This car, or the Maverick Hybrid, would've been very easy purchases for me and my wife to consider if they were offered with AWD. It's completely mind boggling to me that Ford gatekeeps such incredible engine choices/PHEV/efficiency behind front wheel drive exclusivity. Hopefully they recognize the demand and figure out a hybrid/PHEV AWD drivetrain for the Bronco Sport, as well. In the meantime, we're going to keep going back to Subaru because we simply have no choices in the segment for soft-road capable, AWD, fuel-efficient vehicles.

Mine has been good so far. A little more than half of our miles have been electric. I wanted to wait for the refresh which has made it look better but my Focus had been waiting for parts for 6 months with no end in sight and I wanted the tax credit before the rules changed and they got rid of the stone blue color.

Gatekeeping AWD behind the Corsair was a dumb move on Ford’s part. I understand that most folks don’t need AWD but it’s enough of a want item in the segment that you’re pretty much DOA without it.

Alex, According to the chart you mentioned, this Escape has more legroom than any other competitor. Did they hide it in the glove compartment? 🤔 All in all it comes as a shock that ANY compact CUV is smaller than a RAV4. 🤨 As an aside, I would like to thank you for setting the record straight about the PHEV Outlander's inefficiency. 🙌🙌

My mother still has a MY18 Fusion Titanium PHEV and that car has been rock solid. Ford has done a great job with their PHEVs and this is a pragmatic option if you don't really hold AWD as necessity. Toyota will GOUGE you for a Rav4 Prime and Hyundai's Tucson PHEV is nowhere near as smooth in the real world.

C-Max Energi owner here. I love my current car, but Ford's dilly-dallying about what direction they're taking their product line means I wouldn't seriously consider one until they actually commmit to a long-term vehicle strategy. also, their telematics design is crap, they've retired the MyFordMobile app and web site, steering users to a significantly diluted experience, and they just can't seen to find a consistent infotainment interface that doesn't suck. I paid only $14k for my car CPO w/ 24k miles, less than half of the sticker price. maybe (maybe) if a similar bargain on an Escape PHEV shows up in 2-3 years I'll give it a look, but not now.

I love the Lincoln Corsair (Grand Touring) PHEV version of this! AWD & so comfy!

2nd row room is measured with front seat at 40 inches of legroom, if a car has a very long travel front seat that puts it way over 40 inches, 2nd row room will appear very small for the large combined legroom number.

I have the 2016 Chevy Volt for 5 years now more efficient and more range most of the phev.

I wish more manufacturers made this type of hybrid. The planetary gearset hybrid in Fords and Toyotas have been incredibly reliable. But at least for Fords, interior quality seems to be questionable. I had one as an Uber once, and the plastics are probably the worst I've seen in a long while.

I was about to pull trigger on a Ford Maverick base for 24.4 OTD due to Ford's private offer. I backed out. At that point pretty much every Maverick built had been recalled with recall work done shoddily. CV axle failed repeatedly, it's really weak to handle the hybrid torque. But the main reason was hybrids entering limp mode on the highway. Basically if you are going 70 mph, the truck would go in limp mode and be limited to 25 mph. That can kill you. This happened to folks who had a recall done. I disagree with Alex on Ford's reliability. Ford's reliability has collapsed. Not gone bad but completely collapsed. Mach E, Maverick, F150 hybrid, transmission. It's common knowledge that Ford will extend warranty from 5/60 to 7/84 as a perk for the inconvenience. If you are not up close with a Ford dealer then I would caution you. Haggle like your life depends on it, the trim he is showing, considering Ford's reliability - would target 30-32 OTD at max.

I LOVE THE COLOR. I wish auto makers would make more “purple” tones.

"Escape has done fairly well when it comes to reliability" 💀 -- previous owner of 22 Escape PHEV, engine fire recall was not fully done after 2 years (received 5-6 recall mails keep telling there is a fix in the future). Door weld customer satisfaction program, Transmission once fully locked up wheels/brake/everything at parking lot after charging and got towed to the dealer; One Time the engine was burning coolant and the smell came to the cabin with overheat warning (another dealership visit).. Alright soon the warranty coverage will expire, i didn't want to deal with recalls and future customer programs, asking the original dealer for a quote to take it back; They said they have too many Escape PHEV on the lot🤣; This thing deprecate like a luxury car and I am glad initially got the 7k tax credit to offset the hit. Besides the complain on quality & depreciation, this vehicle really shines on handling, smooth ride, and efficiency; great for roadtrip and commute, zipping around like a hot hatch....instant torque at traffic stop, drives like EV but never range anxiety; Miss the vehicle for how it drives, never miss its reliability :(

