• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, December 2, 2016

Technology in general has always fascinated me — I’m always a first adopter. Having to wait a few weeks to get the new iPhone model just about kills me. And I’m definitely a geek when it comes to auto technology. 

So getting the chance to borrow a 2017 Ford Escape Titanium for the week actually made me a little giddy. It has all the bells and whistles you could want, and then some. And I confess, I was sad when the vehicle loan ended and I had to give it back. 

Some folks might have a little sticker shock at the $30,850 base price — but when you read the list of what’s standard, it makes sense. Once you’ve enjoyed features like adaptive cruise control, the hands-free lift gate and reverse sensing system, it’s hard to live without. 

The item I enjoyed the most seems so simple that you have to wonder why all vehicles don’t have it. It’s called intelligent access, and with it you can unlock, lock, and start your vehicle without having to reach for your keys.

It is beyond convenient to walk up to the door and have the locks open automatically without having to find the key fob and hit it, especially when you have your arms full with shopping bags or whatever. The same applies when you walk away; it locks automatically as long as the key iswith you and not in the vehicle. The key fob must be inside the vehicle to activate the push-button start system.

The Escape is the first Ford model to receive the brand's Sync Connect treatment. The mobile technology is likely to be especially attractive to Millennials, who are used to doing everything on their smartphone. The app enables users to remotely start their vehicles, check tire pressure and schedule future starts. If you know you are going to leave the house every week day at 7 a.m., you can program your vehicle to start at 6:50 a.m. and warm up or cool off the interior for you.

The vehicle I drove had the optional 2.0L Ecoboost engine, which added $1,295 to the sticker. I was happy to have that plenty-powerful engine every time I merged onto the freeway. There was no snow or off-road driving to put the 4x4 through the paces, but I did drive in a fair amount of rain, which is treacherous in and of itself. The vehicle nicely hugged the road and gave me a feeling of security. 

Another standard feature is blind-spot warning, which is an easily visible orange dot on the side view mirror. It’s so helpful and practical, it’s another feature that truly should be on every car. 

The interior design was very thoughtful with a place for your cell phone near the USB plug along with generous cup holders and ample storage space in the console and inside each door. It’s a simple thing, but the overhead light turns on by just pressing the light itself. You don’t have to look for a corresponding button. 

The adaptive cruise control, which senses if you are coming up on another car and slows you down, is easy to operate, as is the navigation system. The map and the all-important time/miles to destination are easy to read. 

The Sync Connect easily links your smartphone to the car, which makes using the navigation system even easier. It automatically offers your home location (because your smartphone knows where you live. I know, creepy, right?) and other likely destinations. My phone knows I have a standing appointment on Monday evenings. When I got in the vehicle on Monday and connected my iPhone to the USB plug, sure enough, the navigation system offered it as a destination. If you have privacy concerns, this might freak you out. But if you are like me and don’t care who knows your GPS location at any given time, it’s unbelievably convenient. 

Another small but pleasing feature is the capless fuel filler. If you have butter fingers like me and have ever dropped a gas cap and had it roll under the car, you will appreciate this more than words can say. 

The gas mileage is a little lower than desirable. Although the sticker says it gets 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway for an average of 23 mpg, my experience was an average of about 20 mpg of mostly highway driving. It’s the tradeoff to that fantastic engine pickup I mentioned earlier. I paid $1.83 a gallon to fill up at Costco, so it wasn’t a concern. 

The concept of driverless cars has plenty of consumers intrigued, and the Escape is almost there with its plenitude of technology. For consumers who need the room of an SUV and don’t mind sacrificing a little on gas mileage, it’s definitely worth checking out.