedona Orange

  • Star White Metallic Tricoat

  • Velocity Blue

Interior details

  • 37.5 cubic feet of cargo volume on gasoline-engine-equipped models

  • 34.4 cubic feet of cargo volume on hybrid-engine-equipped models

  • 65.4 cubic feet of cargo volume with rear seats folded down

  • Seats up to five people

  • Comes standard with Ford SYNC and 4.2-inch LCD display

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