2023 Ford Escape & 2023 Mazda3

Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We'll head out in an updated compact Ute, the Ford Escape... Then, bring the past back to life with the help of a very special young man... We'll head across the pond to a speed lover's paradise... Before wrapping up with the sporty Mazda3 Hatchback...

So, come drive with us, next!

Closed Captioning provided by Maryland Public Television.

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First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

JOHN: The Ford Escape has have gotten more mentions lately as the launching pad for Ford's Maverick pickup and their Bronco Sport SUV, but the Escape itself has its own story to tell, as it has recently gotten a host of updates.

So, let's see what's new with Ford's compact getaway machine.

♪ ♪ The Ford Escape has a much longer history than many of its small crossover competitors; arriving in 2001 when car-based utility vehicles that weren't station wagons were still a relatively new thing.

Now in its 4th generation, the 2023 Escape gets some timely updates to stay ahead of the curve.

But first, one thing that hasn't changed is that Ford still offers a wide variety of powertrains for the Escape, most of which get minor updating for '23.

They include-- a 1.5 liter I3 turbo now rated at 180 horsepower, a 250 horsepower 2.0 liter I4 turbo, a revised hybrid with a new combined output of 192 horsepower, and this plug-in hybrid.

The PHEV incorporates a pair of electric motors into an eCVT mated to the Hybrid's 2.5 liter naturally aspirated I4 for an increased output of 210 horsepower.

A 14.4 kilowatt hour battery allows for a good 37 miles of strictly EV driving; and you can choose when to use those miles or keep it in auto and let the vehicle decide.

All-wheel-drive comes standard with the 2.0 liter turbo and is available with the 1.5 liter and Hybrid, but this PHEV stays strictly front-wheel-drive to maximize fuel economy.

Those Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 101-Combined MPGe and 40-Combined for strictly gasoline engine operation.

We took advantage of plug-in opportunities for our test loop and averaged a great 71.5 miles per gallon of Regular.

No surprise, the Escape has a good Energy Impact Score; 2.7 Barrels of Oil annually, and 0.9 Tons of CO2 emitted.

Now, getting to bigger changes, Ford has upped their touchscreen game big time with an available 13.2 incher.

An 8.0 inch screen remains standard, but both sit on the same dashtop shelf and include the latest version of Ford's Sync4.

An 8.0 inch color LCD instrument cluster is also standard, but this larger and more configurable 12.3 inch screen is available.

Front seats are still plenty comfortable, with 6.0 inches of slide travel for the rear seats, midsize-like legroom is possible.

Cargo capacity is a good 34.4 cubic-feet; expanding to 60.8 with seatbacks folded.

Outside, the changes may seem minor, but go a long way in improving this 5-passenger utility's look.

New LED headlights are showcased in a face that's a little less rounded than before, though they haven't gone the trendy extreme rugged route, yet.

The edges of the grille are more squared off, and the lower air intakes slimmed down to allow for more body color up front.

Not much changes out back; wheel sizes range from 17 to 19 inches.

We rolled them up to the starting line of our Mason Dixon test track eager to see what this PHEV has in store.

EV-power usually means-- good things for acceleration, but it's important to keep in mind you're only dealing with a little over 200 horsepower here, so launching was a little more muted than we've experienced in many PHEVs, but quick throttle response and steady power delivery made for an acceptable 7.8 second trip to 60.

CVT means engine revs kept mostly steady throughout the quarter-mile, but engine noise was not offensive at all.

We hit 91 miles per hour in 15.9 seconds at the end of the quarter.

The pace was also moderate in our handling course.

The PHEV's hard tires lacked the grip to really keep up with what this chassis is capable of.

The front end wanted to slide as soon as we added too much speed.

Still, steering feel was quite good and body roll minimal.

Braking performance was overall quite good; even with a fair amount of nosedive, stops were straight and consistent, averaging 110 feet from 60 miles per hour.

Now, those looking for a little more visual excitement will be interested in the new ST-Line now available on the Escape for '23.

It features lots of sporty black trim, 19 inch Ebony aluminum wheels, a unique rear spoiler, and updated lighting.

Ford has completely restructured the Escape lineup, doing away with the boring-sounding SEs and SELs and replacing them with exciting names like Active, ST-Line, and Platinum.

