2021 Ford Escape Hybrid Plug-in Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Now in its fourth generation, the Ford Escape looks decidedly sleeker than ever before. Long, swept-back headlights flank a hexagonal grille positioned just below the vehicle’s leading edge. At first glance (and certainly in comparison with the first- and second-generation Escapes), the new design looks friendly, but somewhat peculiar. The big headlight eyes and beaming grille mouth give it the appearance of a smiling guppy. For some, it’s immediately charming, disarming, and friendly. For others, it’s an acquired taste. Although we weren’t enamored in 2020, by 2021, the Escape’s ubiquity has allowed us to get used to its exterior styling. And, darn it, we’ve come to like it. It’s certainly more distinctive than the previous-generation car, even if it defects from the zeitgeist of rugged looks and chunky proportions.

The Escape looks even better in profile. The smoothly curved body panels resemble a new Mazda CX-5’s. Slight details like the chrome strip above the windows and the subtle spoiler above the rear window lend it a degree of elegance missing on earlier-generation Escapes. Even the plastic body cladding along the wheel wells and door sills is appropriately restrained, providing just enough visual toughness without looking as comically overdone as what you’ll find on many competitors (cough, Subaru).

At the rear, the Escape is inoffensive, if not exciting. Wide-spaced letters spell out ESCAPE below the Ford emblem and the rear glass, but that styling choice has become so common that it no longer feels fresh or cool or special. Simple taillights and a plastic rear bumper finish off the Escape’s sophisticatedly utilitarian vibe.

Inside, unfortunately, the Escape skews more utilitarian and less sophisticated. Our Titanium trim (painted Rapid Red, a $395 option) had a panoramic sunroof ($1,495) but was otherwise entirely underwhelming.

Hard plastic abounds, particularly on the Escape’s interior door handles and center console—two places the driver and passengers are sure to come in contact with regularly. Similarly unimpressive was our test car's head-up display. The HUD in this Ford was the plastic-shield type, rather than being projected on the windshield's glass. Even more jarring is the blonde fake-wood trim running across the dash, from the driver information display to the passenger door. It sits below an 8-inch touchscreen stuck atop the dash. With big bezels and a tacked-on look, the touchscreen doesn’t impress, either.

That said, the Escape PHEV does offer decent storage ahead of the rotary shift knob, the cupholders are large enough to hold a 20-ounce Yeti travel cup, and our test car’s ebony-and-sandstone leather upholstery was soft and looked to have held up well thus far over the car’s 10,000-mile life.

Ford offers quite a few powertrain options in the Escape. There’s a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder, a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, and a 1.5-liter turbo three-cylinder. The 2.5- and 1.5-liter engines can be equipped with front-wheel drive (FWD), and all three can be paired with all-wheel drive (AWD). If you choose a plug-in hybrid Escape, however, AWD is off the menu. For many northern-dwelling shoppers, that fact alone could pull the 2021 Escape PHEV off their “to test-drive” list.

Further, the 2.5-liter, Atkinson-cycle, naturally aspirated engine found in the base, gas-powered Escape and the PHEV Escape isn’t too endearing. Although the electronic continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) does an admirable job managing power, the Escape PHEV’s engine note is gruff and unpleasant. And although the power delivery is smooth, it remains an underwhelming drivetrain, even when paired with the PHEV’s electric motor. On its own, the four-cylinder makes 165 horsepower at 6,250 rpm, and with the 88-kW electric motor, total system output measures 200 horsepower. Perhaps it’s because of the PHEV’s rather heavy 3,884-pound curb weight, but that 200 horsepower doesn’t exactly thrill.

So, if the hybrid powertrain isn’t noteworthy and the Escape PHEV lacks all-weather capability, what’s the draw? For shoppers in pleasant climes, it’s undoubtedly the promise of fuel efficiency. With a full battery pack and in ideal conditions, the EPA says the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV should be able to travel 37 miles on electric power alone. That’s shy of the Toyota RAV4 Prime’s 42-mile EV range, but once the batteries are depleted, the EPA gives the Ford the edge. On regular gas and with no charge left in the battery, the Escape should see 40 miles per gallon in combined driving, as compared to 38 mpg from the Toyota. That brings the combined miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) to 105 for the Ford, 94 MPGe for Toyota. Tack on a starting MSRP sitting $5,600 less than the cheapest RAV4 Prime, and the Ford Escape PHEV looks like a bargain.

Unfortunately, as is so often the case, that only tells half the story, painted in the most pleasant conditions. We spent a week with the Escape PHEV in less than ideal conditions—average temperatures in the 30s, a couple of long highway drives, an ice storm for good measure—and saw much less impressive fuel economy.

To start, on a fully charged battery, the Escape gave us an estimated-range readout of 22 miles, not 37. And once that battery was depleted, we measured roughly 35 miles per gallon, albeit largely on highway travel. Pair those figures with the PHEV’s small, 11.2-gallon fuel tank, and total range ends up in the 400-mile ballpark, rather than the advertised 520 miles. The point is, if you’re expecting best-case-scenario efficiency from an Escape PHEV, plan to drive it only in best-case scenarios.

