Small and Mighty: Exploring the Escape’s 2025 Trim Lineup
If you’re ready to maximize your investment and upgrade your time behind the wheel, you’re off to an excellent start by shopping for the Ford Escape for sale in Cincinnati. The Escape has been a staple in the Ford lineup since the new millennium when it debuted as the Blue Oval’s first car-based SUV. Since then, the Escape has aged gracefully, with drivers praising the SUV for its agility, efficiency, and value-oriented packaging.
Those characteristics define the 2025 Escape, which is one of the most affordable in the segment at $28,150.[a] With seating for five, a well-equipped cabin with plenty of technologies and conveniences, and four powertrain options, the 2025 Escape deserves a place at the top of your shopping list. Here’s a closer look at those features and more across the Escape’s 2025 trim lineup.
Budget-Friendly and Value-Rich: The 2025 Escape ACTIV
The ACTIV kicks off the Escape’s 2025 lineup and rolls off the production line on 17-inch Shadow Silver-painted aluminum wheels. The base trim, modestly priced at $28,150, exceeds expectations inside and out.[a] The Escape ACTIV boasts a sporty aesthetic, from dual chrome exhaust tips to its LED signature lighting and the Piano Black grille with chrome detailing. Body-color design details and a rear spoiler enhance the ACTIV’s styling.
Beyond its exterior, the 2025 Escape ACTIV sets the baseline for the rest of the lineup. The entry-level trim relies on a 1.5L EcoBoost inline-three engine with auto start-stop technology for power. The engine produces 180 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque, yielding an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 30 MPG combined on front-wheel drive models. This heartbeat makes the Escape ACTIV responsive at any speed, meaning you can thoroughly enjoy the cabin’s tech-savvy and driver-centric design. That design includes the SYNC 4 infotainment system on an eight-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the expansive Ford Co-Pilot360 Technology suite of driver-assist features.
Athletic, Versatile, and Engaging: The 2025 Escape ST-Line
The 2025 Escape ST-Line builds on the ACTIV’s standard features, adding sportier elements that reflect its penchant for performance. Starting at $29,145, the ST-Line is the first of three ST-branded trims.[a] It’s the first Escape to offer a powertrain upgrade, swapping the standard 1.5L EcoBoost for the more engaging 2.5L iVCT Atkinson Cycle inline-four hybrid engine. The hybrid heartbeat makes 192 hp but modestly uses fuel, averaging an EPA-estimated 39 MPG combined.
The ST-Line also offers several other notable upgrades that Cincinnati drivers will appreciate. It swaps the ACTIV’s 17-inch wheels for 18-inch Rock Metallic-painted aluminum wheels and adds black roof-rack rails that give it a sophisticated and athletic design. The interior reflects that athleticism, courtesy of the flat-bottom steering wheel and the partial vinyl and cloth seating with red accent stitching. Ford also makes the Escape ST-Line’s second row adjustable, with 60/40-split flat-folding rear seats that offer up to 40.7 inches of legroom and, when folded, 65.4 cu.ft. of room for cargo.
Experience All-Season Confidence and Comfort: The 2025 Escape ST-Line Select
Next in the Escape’s ST-trims is the ST-Line Select. Affordably priced at $32,230, the ST-Line Select builds on the ST-Line in several significant ways.[a] First, it’s more powerful and engaging to drive because it rolls off Ford’s production floor with a 2.0L EcoBoost inline-four under its hood. The 2.0L EcoBoost features auto start-stop technology, yielding an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 26 MPG combined as the engine produces 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. The impressive output makes the compact crossover a top choice for Cincinnati drivers looking for more excitement behind the wheel.
With a more engaging and spirited driving demeanor, the ST-Line Select ensures every outing is enjoyable. Ford accomplishes this by adding several comfort features and amenities to the ST-Line Select’s packaging. The heated front seats and steering wheel maximize your comfort, while the power liftgate makes accessing your cargo in the rear hassle-free. You can also take advantage of the ST-Line Select’s remote start system, which ensures the cabin is at the perfect temperature before you climb into the driver’s seat.
