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So what do you think of the Escape?

17859 Views 159 Replies 21 Participants Last post by  Escape-PA-, 
Escape-PA-
Hello, this summer our family plans on buying a new vehicle to replace our aging Accord. This time around we wanted to get something that was more capable and roomier than the Accord. We need the following capabilities from the vehicle we choose:

Capability- Needs to be able to handle the snow/wintery conditions of our area.

Fuel economy- We want a vehicle that can average at least 25 MPG highway. BTW, not interested in the hybrid.

Roomy- Big enough to hold 3-4 adults and their luggage on long trips.

Cost- Our family doesn't want to spend much more than $25k.

After doing some research I narrowed it down to the Ford Escape Limited 4x4/4 cylinder and the Jeep Patriot Limited 4x4. I already asked about the Patriot on forums related to that vehicle, they had very good things to say about the vehicle. A lot of people that own the Freedom Drive One Patriot get between 24 and 28 MPG highway, it works well in the snow, they find the vehicle to be roomy, and they got very good deals on them. I also told them I was cross-shopping the Patriot with the Escape, surprisingly they had to say good things about the Escape. In fact many members on that website are currently deciding between the Patriot and Escape. So to complete my research I came here to gather some data from owners.

I just wanted to ask a few questions and see what owners think of the Escape. So please share your experiences with me. We plan on getting a fully loaded Escape with most of the factory options: Moonroof, Navigation, Heated Seats, Dual Zone Auto Climate Controls, Auto-Dimming mirror, etc. Now I wanted to ask a few questions. Does the 4WD Escape come with a locking differential? We have another 4WD vehicle with this feature and we found it to be extremely helpful in the snow, especially getting up snowy driveways. What do you guys think of the stock tires? Especially in the winter. Is it possible to order the Moonroof and Navigation on the same vehicle? When I went to the Ford website and built an Escape the build your own tool would remove the "Sun/Tune package" when we selected the navigation option, is the Moonroof part of the navigation option? Finally what do you guys think of the rear seat legroom and storage space in the rear?

That's about all the questions I can think of. Right now we are leaning towards the Jeep Patriot since it seems to get great fuel economy while giving the driver confidence in the winter and it seems like they can be had for cheaper. I understand the Escape comes with more features on the Limited, but we really want to keep the price around $25k. We will visit the local Ford dealer and see what he is willing to do. Just to tell you guys now we didn't sit in or drive either vehicle yet. I have come to this website just to see what you guys think of the Escape so I can get an idea if the Escape is right for me and my family. Thanks for your time.
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weebee
The new 2.5 gives 22/28 mpg.
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jonas1022 said:
Also being killed is the Chrysler Aspen (Dodge Durango), Chrysler PT convertible for now and soon the sedan at the end of the model year, maybe the Dakota pickup, Crossfire, Sebring is being replaced with another model, Sebring Convertible is dead at the end of the MY... Jeep Compass is also being considered for termination. :(

I think they are doing anything they can to stay in business, even if means giving up on their base models across the board... :(
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As a minor datapoint, Ford will be around in a year, Chrysler maybe not.
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Escape-PA-
weebee said:
The new 2.5 gives 22/28 mpg.
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Thats the FWD version. I know what the EPA rated the Escape for, but I want to hear from owners the real world fuel economy is for the 2009 Ford Escape 4 cylinder/4WD model.
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jonas1022
Excuse me, I got the Jeep models mixed :doh: . The Compass is already dead, the Patriot is being considered for termination :roll: . Either after this model year or if sales can not justify keeping the model in the product lineup. The alternative is if the Jeep line and name is sold to someone else. :shock:
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Leviathan
With the 4WD 2.3L 5speed manual I get ~20 (85/15% city/highway) and have gotten as much as 29.4 all highway. Life time average of 21.5. The 2.5L is supposed to be better.

