The Ford Escape compact SUV joined the Ford lineup — alongside the bigger Explorer, Expedition and now-defunct Excursion — in 2001, as the 1990s SUV craze spilled into the new millennium.

However, as U.S. buyers’ preferences continued to shift toward compact and mid-size SUVs instead of traditional mid-size sedans through the 2010s, Ford shifted ... the 2013-20 Fusion offered ...