In the music manufacture, a band's third anthology is typically make-or-break. You start with the debut album, introducing the general public to the band'southward polished works, and then comes the sophomore record, which proves whether or not the band tin keep its fan base happy and gain more than traction in the music scene. But the 3rd album must show if that band's sound and style has a expert enough mix of private flare and mainstream appeal to keep them successful in the long-run.

If you call up nearly it, the aforementioned can be said about the automotive landscape, and for the purpose of this review, the Ford Escape. The first-generation Escape, launched in 2000 as a 2001 model, entered during a fourth dimension when small SUVs and "cute-utes" were booming. The redesigned 2008 Escape built upon the get-go model's success, and at present, as the mantle is about to close on that ruggedly handsome, boxy Escape, this new third-generation model has some mighty large shoes to fill.

Over the past year, the Escape has been an accented sales superstar. In 2011, Ford moved over 254,000 of the compact crossovers – a 33-percent gain over 2010'due south numbers. To go an idea of just how impressive that is, know that in the same timeframe, Honda moved just over 218,000 CR-Vs, while Toyota sold 137,000 RAV4s and Chevrolet hustled around 193,000 Equinox models. Building upon that success, Ford announced that with 60,000 units sold in the first quarter of 2012, the Escape posted its all-time Q1 numbers in its 11-year history. Talk nearly going out with a blindside.

But rather than sticking to the original formula of a small, trucky crossover, Ford has completely redesigned the Escape for 2013. Maybe the biggest indicate of contention surrounding the new model is its styling – the two-box, upright design has been ditched in favor of the automaker's Kinetic language, employing a more, shall nosotros say, Focused appearance.

So here information technology is, the ever-important third album. Does Ford'south all-new Escape accept enough mainstream appeal to accept on the best and brightest of the CUV prepare while nevertheless being able to appeal to loyalists? Nosotros headed to the roads around San Francisco to notice out.

From where we sit down, information technology seems unlikely that buyers would take issue with the 2013 Escape'southward new, more efficient powertrains, improved refinement and spiffy new engineering science. Where we can encounter a lot of eyebrow-raising, yet, is in the Escape's design. At present, we'll continue record as maxim that we like the looks of the new model, simply function of the reason we suspect the Escape was selling so well in 2011 (aside from depression prices, of course) was because there are enough of shoppers who actually preferred the rugged, SUV-like design versus the new crop of sleeker, more car-like CUVs that take come to market place.

But think about it: The current Escape wears one of the oldest designs in the unabridged Ford portfolio. And while the automaker understands that loyalists really valued and appreciated the SUV-ness of the outgoing model, the company is "confident that [the new] pattern resonates with target customers," co-ordinate to Hau Thai-Tang, vice president of engineering for global product development.

Versus the outgoing model, the 2013 Escape is iii.4 inches longer, one-half an inch wider and iii.viii inches shorter in height. The new car also rides half an inch closer to the ground, making ingress and egress much easier.

This is now the tenth model to be built on the automaker's global C-segment platform, and then with that in mind, information technology's no surprise that the crossover looks more like a Kuga-fied, lifted Focus than anything else. Information technology's really handsome, especially in the higher-end SEL and Titanium trims, where features like big 19-inch blend wheels (17s are standard on the S and 18s are available elsewhere) requite it a commanding stance on the road and little details similar LED running lamps (only available with the optional HID headlamps) and the polished black grille inserts make information technology look premium and upscale.

Speaking of upscale, become a load of the Escape'due south cabin, specially in the fully tricked-out Titanium trim. The old model's interior was never a bad place to sit down in, with a well-thought-out design to the center stack and controls, and a purposeful, if evidently, appearance. For 2013, the interior is awash with brightly colored displays and elementary clusters of buttons and knobs, all revolving around the MyFord Touch infotainment arrangement and its big, eight-inch screen. Nosotros're curious to see what the Escape's heart stack looks like without the MyFord Bear on interface, but assume it's very close to the button-heavy layout found in the Focus.

