

It’s also fairly cost effective, our well-equipped SEL starting at $36,749 and retailing for $42,799 with panoramic roof and the Technology Package (power tailgate, excellent B&O sound system, and wireless charging).

If you like to fade into the background, Ford has a compact sport cute for you. It’s also positively sterile compared with the Bronco Sport with which it shares non-hybrid powertrains.

Some people - introverts, I would assume - may prefer the mundane, but I found the looks dated even though it was just redesigned from the ground up last year. My major complaint - and an atypical one since I usually don’t comment on styling - is that the Escape’s exterior is so nondescript that it fairly disappears when parked beside the comparatively butch RAV4. Throw in a decent interior with an upgraded Sync system and an 8-inch touchscreen, adequate rear seat room and a dashboard that is not hard on the eyes and you have a pretty darned good effort from FoMoCo.
