We had a 2013 escape 2.0. Was the biggest POS we ever owned. Bought in 2015, hatch was starting to rust out, Ford wouldn't help, gas gauge was inaccurate, read 4-5 gallons off, numerous recalls, recalled for BCM failing, recalled for stalling while driving - that was fixed, then it continued to stall while driving. After we got it back from the dealership, it shifted so hard it stopped the car and all warning lights came back on. Dealership had to re-fix and car was never right after that. Traded that POS off after 9 months. Our 2 choices were CX5 and RAV4 SE. CX5 was tight in the back for a rear facing car seat, but absolutely loved otherwise. We got a 16 RAV4 SE and love it. Sporty enough for a baby hauler, and gets upper 20's mpg.
Read some stories about some of the previous models stalling out and some models rusting. These are the two things keeping me hesitant to buy the escApe, especially since everyone says Ford is no help when they start rusting