2017 Ford Escape Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: 2017 Ford Escape SE, 2.0L, AWD review by RushMan

I am seeing 22 mpg in the winter, and about 28 mpg (U.S.) in the summer months. Annual average is 25 mpg.
Much of my driving is 40-50 mph suburban roads with a few traffic lights, some local traffic at 25-30 mph, and some highway (65 mph). My best mileage was 31 mpg which was a mix of 40 mph and 65 mph driving on a trip of 200 miles: impressive for the 2.0 liter twin scroll turbo engine. Acceleration is also impressive, and is appreciated on some of the short highway ramps.
Now with the COVID-19 virus restricting activities, my driving is mostly local trips of less than 5 miles one way, with 25-30 mph speed limits. My average gas mileage is now only about 20.5 mpg.

I've had no repair or maintenance concerns at all, just one service bulletin to reprogram the BCM for a flaky auto-stop-start which occurred only in unusually cold weather.

The 2017 Escape got a revised nose and big grill...ugly to my eyes, compared to the thin horizontal opening on previous version in this generation. There's a lot of similarity to the 2016 and 2017 Hyundai Tucson grill. Who copied who?

I bought a basic vehicle, except for the cold weather package. I've had heated seats on my last 3 vehicles and appreciate them in the sun freezing weather.

I like cloth seats instead of leather. I've had leather on several cars. Cloth is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. I find the seats very comfrortable.
The ride is a little rough, dependent on choice of wheels and tires. the 17" wheels have teh largest sidewall rubber and the best ride.

I replaced the original Continental Pro Contact tires at 35K miles with Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady All Season tires. They ride rougher than the stock tires, are rumbly feeling, but are rated for snow, unlike most All Weather tires.

There is plenty of storage space: door pockets are adequate. I keep emergency info in the seat pocket on the back of the driver's seat.

The main console has a couple of open bins, 2 cup holders and the lidded console box. The box is very deep, and contains a power source for charging the cell phone. The top is double hinged: One btton opens the deep portion and the other opens the shallow top area, sufficient for keeping some small documents like insurance/registration or emergency cash.

The rear seat leg room is limited compared to some competitor cars, but OK for most trips.

The battery is deep under the cowling, making replacing the battery a real chore, 1/2 hour or more. Many of the local parts stores won't change the battery in the 3rd Generation Escapes (2013-2019). There are videos and instructions on several sites for DIYers.

The positive battery terminal is readily accessible under the battery cover. The negative post is unreachable, Ford has wisely added a ground post to the right of the battery, for charging, or jumping.

Ford removed the tow hook hard points from the front and rear on the 2017 model.
That's why I keep Ford's towing and jacking instructions in the pocket on the back of the driver's seat.
I haven't needed the latter, as the car has been trouble free, but it is a concern.