Ford Escape test drive
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The original Escape came out in 2001. Back then it was marketed as the Explorer’s smaller brother.
But it was based on a more carlike platform called the CD2. Itself based on the Mazda 626 architecture.
So we’re talking light years ahead of the horrible Explorer.
For 2008, the Escape gets a new design and interior. As you can see, “blocky” is in.
The new shape makes the Escape look more trucky than before. The hood has been raised and now it almost looks totally flat from the driver’s point of view.
I don’t think that’s an improvement. It is now harder to see anything up front.
And most people who really want a truck won’t go for an Escape. To me, this doen’t look better or more modern than the “old” design…
Same blocky, squared style inside.
But here, Blocky meets Cheap.
Not only there are almost no curves, but there is no quality materials either. I went through the whole interior and couldn’t find any soft touch plastics. Except a little but od rubbery material on part of the armrests.
The whole interior screams cheap. It just looks like the only reason you bought that thing is because it was the cheapest thing around .
Here you can see the beautiful craftsmanship of the interior. Many plastic parts do not align properly. Stuff rattles in the back. Switch gear that looks like it was designed in 1983, exposed screws etc….
I have to say, this is the cheapest looking interior I have seen in years. Even worse than the Cobalt and on par with the Dakota. Although the Dodge used quite a bit of soft plastics and the whole thing felt much more solid.
But…Some people don’t really care about interior plastics (Obviously), so. How does it drive?
Well. My test car had the base 2.3 Liter engine. I know, it doesn’t produce that much power. (143 hp)
But I have to say, driving alone, it was actually enough most of the time.
Plus it is very quiet and refined. It is after all, a version of the Mazda engine used on the Mazda6.
But it is paired with a pretty horrible 4 speed auto. And that is too bad.
The transmission isn’t very smooth at upshifting. (most new transmissions are now seamless)
And it refuses to downshift. No matter what you do. Unless you literally floor it.
So it feels like a bad CVT. No matter what you want, how fast you need to go. The transmission takes its time and refuses to follow orders.
Otherwise, the 2.3 could be a decent choice for single people or couples who don’t carry much around.
I averaged almost 20 mpg in mostly city driving (about 80%).
The seats are pretty flat up front. And the back bench is about as uncomfortable as it looks.
Again, this reminds me of a 1990 Explorer.
The new Escape is much quieter than before. Around town or on the freeway. But it doesn’t feel very stable past 65 mph.
Kind of floaty. The brakes are a bit hard. the steering has a bit of that fake video game feel to it, but is otherwise actually very nice.
So it seems that what works in the Escape is all the stuff that comes from Mazda. A solid frame and a very nice engine.
The Ford parts are pretty bad.
It looks and feels very cheap, the transmission is one of the worst around, and it just doesn’t keep up at all with any of the competition.
It looks cheap, but is it actually cheaper?
-Ford Escape 2.3 Auto…….. $20,435. (Carsdirect price: $19,030)
-Honda CRV LX………………..$ 21,195 (Carsdirect price: $20,576)
-Toyota RAV4………………….$ 23,035. (Carsdirect price: $21,978)
-Hyundai Santa Fe……………$ 21,815. (Carsdirect price: $19,658)
-Mitsubishi Outlander……….$ 20,615. (Carsdirect price: $19,669)
Sure. It is actually a little bit cheaper. Cheaper than other cars that are all much, much better. The Santa Fe even comes with a V6 standard.
I don’t really understand who would consider the Escape as a purchase. If you’re going to drive something every day, make payments on it for years, I’d want something more pleasant to be in.
Who is this car for?
For people who:
-Want to get a Ford and nothing else
-Don’t know anything about cars and got lost at a Ford dealership
-Were looking at an Edge but couldn’t afford it, and had to buy something that day.
-Are not aware of what year this is.
-Do not know they can buy something much better for the money.
I always say: if the car you really like is just a bit more, like $1000 or even $1500. Get it!
Over 3 or 5 years it will amount to just a few dollars more a month. And you’ll be driving something you like.
You can’t really go wrong in buying anything else. Sure, none of the cars mentioned above have amazing interiors, or expensive plastics everywhere. (The RAV4 interior also feels pretty cheap. But looks much better).
But they are pretty much the same price as the Ford. None of them are very expensive.
Buying this, I would really feel that I wasted my money and could have had something much better.
But that’s just me…
If you love the Escape, go for it, it’s your money….
