You are going to spend a lot of money (on a brand new bike!?!) with minimal returns. I'd "tinker" with your current bike and learn how to maintain it so that it is running perfectly... derailleurs shifting smoothly, brakes set-up the way you like them, drivetrain lubed and running silently. You can do all this without upgrading your current bike. Save your money for next year and put it towards your N+1!
If you'd like to improve the performance of the Escape 3 (which is a nice bike!), I'd look at maybe getting sportier tires and better brake pads. "Better bang for the buck".
Just my 2 cents...