Ford Escape
 

is my rental while I look for something to buy

has some cute electronic touches (radio plays after you turn off the ignition and until you pull the door open), but view out the rear is poor

engine/gearing (AT) has decent oompah but is noisy

seems larger than I think it really is (and that is a bad thing)

suspension handled some bumps ok

steering seems kinda dead

I noticed the F bumper fascia is popping out (47k on it), so that suggests it ain't all that well glued together

interior trim is hard plastic - looks better than Sube Forester or BMW 3 series (!) but has larger gaps

power F seats don't have adequate adjustability

you forgot to mention the cup holders...that's the first thing I look for in a car. :D Just remind yourself, it's a rental.

the more I drive it, the less I like it

they must be giving these things away to compete with the RAV4, CRV, & Forester

They are a lot less expensive at real transaction prices.

and they are probably still better than the GM or Chrysler equivalent...

I'm not sure I'd say that about the new Chev Equinox / GMC Terrain, but I'd still buy a Subaru Forester, Nissan Rogue, Hyundai Tuscon / Sante Fe / Kia Sportage, Toyota RAV-4, or Honda CRV (in that order).

my insurance agent was driving 1(provided for by co), he said he hated it and it's crash test score was not good... go figure

maybe he was planning a way to exit the ownership sinkhole he was in?

- this rental has a leak! drips water right down from near the front center of the windshield -- one thing for a 30 yr old car to leak, something else for a new one...

I compared it on a known bumpy road course to a Forester in that thread - this thing is not competitive

re the bulikiness noted above - it is hard to figure out where you are when parking; the Forester is much easier to to "locate" - YET they are almost exactly the same size when viewed side by side

gave it back to Hurtz in exchange for a Toybota Rav -- this is not a good place to have a vehicle with a roof leak

I guess they call it the Escape b/c it escaped from quality control at the factory...

My last company car when I worked for Ford was a 2007 Ford Escape, we actually had 2 of them and my wife and I hated them both. The car felt "skittish" on the road, that's the only word I know that would describe the feeling of instability the car had when on the road.

I had a 2010 Escape for a rental last year, I didn't think it was half bad. Far better than the usual Dodge Caliber $h!tbox that I get.

My friends in MN have 2 escapes, a 2000 and 2004. HIgh miles, very little maintenance, I've driven them both and think they are great little trucks.

You might check into the cost of an alternator replacement before you buy an Escape that is outside of its warranty.

I've had to approve a couple of them for my company's fleet - figure on $1,000 - no kidding.

angela