Ordered my 2010 Escape. What to get for it?

1404 Views 8 Replies 6 Participants Last post by LIEscape, Jan 26, 2010

BeatJunkie

Discussion Starter · Jan 25, 2010

Hi all!

Yesterday I went and factory ordered a brand new Escape XLT 2.5L FWD with Canadian Winter (leather) package, Convenience Group, Cargo Convenience package, Sync, ambient lighting and remote start. Steel Blue exterior and Stone interior. I'm excited! Now the waiting begins...

While I'm waiting for delivery I have started researching what's available out there for protecting the metal and paint from the elements. I'd like to get some opinions from the community on what's worthwhile and what's a waste of money.

Here is some background... My wife and I love to go on road trips, and we also visit family about 45 highway minutes outside the city many times a year. That makes for some highway driving, and I am concerned about flying debris. We also live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the winters are mostly cold and the road salt is plentiful. I am pretty handy, and I'm not afraid to get hands-on with my car. I am also thrifty, and my wife is even more so. This Escape will be our first brand-new vehicle.

1. I have been reading about paint protection film from the likes of 3M Scotchgard, VentureShield, XPEL, etc. That kind of product looks great to me and seems to make sense, but to get a precut kit to cover all the most vulnerable spots would cost several hundred dollars. Instead, I'm thinking of getting some rolls of that urethane film, and trim it myself as I apply it. If I search eBay for "paint protection film roll", I see a bunch of VentureShield film by the roll. My question here is, are there less-expensive places to get this film? Does anyone here know of any good stores anywhere between Winnipeg and Minneapolis where this film can be easily acquired for cheap? We love the twin cities by the way, and drive there at least once a year on average.

2. My next question is, for a Canadian, what is the least expensive way to get a set of those WeatherTech DigitalFit weather mats? My understanding is that they are only available through mail-order, right? Is ordering direct from WeatherTech Canadian web store the only way to go?

3. Is undercoating from a third party such as Ming or Ziebart worth the money? I intend to wash the Escape regularly anyway. Perhaps I'll wait and see if the Escape could use some quieting before considering undercoating.

I'm sure that I'll think of other things to do to my Escape once I get it, but this is all for now. Thanks!

-Ryan the BeatJunkie

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08HybridOK

· #2 · Jan 25, 2010

Sorry can't help on the pait or underbody protection. But my baby's almost 3 now, and the paint looks as good as the day I bought her, only thing I do is car washes (automatic as my water is too hard to do by hand) and wax a couple times a year. I did clay bar it once, and that did bring the smoothness back to it, I'll probably do that again in the spring.

First things I bought were for protection, a rear cargo mat and side door moldings.

I'm sure someone else will hace tips on the other questions.

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08HybridOK

· #6 · Jan 26, 2010

BeatJunkie said:
Awesome! Thanks for the replies! arty:

I discovered the Husky Weatherbeater floor trays which appear similar to WeatherTech's DigitalFit, only less expensive. I think I'll spring for a set of those. Now I have to choose whether to get them in gray or tan.

@08HybridOK: I've heard about the clay bar treatment. That will be on my list of things to try in the summer. I'm on the fence about side door moldings though. Maybe if I can get them in matching Steel Blue.
I'm going to get mudflaps too, probably the basic floppy ones. Mrs. BeatJunkie likes to kick the snow buildup off them, so I don't think molded ones would last. :doh:

Thanks again! You've all been a big help!

I just recycled the deep clear (now not so much) that I bought several years ago for one of my other vehicles, got a set from wally for I'm guessing $20.

It took me forever to find the place that sold my door moldings, when I bout mine in early 07, there wern't many places to get 08 accessories, so everything came from ebay. But searched today & I didn't find them on ebay, I had to dig throuh my old web pages I made (And sadly my DSL provider dropped the FREE hosting I had

)to Find sportwing.com
http://www.sportwing.com/fordescape08fe.aspx
Suprisingly the price has only gone up $10-20 in 3 yrs! and steel blue is all ready on the list.

I only had a choice of flat flaps, the molded ones didn't come out for over a year, and now eh, there on, why change! And your right, being scoop shaped would probably hold more snow.

I think I have the only color, maybe another light gray or the sage green, that I don't like the look of a smoked bugshield, but now finally 2-3 yrs later someone sells a chrome one, and I think clear; but now the mrs won't spring for it, but fortunatly no highway driving so I'm spared the rock chips.

As for protection, my mirrors do seem to be the worst spot, bug guts on them all the time, so a film over them might help, or just don't be as lazy as me and washt them by hand more frequently

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