2014 FORD ESCAPE

The 2014 Ford Escape stands out as one of the best small crossovers in a segment full of worthy entries. Completely redesigned last year, the Ford Escape remains one of our favorite compact crossover SUVs. It has sharp handling, handsome styling and high-end interior touches that help justify its marginally higher price in this class.

You don't have to look at the 2014 Ford Escape for very long before you start to think it looks like a pumped-up Ford Focus, and with good reason. The Escape is based on the same platform as the Focus, and it shows in the sleek styling. We love the Ford Focus for its quality, versatility and superb driving character, and those traits translate well to the Escape package. Sure, the Escape is heavier than a Focus, but it still has a nicely controlled ride and goes around turns with a surprising level of agility.

Ford offers a trio of four-cylinder engines on the 2014 Escape. The base 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which is a pretty typical offering for a small crossover, provides adequate performance. But what help distinguish the Escape in this class are the available 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter turbocharged engines. The 1.6 provides more power and better fuel economy than the 2.5, while the 2.0 cranks out 240 horsepower and has only slightly lower EPA fuel economy ratings than the smaller 1.6.

The Escape's interior is furnished with high-quality materials, and when it's equipped with the slick-looking MyFord Touch electronics interface, it feels as if you're driving a much more expensive car. The downside to that, however, is that MyFord Touch can be finicky to use at times, as we've noted slow response times and inconvenient glitches in the vehicles we've tested. Besides that, ticking all the option boxes pushes the 2014 Ford Escape's price above its direct rivals. Keep the equipment level reasonable, though, and it represents solid value in this class.