AZCentral.com's view

Ford has been busy upgrading its gang of sport utility vehicles, launching a bigger and better-engineered Explorer, which hopefully will put the Firestone mess behind it, as well as a new two-door Explorer Sport and Sport Trac SUV/pickup truck.

The huge Ford Expedition has been a booming success, while the behemoth Excursion has sold better than even Ford projected.

This leaves another niche to fill, so here comes Ford’s entry into the compact SUV realm with the new Escape. Starting with a base price under $20,000, Escape is designed to compete with such craft as Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage and other so-called cute utes, as well as the singular Nissan Xterra.

Smaller than the popular Explorer, Escape functions in many of the same ways, though powered by its front wheels or carlike all-wheel drive, with less bulk and better gas mileage.

The same vehicle is also being sold as the Mazda Tribute, with only minor changes in style and suspension.

Despite the introductory hype, Escape breaks no new ground among SUVs. There’s nothing particularly special about Escape, other than its powerful V-6 engine, and the interior is downright mundane. Based on a front-wheel-drive Mazda car chassis, the look is rugged, but in a placid, non-threatening way.

The V-6 engine and automatic transmission combo is the only real standout, providing Escape with a depth of performance unmatched by any of the competition. In the lighter front-wheel-drive version tested here, acceleration is quick and strong, with a transmission that feels eager and cooperative.

Standard power is a four-cylinder engine with 127 horsepower, not much pull for a small but still heavy SUV. The 200-horse V-6 comes standard with automatic. Either way, gas mileage is decent.

A gas/electric hybrid Escape promising better gas mileage and lower tailpipe emissions is being readied by Ford for 2003, the first production SUV with hybrid power.

The ride and handling are good, partly because of the independent rear suspension, though there is a tendency to plow ahead with the front wheels if you turn the steering too sharply. The ride is stable and cornering is relatively flat and predictable, considering the high profile and short wheelbase.

The braking system is another story. It seems foolish that Ford would design a new vehicle, and one with so much potential engine power, without four-wheel disc brakes instead of the less-effective drum brakes in the rear.

The highway ride is very nice. If anything, it’s more stable and refined than the current Explorer, but marred by wind roar. Overall, Escape feels more substantial than the compact competition.

In a dirt-road excursion, which included fording a rocky stream, Escape felt comfortable and competent.

The interior may be routine, but it’s accommodating with supportive seating and enough room front and rear , though three regulation-size humans in the back seat would be a tight squeeze.

The dashboard is plain and ordinary, in surprising contrast to the angular and interesting layout of the Ford Focus wagon tested recently. Escape would benefit from some Focus interior touches.

Behind the wheel, I was confronted with a couple of minor annoyances. The large column shifter blocked the radio buttons, and a left-side footrest was poorly positioned and uncomfortable.

Base price for the four-cylinder Escape is about $19,000. The V-6-powered, all-wheel-drive model tops out around $25,000, making it accessible for its target audience. Options to the test truck included the V-6, at $1,400; a comfort group, which includes leather seating and a power driver’s seat, at $870; upgraded stereo with CD, $505; and $345 extra for side air bags.

Despite its conservative demeanor and minor problems, Escape is a nice-driving machine with good versatility, and it sho d be able to eat the competition.