The base model is now called Base, and starting at $29,495, while the PHEV is now a standalone model priced at $41,995.

Many people may have forgotten, but the Ford Escape was actually the first gasoline-electric hybrid SUV sold here in America.

That head start allowed them to stay ahead of rivals for quite some time.

But more competitors have joined the race recently, some of which offer all-wheel drive in their plug-ins, are faster, and have greater EV range.

Still, taken as a whole, there is certainly much to like about this revamped tech-savvy 2023 Ford Escape PHEV.

And, for Ford fans that aren't quite ready to go the full battery electric route, it's a terrific option.

♪ ♪ Held annually in West Sussex, in the South of England, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is best known for its iconic hill climb track, and as a celebration of the world's most alluring and exotic cars.

So, Bentley Motors invited our Stephanie Hart to experience this year's Goodwood first hand.

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: I'm here in England at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Sixty-thousand people a day over three days flock here to see modern and historic racing vehicles.

Eye candy on four wheels, one after another.

Despite the soggy weather, car enthusiasts from around the world soaked in all of the sights-- hundreds of cars, everything from dream machines to daily drivers.

I am really excited to be here!

There's so much history here at Goodwood?

WAYNE BRUCE: Essentially, we're in the back garden of the Duke of Richmond's house.

Many global manufacturers are here, not just Bentley, making their global debuts.

You've got luxury lifestyle brands here as well entertaining customers.

All walks of society are coming here to Goodwood.

STEPHANIE: One of the truly unique things about Goodwood is that people can experience the cars at speed, driving up their famous hill climb.

There's nothing else like this in the world.

I'm going to be a passenger in the Batur.

It's a one of two prototype.

I'm going to be headed up the hill.

It has 740 horsepower.

This is gonna be quite an experience.

And a huge honor!

This is the most powerful Bentley ever made.

PAUL WILLIAMS: And these are very unique cars which are a coach-built body and a unique powertrain on top of a standard Continental GT.

STEPHANIE: Built by Bentley's bespoke division, 18 were produced and each sold for about $1.8 million dollars.

Behind the wheel of our Batur, is Andy Marson, Functional Manager, Vehicle Dynamics for Bentley Motors.

ANDY MARSON: So, he wants to see your wristband again.

STEPHANIE: Sure.

ANDY: Here you go.

SECURITY: Okay, thank you.

ANDY: Thank you.

STEPHANIE: In order to make good time up the Goodwood hill, we would have to hit 125 miles per hour.

I have never done a hill climb before at racing speeds and I could feel the fear of the unknown creeping in.

ANDY: If on the run you're not comfortable with how fast I'm going then just put your hands up, so I can see it.

STEPHANIE: Oh, okay.

Our Goodwood hill climb in the Batur is part of Bentley's celebration commemorating 20 years of its mighty W12 engine, which has been the performance backbone of the brand since the launch of the Continental GT in 2003.

(engine revving) Sounds like that tell me we're getting close to launching.

Then, this happened... SECURITY: Sorry, you've got to have trousers on.

STEPHANIE: Oh...I do, miss.

ANDY: She has, she has.

SECURITY: Oh, that's right.

Okay, have a good day.

STEPHANIE: Thank you.

Alright, we're now crossing the starting line now... (beeping sound) (engine revs/tires screech) (engine revving) ANDY: Top of the hill.. STEPHANIE: That was so much fun!

(laughing) ANDY: Was that good?

STEPHANIE: That was a blast.

ANDY: You weren't too scared?

STEPHANIE: No, that was great!

That was great!

(clapping) ANDY: And we were on the live stream as well, so we will watch it back.

STEPHANIE: Yes, that was awesome!

You are an amazing driver!

I'm so glad I did it.

What a fantastic way for the Bentley Batur to officially debut in the UK!

Plus, it did it on renewable fuel.

What that means is there's an 85 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to ordinary gasoline.

The 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed was incredible!

An unforgettable experience celebrating the speed and glamour of the automobile- past, present, and future.

JOHN: We're told that the number of classic car enthusiasts is dwindling with each new generation, but we know there are still plenty of youth eager to keep that aged metal on the road.

Well, the newest member of our car care team, Giuseppe Iatarola, is one of them, and he puts that passion to work on MotorWeek's "Your Drive!"