Pretty accurate review, Vince. This thing is garbage. Take a look at the review by car and driver, I think they were actually more upset with it than Vince was. Ford needs to get back in the game, this garbage is not competitive. While they sold many of the last generation Escapes, you have to remember that MANY of them were fleet sales and not to private individuals.
MR.
christ that interior is horrible. the plastics in my 2002 focus look better.
(although after my past 5 years living with the focus, i doubt i’d ever consider another ford anyway…)
Vince – you did this review hoping to not like the Escape because you already don’t like Ford. You should leave the reviews to the experts – by the way, Car and Driver has never liked Ford either so that isn’t much to go on.
Pretty good review, Vince. While I do like the exterior freshening and the interior styling, the interior materials are as bad as the previous model’s which were some of the industry’s worst. I actually worried that I might break something with normal usage, and that was just on a test drive. No, don’t worry, I wasn’t considering buying one. I try to drive as many new models as I can just so I can have some idea of a brand’s quality.
Vince what would you buy in this SUV category???
First, I have nothing against Ford cars. I guess you haven’t read the site before where I praised many of their models.
What you call “experts” are people you don’t pay for their cars.
They are sent to exotic places, all expenses paid, to write about cars they would never consider buying.
Car magazines are mostly ads for cars, not real reviews.
Most I guess most people can’t see that…
You shouldn’t read this site if it upsets you so much.
Stick to the magazines.
What would I buy? Mh…
I am actually not sure.
I have not driven the competition yet.
But I would certainly put the CRV and Santa fe on my list.
I don’t really like the RAV4. I think the interior is cheap and the outside spare has to go.
I would also take a look at the new Saturn Vue.
i would not buy an escape either. but i’m happy to hear that the 4 isn’t as terrible as i thought it was going to be. i’m sure putting a 5 or 6 speed auto would help things.
the interior is cheap in look and feel but adding the nav screen helps delete all those awfully grained black plastic buttons that clutter the center stack, though. with a few small tweaks the interior could be nicer.
the mariner’s exterior styling is better, imo.
for about 20, i would probably consider a cr-v. yes, i hated the exterior at first, but after seeing it in real life on the freeways, it has a solid and sleek but tough look to it. i still don’t like what so many ppl have call “warts” on the lower side and front cladding. and the odd sculpting on the rear doesn’t help. however, the interior is so functional and versatile and well-desigend that it’s easy to forgive the hardness of the plastics.
for perspective, i drive a pontiac vibe right now and the plastic in the dash is cheap, hard, brittle-feeling and easily susceptible to scuffs. however, the thoughtful storage compartments in the interior and a generall good visual design make up for it. i don’t understand why some automakers have to make cheap look bad. or exacerbate the cheap look with design.
Hi Vince,
which model Escape did you tested? the 2WD or 4WD?
Furthermore, I recently sat inside a 2008 Highlander at a toyota dealer. I was dissappointed with the interior: even though it appears nice, it feels pretty cheap. For instance, the plastic interior door handles are pretty flimsy and looks like it could break off. toyota should’ve used metal chrome handles instead, like the ones in the honda Pilot.
The one I drove was a 2WD.
I think 99% of drivers never need 4WD.
Traction control is all we need.
I also saw the new Highlander. But not the interior.
I never liked the look of the previous one. It looked oldd the day it came out.
And I think it might be the same story for the new one.
It sure doesn’t look great. But it’ll be a good car to own. So they will sell plenty…
I’ve disliked Fords for decades, so not surprised to read here that the new Escape is trash.
But I did have a Mazda Protegé which was a good car that I planed to replace 4 years ago with a Mazda 6i. The Mazda 6i probably had much the same engine Ford put in the Escape 4 cylinder.
I liked the Mazda 6i engine, but its 4 speed A/T was a mess–there was a lag on take-off that felt as if first gear were too tall. So, the automatic transmission’s gear ratios were poorly matched for the 6i’s engine.
Ford probably put an old Taurus A/T into the new Mazda 6i to save a few bucks and it was a deal-killer for me. No more Mazda for me because there was too much Ford in it!
I’m amazed that 4 years later, Ford is still doing dumb things like that–only a nitwit would buy an escape when for nearly the same price one could buy a CR-V or similar.
By the way, I sat in a new Saturn VUE today and if it drives the way it looks, it’ll be a winner. One thing, though: the VUE didn’t have a telescoping steering wheel–just a tilt wheel. Seems silly to not include a telescoping wheel. Why does GM do things like that?
