It can be considered a total failure in the handling department. Overall, the Ford Escape PHEV is a gravely disappointing machine with a dead steering wheel, uninspiring handling, and tiring driving dynamics.
The ride quality, however, is impressive and the Escape excels in keeping the cabin noise-free while the occupants don't feel much of the undulations of whether it be in the city or on the highway. The response from the steering is too loose and numb and the lack of Sport mode makes it worse. The tires are also not grippy enough to keep the Escape properly stuck to the road while taking turns. The crossover has an immense amount of body roll which means that corners can’t be attacked ferociously, but you need not worry about that as the powertrain is already weak and unable to do that. It doesn’t handle in a confidence-inspiring manner and the driving dynamics don’t suit a sporty driving style. The 2021 Ford Escape PHEV is not the most fun-to-drive machine. How well does the 2021 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid Drive and Handle? Being PHEVs, the rest of the competition focused on fuel economy while Toyota just went all out, making the RAV4 Prime a one-of-a-kind performance machine. There is a drastic difference in 0 to 60 as well as quarter-mile times between the Toyota and the rest of the competitors. There is no competition for the Toyota RAV4 Prime in terms of performance as well as speed timings. Overall, the Escape PHEV provides disappointing performance. You shouldn’t get this PHEV for enthusiastic driving or expecting faster straight-line runs. The performance as we have seen the numbers is just bad. The Escape is limited with an FWD drivetrain while most of the competitors offer AWD as an option. The Escape PHEV takes a generous 8.7 seconds to attain a speed of 60mph and there is a long waiting time of around 17.4 seconds to cross the quarter-mile mark. The power numbers show us that Ford is clearly aiming at better efficiency, and not boosted performance from this Plug-In Hybrid. This combination is mated to an eCVT transmission and produces a combined output of 221 hp and 155 lb-ft of maximum power and torque. The powertrain setup under the hood of the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV is a 2.5L Atkinson-Cycle Inline-4 engine coupled with an 88 kW electric motor. This is the one to go for if you plan on getting the Escapes’ PHEV version. This trim adds a lot more comfort and luxury features on the inside while you could opt for the available Technology Package if you need more features and a better sounding audio system.
The SEL trim is the best option as it is only slightly more expensive than the lower trim while providing a lot more features. Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking LED Reflector with LED Signature Lighting Urethane steering wheel with cruise and audio controls Ice Blue Instrument Panel Cluster Lighting The Titanium trim also gets a single package option that is the Titanium Premium Package that makes the top-end trim more luxurious by adding features including leather-trimmed seating surfaces with mini-perforated inserts, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a head-up display, and power, panoramic vista roof.ġ8" Machined-Face Ebony-painted Aluminum Wheels with Painted Pocketsĭual-Zone Electronic Automatic Temperature Controlī&O Sound System by Bang & Olufsen, 10-Speakers including Subwoofer The SEL trim only gets one available package option that is the Technology Package that comes with a B&O Sound System with 10 speakers including a subwoofer, a 12.3" configurable LCD digital instrument cluster, memory feature for power driver’s seat and side-view mirrors a wireless charging pad and hands-free, foot-activated liftgate. The SE trim gets Cold Weather Package that adds heated front seats, side-view mirrors, and a premium-wrapped steering wheel along with some minor features and the Convenience Package that adds 10-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar and recline function along with dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control, halogen projector-beam headlamps with LED signature lighting, power liftgate and some other minor features. There are just four packages available with the Escape PHEV. The 2021 Ford Escape PHEV is available in three trim options that are SE, SEL, and Titanium.