alt Hacker NewsUnfortunately by correcting your misremembering, I’m even less convinced. The Escape is even further down the ladder in its crowded and competitive class of vehicle.
The Escape isn’t underrated it’s just rated properly.
There’s like 6 or so cars that rank above it for various reasons: CRV, RAV4, Sportage, CX-5/CX-50, Forester.
Even Mitsubishi put out a better vehicle than Ford with the Outlander if we go by Car and Driver’s scores.
I’m sure you can get one with some sick discounts but Ford also has company there with Nissan, Mitsubishi, Chevrolet, and I’ve even heard Mazda runs strong discounts depending on the dealer.
The CRV/Rav4/CX-50/Forester are all nice too, but local CAD website listed prices for the base hybrid trims are respectively $49k/$40k (with an 8 month wait time, or $56k for the plug-in)/$46k (but unavailable due to tariffs and being built in the US)/$51k (but effectively unobtainable).
Meanwhile I can go buy a plug-in hybrid Escape tomorrow with effectively the same 2.5L/eCVT powertrain as Toyota/Subaru for $44k. (Assuming no discounts and that I’m in a province with no PHEV rebates.) So yeah, you might like a CRV better for an extra $5k, or you might have 8 months to wait for a Rav4 and not care about the plug-in, but the field of available options at the price isn’t that crowded.