2012 Ford Escape: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

2012 Ford Escape: What Is It

The 2012 Escape is Ford’s sole entry in Consumer Guide’s compact-SUV class. Of the 20-plus vehicles in this segment, Escape rates in the middle of the pack in terms of price, size, cabin space, and fuel economy. Escape, which offers comfortable passenger accommodations and the availability of a hybrid model, earned a 2012 Recommended nod by Consumer Guide Automotive. However, other competitors have surpassed the Escape, whose basic design is more than a decade old. This vehicle is built in the United States.

2012 Ford Escape: What's New

The 2012 Escape sees no significant changes pending a redesign due in calendar 2012 as a 2013 model.
2012 Ford Escape: Model Lineup, Features, and Options

Escape is offered in five trim levels: XLS, XLT, Limited, Hybrid Base, and Hybrid Limited.

XLS comes standard with features that are common on most every SUV.

XLT adds more than a dozen amenities, including a leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, a 6-way power driver seat, keypad entry, satellite radio, and roof rails.

Limited adds Sync (a voice-activated control interface for cell phones, audio, and navigation systems), leather upholstery, heated front seats, a roof rack, and several other features.

To the XLT, Hybrid Base adds a hybrid powertrain, Sync, dual-zone automatic climate control, and other features.
Hybrid Limited adds a rear-obstacle-detection system, a rearview camera, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power sunroof, a roof rack, and more.

Ford offers numerous packages on Escape, including a Sport Appearance Package and a Trailer Towing Package. Options include Sync, a navigation system, hands-free parallel parking, a power sunroof, a dual-screen DVD entertainment system, an upgraded sound system, remote engine start, and more.

2012 Ford Escape: Engines, Transmissions, and Drive Wheels

XLS, XLT, and Limited come standard with a 171-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. Optional on XLT and Limited is a 240-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 engine. The gas/electric hybrid powertrain teams a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder gas engine with an electric motor for 153 total horsepower.

XLS’s 4-cylinder engine can be mated with a 5-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic transmission. XLT and Limited, regardless of engine, come standard with the 6-speed automatic. The hybrid models use a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which behaves much like an automatic.

XLS is available only as front-wheel drive. The other four trim levels can be purchased as either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Maximum towing capacities are 1,500 pounds for the conventional 4-cylinder, 3,500 pounds for the V6, and 1,000 pounds for the hybrid.

2012 Ford Escape: Fuel Economy

The EPA rates 4-cylinder/manual-transmission models at 23 mpg city/28 mpg highway. The front-drive 4-cylinder/automatic models are rated at 21 city/28 automatic; AWD is 20/27. Front-drive V6s are rated at 19/25 (14/19 with E85), while AWD V6s are tabbed at 18/23 (13/17 with E85). The hybrid models are rated at 34/31 for front-wheel drive and 30/27 for all-wheel drive.

In Consumer Guide testing, AWD 4-cylinder models averaged 23.2 mpg. An AWD V6 version averaged 20.0 mpg in driving slightly biased toward highway use. A front-drive Escape Hybrid averaged 24.5 mpg in a test that included driving mostly in hot weather with the air conditioner on. An AWD Hybrid averaged 25.9 mpg in sub-zero weather. Another AWD Hybrid averaged 28.2 mpg in mild weather. All Escapes use regular-grade gas. V6 versions can also run on E85 ethanol-blended fuel.

2012 Ford Escape: Safety Features

The 2012 Escape has a standard complement of expected and federally mandated safety features. Rear-obstacle detection and a rearview camera are available, as is Ford's MyKey, which allows owners to program a key that can limit the vehicle's top speed and audio volume.