Automotive Trends

     Why mess with a winning formula?     Ford clearly follows this mantra as its wildly successful Escape mini-SUV enters its third year. It’s got the same nimble handling, rugged looks and sporty personality that made it popular with young buyers starting in 2001, so it’s no wonder that Ford doesn’t want to screw things up by making big changes.

     Instead, the biggest news for the Escape in 2003 is its packaging and trim, including a Limited version that brings levels of comfort and refinement rarely seen in SUVs of its class. It has heated leather seats, standard side airbags, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated side mirrors, an in-dash six-disc CD changer, and sensors that warn the driver of anything in its path when in reverse.
     Outside, the Limited model features body-color trim that’s a big improvement over the base model’s chintzy plastic that looks like it came straight off a Little Tikes backyard toy. The new Limited look makes the Escape look like a smaller version of the Explorer, Ford’s red-hot midsize SUV.
     Will people actually buy a luxurious mini-SUV, though? At $27,000, the Limited package almost prices the high-end Escape into Explorer territory, but no other small SUV offers such fancy features. It’s a gamble for Ford to test these waters all alone, but it could pay off as more people try to avoid the anti-environmental stigma that comes with owning a big, truck-like vehicle, and instead turn to the smaller, fancier Escape at the same price.
     While it didn’t see any significant changes (new interior materials, lighted switches and three new colors are the only differences), the base Escape remains one of the best bargains around. It starts around $18,000, and since it’s based on a car platform with a truck-like cabin, it has some of the best attributes of both cars and trucks.
     Other than the abundance of plastic cladding on its body, there’s not much to complain about. It handles like a sports car compared to body-on-frame “real” SUVs, and its comfortable interior lets the back seat fold down to reveal a decent amount of cargo space.
     Performance is good with a four-cylinder engine and spectacular with an optional 3.0-liter, 201-horsepower V6. Gas mileage with the V6 is nothing to write home about (18 mpg in town), although Ford is quick to brag about its low emissions.
     All in all, the Escape is a nice package whether luxurious or basic, as its terrific suspension and versatile cabin will keep it popular as long as buyers are wanting vehicles that handle like cars and look like trucks.