A sliding rear seat allows backseat passengers to maximize legroom. If trunk space is your priority, the maximum cargo capacity measures 34.4 cubic feet with the backseat at its forward-most setting. That figure comes in a bit short of the gas-powered Escape’s 37.5 cubic feet of max cargo; that’s the price we pay for electrification. Those batteries have to go somewhere. It’s a similar story with the back seat in its regular position. This nets the PHEV 30.7 cubic feet of cargo space, compared with 33.5 in the gas Escape.

As mentioned earlier, the front seats offer a decent amount of storage. The forward cubby is particularly well designed, although the bin within the center armrest feels a bit tight. Additionally, big physically knobs with clear digital readouts make the climate controls a breeze to use in the Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid.

Overall, the Escape looks and feels competitive with other compact crossovers in legroom and headroom. Heated front row seats are standard on the SEL and Titanium trims. The maximum cargo space (60.8 cubic feet in the PHEV, 65.4 in gas models) falls a bit short of other compact SUVS like the Subaru Forester or Honda CR-V.

Ford’s not putting its best foot forward when it comes to technology in the Escape. That’s not a cheap shot or unfounded criticism; it’s simply a fact. In newer Ford models like the Bronco, you’ll find the Sync 4 infotainment system. In the Escape and the Bronco Sport (which is based on the same platform as the Ford Escape), however, you’ll get only Sync 3.

Sync 3 isn’t a bad system. It is simple enough to use and understand, and it blends touchscreen controls with physical knobs and buttons. But it’s not overly speedy (particularly on start-up), and its radio tuning knob is particularly frustrating. At times, the lag between the knob’s rotation and the screen’s display was so dramatic that we completely lost track of which station we were actually on.

The Escape Titanium’s 12.3-inch digital driver display, on the other hand, looks and operates beautifully. Granted, it’s only available on the top-shelf Titanium trim. The lower SE and SEL Plug-In Hybrid Escapes get a 6.5-inch digital display.
Ford also engineered an EV Coach function in the Escape’s suite of technology. EV Coach shows you what sort of power—electric or hybrid—the Escape is currently employing. It displays a rectangular box that grows and shrinks in size based on the ideal throttle input needed to maximize efficiency. Press too hard on the gas, and you’ll see your readout blast through the confines of that box. It’s a clever and handy visual teacher for folks aiming to get the absolute best gas mileage.

A set of two USB-A and USB-C ports is standard, with one located in the front storage cubby and one at the back of the center console. Bluetooth connectivity, SiriusXM satellite radio (with a paid subscription), and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay also come standard. Move up to the SEL trim, and you’ll further enjoy automatic one-up/down power windows all around the cabin, a 10-way power driver’s seat, and other niceties. The top-tier Titanium gets plenty of bells and whistles, including a B&O premium stereo with ten speakers.

The Ford Escape PHEV comes standard with Ford Co-Pilot 360. This includes advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) like automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high beams.

However, if you want Ford’s best ADAS suite, you’ll need to invest in the Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package. This delivers adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and park assist.

The NHTSA awarded the 2021 Ford Escape five stars overall, and the IIHS awarded it a Top Safety Pick. These ratings were based on a tested gas-powered SE trim, not a PHEV. Still, with essentially no structural differences between the two, it seems reasonable enough to apply assumptions of safety from one to the other.

We were also very pleased with the Escape’s outward visibility. A low, sloping hood and big windows make seeing out of the Escape a breeze.

The gas-powered Ford Escape opens with a starting MSRP of $25,555, plus a $1,255 destination fee. If you want a plug-in hybrid Escape, however, you’re going to be looking at a starting MSRP of $33,075. And while you apparently have to add only $1,245 for the destination charge, Ford also includes a $645 acquisition fee.

Prices climb with the trim levels, and our Titanium-trim Escape PHEV starts at $38,885, and the total as-tested price rang in at $43,025. That is a chunk of change for an Escape, no matter the powertrain. Build out an Escape PHEV on Ford’s website, and you’ll see some gymnastics meant to make the price look a bit more appealing; thanks to the government’s EV tax credit program, you can deduct $6,840 from the total cost.

First thing’s first: the Escape PHEV is less expensive than some of its direct competitors, most notably the Toyota RAV4 Prime. But it also doesn’t offer the power, space, or all-electric range of the RAV4 Prime. Just looking at specs and ignoring price, the RAV4 Prime is a clear favorite.

Interestingly enough, however, when thinking about the cost-effectiveness of our test car, we spent far less time debating it against the Toyota and much more time comparing its value proposition against Ford's other new car: the new Mustang Mach-E.

The Mach-E's price starts toward the top-end price of an Escape PHEV, but it is also more fun to drive, better-looking, more technologically advanced, and, to our eyes, significantly cooler. It also benefits from a full $7,500 federal tax credit. And, with gas currently sitting around $3.50 per gallon where we’re currently writing this review, it represents significant operational-cost savings.

The Mach-E is a full-electric car, so folks who regularly drive in excess of 300 miles per day likely aren’t its target market. But the Escape PHEV’s best suited for drivers who can make use of the battery on their commute rather than long-haul road trippers anyway. Once you exhaust the battery’s driving range, it no longer delivers significantly better fuel economy than a run-of-the-mill hybrid. That means that if you plan to get the most out of the Escape PHEV’s small battery, you’ll want to charge it every night, warranting a 240-volt charger available at home. So, if you’re already plugging in every night, why not just move to a full EV?