2018 Ford Escape

<p>The 2018 Ford Escape has seating for five and comes in four trim levels. These are S, SE, SEL, and Titanium. Exterior features of the S trim include automatic halogen headlights, 17-inch steel wheels, a black front grille, a rear spoiler, and LED taillights. Opt for the SE to get extra chrome exterior trim elements, 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, sound-reducing glass on the windows, rear privacy glass, fog lights, and a keyless entry pad. You can add a package with blacked-out trim, wheels, and LED daytime running lights.</p><p> The SEL trim level tacks on heated side mirrors, roof rail crossbars, and a power-operated liftgate. With the top Titanium trim, standard equipment includes a hands-free liftgate, Xenon headlights, 18-inch wheels, and remote start. Optional upgrades are available, such as 19-inch wheels and a towing package that takes the capacity to 3,500 pounds.</p>

When you choose the base model, your 2018 Escape will come with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 170 pound-feet of torque and 160 horsepower. With the SE, a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is standard, which makes 177 pound-feet of torque and 179 horsepower. The most powerful engine is found in the Titanium. This 2.0-liter turbocharged unit pumps out 275 pound-feet of torque and 245 horsepower. All three engines work with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Every model comes with front-wheel drive, although on the upper three trim levels, all-wheel drive is available as an upgrade. With front-wheel drive and the base engine, EPA estimates come in at 21 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg combined. The 1.5-liter engine drops the estimates to 22-23 mpg in the city, 28-30 mpg on the highway, and 24-26 mpg combined, depending on whether you choose front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The 2.0-liter engine estimates are 20-21 mpg in the city and 27-28 mpg on the highway, for combined estimates of 23-24 mpg.

<p>Even the base model of the 2018 Escape comes equipped with a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a height-adjustable driver's seat, Ford's Sync infotainment system with AppLink smartphone integration, a 4.2-inch central display screen, a six-speaker sound system with Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port, and Ford's MyKey parental controls. The sportier SE trim tacks on an eight-way power-adjustable front seat with lumbar support, dual-zone automatic climate control, paddle shifters, rear air vents, heated front seats, and nicer cloth upholstery.</p><p> Near the top of the list, the SEL offers a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob and leather upholstery. With the Titanium trim comes a power-adjustable passenger seat, ambient interior lighting, a household-style power outlet, navigation, a 10-speaker Sony sound system, HD radio, driver's seat memory settings, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and additional power outlets.</p>

Every 2018 Ford Escape has a rearview camera, anti-lock brakes, plenty of air bags, and traction and stability control. The Safe and Smart package is available on the upper three trim levels, tacking on rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, automatic wipers, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning with intervention, blind spot monitoring, and automatic high beams.