Ford sells the Escape in S, SE, SEL, and Titanium trim levels. In the middle two, the Escape is a good value. Elsewhere, some key features are walled off only to expensive trims, and the base infotainment screen is lousy and small. The Escape’s warranty is nothing special, either.

We rate it a 6. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

Starting from the mid-$20,000s, the 2019 Ford Escape S comes with cloth seats, power features, air conditioning, 17-inch wheels, cruise control, a six-speaker AM/FM/CD  audio system, and Sync infotainment with a teensy, non-touch-controlled 4.2-inch center screen. Escape SE crossovers also come with the power-poor inline-4; we’d call this a non-starter.

Move into the value-leading Escape SE and Ford adds the smaller-displacement turbo-4, a power driver seat, satellite radio, keypad entry, keyless ignition, Sync 3 infotainment with an 8.0-inch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, dual-zone automatic climate control, and heated front seats. The SEL gets a power tailgate, leather seats, and rear parking sensors. Forward-collision warnings with automatic emergency braking are a $1,295 option on these and on the Titanium trim level; some rivals offer the gear standard.

The Escape Titanium adds a 12-speaker 390-watt Sony audio system, navigation, a power passenger seat, HD radio, blind-spot monitors, ambient lighting, and 18-inch wheels.

Add in all the options on a top-line Escape and the price approaches $40,000. Those options include a tow package, automatic park assist, and a panoramic roof.

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