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Walk Around

The 2008 Ford Escape has been re-styled more thoroughly than a quick glance might suggest. None of its major body panels are common to previous models, but the redesign is evolutionary and the most obvious changes are in the details, or jewelry, as designers call them. In an impressionistic way, the new Escape will look familiar to those who have owned previous Escapes, or those who pay attention to what others drive.

As such, the new Escape has the air of a conventional, truck-based SUV, with a more rugged look than many other small, sedan-platform sport-utilities such as the Honda CR-V. For starters, Escape sits a bit higher than many competitors (8.1 inches of ground clearance), and the high profile is enhanced by its design.

The new grille looks like it was designed for a truck. The headlights are essentially connected to the grille, and shaped to create a family resemblance with Ford's Edge crossover SUV. Yet the grille itself is tall and flat and stacked right on top of a skid plate-type fascia that flows under the bumper. Escape's beltline, or the crease that runs just under the windows, is high, too, and its roof pillars are blacked out. The taillights have a clear band that wraps around the rear corners. The lower bumpers and rocker panels are now painted to match the body on all models, rather than molded in a matte finish. In total, the effect is cleaner and more polished than previous models, and it's all quite handsome.

The trim levels are easy to distinguish from the front of the car. The base Escape XLS has a chrome grille and body-colored fascia from the bumper down. The XLT is identical, except for prominent fog lights in the front bumper. The Limited and Hybrid have grilles painted to match the body, unless you opt for the Chrome Appearance Package. This adds the chrome grille and more, with brightwork flowing down into the skid plate and bumper. It looks like a big, shiny T on the front of the vehicle.

Some changes to the new Escape are functional more than aesthetic. The side mirrors are larger than before, but Ford claims their shape generates less noise as air speeds over them. The roof, too, is designed to reduce interior noise. Recessed channels running its length are intended to move air more quietly over the surface. Horizontal ribs underneath the panel add structure, which limits flex in the metal and reduces booming noise inside at high speeds.

We're fond of a couple of features in back of the Escape. A new step pad on the bumper provides secure footing for anyone who steps up to put something on the roof rack, and the two-piece tailgate is handy. The rear glass can be popped open with the key fob, so dropping small items like a gym bag into the cargo area is much easier than it might be with some competitors, which require hefting the entire gate upward.

Interior

2008 Ford Escape

The 2008 Ford Escape interior is all new, and we like it. It's not significantly roomier or a leap forward in design, but it's well thought out and well executed. It's a definite improvement in ergonomic function and overall visual appeal, and it makes a nicer place to spend time.

This is one of Ford's best interiors in years in terms of the look and feel of materials used. The headliner is plush and molded to the contour of the roof. Our Escape Limited had thick, tautly tailored leather on the seats and hard, glossy black plastic where you might expect fake wood or metal. It looked like the lacquered finish on a fine piano. The satiny black or silver used in lower trim levels isn't bad, either. Yet the highlight is a woven-look, rubberized trim on the dash and console. It looks sporty and suited to a more expensive car. The lowlight is the grained plastic on the door panels, which feels hard and looks cheap. Fortunately, it's not enough to overwhelm the good stuff elsewhere.

The Escape features upholstery cloth made from 100-percent recycled material. You'd never know by its look or feel, and Ford claims that compared to upholstery made from virgin fiber, production will conserve about 600,000 gallons of water and 7 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.8 million pounds.

Escape's front seats have enough cush to prevent numbing and enough support to limit fatigue during longer drives. Overall, though, the seats are smaller than those in a larger sport utility. Drivers with big frames might find them small. There's not an abundance of side bolstering, but that makes it easier to slide into the seats, and there's enough to keep occupants solidly in place during the type of driving a typical Escape owner is likely to undertake.

The gauges are clustered in a shaded binnacle that can be absorbed in a glance: Tachometer left, speedometer right, with fuel and coolant temperature in the middle, along with an easy-to-read trip- and systems-info display. We absolutely loved this, because it includes a menu that allows the driver to easily cycle through and change features such as headlight-off delay and auto-locking.

The gauges and switches feature Ford's new signature backlighting style, which the company calls Ice Blue. No gripe here, as the bluish white is crisper and brighter than conventional green-yellow or orange lighting. The problem is the script on the gauges, and particularly the speedometer. It's muddled and lacks differentiation beyond the big even numbers, so it's hard to tell quickly what speed you're driving unless you are traveling precisely at 20, 40, or 60 mph.

The dashboard is tall and squarish, but it's attractive and fits Escape's little-truck theme nicely. The big vents at the ends move lots of air, and there are two more in the middle near the top of the center stack. These can be aimed to avoid blasting the drivers hands or face with a rush of air. At the very top sits a neat TFT display that shows compass direction, date and time, exterior temperature and, on models so equipped, the two interior temp settings.

When it comes to placement and function of switches, the Escape is first rate, and examples are easy to find. When the driver rests his or her left forearm on the door rest, the window buttons sit almost perfectly at the fingertips. With elbows on the door rest and center console, arms are even and hands rest nicely at 9 and 3 o'clock on the steering wheel. The mirror adjustor sits on the door pillar, and it's easy to reach when the driver's head is in driving position. One easy-to-use stalk controls the blinkers and all wiper/washer functions. The steering wheel controls for cruise and audio work without moving hands from the driving position.

Audio and climate controls work just as well. The volume and station-selector knobs are good sized, but more importa

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