Tires? The OEM Conticraps are(were), well, crap. I just replaced them with Fortera Triple Treds and couldn't be happier. We had quite a bit of snow around Xmas (for Vancouver anyway) and the tires were awesome . A friend has an 08 Escape that he put Blizzaks on and he says it is pretty much unstoppable in the snow (he lives in an area with a *lot* more snow than Vancouver).
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weebee
Escape-PA- said:
weebee said:
The new 2.5 gives 22/28 mpg.
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Thats the FWD version. I know what the EPA rated the Escape for, but I want to hear from owners the real world fuel economy is for the 2009 Ford Escape 4 cylinder/4WD model.
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You're right, but of course you already looked there.
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Squishy
The 2009 is still pretty new, we only have a small handful owners on here.

Finding information on the new Duratec 25 is tricky, as Ford now has two different engines named "Duratec 25" (the other being the older V6). If you trust Wikipedia, the D25 is supposed to increase mileage by 1 MPG over the D23 using an aggressive deceleration fuel cutoff, among other measures.
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jonas1022
Squishy said:
The 2009 is still pretty new, we only have a small handful owners on here.

Finding information on the new Duratec 25 is tricky, as Ford now has two different engines named "Duratec 25" (the other being the older V6). If you trust Wikipedia, the D25 is supposed to increase mileage by 1 MPG over the D23 using an aggressive deceleration fuel cutoff, among other measures.
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It's all in the computer simulation. I don't beleive that it does any better. Our 08 with the D23 is doing better than our Bullitt friends that bought an 09 with the D25. Both are autoboxes. Theirs is and Escape. Ours of course is the Tribbie. They do have a six speed, but once in O/D it becomes a moot point.
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Escape-PA-
Leviathan said:
With the 4WD 2.3L 5speed manual I get ~20 (85/15% city/highway) and have gotten as much as 29.4 all highway. Life time average of 21.5. The 2.5L is supposed to be better.

Tires? The OEM Conticraps are(were), well, crap. I just replaced them with Fortera Triple Treds and couldn't be happier. We had quite a bit of snow around Xmas (for Vancouver anyway) and the tires were awesome . A friend has an 08 Escape that he put Blizzaks on and he says it is pretty much unstoppable in the snow (he lives in an area with a *lot* more snow than Vancouver).
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29 MPG is great for a small SUV, however I am going with the 6 speed automatic. Hopefully it will be in that area. These "Fortera Triple Treds" are they all seasons or winter tires? I will keep the tires you mentioned in mind if we chose the Escape, thanks for the information Leviathan.
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Escape-PA-
weebee said:
Escape-PA- said:
weebee said:
The new 2.5 gives 22/28 mpg.
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Thats the FWD version. I know what the EPA rated the Escape for, but I want to hear from owners the real world fuel economy is for the 2009 Ford Escape 4 cylinder/4WD model.
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You're right, but of course you already looked there.
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The problem is few people reviewed the Escape 4 cylinder/4WD since it is so new. I was hoping an Escape forum would have more people with 2009's equipped with the 4 cylinder 4WD combo.
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Escape-PA-
Squishy said:
The 2009 is still pretty new, we only have a small handful owners on here.

Finding information on the new Duratec 25 is tricky, as Ford now has two different engines named "Duratec 25" (the other being the older V6). If you trust Wikipedia, the D25 is supposed to increase mileage by 1 MPG over the D23 using an aggressive deceleration fuel cutoff, among other measures.
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Thats the problem, I don't believe EPA estimates or Wikipedia when it comes to real world fuel economy. For example one of the vehicles we own on average gets 1-2 MPG less than what the EPA states. Only owners can provide real world data and they are hard to find since this vehicle is new.
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Squishy
Escape-PA- said:
Thats the problem, I don't believe EPA estimates or Wikipedia when it comes to real world fuel economy. For example one of the vehicles we own on average gets 1-2 MPG less than what the EPA states. Only owners can provide real world data and they are hard to find since this vehicle is new.
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I don't think the EPA numbers are supposed to tell you what to expect in the real world - it is more of a controlled evaluation to allow you to compare different vehicles. But some engines do respond better to a light foot and can get better than EPA numbers, while other engines are sensitive to a lead foot and will easily go below the EPA numbers. So yes, real-world figures are best, but we have to find those owners. ;)

Escape-PA- said:
29 MPG is great for a small SUV, however I am going with the 6 speed automatic. Hopefully it will be in that area. These "Fortera Triple Treds" are they all seasons or winter tires? I will keep the tires you mentioned in mind if we chose the Escape, thanks for the information Leviathan.
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The Fortera TripleTreds are an all-season tire that is rated for severe snow - a good compromise tire if you don't have room to store dedicated winters. They will be much better than all-seasons without the snowflake symbol, but you may have to replace them long before 2/32" tread to maintain good winter performance.