They miss the obvious and wonder why we buy Hondas instead. Oh, well……
If there were only 2 vehicles on Earth to buy, this Escape, or the Sebring…the Sebring would win(barely).
At least the door lock buttons, etc, look like they are from 2007, vs 1987!
Try an SX4 FWD/AWD(all in one)CUV instead. Cost less,and has a longer warranty(7/100K).
No comparison(unless you just wnat something alittle larger, or must buy a Ford, like Vince said).
Spot on review Vince … The slightest mis-step in interior design gives me fits… your assesment of the interior is exactly how i feel about the escape, poor interior design and quality. I sat in the 08 escape and WOW!!!! that thing is major crapola. If they are looking for an interior for when they go retro on the ’84 Topaz, this one is a shoe in.
Way to go Vince – thanks for another honest, real-world assessment of one of the options facing consumers today. Which of course brings us to a critical point: (1) either Ford doesn’t understand consumers at all; (2) they have never even sat inside or driven (never mind looked at the exterior)of their competition; or (3) something really screwy is going on inside the company, where one division is totally out of sync with another, design and product philosophies are in raging conflict and there’s absolutely no consistency.
Look, for example, at the Edge and Escape, side by side – both new models. The Edge’s brand managers and designers understood that buyers are looking for a more sophisticated and a less truck-inspired SUV. Whether or not they totally succeeded is another story, but their intentions were in keeping with basically everyone else out there.
And then we have the good people over at the Escape office who turned to each other with orgasmic delight and proclaimed: “We’ve got it! We’ll give car buyers (or rental companies) just what they were least expecting and what they really can’t get anywhere else anymore! We’re going to go retro and invoke nostalgia for the late 90’s and early 2000’s by going all trucky on people – you know, square and boxy. Talk about product differentiation! Missing your old Volvo and want to purchase domestic in order to show your support for the war? Well, have we got the car for you!”
No wonder they’re losing $billions and can’t work their way out of their black hole.
As for me, my ’05 CRV recently came off the lease and I replaced it with an ’07. Yes, I loved the Santa Fe, but both that and any Toyota don’t lease nearly as well as Hondas.
My observations after driving my ’07 CRV EX All-Wheel-Drive (my Boston driveway is very steep) for about two months now, are as follows:
– The confident, steady feeling through the steering wheel is one of the best I’ve ever felt; not as good as my father’s 3-series, but I’d say even better than my ’06 Accord V6. Furthermore, the bulges at 10 and 2 o’clock in the steering wheel are nice and fat to hold onto, and for a non-leather-covered wheel, it is covered in the best-feeling plastic I’ve ever experienced
– The ride is a bit firm over rough surfaces, but is generally very smooth and well controlled
– General NVH is greatly reduced, however at low speeds in first gear the engine sounds a bit like a well-muted diesel
– I’ve never fully understood how one subjectively appreciates improvements in what the motoring scribes refer to as “structural rigidity”, but I think I do now. Overall, it feels much tighter than the previous CRV – in a good way
– The seats are an improvement
– The sunroof now has a one-touch open and close, although you can make stops along the way
– The rear doors allow for very easy access (they open almost 90 degrees)
– The miles are still low and so it’s still in the “break-in” period, so I’ve been gentle with the gas pedal and can’t comment on whether it feels like it has more power than the old one, although I suspect that much like my ’05, this is no firecracker. But I guess that’s not why people buy CRV’s. It is interesting to reflect now on common reactions to this CRV when it was first released: styling issues aside, the most frequently made comments were that without a V6 to go nose-to-nose against the RAV4, Honda was setting itself up for failure. However, in the year or so since its release, it has become the top-selling SUV in the USA…
-ms
hmm, Vince
Why is it the all my comments that do not agree keep getting deleted?
Sounds like your comment section is just as biased as your articles are.
someday maybe you will be a real man.
Not all negative comments get deleted.
You should read the rest of the site, not just your comments.
You keep making the same point over and over.
If you hate the site, you should just read something else, go to a comic book convention or get a girlfriend.
Mr “real man” who hides behing Anonymous…
Vince,
As someone who lives in Michigan and wouldn’t consider purchasing cars that weren’t made by American manufacturers out of principle, I have to say that your review of the 2008 Escape was honest, and regrettably, probably pretty spot-on (I haven’t really seen one up close myself).