I bought an Alfa Romeo Tonale Sprint model PHEV ( the base model, not the dolled up, expensive Veloce model, which is more readily available, as for every Sprint model Alfa imported, they imported 9 Veloces ) almost a year ago. I was the first one to buy one in Canada, and basically bought it off the truck. I paid less then MSRP, and got it less then what a Ford Escape PHEV ( which at the time had a dealer mark up of $3,500, and add ons like $3,500 for Ford's Blue Cruise ) was going for, and where a RAV4 Prime ( basically the same price without add ons or dealer mark up ) was ( and still is ) unavailable, and a 2 year old used Prime was selling for $14,000 more then my out the door price. Other then 9 recalls ( 2 for decals that did not have metric or French on them, that I did myself, 3 for checking high voltage connections were tight, no parts needed, 1 to replace a switch, and 3 for software updates, because where I live the vehicle would not update itself ) I have had zero problems with it, everything is operating above my expectations, and I am getting better electrical range and gas mileage then stated on the Vehicle MSRP sheet. It handles great, looks much nicer then its competition ( I compared the Sprint model against the Escape and Prime, where most reviewers, etc., compare the Veloce model that they are given by the dealers against the BMW X1 or Mercedes GLA, etc. which to me is not a fair comparison, especially a PHEV to a non PVEV ). It is not perfect, just like every vehicle in certain aspects, but I love it, love driving it, glad I bought it rather then any of the half dozen or so other PHEVS I test drove, and I would buy it again. And, it fits nicely in my garage. All new vehicles have there problems, and mine did too, but the dealership I bought mine from, bent over backwards to accommodate me with the recalls, offered me a loaner while my vehicle was being serviced, and Alfa has resolved every issue with my vehicle, some well documented. I cannot say I would have gotten the same treatment from any other manufacturer. Maybe I am lucky with my vehicle, but my whole experience, from buying it through to service, driving, etc., could not have been simpler, easier, stress free, and satisfying.

My Fusion PHEV is a car, not an SUV or CUV. Nice review Alex. Your story confirms what I hear. Great car, if you don’t need AWD.

The CR-V is bigger than an Outlander???

Its the perfect replacement for my 175,000-mile Clarity!

Isn’t the Escape being discontinued? Kia Niro PHEV might be the best alternative out there. I have one and love it. 4.4 l/100 kms avg - rarely plug it in.

I'd spend the $2K-$3K more for the RAV4 Prime to get AWD and faster acceleration, though I like a lot about the Escape PHEV, especially since it doesn't have an Ecoboost engine.

It’s too bad Ford won’t make the Escape PHEV in an AWD version. It leaves me feeling that Ford isn’t fully committed to the PHEV. They have it for the Corsair, so they can easily offer it. I have a RAV4. Prime and the extra horsepower both in hybrid and EV mode are very enjoyable while still remaining very efficient.

I wish that we got this and more Ford models over here in Thailand.

Ford may face some serious competition as far as PHEV rebates are concerned… Hyundai/Kia are supposed to start building PHEVs in the USA within a year or so.

Ford builds one of the view hybrid systems that I would consider if I wanted to regress into a hybrid. Toyota and Ford build solid hybrids. I recently had a standard ICE Escape as a rental car because a drunk kid totaled my car. It had the basic 3cyl, so after getting used to driving an EV for the past 5 years, it felt pathetically slow and noisy, but the car itself was OK. The interior felt like a $20k car though, so it is hard to imagine paying $36k or more. Hopefully the PHEV gets a _substantial_ interior upgrade to justify the price. Ride quality and interior noise levels also felt like a cheap econobox. One issue I had with the rotary shifter was that it was very easy to go directly from drive to park. That's great if that's what you are trying to do, but not so great if you were actually hoping to shift to reverse. If you aren't at a 100% stop, that could be a problem.

I just can't get on board with putting the drive modes and A/C controls in the touchscreen display. These new infotainment screens are making me hope my 2020 Escape can last a very long time; it's a great balance between touchscreen display and tactile buttons/knobs. Also regarding the rear legroom, don't the rear seats slide back in the Escape? They do in mine, and I swore you (Alex) mentioned it in older Escape reviews.

Here in SoCal, I HARDLY ever encounter Ford Escapes in the wild; let alone Escape Hybrid or Plug-In Hybrid. Last year, when I was shopping for a RAV4 hybrid, I was also considering an Escape hybrid as an alternative. I barely found any inventories. So much for "availability".

Kudos on Alex not calling the transmission a cvt

The best Hybrid on the market. The headroom compared to any Toyota is phenomenal.

so pragmatic. it doesn't have sex appeal at all, but this is probably the most car shoppers needed

With the obscenity of high prices that is caused by supply chain shortages AND way too much content in the form of features and creature comforts, and the very long-term payback with a plug in option, especially with a Rav4, I must ask the question "Why? What's the purpose of spending many thousands of dollars to save money, even at 7 dollar a gallon gas prices?" For the environmentally conscious, another question: Am I really saving the environment buying a new hunk of rubber, steel and plastic -- to replace one that still works?