In full general, the Escape's interior is comfortable, pleasant and, more than importantly, quiet. At highway speeds, there's a flake of current of air and road dissonance – cipher out of the ordinary, though – merely at lower speeds, it'due south librarian-approved silent in there. Visibility is good from all angles, only notwithstanding, Ford offers the Escape with a host of safety goodies like a rearview photographic camera, cantankerous traffic alert, bullheaded spot monitoring and active park assistance to go on yous from dinging into cars, shopping carts, poles and people.

There are plenty of functional benefits to the Escape, too, including the hands-free liftgate system that we've showed you lot earlier. Fold the rear seats downwards and you'll have a full 68.1 cubic feet of cargo space – nearly 1 cubic foot more than the outgoing model. That doesn't quite compare with the 70.9 cubic feet offered in the Honda CR-Five, but information technology's better than the 63.1 cubic feet that you'll become in the Chevrolet Equinox. Check out the video beneath to see how the easily-free liftgate works 1 more than time.

Our Titanium tester offered full leather seating and trim, all in black in this example. At that place's some aluminum brightwork around the air vents and some contrasting gray plastic around the center stack, but really, we'd capeesh some more than 2-tone interior options in here. As a whole, the cockpit looks prissy, but compared to what we come across General Motors doing with two-tone interiors these days, Ford could certainly stand to augment its color palette a scrap.

Ford has certainly packed the Escape full of technology and premium niceties, simply you lot'd be right to look things like heated seats, dual-zone climate control and a premium audio system at the $31,000 starting price of the Titanium model. One key omission, however, is a lack of ability adjustments on the forepart passenger seat. What'southward more, you lot tin can't fifty-fifty manually suit the height. It might seem like a pocket-size thing to criticize, simply it's ane of the first things we noticed during our test.

Simply plenty nitpicking, let's get to the proficient stuff: what'southward under the hood. For 2013, there are three engines available beyond the Escape range, starting with the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder simply available on the base S model with forepart-bicycle drive. This is a slightly reworked version of the 2.v offered on last year's model, though it now puts out 168 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque, solely offered with a six-speed automatic transmission. Ford says information technology but expects the two.5 to account for about x pct of overall Escape sales, and every bit such, none were bachelor for us to examination during our time in California.

The majority of Escapes yous'll see on the road will take EcoBoost power – part of Ford's strategy to offer turbocharged engines on 90 per centum of its models by 2013. The standard engine on the volume SE and SEL models is the all-new one.6-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, good for 178 hp and 184 lb-ft and also mated to a six-speed automatic (read: not the dual-clutch PowerShift that's been so poorly received in the Focus and Fiesta). Nosotros didn't take a take chances to examination the 1.6 while in San Francisco, but other journalists we talked to said that it was plenty powerful, and bated from feeling slightly sluggish during ambitious canyon climbs, it was absolutely adequate for 95+ percent of small-CUV driving scenarios. The big win for the 1.six EcoBoost, though, is fuel economic system. Ford is still pending official EPA ratings, but this smaller turbo-4 is expected to achieve 24 miles per gallon in the metropolis and 33 mpg on the highway – class-leading stuff for automatic-equipped CUVs. Simply the 2013 Mazda CX-5 with its six-speed manual 'box is more than efficient.

Available on the SE and SEL, and standard on the Titanium, is the range-topping 2.0-liter EcoBoost four – a version of the one currently offered in the Edge and Explorer. In the Escape, the larger turbocharged 4-cylinder is good for 240 hp and 270 lb-ft of twist – that'southward the same corporeality of horsepower as the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6 of the outgoing Escape, merely the new powerplant offers a healthy 47 more pound-feet of torque, the peak of which is bachelor at iii,000 RPM. Versus that old 3.0-liter, the new Escape with the 2.0 achieves iv mpg meliorate urban center fuel economy and 7 mpg better highway economy – 22/xxx in all. Again, a vi-speed automatic is what's offered here, and like the one.6-liter EcoBoost, the 2.0-liter engine can be matched with either forepart- or all-wheel drive.

