I would agree, except the Escape 3 has freewheel on the rear, vs. a freehub. I'll let others comment specifically on the differences, but free hub is better, and a bigger difference than steel/aluminum fork. You could have them put slightly beefier tires on if you want a little smoother ride on the Escape, even with an aluminum fork anyway. But definitely ride the Escape 2, and see how you feel about any difference in ride.