Performing maybe the business's largest about face, the Ford Escape went from rental fleet ugly duckling to polished, fit runabout over the span of only one model year.

Credit goes to Ford's "One Ford" strategy, meaning that the Escape and the globalmarket Kuga are currently the same vehicle, designed and engineered in both Europe and Michigan.

But while we have praised the Escape in common, we have never figured out whether it has what it takes to compete at-a higher amount. To discover, we ticked a group of choices and wound up with a range topping Escape Titanium with all wheel-drive and the model's most powerful turbocharged engine.

2013 design year introduction. early a replacement for your Escape (and its lightly updated forerunner), the version you see here arrived as an. The most recent Escape a huge improvement over its predecessor, something mainly due to the platform -- believe underpinnings -- it shares with the Ford Focus.

Three engines are available, starting with a bargain basement 2.5 liter four cylinder and working their way up through a high volume 1.6 liter EcoBoost to our examiner's 2.0 liter EcoBoost. And in case you do not talk Ford, EcoBoost is a blend of direct injection and turbochargers, which, theoretically, produce downsized fuel economy and power. Sunny weather front wheel-drive is conventional, but EcoBoost engines are provided with all wheel-drive.

That is not actually an insult, although we are unsure we had go so far as calling a compliment to it, either. The Focus and the Escape share similar design language, including tons of curves and creases and an ultraflat front fascia. We do believe that the Escape is especially well proportioned, something we cannot say about several of its competitors. Sitting on its 19inch alloy wheels, our tester had a posture and balanced appearance from every angle.

Pick out the fender mounted imitation ports, which seem to have been seized from the sale bin at Auto Zone. And that aggressively swept up D - column at the back appears stylish but really cuts into visibility.

If you enjoyed the Focus, you'll enjoy the Escape. Both share exactly the same alien like dash, with its interesting layout cues but normally faultless ergonomics. This is not an inside meant for an art museum, but it really is suitable and practical.

Motorists look at a group of clear gauges that comprise a good LCD screen for trip computer functions. The lustrous, all too - reflective centre stack - - which attracts fingerprints like no other - - characteristics a dearth of buttons and the aforementioned MyFord Touch.

This evaluation Escape was fault free until the very last day we had it, if it determined to forget our radio presets. No less than the voice instructions are successful once you have mastered the right command arrangement learning curve. MyFord Touch has come quite a distance since debuting a couple of years back, but competing systems are quicker and simpler.

Although we believe leather should really be part of-the package at this price point, we did enjoy the convenience of our examiner's fabric/leather seats, that are warmed up front. Back seat passengers get above their own atmosphere ports as well as average space, but the plastic on the door panels is of a clearly lower level than that found up front. Second class, really. Out back, Escape's trunk is well finished with a reduced load floor.

Its ride is business, but even the pavement only jostled passengers somewhat. There is certainly a high amount of suspension refinement going on underneath the Escape. Only the pokier Mazda CX5 is prone to place a smile on your own face.

With 240 hp and, more importantly, 270 lb ft. of torque available from a pretty low 3,000 rpm, the Escape is decently fast. Unfortunately, this turbocharged four cylinder is not remarkable for its linear speedup.

Think about that one a success of engineering. The Escape is a hoot to drive, normally handling and riding like a top notch automobile.

We believe the 1.6 liter high-quantity SE and SEL versions make the most sense, but ponying up for a higher-zoot version does not dilute the Escape's inborn virtues.

Reviews: 2013 Ford Escape