Years ago, one of Ford’s most prominent pitchmen was legendary racecar driver Sir Jackie Stewart. I remember his commercials ending with Stewart looking into the camera and declaring in his heavy Scottish brogue, “These are the best cars Ford’s ever made!”

Indeed they are. I’m not referring to the Escorts, Tempos or the Fairmonts Stewart used to tout, but to today’s products. Ford is remarkably competitive in virtually every passenger vehicle class.

This week’s test car, the Ford Escape compact crossover, is a great example. It was the third most-popular SUV in the U.S. last year with over 306,000 sales, following up a No. 2 finish in 2014, when it also sold over 306,000.

Driving our test car, a top-of-the-line 2017 Escape Titanium model, eliminates any mystery about why the vehicle is so popular. The Escape was quick and nimble, comfortable and quiet. It also has as much passenger and cargo room as buyers can reasonably expect in a compact crossover.

And it bristles with as much high-tech gadgetry as a U.S. Navy Zumwalt-class destroyer. That’s an exaggeration, of course. … unless I somehow overlooked a switch that would have enabled the Escape to engage “stealth mode.”

But there is at least one genuinely stealthy feature on the test car that takes keyless entry and power lift-gate to a new level of convenience. If you’re in possession of the key fob and stick a foot under the rear bumper, the rear hatch magically rises as if David Copperfield was nearby.

This hands-free opening feature is as convenient as it is magical. Start using it, and you get hooked quickly. I had an old beater many years ago that did something similar. The trunk lock didn’t work, but stuck enough to keep the lid down while driving. To open it, I’d have to kick the trunk lid – hard – about 6 inches to the left of the lock. Ford’s solution is less painful, and infinitely more elegant. The same can be said of its Sync 3 electronic interface, which controls functions such as navigation, entertainment, mobile phone and various vehicle settings through voice commands and/or a hi-res, 8-inch touchscreen.

The original Ford Sync system was – and this is putting it mildly – a joke. A bad joke. It turned simple tasks such as tuning radio channels into multi-step challenges. Sometimes, the system simply crashed and didn’t do anything until it was reset.

The totally redesigned Sync 3 system worked flawlessly. It’s pretty intuitive to operate, and definitely one of the fastest-responding interface systems I’ve tried. It connects easily to Androids and iPhones, supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and works with some of the most popular phone apps.

But its coolest tech may be Sync Connect, a feature that debuts on the 2017 Escape and is only available with Sync 3 systems. Controlled through the FordPass smartphone app, Sync Connect lets you check the fuel level, and lock, unlock and locate your car through your smartphone.

Not cool enough? If the car has remote start, which is standard on the Escape Titanium, you can also start it or set a scheduled start time through the app.

Sync 3 and Sync Connect are standard on the Escape Titanium and an available option on the SE model. Those models start at $29,100 and $25,100, respectively.

Sync 3 isn’t available on the most affordable Escape S, which starts at $23,600.

There are several other features that aren’t available on the S model. The most notable – especially for Maine buyers – is 4WD. You’ll have to step up to the SE or Titanium and pay around $1,800 for 4WD.

The only engine available on the S is a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine rated at 168-horsepower and 170 pounds-feet of torque.

Escape SE and Titanium buyers start out with a smaller but more powerful and fuel efficient new 1.5- liter Ecoboost four-cylinder engine. Turbocharged and intercooled, it generates up to 179 horsepower and 177 pounds-feet of torque.

Despite the extra power, the EPA says it will push two-wheel drive models about two miles farther on a gallon of gas in city and combined driving than the 2.5-liter engine.

For around $1,300, SE and Titanium buyers can step up to one of the most powerful engines in the Escape’s class. That’s the 2.0-liter Ecoboost engine, which is rated at 245 horsepower and 275 pounds-feet of torque. Fuel economy drops a bit to 22 city/29 highway/25 combined mpg on front-wheel drive vehicles.

The 4WD Escape with the 2.0-liter Ecoboost is even thirstier, earning a 20 city/27 hwy/23 combined EPA rating. We averaged just under 22 mpg during our weeklong test.

But if it were our Escape, we’d be willing to pay a few more pennies at the pump for the extra power. The test vehicle was one of the quickest compact crossovers we’ve tested, zipping from zero to 60 mph in just under seven seconds on our stopwatch.

It’s also fun to drive, thanks to good grip and surprisingly little body lean in the corners. Combine that with its supremely quiet cabin, comfy ride and treasure trove of tech and luxury features, and we’re convinced: This Escape really is one of the best cars Ford’s ever made.