I actually like the metallic eggplant 🍆 paint color 😮

I ordered a 2022 Escape PHEV and never got it... I kinda wish Ford would have delivered.

Fantastic review. The prep required, wow!

What? I'm looking at a dealer that has 41 (SE & XSE's) available. It's been like this for MANY months. Lease $7,250 Manufacture Rebate, Dealer Discount of $2,1xx to $2,6xx off. The hard ones to find is with a Premium Package. The amount of Port added on garbage would explain why these are not moving.

On the Ford built website you can get an Hybrid AWD with the ST-Line Select.

"It goes to 11!" Rav4 Prime/Spinal Tap!

I love seeing escapes when I play sweet escape 😂😂

That lack of thigh support is a show stopper in both front and back seats. The back seat where your thighs are elevated is like a model Y we rode in recently; disappointing. Pass.

I really wish Ford would offer this phev setup in the Bronco Sport with awd. I live in the snowbelt and really prefer the character of the Bronco Sport vs the Escape. If Ford offered this in the Bronco Sport and Maverick they would sell a ton of these...

My wife drove this car as a rental and after one drive ended up switching keys with me for my rustbucket of a Dave’s car. I couldn’t understand why initially. The Fusion aesthetically looks fantastic for a SUV-Almost like a mach-E from the front and the huge carplay screen inside is great. The seats are comfy and the ambient lighting is sweet. However, the major issue-driving mechanics are yuck. Wife complained you cannot feel the speed. Nor the road. Thats coming from her after years of driving a gen 1 RDX. I drove it and agree. This was a dangerously jarring thing very noticeable for i guess us poorer younger millenials coming from older cheaper used japanese cars with less isolation and excellent driving feel +road handling. Oh and sport mode was not that sporty-the escape still handled like a pig. I also wish they didn’t use an ugly knob for a gear selector or a button for an electronic parking brake. Some things are better kept traditional.

How many decibels would you consider very quiet, quiet, normal, loud, very loud, etc? I mean for cabin noise specifically.

Let’s be real here: the new Escape is the successor to the Focus, and the Bronco Sport is the successor to the old Escape.

The fact that this escape phev is fwd only really showcases how BEHIND our tech is compared to the competition. Ford literally didnt have the tech to develop a phev that works with an awd drivetrain AND at the same time provide a long electric range like the rav4 prime. So their tactic was "make it fwd so on PAPER it looks to have a long electric range". But in reality, a crossover with no awd is like going out there to buy an ice cold soda on a hot summer day only to drink it and realize the soda is flat...

How much impact to cabin noise does the sunshade have in a car? Are your readings with sunshade open or closed?

In Europe we have AGR seats (more sports seats).

The rear seat can move backwards for more legroom.

Alex, every rav4 prime NOW gets the faster charging system. They got rid of the slower one for 2023 and up! Fyi

Alex you’re pretty generous with your legroom analysis but not with this vehicle. As you shown with the chart the Escape is smaller than it’s competitors so I think naturally it’s going to be smaller 🙃

I prefer the Kia Niro PHEV over the Escape PHEV even though the Kia is smaller.

Alex, you sold the Outlander PHEV already? You only made two videos of it. Will you have a long-term wrap up video?

The fact that ford is still allow to make anything hybrid or electric with their reliability is mind boggling.

It’s as efficient as the inline 2.5 I had in my 2012 FWD Fusion, yay?…. But I know I know, that trying hard with a focus on high way cruising over city driving

It it smaller and definitely looks the cheapest of all the PHEV competition

It's true that over 65km/h the scape force the gas engine to lock-in?? Thank you

Odd how one headlight was out during the first few minutes of the video. Fluke?

I rented one of these….The interior on these things are shockingly cheap. Like very cheap. It’s is quiet inside and rides decent…but the cheap interior materials are hard to get past…and I’m not exaggerating.

While I like the styling of this generation Escape, this is yet another pointless PHEV… 37 miles of EV range is not worth the trouble of plugging it in, and I certainly wouldn’t bother to stop and charge along my drive. Automakers need to start thinking of PHEVs as the entry point to full EVs and give us at least 100 miles of EV range. It needs to be an EV with a range extender, not whatever this is trying to be. BMW had it right with the i3, but it was far too small.

VW jetta can get 40 MPG without a hybird

Thank goodness, the Escape comes in other colors. I only like metallic eggplant when I buy my eggplants.

