Ford Escape

Great sporty SUV – Had our 2018 Escape Titanium ecoboost with Tech Pack (bought new) for just over 4 years. No issues in all that time and just ticked over 40K Kms. The tech in the car is great. The cross traffic alert when reversing is very handy as is the blind spot mirrors. Ford servicing is very well priced and has 15K km/12 month intervals with free map… Read more

upgrades and road service. Cabin is very comfortable with great airconditioning and heated seats. The panoramic sunroof is a nice feature. The petrol 2 litre turbo is responsive and well matched to the torque box auto and the AWD gives great handling. Long distance drives are comfortable. One day I will try out the self parking feature.

A real sports utility vehicle – I bought the Escape ZD in 2010 and have driven 170,000km so far and have no plans to replace it because of the cars utility and reliability. I live in Far North Queensland and camp with the family during school holidays on the Cape and occasional 2000km drive to Brisbane. We tow a trailer with all the camping and kayaks together with the roof… Read more

rack. The car has scheduled servicing with attention on the fluids. There has been no faults. The mechanical on-demand AWD simply works, especially in the monsoon season. Off-road, the differential can be locked and the overdrive turned off to give more power. The Escape then drives like a tractor. The suspension is biased towards on road, and is not forgiving on dirt tracks and rougher conditions so I usually reduce speed. This is noticeable when driving with Discos and Land-cruisers. However, the light weight Escape can handle some conditions much better than heavier 4WDs. All terrain tyres significantly increase the Escape's capability off-road (have used BFG, Michelin Latitude Cross, Dunlop AT5 - changing every 50,000kms due to monsoon season).

Too many issues to list – Bought my ZG Titanium new in 2019 (2018 model) My car is driven about 3 times a week and as we are semi rural most trips are at least 30mins one way and has 32000k’s on it. Car is serviced on time at the dearlership I bought it from. Within a few weeks of owning the car the stop start feature started to play up. Fast forward 9 months and the… Read more

stop start hardly worked at all. Numerous trips back to the dealership and they couldn’t find anything wrong. Bit by bit other things started to happen, tail gate opens by itself, door handle sensors don’t always work, headlights come on when it’s a clear day and can flick between high and low beam at night for no reason, radio resets itself and I’ve had no hands free for no reason more than once. and this is just part of it all. Tried to get ford to come to the party even sending photos and footage but because no errors show up they say it means my car is normal…..the tech even told me my car has quirks…..except cars dont have quirks because they are mechanical plus I expect more from a car worth that much. Nice to see Ford standing behind their product!

Great Car with some minor issues – Before purchasing this car I did extensive research on mid-size SUV and almost ended up buying other models including Tuscon, CX-5, and the new CR-V. The ford escape isn't really mentioned anywhere until I found it in a comparison review on caradvice. Then after some research I believe it's the car I wanted. Despite the outdated look (looks like a… Read more ·  1

car from the 2000's), it's got all the key features for an affordable price including AEB, lane departure assist and adaptive cruise control as a safety pack, not to mentioned rear seats air-vent and 3x12v. The "always on" 12v power outlet is handy for my dashcam on "park mode". The cars from other manufacturers requires hard-wiring to the battery. The trend I have is a 2.0T AWD, which is a little thirsty driving around urban streets but great on camping/snow trips. The engine is potent, responsive and quiet. My only complain is the transmission often rev around 1500 at 50km/hr which sounds like struggle and under-powered. I have to repress the pedal to "reset" the rev to its comfort rev around 2000. Also sometimes the exhaust fume smells "under-burnt" at low speed like my old Honda, I am not sure if this is normal with a turbo. The steering wheel is not as light as the Japanese cars.

The infotainment system comes with Android auto and apply carplay. However the infotainment system and the dash screen are totally separated systems. the dash screen only controls driving related features so you have to look left to see what's playing. And there is no control on the steering wheel to switch audio source so you have to reach out to the left if you want to switch from DAB to bluetooth music.

