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I just cleared 3,000 miles this week on the 2010 XLT 4-cylinder 4WD and figured I would write up a mini review. First off my wife had one as a company vehicle and I think it was an 05' or 06'. That was what made me keep the Escape in mind if the opportunity ever came up again. She had it for 2 years and got a new job so the Escape went away. At the time we loved it. Roomy, great in NE weather, drove great and we loved the room it offered.
This is my first Ford vehicle in almost 19 years. My first car when I was 16 was an 89 Tempo. I don't need to go into how much that thing sucked. Previous to the Escape we had (still have) a 2003 VW Passat wagon 1.8T (front wheel drive not 4-motion) so a lot of my comparisons are to that vehicle as it is the most recent. I have owned mostly VW in my life - 3 Foxes, a Golf 1.8t and the Passat. I have always loved VW cars. But since the engine on the Passat died and I knew it was going to be about 2 months dealing with VW warranty to repair it, a new purchase was the only way out. So with that I stopped into the local dealer and decided the Escape was the next step in my vehicle history.
For starters I love the new look of the 09/10 body style. I was never a big fan of the plastic bumpers/sides of the older models. They eventually lost the plastic and moved into full color body versions. Particularly I like the removed lower chrome front and that little chrome rear panel they removed. I like the chrome grill and everything else one solid color. I actually like the chrome grill as it looks like a truck. Just personal preference. I chose the Sport Blue Metallic color for a couple of reasons. I have owned a TON of silver/grey cars and did not want another one. I don't like white, red or black so blue was left. Also I haven't seen a blue one around town and really love blue. So that made life easy. I didn't care to get the limited or the V6 as I don't need the extra HP for towing or anything and really like the better mpg that the 4-banger offers. I wanted 4WD for winters in NE. They had a blue one in stock that met my needs. It has the Sun/Sync package so my moonroof desire was fulfilled. I love the automatic headlamps/fog lamps and never have to touch it when getting out of the vehicle. I also like that when you park, turn off the engine and get out that all 4 doors unlock as well as the rear hatch and glass. Makes life easy not having to depress buttons again. The VW only unlocked the driver door when getting out so it was a million times of grabbing the door handle and having it snap back.. Also the 5-button entry keypad is such a great idea all cars should have it. I can lock and unlock the car with no keys. I mountain bike so leaving my car and not having to carry keys is a god send. Plus on winter days I can start the car and let it run while locked. Awesome feature the VW never had.
Accessories and little odds and ends on the Escape are awesome. Sync is a real treat. My phone is BT compatible so my phone is always connected to it. Answering the phone hands free is a real treat. Simply awesome. The inline connection to the USB and in-line makes connecting music a snap. Plug in the i-pod and have it play music while it charges. As far as the interior I really love the layout. I love the texture and colors of the Sandstone interior. 4 different colors of sand, grey, dark grey and black really make the truck interesting. Mine came with dark grey seats so staining is to a minimum. Love the controls on the steering wheel which is even better than the Passat had. Interior lighting of the "ice blue" is ok but not as good as the indiglo of VW cars. But nothing to complain about, just different. The center top panel that displays the radio/tempature and general info is perfect. Seats are comfortable even for non-leather. The VW was leather with heated seats but the seats in the Escape are just as comfortable. I won't miss the cold leather in the winter. I do wish that the XLT came with heated mirrors. One thing about the VW was that the side mirrors would clear up instantly when the rear defogger went on. I will miss that option a lot. The defogger up front really clears the window fast in the Escape though. Rear cargo room is a bit smaller compared to the Passat but that was a wagon so I figured that would happen. Interios person room though is about the same. I don't sit in the back and we don't have kids but the back seats also feels smaller in comparison. Honestly I don't care as I am usually the only one in the car.
As far as gas usage I love the 87 octane compared to the 91 I needed in the Passat. Makes hitting the pumps a bit better when looking at the prices. I am getting between 23.8 and 25 for mpg so far. The Passat got around 24 so I am basically getting the same mileage - except I now have 4WD. Terrific trade off if you ask me. The turning radius is about the same but I really noticed the ease of turning the steering wheel in the Escape compared to the Passat. I know the Passat is a "higher" performance vehicle but turning the steering wheel on the Escape just feels effortless. Especially when doing multiple back to back turnings like in a parking lot. I love the higher stance of the Escape for visibility.
So time will tell with the duration of the Escape. I did get a 5-year bumper-to-bumper factory Ford extended warranty so I am literally all set for 5 years. A bulb dies and it gets fixed - end of story. 3 years of free oil changes from the dealer and 7,500 mile oil change intervals makes me happy. In the end I love the truck. I am happy with nearly everything about it minus a few accessories that I think should be standard such as heated mirrors and 4-wheel disc brakes. Other than that I plan to maintain the vehicle and enjoy it.
