The Mark Ruffalo of Marvelous Crossovers
If there’s a cliché of a woman out there who knows the absolute bare minimum there is to know about cars (and sports), I am she. This review is for the, shall we say, less sophisticated/vehicle-savvy consumer. Cars, to me, just need to have four wheels and get me safely from point A to B while being easy on the eyes. I don’t need anything fancy. Like men, I’m not looking for a head-turner (you can never trust those types), but rather, I want something that’s cute enough and becomes more attractive with time because of what’s on the inside. Think Mark Ruffalo vs. Brad Pitt.
The 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid fits the bill. It’s really a car for the people. Not your enthusiast. Not your wannabe trucker. Not your professor of archaeology. Just a great SUV all-round, considering its look, feel, price, performance, tech and safety features, and how great it is on gas. Let’s start by covering first impressions. The body’s got a classic, rounded yet sharp look to it. Like Mark Ruffalo. Frontal view, I see A$AP Rocky – pretty eyes and a nice grill.
Inside, the cabin is quite spacious with more than enough room for me and my dog to go on adventures together with a trunkful of glamping gear in tow. In an alternate universe, it’s just enough room for me, Mark Ruffalo, and our two hockey-playing kids. I’m a fan of the rotary gear shift dial vs a regular knob because of its convenience and ease of use. Some common yet noteworthy safety features included on this SUV are lane keeping, blind spot, and front and rear sensing. The safety feature I like most is the “heads up” screen between the steering wheel and windshield for the comfort and safety it provides. This screen displays navigation details and your driving speed, so your eyes can stay focused on the road while your view remains unobstructed. Its built-in NAV takes me back to the days of dial-up internet and MS-DOS, and though nostalgia can be nice, in this instance it is not. But who uses built-in NAV anyway? Just switch to CarPlay/Android Auto and you’re back to our current times of billionaire space travel and global plagues…Yay.
Speaking of our current times where the price of gas (and practically everything else) is soaring at a laughable rate, the thing I appreciate most of the 2021 Ford Escape Plug-In has to be its fuel economy. It takes the #1 spot for Hybrid SUVs in Canada, delivering 5.4 L/100 km in the city and 6.3 L/100 km on the highway. Fully charged, this car can get you 60 km on electric alone, i.e/ no gas! I drove this SUV around for a week without recharging it once using the charging cable included. I racked up 273 km over eight and a half hours. At the end of that week, gas was $2.09/L. Ouchies! I was expecting to spend at least $50 to get it back to a full tank, but to my utter surprise, it cost just half that. Hallelujah! Praise be the Lord!
Considering the Ford Escape Hybrid’s starting price of $28,850, which is one of the lowest prices in its class, this car is very attractive. It’s becoming more attractive to you too, isn’t it?
My life is ruled by my emotions. Perhaps it’s the Pisces in me. I choose my relationships, jobs, circumstances, and friends based on how they make me feel - and to me, driving this car feels really, really good. It is one of the smoothest rides, it’s comfortable and reliable. It’s got everything I’m looking for and a few surprises I didn’t know I needed. It’s my Mark Ruffalo of vehicles.
All images courtesy of Ford
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