The cloth seats are nice and firm but feel somewhat narrower than standard.. there is no electronic adjustment on mine which is ok but feels low-tech.

Some other minor issues: 1. No fuel lid lock. 2. The tube-shaped shading covers on rev and speed gauges block a bit of the view to the gauge. I have tried to lower the seats but still.. It's not a big issue because the speed is shown on the digital screen anyway. 3. The front parking sensors only beeps and doesn't indicate the distance bars on the screen.

Well it's not a perfect car but it ticks most of the boxes compared to other SUVs at the same price range.

2017 Escape 12 months on – Bought my Escape with the new model transition. Amongst the first (could have bought last of previous model or the new model). Having upgraded from the Kuga (which I loved) there were a few positive changes. So far, I have done around 18k kms after 11 months. 1. It was even more fuel efficient (I didn't think this was possible) 2. start - go… Read more

technology (took a bit to get used to but now accept)

3. More power and smoother ride than the Kuga

4. same voice driven controls as before, but now expanded (well it was 4 years later!!)

5. much nicer and quieter than before - very nice experience

6. funny wobbly headlights to turn around corners, and I think they help (but something else to go wrong down the track??)

7. Voice control for the sat nav which is great.

8. power assisted steering (where it steers for you!) is vastly improved from my 2013 model and the steering is so nice and tight. Much less intrusive.

Alas you can't have everything you like though...

1. No more heated windscreen (yes we do get ice in winter on the car in Sydney!!)

2. The same "always on" power sockets that when hooked to a dash-cam sent my auto stop start to always on and took Ford 2 days to work out why the system stopped working)

3. Put all of my music onto a USB stick and inserted into the central compartment, but there isn't enought space for this, so had to revert to MP3s on CDs (not the same)

4. could use voice to auto-start the USB stick but not the CD-ROM.

5. Still crappy connection with the Apple in terms of text etc. Even though it has apple car play, the Android linking is soooo much better (this is an Apple thing, not a Ford thing). [Android reads the incoming txt messages if you want and you can reply with fixed messages to keep wifey happy whilst on the go and legally].

Finally and the thing I am least happy about, I have the dark blue colour and there are streaks running down the doors from where the side mirrors attach. Even after washing they are still visible. Also one mirror groans when folding on lock

I guess one of the key features is that when talking on the phone, people don't know if I am driving or not, and when I stop the car when I reach the destination, there is no indication to the other calling party of a change, unlike the old kuga that produced an echo.

I commute 35km each way in Sydney peak traffic with the occasional trip to Gosford or Canberra as need be for work purposes. This is a beautiful commuting car, but not certain how a longer commute (road trip) would go comfort wise. Surprisingly the fuel consumption goes up when travelling at highway speeds. I am guessing the gearing is designed for low speed city driving and it does this very well and nimbly.

ZG Ford Escape Titanium Diesel – Has all the bells and whistles a real pleasure to drive. Drive this beauty every day, economical with plenty of tech and power. Service intervals are every 15Kor annually and I use the local Ford dealer. Show details

Perfect all rounder – My Explorer is used for daily travel to and from work, to assist in rennovating my home, to move house and carry my grandbabies and fur baby. This car is my companion. I use it for transporting large or heavy items, I've added the towbar for the trailer, it has a sun and moon roof which is a luxury I've always wanted. Even has heated front seats… Read more

which is amazing after being out in the cold or to provide heat to my lower back. This car does everything. It has tyre pressure alert which has helped me twice, Lane assist also useful, headlight washers, defrost even icy windows fast, auto parking, sensors galore, satnav and much more.

The only minor irritation I have with it is the sometimes lag of immediate response on acceleration. Other than that, it has grunt, power, smooth to drive, quiet and handles well.