Yet another PHEV that misses the mark. You'll often see PHEV EV range in the 30-40 mile range. This is based on a few things but starts with the incorrect assumption of daily drives. Yes there are likely a lot of drivers who will be in that range but if you include going to the gym after work, making a run to the grocery store, church meetings, and other diversions 40 EV miles simply isn't enough. Then when you include the 30% or so drop in the winter cold the EV range isn't going to cut it. What we need is 50+ EV miles. You put out a Escape with 50 miles of EV Range and I'll take a look. Hit 60 EV miles and I'll go wait in line for one. We've had a PHEV, with 47 EV miles since December of 2017 and I can tell you my experience shows that I need over 50 EV miles if I'm going to do all of my daily driving in 100% electric mode. I want to drive in EV mode every day and it disappoints me on those days when the gas engine comes on. I do think PHEV is a fantastic choice while we wait for BEV cars to be good enough. I'd switch to a BEV today if the car cost is under $40K and RECHARGE times are less than 15 minutes. I want my BEV to provide long road trips with the kind of "refueling" time gas cars enjoy. Hybrid cars are selling well now. But that's just a high efficiency gas engine car. I've owned two Prius cars. Yes they are quite good but they are still ICE vehicles. If you don't care about spewing exhaust while you drive then a hybrid may be for you. Yes a PHEV does contain a gas engine but we drive well over 300 days per year on pure electricity. The other advantage for us is we have a solar roof that recharges the car so nearly $0 cost to fuel.

I like metallic eggplant!

It's too bad that PHEV's like the Volt, Clarity, and i3 that perform nearly identically in electric vs. hybrid mode are no longer around. These newer PHEV's are just way too slow in EV mode, which is where you'd spend 80+% of your time driving the car.

Name of this color?

I’d rather get the ford escape PHEV since it’s a lot cheaper and a lot easier to find. Not to mention the reliability is the same like the rav4

They need a plugin hybrid Maverick with AWD.

❤😂😢😮😅😊😊😊😊😊😊 bro I like to get a escape but I don’t think I could afford a escape hybrid. I wish they were a lot lower than 32,000 because I can’t afford that. I’m only three days a week less than two hours a day of working so I need something between 16 and 24 so I don’t know I’m stuck. I got a Ford focus that sucks. It’s SEN fuel like crazy cause it’s got, racing heads and cam take care. Have a good week.

The backseat of my escape slid back and forth not this??

Love these phevs, bought me a 2018 Chevy Volt for half the price of this car with leather and heated seats. This is a nice car but too expensive.

Red vs amber turn signals. For me I think red looks great. Red means rear to me.

When displaying the features of the touchscreen first put the display in night mode. It will be a much better viewing experience for your audience.

Is this the SAME hubrid that's in the Ford Maverick pikcup!?

Plug-ins are a big rip off you'll get better mileage with a conventional hybrid vehicle and better all around usage

36k for this?

Why display the EV-only 0-60 acceleration time? Many people will look at that and forego a vehicle that will allow them to do 90% of driving on electric power simply because they expect it not to be able to merge on to the freeway easily.

looks like a forester

I wish someone just made an affordable car with good seats. Why cheap out on the thing we spend 100% of our bodies on

It looks like a rav4 too lol. I like it anyway just that it’s not reliable and you’re better off buying Toyota hev/phev

Recalls

This costs more to lease than a Lexus rz, genesis g70 ev, or a Cadillac Lyriq. It’s almost twice as much to lease as a sportage PHEV, a car that’s much more advanced. Ford bought back my 2019 Fusion Energi PHEV, and even with the $1500 buyback rebate, this was the first car to come off my replacement list.

Spare tire, but no AWD....

No AWD? No bueno.

Why would you care about people’s view from the rear seats.

Hen's teeth😂😂😂

But….what if I LIKE metallic eggplant?

There’s no such thing as a $45-ish k RAV4 Prime except on paper. They don’t build them, ever. They just show it so they can claim a reasonable pricepoint; a Toyota specialty.

Your landscaping looks great 👍 the color of the Escape not.

40 grand, I stopped watching the video.

not a bad car..........but, sorry....I only buy AWD............................Paul

Ahh and the elephant in the room. No awd. Bye I lost interest

I only see woman driving this… that should tell you something.

So bias in this review towards Ford 😂

That HUD is crap... i have it on m y mazda cx 3....totally worthless

It's the biggest piece of junk, shit ,garbage I ever drove. Look up consumer reports on how many people have filled complaints on it ,,poor quality is an understatement

YOU SHOULD BE MORE SELECTIVE ON THE CARS YOU SHOW PEOPLE THAT CAR IS KNOWN AS A JUNK BOX AND YOU ARE SHOWING IT TO PEOPLE THAT DONT ANY BETTER

Too. Much. Money.

The interior seems so plasticy and cheap looking. For 36K I'll get a Lincoln.

It’s a FORD, so rubbish.