We asked Ford almost the possibility of an Escape Hybrid or even a plug-in model, and were told that in that location are no plans to offer such a matter, if only considering of the upcoming C-Max Hybrid and Energi models.

Nosotros spent an afternoon driving the 2.0-liter AWD Escape around the highways and curvy forest roads of northern California and actually roughshod in love with this vehicle's dynamics. Off the line, there's enough of grunt from the EcoBoost four, and while the half-dozen-speed automated will default to the highest gear whenever possible, driving the car in Sport mode (one notch below 'D' on the shifter) will make information technology more eager to agree a gear or actively downshift while decelerating. During highway cruising (not in Sport mode), the manual has a tendency to jump between sixth and 5th gears even when you're but lightly tipping into the throttle, but we're told that'southward because sixth is essentially an overdrive setting. If y'all really need passing power, it'll bound downward to fourth. Ford does not offer paddle shifters on the Escape, only you tin switch through the gears yourself via ii buttons on the left side of the gear shifter.

As far every bit handling goes, those who actually liked the stiffer, trucky ride of the approachable Escape will feel right at home in the 2013 model. Ford told us that its customers actually prefer sportier, engaging intermission setups, and that's why it opted to offering this level of stiffness on the Escape. And since this is a global vehicle, Ford had to create a suspension that would not only appease us Americans, but its more than enthusiastic European Kuga buyers as well.

That said, we plant the Escape to be quite rewarding from behind the wheel. The steering, while somewhat artificial feeling, offers good amounts of feedback and is quick to respond at plow-in. Ford offers its curve control and torque vectoring systems on both the front- and all-wheel-drive Escapes, and combined with the revised full-fourth dimension AWD setup that actively monitors road conditions and traction faster than you can blink an eye, the Escape is at in one case engaging, stable and confident out on the road. It'south really, really good. Information technology'due south not quite as calorie-free on its toes as the Mazda CX-v, merely equally a whole package, the Ford is probably the ane we'd have – if cost weren't an selection.

And that's the large caveat: pricing. The base Escape S FWD model starts at $23,295 including $825 for destination, but information technology chop-chop escalates from in that location. Tick every box on a fully kitted-out Titanium AWD model and you'll hitting $37,000 with no problem. Sure, a similarly equipped Chevy Equinox will run in the mid-$30K range, too, but spec out a more powerful (but smaller) Kia Sportage Turbo with every choice and you'll but meridian out around $33,000. And while the Escape is really good at what it does, we aren't immediately convinced that nosotros'd shell out the extra cash versus the Kia. Since the SE ($25,070 starting) and SEL ($27,870) models will likely account for the majority of all Escape sales, that means the average transaction price should land around $thirty,000 when everything's all said and done.

In terms of base of operations pricing, this isn't a drastic difference from the 2012 model, which started at $22,265 including destination (and without the killer incentives that have made information technology so popular). Granted, the volume XLT and Express models command $25,695 and $27,195 respectively, merely it's articulate that Ford is trying to motility the 2013 Escape more upmarket, particularly by now having iv trim levels. When y'all consider the added ability, technology and refinement, it's definitely worth it, merely we're curious to come across how customers react to the higher concluding transaction prices.

We're also curious to see what the 2013 Escape'southward first yr of sales will look like. On one hand, it's a compelling new product that will be amongst the best in its class, but it's pricey. On the other hand, information technology strays very far away from the Escape that people currently know and love, only it'southward a more competitive, forward-thinking vehicle that falls in line with the residuum of the Ford family. It might be a slightly different style of music, but the Ford Escape'south third album is one that we'd dear to mind to all year 'round.