It has been part of our family for the last two years and of course, serviced regularly. To date, there have been no faults reported

Smooth, impressive and economical – Most be the most economical v6 vehicle I've ever had so far. I enjoyed this car very much, it was comfortable and high to ride, very easy to maneuver as it is very small in size and still roomy and practical inside. I think it is a great choice all the way. Fuel wasn't much more than I usually used for a 4 cylinder rav 4. Very impressed, would gladly buy another. Show details

Love it – This car is just so easy to drive. I thought it might feel big and cumbersome stepping into it from a small car, but it feels so light and effortless. Loads of helpful extras like blind spot assist and it adjusts speed to match if car in front slows down. It has plenty of grunt and responds well when you need it to go quickly. Only downside for… Read more

me was the dealer plastering their name (ie. free advertising) over the car. Now that I have removed the stickers and got replacement numberplates to remove dealers name from them, it looks much better - note to potential Dominelli buyers!

Great all round soft roader – Probably the most underrated vehicle on the road. Great handling, fully specced, comfortable, and goes hard. Highly recommend a test drive, in particular if stepping down from a 6/8 cylinder, as these have more than enough power. Downsides: - fuel consumption on the 2.0t averages at 13.1l/100km... mainly around town driving. Not great and… Read more

likes premium. - a knocking from the front right on full lock that the Ford dealer cant find a problem with so far. - could use more rear leg space... but to be fair thats common to all in this size/ class.

Versatile, comfortable car - very happy! – Very comfortable vehicle packed with all the essential features and creature comforts. Safety features among best in market. Accessories like puddle lamps and lane guidance real bonus. 60:40 rear seat split very handy - we have even fit a large wheelbarrow in the back of ours! Show details

Full of problems – Every 30ks engine light goes on can’t find what is wrong. Not a fuel economy car. Ford is using just his badge the real car is Mazda Tribute. Don’t buy this car. Show details

Just brilliant – My Escape is used for commuting in our regional town ( Narooma ). My wife finds it extremely easy to park, and for me, it certainly has more than enough power It is used on average, five to six times a week (in town ) with acceptable fuel economy. On a trip. though, it is a pleasure for me to drive, as it certainly has power & torque to navigate any problems that we may face. Show details

Brilliant car! – After a lengthy process with Ford relating to a previous vehicle, we bought the 2018 Escape. This car is absolutely beautiful to drive and a very sturdy solid little unit. Comfortable and we'll finished and has everything that opens and shuts and connectivity is amazing. Very, very good job FoMoCo!  Show details

Great but thirsty – I bought my 2006 Ford Escape earlier this year and it has been a great car. The size inside and out is great and it hasn’t missed a beat. The only problem, which is a big problem in this current climate, is that it is terrible with fuel. I would be lucky to get 450km out of a tank!! Looking to buy a new car purely due to the lack of fuel economy.  Show details

Not a bad upgrade from the focus – I purchased my car in March 2018. So far I have driven it over 5000kms, including a return trip from Melbourne to Mildura. In this time the car has been nothing but reliable. I am a big fan of all of the safety features, including auto braking, lane assist and adaptive cruise control. The car is comfy and spacious, which my dog loves!  Show details

Cozy & economical – I love my Ford products. I had a 2012 previous, which was much roomier & boxier feel. The 2017 is more of a crossover design. I have the SE model in grey/grey interior. It is cozy for a 5'4' person such as myself & long trips up the coast. I prefer a luggage rack, which I do not have, I believe only titanium models have this feature. Also the dash… Read more

cam is quite small, compared to that of a Nissan Rogue. Also upon helping a friend jump start their car, discovered the battery is not so easily accessible, which may pose a problem to change out in future. There is an extension bolt line that goes to the battery to facilitate the jump, not exactly Ford's best idea for compactability.

