The 2017 Ford Escape Sport has arrived and we took it up on a trip to Whistler to enjoy the food, drinks and the beautiful backdrop of the mountains in and around Whistler. After racking up 300kms during the trip, I got a good feel for the SUV along the curvy sea to sky highway.
Exterior
The Sport Appearance Package gives the Ford Escape an edgier look. It comes with:
- 19-inch Black premium-painted aluminum wheels
- Black-bezel halogen projector headlights
- LED signature daytime running lights
- Black-tinted taillights
- Unique black front fender grilles
- Gloss-black painted upper grille with chrome accents
- Black roof rails
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shifter
- Sporty V-shaped partial leather-trimmed seats
- Gloss-black fog light bezels
These are some good aesthetic features to substitute the Ebony black for the silver trims.
The look of the exterior overall is pretty nice. The black trim and the black wheels give it a nicer look than the silver. It’s a pretty good size for a small SUV. I didn’t have many issues parking either especially when there is the rear view camera to help with parking.
Interior
The interior was roomy and had ample trunk space. With all our luggage piled up in the trunk, we still had lots of room left. The seats were comfortable and no one had issues with leg room. Fitting 5 people inside is no problem at all. The leather trimmed seats made the interior look a lot nicer.
One thing about a car that I love to focus on is the technology. As a person that like to misplace keys frequently, the SYNC Connect allows you to start, lock, unlock and locate your vehicle from virtually anywhere using your smartphone. I rely on my iPhone for a lot of things and if it can find my keys or unlock the car, it’s seriously a blessing so I don’t have remember where I put my keys.
SYNC 3 has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to integrate a limited number of apps from your phone, and displays them on the touchscreen for easy access. Google Maps and Spotify make your driving experience a lot better.
Drive
Driving along the Sea to Sky is quite curvy when traveling along the highway. I found that the Escape has firm ride with responsive handling when merging in and out of lanes. Plus, the blind spot indicator is awesome so you know if there is anything in your blind spot before merging.
Good acceleration and when travelling over 100+ km, it wasn’t too loud.
A unique feature of the 2017 Ford Escape is the Lane-Keeping System. If you start drifting closer to the lane markings, it can apply torque to the steering wheel if it senses your vehicle drifting unintentionally out of its lane. If needed, the system can also send gentle vibration pulses to the wheel to prompt you to steer back toward centre.
Their new centre instrument panel has a front-mounted USB port with a pocket for devices, redesigned climate controls and refreshed, user-friendly design.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I thought the 2017 Ford Escape was pretty awesome on the highway, in the city, and off road. The price point is pretty good and great for those who have a lot to carry in their car.
Website: http://www.ford.ca/suvs/escape