Hopefully your website is on the must-read list of some of the decision-makers at the Big Three and they take your opinions for what they are – free market research. The fact is that the number of Americans who will continue to buy exclusively from American manufacturers is becoming smaller and smaller and Ford, GM and Chrysler all need to really start dealing with that reality. Calling them out on cheap materials and poor fit are pretty essential to making that happen.
Vince,
I am just curious if this was a loaner from Ford or if you rented this. That makes all the difference in the world. I think no interior in the world is as bad as the Dodge Avenger. I rented a brand new one with less than 1000 miles on it and I swear I’ve seen better interiors on Ford Festivas. Also Vince, don’t take this the wrong way but if you are allowed to voice your opinion about autos wouldn’t it be fair to allow other to voice their opinions too? I mean that would make you just as guilty of whatever than they are?
‘sup Vince
I’ve never been a big Ford fan but I always liked their Escape (Maverick as they call it here in Switzerland) because its simplicity, affordability, good mileage. I drove the old model several times -I even considered buying one at one point!- and it was a great drive. There was a great connection between car and driver somehow.
And those old models are now ridiculously inexpensive and still run fine. I can see them become good base for project cars because there is really a lot you can do with them inside out.
And I really really like the styling of the new one.
No hands-on opinion but both exterior and interior are unique. You will not find this boxy elegance anywhere else.
Well the Land rover LR2 perhaps and given it’s also a Ford product I’m not surprised by the striking resemblance of their interiors.
So from your list
-Ford Escape 2.3 Auto…….. $20,435. (Carsdirect price: $19,030)
-Honda CRV LX………………..$ 21,195 (Carsdirect price: $20,576)
-Toyota RAV4………………….$ 23,035. (Carsdirect price: $21,978)
-Hyundai Santa Fe……………$ 21,815. (Carsdirect price: $19,658)
-Mitsubishi Outlander……….$ 20,615. (Carsdirect price: $19,669)
I would pick the Escape without looking at the price.
(The Santa Fe comes very very very very close but in the end styling wins.)
See, there ARE people who specifically want the Escape, not because of the price.
Greg
‘sup Vince
I’ve never been a big Ford fan but I always liked their Escape (Maverick as they call it here in Switzerland) because its simplicity, affordability, good mileage. I drove the old model several times -I even considered buying one at one point!- and it was a great drive. There was a great connection between car and driver somehow.
And those old models are now ridiculously inexpensive and still run fine. I can see them become good base for project cars because there is really a lot you can do with them inside out.
And I really really like the styling of the new one.
No hands-on opinion but both exterior and interior are unique. You will not find this boxy elegance anywhere else.
Well the Land rover LR2 perhaps and given it’s also a Ford product I’m not surprised by the striking resemblance of their interiors.
So from your list
-Ford Escape 2.3 Auto…….. $20,435. (Carsdirect price: $19,030)
-Honda CRV LX………………..$ 21,195 (Carsdirect price: $20,576)
-Toyota RAV4………………….$ 23,035. (Carsdirect price: $21,978)
-Hyundai Santa Fe……………$ 21,815. (Carsdirect price: $19,658)
-Mitsubishi Outlander……….$ 20,615. (Carsdirect price: $19,669)
I would pick the Escape without even looking at the price.
(The Santa Fe comes very very very very close but in the end styling wins.)
See, there ARE people who specifically want the Escape, not because of the price.
Greg
Vince your comments about the ’08 Escape is spot on. It is more than obvious Ford’s target for the Escape is its large fleet customers and not the average consumer.Some people simply don’t or can’t appreciate just how bad the Escape is but one test drive and you will want to do just that.As to other better alternatives? Yes, I agree that the CR-V and the Rav4 maybe in the running..but having extensively test driven the Rav4, (haven’t tested the new CR-V as yet)I found that its interior is cheap, cheap and the ride is ponderous with plenty of body roll. As long as you keep the Rav4 on a nice even straight away it behaves nicely. In my opinion, The Hyundai Santa Fe has the nicest interior of all three compared, with a well balance combination of materials, the hard and soft plastics throughout. It has a very quiet ride. It also handles well and feels solid and well balanced compared to the ponderous driving characteristics of the Rav 4. Hardly what most people who haven’t test driven a Hyundai would expect. As a matter of fact I would go as far as saying that this vehicle is probably one of the best SUV in its class.It also was the only SUV in this class of vehicles to receive the coveted ‘Top Safety Pick’ from the IIHS, trumping both the CRV and the Rav4.(Copy and paste this address in your browser to check it out for yourself..)Jac