Luxurious and Tech-Savvy: The 2025 Escape Platinum
The 2025 Escape Platinum takes everything you love about the Escape and makes it better by offering premium comforts, enhanced technologies, and a long list of features Cincinnati drivers shouldn’t live without. These features start with the Escape Platinum’s exterior, which is instantly recognizable by its large, 19-inch machined-face aluminum wheels with Dark Tarnish paint finishing the pockets. The finish gives the trim a distinct aesthetic complemented by chrome, body color, and black detailing.
Powered by the 2.0L EcoBoost inline-four or the available 2.5L iVCT Atkinson Cycle inline-four hybrid engine, the Escape Platinum is agile, responsive, and engaging. It’s also one of the most tech-rich in the lineup, with Ford equipping the premium trim with a 13.2-inch touchscreen display. The touchscreen is home to Ford’s SYNC 4 infotainment system and features connected navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a Ford Assistant. A wireless charging pad makes it easy to keep your smartphone charged, while the plush, powered, and heated front seats finished in Ford’s ActiveX material optimizes your comfort.
Sporty and Refined: The 2025 Escape ST-Line Elite
The Escape ST-Line Elite is the top of the lineup for the ST-branded trims. Like the other ST trims, the ST-Line Elite features exclusive badging and design elements that give it sportier styling. For the 2025 ST-Line Elite, these elements include 19-inch machined-face Ebony-Painted aluminum wheels and a body-color fascia that complements the body-color rocker panels and bumpers. These athletic details continue inside, where the interior boasts the same red accent stitching as the other ST-branded trims.
So, what makes the ST-Line Elite a top-tier trim? It offers more standard and available technologies. Beyond swapping the engaging 2.0L EcoBoost for the 2.5L iVCT Atkinson Cycle inline-four hybrid engine, you can also add the Premium Technology Package. The Elite has a 13.2-inch center touchscreen with SYNC 4, Connected Navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Ford Assistant, and the Ford Co-Pilot360 Technology suite. Yet, the Premium Technology Package is a significant upgrade that adds front parking sensors, Reverse Brake Assist, a head-up display, a 360-degree camera with Split View, and a premium Bang & Olufsen 10-speaker sound system.
Enjoy Hybrid Efficiency: The 2025 Escape Plug-In Hybrid
The Escape’s appeal is broad because of its value-rich packaging and diverse engine lineup. Cincinnati drivers looking for a plug-in hybrid that will lessen their carbon footprints without compromising performance will find the perfect balance with the 2025 Escape Plug-In Hybrid. Ford takes the Escape ACTIV and builds its PHEV sibling, which starts at $38,400 for 2025.[a]
Sitting on 18-inch machined-face aluminum wheels with Magnetic-painted pockets, the Escape Plug-In Hybrid is stylish and remarkably well-equipped for its affordable price tag. It relies on Ford’s 2.5L iVCT Atkinson Cycle inline-four hybrid engine and a 14.4-kWh battery for power. The combination produces 210 hp and yields an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 101 MPGe. This output makes the Escape PHEV competent in any situation, with features like adaptive cruise control enhancing that experience as you navigate life on the highway.
Apart from its heartbeat, the 2025 Escape Plug-In Hybrid boasts a well-equipped interior with vinyl and cloth seating, which you can upgrade to the ActiveX seating with the quilted and mini-perforated design with the Premium Package. This package also adds a 10-way power driver seat, a six-way heated and power passenger seat, a premium 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, an LED light bar, head-up display, 12.3-inch digital productivity screen, and many other enhanced technologies like driver’s seat and mirror memory, parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera.
Choosing the Perfect Escape
Navigating the hustle and bustle of Cincinnati isn’t for the faint of heart. Yet, when you’re behind the wheel of an SUV like the 2025 Escape, the experience is far more rewarding and enjoyable. Ford guarantees as much with the Escape’s extensive trim lineup in 2025, which stretches from the budget-friendly ACTIV to the ST-Line trims and the Plug-In Hybrid. With every trim packed with features and options, choosing the right Escape is a rewarding experience that ends with you in the driver’s seat of an SUV designed to check every box on your must-have list.
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