Feels great to drive, looks amazing, a bit of a fuel guzzler, needs bluetooth – We bought this vehicle second hand in Oct 2017. It had 9100 kays on the clock and still had a new car smell. We were told that an elderly couple owned it and had just driven it to the shops and church. We had a 1.8L stationwagon previous and were really surprised at how much more fuel it uses. It's meant to run at 10.5c/L but can run at 12c/L if… Read more

using aircon and cruise control. It does hit the 10.5c/L if country driving - def not around the city. Vehicle feels great to drive. We paid $1100 and installed a bluetooth Apple Car Play system. There was a basic stereo in there which really minimised the luxury feel of the car. Reasonable boot space but smaller than a wagon. We also got the windows tinted so it's quite a nice ride after our minimal upgrades. Oh, that's right, the rear left hand door keeps jamming. It wouldn't open from the inside or the outside so that mechanic had an interesting time in fixing it. This first happened two months into ownership. And again at 5 months. This is a safety hazard.

Great family SUV, underrated! – We got the Trend Diesel model and it has been great. Plenty of power on take off and for overtaking, yet fuel economy is still pretty good, at 7.7 l/100km, and on long trips it goes down to around 6.2 l/100km. Seats are very comfy, the Sync 3 infotainment system works a treat even with voice activation and good sound quality. Interior space is… Read more

plenty for our family of four plus the dog. Surprisingly this thing handles pretty well around corners unlike some other SUV's we tested.

Love it – These are one of the best cars I've owned... Cheap to run and great to drive, I have owned a few previous ford SUV but none compare to this. I love how it feels to drive and the features built in to it. Cannot recommend it more and urge you all to test drive one.  Show details

Comfy, impressive performance, safe and economical – All cars are a totally personal choice and must meet an individual's unique requirements. I'm so pleased with my 2016 Escape Titanium petrol, it's exactly what I never realised I was looking for. I am 6'1 and as much as I dislike SUVs generally, I had reluctantly accepted it was the kind of car I was going to need to upgrade to. I have two large… Read more

dogs and my husband is even taller than me, so we needed the extra height in the ceiling. The driving position is excellent – for a smallish car it feels big, vision is excellent, seat height off the floor feels like sitting in a chair, and the seats, while smallish, are very well suited to a taller person. The leather trim is lovely, dash layout and instrumentation is fantastic – probably the thing I like most about the car. Current era Fords in general have well designed dashes and simple, functional design which I really appreciate – we already have a 2014 Ranger which we have loved, so everything felt familiar. Everything is as straightforward as possible. Ride quality is exceptional. Every time I drive this car I remark to myself just how damn comfy it is. Very quiet too. Comes equipped with nice quality Continental tyres. Technology pack is great, works very simply and is easy to figure out even if you're new to all this gadgetry, and the sound system is very good quality for the price point. The park assist feature is really, really clever, although it is my preference not to use it. Sun roof is nice, and that hands free sensor operated tailgate has got to be one of the best things ever invented. The AWD feels sophisticated and tests well on loose surfaces and in the rain. The squarer design of the vehicle makes the boot space in this much more useful than most other mid-size SUVs, and the seats fold down to allow a nice big loading space with a wide tailgate allowing for easy loading without damaging the vehicle.

The airplane-style tray tables for the back row passengers are cute and would be really useful if we had kids. The rear seats are easy to fold down and the seatbelts have a clever loop to keep them in the right place so they don't get lost when you put the seats back up. You can also choose to take the belts out of the loop altogether.

In general, a really well appointed, comfy, economical and safe feeling vehicle. I get just over 8L per 100ks in the 2.0L turbo petrol, and the performance is really impressive for a small engine. There seems to have been lots of careful thought put into small features that enhance the every day driving enjoyability: phone sized console slot, deep centre console storage, retractable roller screen over the centre console and drink holder to keep dust out, drink bottle holders in the door skins, forward-placement of gear shift, electronic handbrake, fully electric adjustability (lateral and vertical) in the front seats, heated front row seats, oppositely-pivoted windscreen wipers (fantastic!!!), down to small details like being able to customise the colour of the interior guide lighting – peaceful aqua blue for me. Ford also use thoughtful micro-lights in the cabin to illuminate things like the driver footwell just subtly enough to be useful but not distracting in the dark.