♪ ♪ GIUSEPPE IATAROLA: When I was here last year, I saw this Renault Dauphine in the back, so I asked the producer: "Can I get this running at my shop?"

So he said, "sure, we'll give it a shot."

So, when it came to my shop, here's what I did.

So, here's what we found out so far.

The engine is completely seized.

As you can see right here... doesn't turn.

The first thing I'm gonna do is take the valve cover off, and see if anything is seized on top.

If not, we take the oil pan out and see if the crankshaft is seized or...

I turned the engine by hand with a ratchet, and I noticed that the bottom end was turning but the top end wasn't.

So, after a little bit of time of heating it up, all the rocker arms, turning them, a little bit of that, I got everything all loose.

I'm taking the last bolt out for the timing cover and see what's under here.

It's just what I thought, the idler gear is plastic for a breaking point.

That's exactly what happened.

It's all smashed.

The crankshaft gear chewed it all up, so... so we're waiting for this, a new one to come in.

So, while we're waiting for that, I'm taking the carburetor off, because the linkage is seized... because there's dirt, it's all rotted, it's all jammed up...

The book I was reading, I think it said Solex... who makes the carburetor.

Uh, yes!

It is, Solex!

Right there... You have to put a rag in here.

If you get a washer or something in here and you go to start the car, you're going to break something and you're going to blow an engine.

So, you don't want that.

We pulled off the top of the carburetor, and look what we found inside.

I have a lot of cleaning to do!

This is one of your most important parts on a carburetor.

In here is the accelerator pump diaphragm.

If this doesn't work, your car doesn't accelerate.

So, we found out that the starter is no good.

We don't even know where we're going to find one, so we're going to be doing it with a drill just temporarily to see if it runs.

On this project, it took about two weeks to get running.

It's not something that you go over the weekend and you try to get running.

It's something that takes a lot of time to do.

In my case, waiting on parts from France, rusted bolts, stuff like that.

So now, the moment that we have all been waiting for.

Let's crank it up!

(engine starts up) It's Alive!

(engine shuts off) Don't give up on your old car...

If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us here, at MotorWeek .

JOHN: We've got the key FOB, so buckle up for another QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: GMC recently bolstered their off-road AT4 lineup with beefier AT4X models.

And, as impressed as we were testing with the first ever Canyon AT4X, GMC is now taking things a giant step farther with a little extra help from American Expedition Vehicles.

This partnership has resulted in not one, but an entire lineup of ever more trail-hungry pickups; and we were invited to Bozeman, Montana to try them out, starting with the midsize Canyon AT4X AEV Edition.

AEV clearly went all in here.

A factory-installed 4.5 inch lift accommodates 35 inch Goodyear mud-terrain tires wrapping beadlock-capable AEV Salta wheels.

Ground clearance is 12.2 inches, a healthy increase from the AT4X's 10.7 inches.

The AEV also wears an updated front fascia with wider fender flares and steel bumpers.

Underneath, there's five boron steel skid plates; and in the bed, a vertical spare tire mount.

Under the hood it's more beef with the updated Canyon's new high-output 2.7 liter turbo-4, making 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque sent through an 8-speed automatic.

While, skill is always a factor when off-roading, these AEV additions take some of the edge off.

STEVEN TRUANT: So, here in Montana, we have some pretty serious off-road trails that we're tackling in the Canyon AT4X AEV.

And the AT4X was already a very capable truck enough as is, and now with all this AEV equipment that's added on...

I essentially am still a novice still when it comes to off-road experience, and this thing is making me look like a seasoned pro out here.

GREG: And with our off-road chops proven worthy, GMC put us into one of their full-size pickups getting the AEV treatment, specifically a Sierra 2500 HD.

This off-road beast is powered by the optional 6.6 liter Duramax turbo-diesel with 470 horsepower and 975 pound-feet of torque.

A factory-installed 1.5 inch lift is all that's needed to fit the 35 inch all-terrains on those 18 inch Salta wheels.

The AEV steel bumpers remain, though now just three skid plates are mounted below.

The AT4X's included Mutimatic DSSV dampers and an e-locking rear-diff, combined with the torquey engine and AEV's enhancements, took the problem-solving out of getting around most obstacles.

That's to say, just go over it.

The AEV upfit tacks $6895 onto the Sierra 1500 AT4X's already lofty $81,195 starting price.