(Not to be confused with the Assurance TripleTred, a passenger car tire without a severe snow rating)
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Escape-PA- said:
The problem is few people reviewed the Escape 4 cylinder/4WD since it is so new. I was hoping an Escape forum would have more people with 2009's equipped with the 4 cylinder 4WD combo.
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You keep saying "4WD" - I haven't followed the later models (mine is a 2003), but I thought ALL Escapes were either FWD or AWD.
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Leviathan
Escape-PA- said:
These "Fortera Triple Treds" are they all seasons or winter tires? I will keep the tires you mentioned in mind if we chose the Escape, thanks for the information Leviathan.
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All seasons and they have the mountain & snowflake symbol. Check them out on tirerack.
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Squishy
prowler said:
You keep saying "4WD" - I haven't followed the later models (mine is a 2003), but I thought ALL Escapes were either FWD or AWD.
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All the systems are AWD systems, but Ford tries to market it as 4WD. :shrug:
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Escape-PA-
Squishy said:
Escape-PA- said:
Thats the problem, I don't believe EPA estimates or Wikipedia when it comes to real world fuel economy. For example one of the vehicles we own on average gets 1-2 MPG less than what the EPA states. Only owners can provide real world data and they are hard to find since this vehicle is new.
Click to expand...
I don't think the EPA numbers are supposed to tell you what to expect in the real world - it is more of a controlled evaluation to allow you to compare different vehicles. But some engines do respond better to a light foot and can get better than EPA numbers, while other engines are sensitive to a lead foot and will easily go below the EPA numbers. So yes, real-world figures are best, but we have to find those owners. ;)

Escape-PA- said:
29 MPG is great for a small SUV, however I am going with the 6 speed automatic. Hopefully it will be in that area. These "Fortera Triple Treds" are they all seasons or winter tires? I will keep the tires you mentioned in mind if we chose the Escape, thanks for the information Leviathan.
Click to expand...
The Fortera TripleTreds are an all-season tire that is rated for severe snow - a good compromise tire if you don't have room to store dedicated winters. They will be much better than all-seasons without the snowflake symbol, but you may have to replace them long before 2/32" tread to maintain good winter performance.

(Not to be confused with the Assurance TripleTred, a passenger car tire without a severe snow rating)
Click to expand...
The EPA numbers are never correct for real world driving, thats why the estimates are useless. If you want to know what the vehicle will really get you have to ask owners. I will also remember the Fortera Triple Treds that you mentioned, we really prefer to stick with all season tires for all four seasons. Thanks again.
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Escape-PA-
prowler said:
Escape-PA- said:
The problem is few people reviewed the Escape 4 cylinder/4WD since it is so new. I was hoping an Escape forum would have more people with 2009's equipped with the 4 cylinder 4WD combo.
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You keep saying "4WD" - I haven't followed the later models (mine is a 2003), but I thought ALL Escapes were either FWD or AWD.
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You need to take a visit to Fords website, your information is outdated. They call it intelligent 4WD, I just call it 4WD for short.
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Escape-PA-
Leviathan said:
Escape-PA- said:
These "Fortera Triple Treds" are they all seasons or winter tires? I will keep the tires you mentioned in mind if we chose the Escape, thanks for the information Leviathan.
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All seasons and they have the mountain & snowflake symbol. Check them out on tirerack.
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Thanks, they are a bit pricey though.
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Squishy
Another all-season tire to consider is the Nokian WR SUV - a bit more winter-oriented than the Forteras, but still very good in the summer. It was probably the tire that started all the severe-snow all-seasons.
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Escape-PA-
Squishy said:
Another all-season tire to consider is the Nokian WR SUV - a bit more winter-oriented than the Forteras, but still very good in the summer. It was probably the tire that started all the severe-snow all-seasons.
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Great thanks. The tires you mentioned does Ford sell them or do I have to hunt down tire shops that sell them?
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