Small points to the negative (and I consider these minor, and will happen with any vehicle) –

The shiny plastic parts of the console and the polished alloy trims around the air vents have a habit of catching the sun at certain angles and are blinding.

The auto stop-start feature is probably great in a large city but not necessary in regional cities, and its annoying that the default setting is "on" and each ignition cycle it has to be deactivated. There should be a master setting to override.

The small motors on the car (mirrors, sun roof, tailgate, etc) are noisy. BUT, I have noticed the Range Rover ones aren't much better!

The parking sensors can be a bit over sensitive and the volume of the beeps is very loud and not adjustable, there's only on/off.

All in all, this was the best value in its class BY FAR and I thought the most handsome looking.

A powerful and competent SUV with plenty of space and on-road ability – The Escape has been a great vehicle so far, and there are a lot of things it does very well. I went with the Titanium EcoBoost Petrol, so it's quite powerful. The engine is smooth and very willing, overtaking is a breeze. Economy does take a small hit with all the power, though on a recent trip to central Queensland I averaged 7.4 L/100km which is… Read more

still very good.

The Titanium model comes with all the bells and whistles, a panoramic sunroof, electric fold in mirror, leather trim, voice control with satellite navigation, a brilliant Sony sound system and it will even park itself, this feature works really well! The exterior design is quite nice, and overall fit and finish outside is pretty good too. The inside however is let down by draw grey and black plastics, some of which are very brittle and cheap feeling. My car has gone back to Ford a few times to fix minor rattles and creaks, but this wouldn't have been an issue if they fitted the vehicle with better plastics. The dealership side of things is a bit up and down really, sometimes they are brilliant, and then sometimes I feel like I'm at a second hand car yard. Just find a good dealer and stick to them.

I added the Technology Pack, which gives the adaptive cruise control, blind spot assist, rear cross traffic alert and collision avoidance technology. Strongly suggest all who buy an Escape to get this pack, it's brilliant. The rear cross traffic will warn when you're backing out of a parking space if someone is coming, even if you can't see. The blind spot warns if someone is in your blind spot, and the adaptive cruise control makes highway driving a breeze. This pack was $1300, so worth every cent.

So despite some horrible plastics inside, a slightly frumpy looking interior and a few dodgy Ford dealers, the Escape is quite a good car, and deserves to sell in higher numbers. Ford offer brilliant deals on the Escape, making it a very attractive vehicle price wise. It drives really nice for an SUV, and is a bit more dynamic than some competitors, is equipped well, is powerful and has plenty of space.

Perfect – After not driving for some time, i was able to gain back my confidence & freedom in my new Escape. Its a beautiful easy car to drive. Seats are comfy & so much leg room. I'm so glad to be driving again with confidence in a reliable car. Its the quietist vehicle I've ever been in, even others have commented on that. PERFECT PURCHASE.

Terrific Family car – The 2017 Ford Escape Trend Diesel AWD is a terrific SUV, Stacked with dual climate control Sat Nav ,Sync Technology Independent door locks, Cruise and Bluetooth hook up. The magic Turbo Diesel engine is a gem on the highway with amazing overtaking power and acceleration with a very intuitive auto sports automatic transmission. The fit and finish… Read more

is tight and of very good quality. The ride is slightly firm but very comfortable with good supportive seats. Fuel economy is amazing only consuming 4.9 litres per 100km on my drive according to the centre cluster info screen. It has a wonderful reverse camera and sensors that a accurate and also a lane warning system with blind spot technology. I would not hesitate to purchase one of these a family car with boy's as I have if my budget permitted as they are a little on the pricier side. Servicing is capped with a free loan car every service.

