USED: Escaping In The 2017 Ford Escape Titanium On A Southbound Road Trip
Terri Marshall
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Hitting the road solo and in style with the 2017 Ford Escape Titanium.
Road tripping has been part of my life since I was a child. I still love hitting the open road. And, while traveling with my husband or a friend is always fun, I don’t mind going solo now and then. So when I had the opportunity to test out the 2017 Ford Escape Titanium for a drive down to Orlando, I jumped at the chance.
I was going down to Walt Disney World for the annual TravelingMom retreat—which is always a great event. Plus, my three grandkids live in Orlando so I’m always happy to head their way. It’s roughly a 16 hour drive from my home in New York City which means 2 days on the road with an overnight. While some women are uncomfortable being alone on the road for that length of time, it doesn’t bother me. The trip would provide an escape from the city for a few days and plenty of thinking time—or so I thought.
Stylish and comfortable interior of the 2017 Ford Escape Titanium Photo: Terri Marshall
Stylish, well-equipped and affordably priced
It’s kind of like Christmas when a new vehicle is dropped off for a test drive, even if I can’t keep it. So when the 2017 Ford Escape Titanium arrived outside my Manhattan apartment I couldn’t wait to unwrap all its treasures. The exterior was a stylish shade of silver metallic and inside my cockpit for the next week were charcoal black leather seats. And I was really excited to see the panoramic sunroof—love to let the sun shine in!
The base price of the 2017 Ford Escape Titanium is an affordable $30,850.00. Options on the model I drove brought the price to $36,625.00. Not a bad price for all the features.
Rear climate control, cup holders & space add comfort for passengers Photo: Terri Marshall
Alone but connected with all the tech a working Grandmom needs thanks to the Sync 3 Infotainment System
When you’re traveling solo, having the latest safety features and technology is a big plus. What I thought was going to be a relaxing drive turned into a day filled with last minute deadline adjustments for several projects: that meant frequent calls and texts. But it was all 100% manageable thanks to the easy connection of my phone through the Sync 3 Infotainment system.
I was even more excited to see that the Escape had Apple CarPlay which meant I could speak my text messages as I rolled on down the highway! Of course, it took me a couple of tries before I realized I should keep the voice texts short and not go on and on like I was leaving a phone message. My daughter got one of my long texts and thought I’d lost my mind—but, honestly, she’s thought that ever since she was a teenager so it’s nothing new.
This nice little infotainment screen displayed everything I needed, including my test messages Photo: Terri Marshall
With a complete suite of the latest safety technology I was alone but not afraid
When I ran into heavy downpours in North Carolina I was thrilled to have the extra height and 4-wheel drive of an SUV as I gingerly drove through the flooded highway. When the weather was sunny, I took full advantage of the adaptive cruise control—which felt like I was sharing driving responsibility with the vehicle.
About those safety features, anyone who has ever driven alone for over a thousand miles knows that it can often be monotonous causing us to lose focus. This happened to me a couple of times which had the lane departure warning and lane keep assist features working overtime. After a few warnings a coffee cup icon popped up on the screen suggesting that maybe it was time for a little break. I headed straight for Starbucks.
Look Mom, no hands! Showing off for the grandkids with the Park Assist system
In addition to being a comfortable ride with top safety tech and that cool Apple CarPlay feature, the Ford Escape had a little bit of magic incorporated into its features…park assist. That little baby can park itself: a feature that totally impressed my 3 grandkids when we gave it a try in Orlando. It was the ultimate “look Mom, no hands” moment as the Ford Escape found a parking space and mastered perfect positioning in a parallel space.
My husband flew down and joined me for the ride back. I was thankful for the company. We took the scenic route home which included the spectacular Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel. The rest stop in the center of the bridge seemed like the ideal place to have him give the park assist system a try.
If you knew my husband, you’d know that he’s a bit of a control freak—especially about driving. Trusting the car to find a perpendicular parking spot and back into the space between two vehicles without him lending a hand was no easy task. After 4 attempts, he finally gave up control and let the Escape do its job. Even he was impressed. Would I use park assist regularly? Probably not. But it might come in handy in those tight parallel parking spots in New York City.
Room for the additional luggage my husband brought for the return trip and even a tent! Photo: Terri Marshall
What I loved about the 2017 Ford Escape Titanium
- Panoramic sunroof – let the sunshine in!
- Automatic lift gate – Just waived my foot and up it went
- Apple CarPlay – love talking and texting
- Coffee cup warning icon when it’s time for a break
- Plenty of charging outlets (5) and a household plug in the back
- Backseat climate control helped keep the grandkids cool in the Florida heat
Read our full review of the 2017 Ford Escape Titanium here.
I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to be on the road…especially alone…for two days, I want a vehicle I can rely on. The 2017 Ford Escape Titanium is one of those vehicles. Nice ride!
Disclosure: Ford provided the 2017 Ford Escape Titanium for my solo road trip. All opinions about its style, comfort & that cool coffee cup icon are all my own.