[EscapeSteveXLT]

Soon, I will be the owner of an 09 ford escape and there are a few items that i'm looking for/want to know if they exist for my application. My car is going to be the 09 escape XLT with the 4 cylinder auto.
Things I'm looking for:
-taillight covers like they have on the last generation of mercury mariners that will fit my 09 taillights.
-cold air intake for my 09 4 cylinder
-is the OEM ford accessory plastic sidestep any good?
-is there a bull bar, safari bar ect that can go on the front without having to cut the front air dam?
-what options are there for the front grille?
-is my front wheel drive 09 good in snow? what "truck tires" are also exceptional in snow?
-are there replacement bulbs that glow brighter without having to upgrade to HID's?
-does anyone in here run a 4 cylinder with a hitch? -whats your experience trying to tow stuff with it?
-do they make smoked headlights or taillights for 08/09 escapes?
-what is there in the aftermarket as far as exhaust parts, for my escape?

 

[Squishy]

Using "truck tires" as winter tires is a dangerous route. I assume you mean A/T tires, which are great in the snow, but are horrible at the beginning and end of winter when the stuff starts to melt. The void ratio means you have very little grip on ice, and the rubber compound is not designed to be used in freezing temperatures and could even break traction in the dry.

If you can't get dedicated winter tires, Nokian WR SUV tires are an all-season tire that is decent in the winter. If you live in a rural area that sees nothing but deep snow, then an A/T would be a good choice. BFG A/Ts are severe snow rated, and Scott reports good snow performance with his Firestone Destination A/Ts.

 

[Bethenys]

Hi EscapeSteveXLT-

I have a 2009 Escape Limited V6 and have the built in plastic side steps. I like them well enough, but want to put on chrome nerf bars as I have the chrome grille. The only issue is that when I take off the side step (I ordered it with my car) it is missing the plastic trim piece that goes beneath the doors and two flat plastic pieces that go in the wheel whells. So I have to purchase these parts. This is the area that the side step takes up to make it look "built-in". I would be willing to sell you my side steps if you are interested?? What part of the country do you live in?? Not sure if the shipping would make it cost prohibitive or not.

 

[Scooter Scott]

I can vouch for the Firestone Destination A/T's. I have a 4x4 so I don't know how good a 2wd Escape would do with them but I never had an issue and the tires worked great!

PS we had 12.5 inches of snow on the ground and even on the unplowwed streets the Escape chugged right along without a hiccup...though my mileage when down to like 11MPG from me playing in the snow so much :tease:

 

[jonas1022]

playing in the snow :tease:

Other than shoveling the crap, is there anything else one can do besides play in it? :thumb:

 

[MidnightTribute]

I have a FWD tribute V6 and I live in Caledon in Ontario (right in the snow belt lol)... last year I winter drove it on all seasons (we just bought it last October so we didn't get new rubber yet) anyways I got up my un plowed drive way every time I needed too, with a good set of winter tires or A/T you will have no problem... just change driving conditions, lol don't floor it as much fro, a dig.. etc.

 

[EscapeSteveXLT]

thanks for the info. i wonder how well the stock set of tires will do in the snow. i guess i'll see. i'm going to be driving in chicago. i use bridgestone blizzaks on my supercharged mustang but thats pretty much a must have for that car. it'd be nice to get away with not having to buy snow tires during the winter.
i was looking at those bfg a/t's. i thought that might be nice to have a nice looking tire i could use off road and would serve as a snow tire but since most of my driving will be in the city regular snow tires might be the way to go. that is, if i will need snow tires.

 

[Squishy]

You'll want winter tires in Chicago. When I lived in Toronto, I went through two winters on the stock tires. While I could keep up with traffic, the traction was horrible when I needed to stop or turn. In the second year, I was changing lanes when the back end kicked out and I spun 540 degrees on a 12-lane highway. Those tires also sent me skidding through an intersection in light rain. Knowing what I do now about the stock tires, I would have been going much slower, but I was by no means going unreasonably fast. The highway had clear lanes but a buildup of slush between lanes - I was travelling at 40 MPH. Skidding through the intersection was from 30 MPH, tried to stop for a yellow, skidded through on the red.

As long as you have storage for winter tires and do reasonable mileage, you're not losing much money by going to winter tires because you put half as much wear on your summer tires. With properly stored tires, you can get over eight years out of each set before they should be replaced due to age. Not to mention the repair costs you save - I would have saved $300 for a new bumper cover had I bought winter tires from the start.

Also, and this is just me being picky, but there is a difference between "snow tires" and "winter tires". Snow tires have big square lugs and used to be mounted on just the rears because you couldn't steer well with them on the fronts. The modern equivalent would be A/T or M/T tires. Winter tires were developed to not only go through snow, but to handle well on ice as well as cold temperatures. Snow tires were pretty useless in a city with a fleet of plows, which is why they fell out of favour and were replaced with all-seasons. Modern winter tires are miles above what snow tires, or even A/T and M/T tires, are capable of. In fact, I have my winters on once it gets below 45F, which is seven months out of the year here.

 

[CrashNburn]

i lve a bit north of toronto, about 4hrs. and i run a set of toyi mud and snow's year round. my wifes car has 2 sets, snow and ice for the winter and nicer all terrains in the summer. i said to her that i get more traction in my escape cause it seems like im always all over the road in her car. she laughed and said the same thing about driving the escape haha. its because we are each used to how our vehicle reacts to different road conditions. you can run a/t's year round if your smart enough to slow down and prepare to stop earlier then usual.

 

[Ryebo28]

A lot of parts there ha.. whenever im looking for parts i always check some suv accessories catalog online that would help me to choose the part at the best price. I find an OEM ford accessory plastic sidestep from StylinTrucks. Try it there..

 

[Stealth87]

I can address some of your questions, as I have done a lot of mods to my 2009 XLT 4 cylinder.

-is there a bull bar, safari bar ect that can go on the front without having to cut the front air dam?
Not that I know of. Mine required two very small slivers cut out, you can't even notice!

-what options are there for the front grille?
Many options, there are billet grille inserts, or you can get a stock grille and have it painted like I did (black)

-is my front wheel drive 09 good in snow? what "truck tires" are also exceptional in snow?
I have 4WD, but I swapped my tires when I got my new 17inch sport wheels, but the old Michelins I had that came stock, were just okay at best in the snow..

-are there replacement bulbs that glow brighter without having to upgrade to HID's?
I swapped the OEM bulbs for Sylvania Silverstars and have noticed a difference as the light output is both brighter and wider on the road. It is not a HUGE difference, but I'm very satisfied.


-do they make smoked headlights or taillights for 08/09 escapes?
Yes they have Sport Appearance headlights, that I installed on my XLT that are blacked out. Check Ebay.

Ebay is your best bet for all these items.

Hope that helps!