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Ford Escape Named Winner Of J.D. Power APEAL Award; Wards 10 Best Honor

Ford's Bronco brand and F-150 pickup aren't the only models made by the automaker to have been honors in 2020. Recently, the Escape SUV was named a winner of a Ward's Auto 10-Best awards and the J.D. Power APEAL award.
Ford model honors by J.D. Power, Wards

Ford has had some great press lately. What with the introduction of the new Bronco brand's three models – the full-sized Bronco two-door and four-door SUVs as well as the midsized Bronco Sport crossover – plus the introduction of the 14th generation F-150 pickup, you would think the automaker's plate is pretty full.

Ford Escape Wins Awards

But, no, now comes the news that the 2021 Ford Escape has been named winner of prestigious awards from J.D. Power and Wards. The Power name means the Escape crossover has earned top honors for its quality. Wards' honors are similar.

Specifically, the all-new Ford Escape has taken home the top spot among compact SUVs in the J.D. Power 2020 APEAL Study. The Escape also received an honor from Wards Autos. Wards named the all-new SUV a winner of one of its 10 Best User Experiences honoree.

Mark LeNeve, Ford's vice president of U.S. Marketing, Sales, and Service, said that when the automaker "reinvented the all-new Ford Escape for 2020, we considered how small SUV customer needs have evolved and pivoted to make Escape an even better urban mobility vehicle that delivers great fuel economy, features advanced technology, and is fun to drive."

LeNeve continued that is why "we now offer two different hybrid choices, including an all-new plug-in model with best-in-class EPA-estimated 100 MPGe, an available digital instrument panel and SYNC 3 infotainment, and second-row legroom that tops larger SUVs."

Ford Escape Wins Power Award

The J.D. Power APEAL study, now in its 25th year, measures owners' emotional attachment and level of excitement across 37 attributes, ranging from the power they feel when they stop on the gas to the sense of comfort and luxury they feel when climbing into the driver's seat.

Overall, Ford brand vehicles improved from 5th to 4th among 18 mass-market brands that this year's J.D. Power APEAL study assesses.

At the same time, WardsAuto announced the Escape was a winner of a User Experience award.

In sum, the Ford Escape received Power and Wards honors for:

  • The Escape excels in its user experience with advanced digital displays
  • The Escape features easy-to-use SYNC 3 infotainment technology
  • The Escape features well-priced and functional driver-assist technologies
  • The Escape features Adaptive Cruise Control with stop-and-go technology
  • The Escape features Active Park Assist 2.0 to help with squeezing into tight parking spaces

These improvements earned Escape a spot in this year's Wards 10 Best UX winners' circle.

Marc Stern has been an auto writer since 1971. It was a position that filled two boyhood dreams: One was that I would write, and two that I write about cars. When I took over as my newspaper's auto editor, I began a 32-year career as an automotive columnist. There isn't much on four wheels that I haven't driven or reviewed. My work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, and others. Today, I am the Ford F150 reporter for Torque News. I write how-to and help columns for online sites such as Fixya.com and others. You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook. Most of Marc's stories can be found at Torque News Ford coverage. Check back again and search for Torque News Ford F-150 news for more F-150 truck news coverage.

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