Nice vehicle – Drives well, with little road noise. Plenty of power for overtaking situations. Cabin & passenger area quite spacious. Love the 8 inch screen for Sat Nav , Radio & Media. Nice clear picture of reversing camera give confidence when backing into tight spots. Boot space great for shopping & trips away. Paint protection is amaizing !!  Show details

Great Value for a cheap second hand 4wd – Purchased mine off an Ebay auction for $900 and it had obviously been sitting for a while, did most of the work myself (ex apprentice mechanic), and got her going again, small hiccups but she's all sorted now and running strong with just over 200,000kms on the clock. Word of advice if buying second hand, make sure it has been serviced… Read more

regularly and has had the spark plugs and coils replaced, mine was running like as sick dog till I did the coils and plugs, another benefit of that has been fuel economy which everyone with the 3.0 V6 complains about, also pays to replace all fluids and throw in some HD brake pads.

Also keep in mind these are the same as the Mazda Tribute so parts are interchangeable and cheap, plus many of the bits are Japanese.

So far I'm happy with mine, it's great for towing my motorbikes (has a 1600kg rated tow bar on mine), and good for going off-road on gravel tracks and I will keep maintaining it and driving it til the wheels fall off the thing!

First impressions – I picked up our demo model diesel Escape Trend a couple of days ago so this review is just first impressions. As a trade in we had 2013 ASX diesel which I have reviewed previously, the Escape has mighty big shoes to fill as the ASX was one of the better vehicles I've owned. On paper the Escape has loads of torque, 400nm to be precise, it… Read more

also has an 1800 kg tow rating with a 180 kg TDL; so, this vehicle works perfect for us as the vehicle will be used to tow our Jayco penguin CT. The 400nm of torque is certainly evident as soon as you drive off, the Escape has loads of power. Steering is somewhat lighter than the ASX, the seats are firm but comfortable and with lumbar support for the driver should prove excellent for longish drives. Gear selection is via a push button knob, a little annoying at first but you quickly get used to it. Paddle shifters on the wheel are a great addition making gear changes, when needed, easier than having to fool with the gear knob. Gears are spaced out well and changes occur at fairly low revs meaning the escape 'should' return good fuel consumption figures, the dash readout indicating 7.7 LP100 and 750 odd klm per tank. These figures are nowhere near Fords figures, but that's a given from vehicle manufacturers. I would expect better figures than this, we haven't quite finished off a tank yet, so time will tell. Road and engine noise are very low making the cabin a pleasant place to be, the radio volume can be kept down and neither harsh road surfaces nor spirited driving drown out the radio.

The on board computer systems are quite complex allowing controls for most everything to be adjusted, so that's a plus. What's not a plus is the owners manual, many instructions for adjustments simply aren't available and I had to search on my PC for the answers. For example turning on voice guidance for navigation can only be done by voice, and when using voice guidance for the GPS, it simply doesn't understand a lot of words. As with many GPS systems, it seems to operate better with female voices. Still learning here so I'm sure there are plenty more surprises to come.

Luggage space behind the rear seats is surprisingly limited for a car of this size, despite being quite a bit larger than our previous ASX it has the same floor space, only the depth of the space is greater. There is a space under the floor beneath the drivers seat which holds the car's manuals nicely, the centre console is quite deep and has a removable bin as well as twin USB ports - great for charging mobiles or playing recorded music. Directly in front resides two cup holders, a cover is provided to slide over the top making it a reasonable size, flat, usable space. The gear lever occupies all the space between there and the dash with just a handbrake switch, coin dish and DC socket in front. All four doors have pockets with detents for drink containers and the glove box is a deep rather shallow affair.

On the road the Escape didn't disapoint, it is well mannered, very receptive to both acceleration and braking. All controls fall easily to hand, including cruise, radio and instrument controls on the steering wheel.

So far, I'm impressed, the Escape is indeed a well equipped, comfortable and pleasant to drive vehicle. Stay tuned.