While adding $9395 to the Sierra 2500 HD AT4X's $84,795 sticker.

Pricing for the Canyon AT4X AEV is still coming; but assume final pricing will be a bit more attainable considering the 2023 AT4X's starting price of about $58-grand.

Still, you have to pay to play...hard!

JOHN: When the 4th gen Mazda3 arrived for 2019, it grew a little more stylish, a lot more upscale; and loads more practical too, adding all-wheel-drive into the mix for the first time.

How does it get better than that?

Well, for '23 the 3 adds an engine update that promises to deliver more power and better efficiency.

Time to speak truth to this power.

♪ ♪ The Mazda3 has always been a great compact car, big on both fun and value, and has earned numerous MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Awards over the years.

This current-gen has been on the road for 4-years now, and it gets even better for 2023.

Starting with the powertrain, the base 2.0 liter I4 has been eliminated leaving just two versions of the 2.5 liter 4-cylinder, turbo and non-turbo.

Base versions get a 5.0 horsepower bump to 191 horsepower, along with updates for its cylinder deactivation system.

The 2.5 Turbo fits standard all-wheel-drive and outputs the same 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque as last year; provided you use Premium gas.

Max 6-speed manual transmission remains available in front-wheel-drive 3s, but AWDs come exclusively with a sport-tuned 6-speed automatic.

We found it well-sorted and seemingly always on the same page as us whether we were shuffling through back roads or sitting in traffic.

There is a softer overall feel compared to Mazda3s of old, which you'll appreciate when encountering harsh pavement, but it still feels plenty agile when called upon.

That softer feel certainly carries over inside, where it has gotten much quieter, and quite nicely finished, consistent with Mazda's Audi-like premium intentions.

All 3s get an 8.8 inch center display, and all of the fingerprints on our test car's screen signifies most people assume it's a touchscreen.

It's not, however, as inputs are made with a rotary controller on the console.

It's not the most intuitive system, but once you're past the learning curve, it's tolerable.

The rear seat room doesn't have the roomy feel of the Subaru Impreza, but space is certainly more than adequate compared to the rest of the compact set.

Rear cargo space for this hatchback rates a good 20.1 cubic-feet with trunk space in the sedan coming in at 13.2 cubic-feet.

So yes, the Mazda3 remains available in both sedan and hatchback, but we still prefer the 5-door hatch both for its practicality and for its sporty looks.

Top Turbo Premium Plus gets gloss black aero treatments including a roof spoiler and front air dam.

At the test track, power from the 2.5 turbo felt more than adequate off the line, using all-wheel-drive grip to bite into the pavement and get up and go to 60 in 6.0 seconds flat.

There was virtually no turbo lag, and the engine felt nicely refined with its power delivery.

Transmission operation was equally as smooth and kept the power flowing quite effectively throughout the quarter-mile, which ended in 14.5 seconds at 95 miles per hour.

We really appreciate a well-tuned 6-speed in this world of overactive 8 and 10 speed automatics.

While, there was definitely some understeer to manage in our handling course, the 3 turned in quickly and provided real, sporting feedback through our cone course.

I-Activ AWD features G-Vectoring Control Plus, which uses both engine torque vectoring as well as selective braking to minimize body roll, and preserve the lively feel we've come to expect from Mazda.

Obviously, by eliminating the previous base engine, prices have taken a jump for '23, but so has everything else.

Still, they remain more than reasonable.

The base S now starts at $26,855, with the top Turbo Premium Plus at $37,815, with many options in between.

And sedan prices are even more sensible, starting at $23,715.

Like most brands, Mazda seems to be going all-in on SUVs; as the 3 is the last family sedan and hatchback in their lineup.

And it would be a real shame if that were to change.

As the 2023 Mazda3, the hatchback in particular, is just about the perfect car, offering utility vehicles levels of practicality along with better than average luxury, plus, handling performance that few crossovers can match.

So, long live the Mazda3!

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time, for a full-size luxury Ute with three rows of space, the Mercedes GLS.

Then, we'll see if the new Toyota Crown is worthy of a throne.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

ANNOUNCER: To learn more about MotorWeek , Television's Original Automotive Magazine, visit... To order a DVD of this program... MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper, a nationwide network of stores and shops providing major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast, and in your local community.

Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek !

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

♪ ♪ This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.