Escape offers cheaper option to upscale Evoque
New car buyers may want a particular model, but they might not always have the budget to get their first choice.
Like locusts swarming an African Serengeti plain, crossovers have invaded new car showrooms, pushing out wagons and sedans at every opportunity. The result, seemingly, there’s a crossover for almost every need, desire and budget.
Case in point is this pair of compact, five- passenger, all- wheeldrive crossovers. Many buyers in this segment may want a Range Rover Evoque but can’t afford it, so a Ford Escape with AWD could be a suitable alternative.
WANT THIS: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Dynamic
Few new models can be considered “groundbreaking ” or “pioneering ”, but the Evoque, from Land Rover’s upscale Range Rover sub- brand, certainly can lay that claim.
First seen as the Land Rover LRX concept at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, when the Evoque went on sale in both two- and four- door variants in 2011, most onlookers were stunned how little the production version differed from the original show car.
Inside, too, the Evoque gives the aura of its bigger Range Rover brothers.
More than any mainstream crossover can deliver, there are plenty of natural pieces of wood, leather and brushed aluminum crafted together. Although you have to pay for them, the small Rangie is also available with a host of the latest in luxury goodies, highlighted by a panoramic sunroof, and a large, centre stack touchscreen to access a full- on infotainment package, including a 825- watt Meridian Surround Sound System with 17 speakers and navigation system.
With sharp ascent and descent angles, Land Rover’s customizable Drive select all- wheel- drive system and excellent ground clearance, the Range Rover can go where other lux- cute- utes fear to tread. Plus its 11.3 litres per 100 kilometres city and 7.9 highway estimates ( generated from a frugal, 2.0- litre turbocharged four- cylinder gas engine mated to a class- leading nine- speed automatic transmission) means you’ll also have the luxury of not having to stop for gas as often as the Evoque’s thirstier stablemates.
Designed to offer all the style, luxury, features and off- road capabilities found in more expensive Range Rover models, but in a more urban- and price- friendly package, the 2015 four- door Evoque starts at $ 49,129 ( all prices include freight and pre- delivery inspection fees) — thousands less than the little Range Rover’s nearest competitor, the Porsche Macan ( two- door Evoques carry a $ 5,636 “coupe” premium).
GET THIS INSTEAD: 2015 Ford Escape Titanium
Comparing the 2015 Escape to the 2015 Evoque is like comparing Wal- Mart T- shirt and jeans to a Gucci evening gown. The Ford has neither the style — both inside and out — nor the brand caché that the Range Rover has in spades. When compared to its mainstream brand rivals, though, the Ford comes across as the poor man’s Evoque.
You’d have to own stock in the Ford Motor Co. to think the Escape looks as stylish as the Evoque. But the Ford’s exterior design does have some European influences, as it’s sold on the Continent as the Kuga.
While base, $ 25,294 front- drive Escapes sport a 168- hp naturally aspirated, 2.5 L gas four- cylinder and a six- speed automatic transmission, the top- rung $ 39,644 Titanium adds traction at all four wheels and many of the luxury touches found with the nearly twice as expensive Evoque.
Although the materials used are not the same, high level of quality, on the inside, the Ford offers many of the amenities also found on the Range Rover. Included are heated leather seats and outside mirrors, upgraded Sony audio system, voice- activated navigation system, huge sunroof, hands- free power liftgate, the ability to park itself, blind- spot information system with cross- traffic alert and more.
Interestingly, the Escape and Evoque share the same, 2.0L Ford-designed turbocharged four- cylinder gas engine. Both are rated at 240 horsepower, but the Evoque’s 250 pound- feet of torque rating is 19 more than the Escape. Not surprisingly, both crossovers take about 7.5 seconds to go from zero to 100 kilometres per hour, and both can tow up to 1,587 kilograms ( 3,500 lbs).
One advantage the mainstream Ford has over the luxury Range Rover is cargo space. While both share similar passenger room, the Evoque’s sloping roof limits rear luggage space to just 1,444 litres; the Escape offers up to 1,928.
If you want a crossover that thinks it’s a sports compact, buy an Escape. For the most part, the Ford crossover drives like a heavier, taller version of the fine- handling Focus compact it’s based upon.
Still, if you’re looking for a compact crossover with luxury amenities for a mainstream price, the 2015 Ford Escape Titanium could be a suitable alternative to the pricier Evoque.