KevinMD

2015 Ford Escape SE Ride Report
IRAR or IFAR
23/32 mpg 1.6L
22/30 mpg 2.0L
FWD or AWD
178 hp 1.6L
240 hp 2.0L
6 speed shiftable automatic
15.4 Gallon fuel tank
Premium unleaded recommended
34.3 cubic feet cargo space
68.1 cubic feet with rear seat down
8 way power driver seat with power lumbar support
4 way manual passenger seat
Rear view camera
AM/FM with USB, AUX, and Bluetooth
6 months of included SXM
6 total speakers

Pros
2.0L is a peppy engine
Can be nicely equipped
Comfortable ride even with cloth seats

Cons
Engines need premium fuel to get advertised MPG
Base SE is lacking some features

Summary
The 2015 Escape is still the best mid size SUV



The Escape has long been one of my favorite rentals. When the other choices in the class are various POS Jeeps, Craptiva, stripped down Nissans and Toyotas, its not hard to be a good. What drives me nuts about the Escape, is there are so many optional packages and trims that make the rental fleet. There could be six Escape's in a row in the aisle, and each one could be equipped differently. What I will try to do is cover the common options and trims.

The Escape comes in 3 different trims, Base S, SE and Titanium. Most of the 2015's I have seen are SE trim. I have not seen a 2015 Titanium Escape yet, though I have in previous years. The Base S is easy to distinguish as it has a 2.5L engine, and will have no Ecoboost badge on the back.



The SE comes standard with a 1.6L turbo 4. Optional is a 2.0L turbo 4. Standard will be a small non touchscreen with lots of buttons on the dash. The first common optional package is the convenience package. It adds roof rails, rear parking sensors, dual zone automatic climate control, 8 inch touchscreen, and a nine speaker sound system. The first thing to check for are the roof rails, as they are only on this package. I would consider this package a must have for any longer length rental. Another package is the leather comfort package. It adds heated mirrors, leather seats, leather steering wheel and shift knob, and heated seats.

The Titanium trim comes with both of the above packages plus adds keyless entry and ignition, power liftgate with hands free operation, eight way power passenger seat, and a ten speaker Sony sound system. Optional for both SE and Titanium is the Panoramic sunroof.



The 1.6L is an ok engine, but lacks power. The MPG gain is minimal, with 32 mpg highway compared to the 30 mpg of the 2.0L. 0-60 for the 1.6L is 9.4 seconds compared to 7 seconds for the 2.0L.

The base multimedia system is a hassle to use. There is no touchscreen, and all the features are set by using buttons and dials. I much prefer the 8 inch touchscreen, as navigation is very easy and straightforward.



My first choice for the Escape would be the Titanium trim with the turbo 2.0L. My next choice would be the SE with the 2.0L and the convenience package. The base SE is still better than most Jeep's, RAV4, Murano, Tucson, and the Craptiva.

zerolife

I wonder, since you sound like someone who had experience with prior model years, whether you know what the difference is between 2015 vs 2014.

KevinMD

Nothing to write about. I checked a couple of sites and it looks like a new color, redesigned wheels, and maybe tweaking a package, but is essentially unchanged from '14.