This is my first Ford vehicle in almost 19 years. My first car when I was 16 was an 89 Tempo. I don't need to go into how much that thing sucked. Previous to the Escape we had (still have) a 2003 VW Passat wagon 1.8T (front wheel drive not 4-motion) so a lot of my comparisons are to that vehicle as it is the most recent. I have owned mostly VW in my life - 3 Foxes, a Golf 1.8t and the Passat. I have always loved VW cars. But since the engine on the Passat died and I knew it was going to be about 2 months dealing with VW warranty to repair it, a new purchase was the only way out. So with that I stopped into the local dealer and decided the Escape was the next step in my vehicle history.
For starters I love the new look of the 09/10 body style. I was never a big fan of the plastic bumpers/sides of the older models. They eventually lost the plastic and moved into full color body versions. Particularly I like the removed lower chrome front and that little chrome rear panel they removed. I like the chrome grill and everything else one solid color. I actually like the chrome grill as it looks like a truck. Just personal preference. I chose the Sport Blue Metallic color for a couple of reasons. I have owned a TON of silver/grey cars and did not want another one. I don't like white, red or black so blue was left. Also I haven't seen a blue one around town and really love blue. So that made life easy. I didn't care to get the limited or the V6 as I don't need the extra HP for towing or anything and really like the better mpg that the 4-banger offers. I wanted 4WD for winters in NE. They had a blue one in stock that met my needs. It has the Sun/Sync package so my moonroof desire was fulfilled. I love the automatic headlamps/fog lamps and never have to touch it when getting out of the vehicle. I also like that when you park, turn off the engine and get out that all 4 doors unlock as well as the rear hatch and glass. Makes life easy not having to depress buttons again. The VW only unlocked the driver door when getting out so it was a million times of grabbing the door handle and having it snap back.. Also the 5-button entry keypad is such a great idea all cars should have it. I can lock and unlock the car with no keys. I mountain bike so leaving my car and not having to carry keys is a god send. Plus on winter days I can start the car and let it run while locked. Awesome feature the VW never had.
Accessories and little odds and ends on the Escape are awesome. Sync is a real treat. My phone is BT compatible so my phone is always connected to it. Answering the phone hands free is a real treat. Simply awesome. The inline connection to the USB and in-line makes connecting music a snap. Plug in the i-pod and have it play music while it charges. As far as the interior I really love the layout. I love the texture and colors of the Sandstone interior. 4 different colors of sand, grey, dark grey and black really make the truck interesting. Mine came with dark grey seats so staining is to a minimum. Love the controls on the steering wheel which is even better than the Passat had. Interior lighting of the "ice blue" is ok but not as good as the indiglo of VW cars. But nothing to complain about, just different. The center top panel that displays the radio/tempature and general info is perfect. Seats are comfortable even for non-leather. The VW was leather with heated seats but the seats in the Escape are just as comfortable. I won't miss the cold leather in the winter. I do wish that the XLT came with heated mirrors. One thing about the VW was that the side mirrors would clear up instantly when the rear defogger went on. I will miss that option a lot. The defogger up front really clears the window fast in the Escape though. Rear cargo room is a bit smaller compared to the Passat but that was a wagon so I figured that would happen. Interios person room though is about the same. I don't sit in the back and we don't have kids but the back seats also feels smaller in comparison. Honestly I don't care as I am usually the only one in the car.
As far as gas usage I love the 87 octane compared to the 91 I needed in the Passat. Makes hitting the pumps a bit better when looking at the prices. I am getting between 23.8 and 25 for mpg so far. The Passat got around 24 so I am basically getting the same mileage - except I now have 4WD. Terrific trade off if you ask me. The turning radius is about the same but I really noticed the ease of turning the steering wheel in the Escape compared to the Passat. I know the Passat is a "higher" performance vehicle but turning the steering wheel on the Escape just feels effortless. Especially when doing multiple back to back turnings like in a parking lot. I love the higher stance of the Escape for visibility.
So time will tell with the duration of the Escape. I did get a 5-year bumper-to-bumper factory Ford extended warranty so I am literally all set for 5 years. A bulb dies and it gets fixed - end of story. 3 years of free oil changes from the dealer and 7,500 mile oil change intervals makes me happy. In the end I love the truck. I am happy with nearly everything about it minus a few accessories that I think should be standard such as heated mirrors and 4-wheel disc brakes. Other than that I plan to maintain the vehicle and enjoy it.
