The Ford Escape is a compact SUV model that has been part of the Ford family since 2001. While it’s always been designed for fuel efficiency and family-friendliness, it’s also becoming a tech-friendly vehicle. In fact, the fourth-generation Escape is far more tech-savvy than any model before it; this is especially true for the most recent model, the 2022 Ford Escape.
This SUV is just as ideal for daily commuting and family traveling as any other Ford model is, but its tech enhancements make it even better. We’ve compiled a list of 10 safety, performance, and convenience technologies that make the 2022 Escape one of the most competitive compact SUVs on the market.
10. Selectable Drive Modes
Whether you’re cruising the city streets at night or traversing a snow-covered backroad, the Escape can take it. The 2022 Ford Escape comes with 5 selectable drive modes that help you tackle common adverse road conditions. These modes include the following: Normal Mode, Eco Mode, Sport Mode, Slippery Mode, and Deep Snow/Sand Mode. Once you select any of these modes, the Escape’s traction control and electronic stability control will adjust to match your selection.
9. Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking
Ultimately, it’s up to you to pay close attention when you’re on the road. That said, accidents do happen—no matter how attentive you are. This is why the Escape offers Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking. When another vehicle, a pedestrian, or even an object suddenly appears in your way, this technology will notify you. When you can’t stop quickly enough, an automatic braking system will kick in to help prevent a collision.
8. Active Park Assist 2.0
Not the best at parking? That’s okay. Thanks to the Escape’s Active Park Assist 2.0 features, embarrassing trips to the store are a thing of the past. Whether you’re struggling with perpendicular parking or even parallel parking, hold down the Active Park Assist button and let the Escape do the rest.
You must still keep your attention on the road and be aware of your surroundings. However, you can leave the acceleration, braking, and steering to Active Park Assist. You can also easily exit a parking spot with the Park Out Assist feature. This option is especially helpful when you need to exit a tight street parking space.
7. Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control
This is the closest you can get to self-driving without actually owning a self-driving vehicle. Simply set your cruise at the desired speed, and you don’t have to worry about slowing down or speeding back up. There’s no more need to worry about resetting your cruise, either. The 2022 Escape’s Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control includes lane-centering technology, along with a start/stop feature. Once you set your desired speed, Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control will adjust to the traffic flow, resuming your chosen speed once traffic eases up. While you still have to take turns and stay attentive, this feature definitely takes the stress out of any commute.
6. SYNC 3 System
You can access every technology feature you’ll need via one simple touchscreen. The Ford Escape’s SYNC 3 infotainment system is a voice-activated control center where you can access music, podcasts, navigation, and even phone calls and text messages. Not only can you safely reply to texts and emails as you drive, but you can also access a plethora of apps via the SYNC 3 screen.
Thanks to FordPass, Wi-Fi connectivity is also within reach. In fact, you can connect up to 10 devices to the Escape’s LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. Connectivity is active for up to 50 ft from the Escape.
5. Head-Up Display
While SYNC 3’s voice-activated setup helps keep you from getting distracted by entertainment, the Head-Up Display keeps your attention off the dashboard. We all need to watch our speed limit and make sure our oil isn’t overheating during every trip, but looking down at the dash can get dangerous. That’s why the Escape includes a Head-Up Display that projects important stats directly onto your windshield. This way, you won’t have to take your eyes off the road just to check your fuel tank or your speed. You can even access your driver assist safety controls via the Head-Up display and make adjustments accordingly.
4. Ford+Alexa
Amazon Alexa is optional on the 2022 Ford Escape. While you can’t tell Alexa to not hit a pedestrian, you can command her to do other things, like make sure that she turns off your living room ceiling fan. Of course, that’s only if you have an Alexa-compatible living room ceiling fan, but nonetheless, it’s possible.
Thanks to available Alexa connectivity, you can control tech features within your car, as well as the Alexa-compatible technologies you have in your home. Whether you forgot to turn out the bathroom light, or you want Alexa to change the song, you’re covered. Just make sure you remember to set up your Alexa devices first. She’s a tech feature, not a mind reader.
3. Evasive Steering Assist
It doesn’t matter how well you’re paying attention; sometimes the unexpected happens, and you don’t have time to fully react. Maybe a deer jumped out in front of you, or the driver ahead of you suddenly slammed on their brakes. No matter the causation, Evasive Steering Assist is there to help you avoid wreckage. This technology will send out a warning when you need to take action. While it does not take over steering for you, it allows for additional steering support, giving you a quick opportunity to evade a crash.
2. Voice-Activated Navigation
We all know not to text and drive, but setting up navigation while driving can be a more common mistake. In fact, the NHTSA states that in-car navigation devices are even more distracting than texting is. The issue is that it seems harmless and even productive to activate your navigation, especially if you’re lost or in a hurry. However, the time you spend typing in an address adds up quickly. Plus, an accident can happen in as little as 3 seconds when you’re distracted!
This is why the 2022 Ford Escape’s built-in and voice-activated navigation feature is so important. Rather than getting distracted by your GPS keyboard—or wasting time pulling over to safely enter an address, you can simply tell your vehicle where you want to go. Whether it’s a specific address or a location name, the Escape’s built-in voice-activated navigation feature can safely direct you where you want to go.
1. BLIS with Cross-Traffic Alert
Many vehicles include blind-spot monitoring systems and/or cross-traffic alert technologies, but Ford combines these two safety features into one. Thanks to BLIS, you get notified when another vehicle is in your blind spot. Simply view each exterior side mirror and check for an orange, flashing icon. If the icon isn’t orange or flashing, you’re safe to switch lanes. However, if you see the flashing orange icon, that means that a vehicle is in your blind spot and you need to stay put.
Cross-Traffic Alert is also there to monitor your blind spots, but in a different way. This technology is ideal for parking lot driving, because it can monitor parallel traffic behind your vehicle. For example, when you’re trying to back out of a parking spot but can’t see, Cross-Traffic Alert can—and it will notify you when it’s unsafe to back out. This technology is also useful when backing out of driveways and onto another road. It’s a huge lifesaver—and, at the very least, can keep your insurance deductible in your pocket—so it easily tops my list of must-have features in the 2022 Escape.