November 4th 2017 Update: Ford Escape diesel, good so far.

I purchased the Escape diesel a few months ago as a demo, trading in my 2013 ASX diesel. Following the ASX the Escape has big shoes to fill.

The interior is set out quite well, large thumb wheels for air circulation accompanied by plenty of vents facing pretty well every direction. The 8" screen in the middle of the dash is terrific, regardless of light conditions it is always easy to read, easy to use and gives access to most things: radio, GPS, settings and so on. The only failure here is the keyboard, not a querty as you would find elsewhere, for some reason Ford have decided an ABC keyboard is the go,, difficult to use as keys are not where they would normally be.

The driver's console includes all the usual, speedo, tacho, fuel and temp gauges, fuel consumption readout and so on. The centre console houses the handbrake switch, gear selector, a couple of cup holders with a handy space next door for glasses or what have you. Behind that is the centre consol proper, it's quite deep and includes a removable tray up top for oft used items. There is also a couple of USB sockets for charging your phone or plugging in a USB stick. At the rear is a DC outlet. Overhead is the sunglass holder and a couple of interior lights.

The front seats are a strange combination, the back is well shaped and supportive but the squab is short, narrow and flat. In the rear the seats are comfortable and curiously there is a storage compartment under the floor, under the drivers seat, great for small items like the users manual. Even more curious there is a huge storage area under the rear seat, made by setting the seat about 100mm off the floor, great for long items such as umbrellas and sunshades.

The rear boot area is quite small for a car of this size, so small in fact the carpet from my previous ASX fits it exactly. Still it's big enough for a 40 litre Waeco and half a dozen shopping bags. There is a space saver under the floor and a DC outlet on the right side. Curiously, all the DC outlets are powered on all the time, they do not power off with the ignition. Not great if you have a fridge in the back as it would quickly flatten the battery. There is a roll out awning which gives plenty of room underneath for a 40 litre fridge. The Escape has keyless ignition, ie, you just need the keys in your pocket or bag to activate the vehicle and starting is via a push switch on the dash.

Under the bonnet is neat enough, but strangely the battery is near on impossible to get at, requiring removal of windscreen wipers and two plastic trays above, secured by 6mm bolts. The Escape is very, very quiet, particularly for a diesel and has a stop start function which can be de-activated via a switch on the dash. The 2 litre diesel has plenty of grunt, putting out 400 nms of torque, not top of the pile, but very close to it.

Rated to tow 1800kgs with a TDL of 180 it is more than capable of towing a small caravan. That said. the rear suspension is quite soft, that of course gives a nice comfortable ride but the rear of the vehicle sags badly with a 100kg caravan hitch attached. Making it more difficult, Ford do not recommend a weight distribution device and there is no air bag kit available to fit.

The Escape drives well, gears are well spaced and the motor has plenty of grunt, paddle shifters behind the steering wheel give access to manual gear changes. Remarkably quiet in the cabin, even at idle, it's hard to tell if the motor is still spinning. The Escape handles quite well, keeping in mind it is an SUV with a fairly high centre of gravity so cornering like a Porsche isn't possible, not really something you buy an SUV for though, is it?

So far so good, the Escape is due for it's first service in January, no complaints so far, and no problems.

January 25th 2018 Update: Ford Untruths

Six month review. 2016 Demo Ford Escape diesel. Pros: Great to drive, handles well, comfortable, controls are all well placed, paddle shifters are brilliant, oodles of power, well finished, great fuel economy at 6.8 LP100.

Cons. Space in the rear luggage compartment is small, the mat I had in my ASX fits, even though the ASX is a much smaller car??? DC and cigarette lighter sockets are powered on even when the car is off, not great if you have a fridge or other accessory plugged in - flat battery. The keyboard on the Sync screen is not a qwerty, difficult to use. Manual is very vague in a lot of areas so you have to explore a little to find how things work. Whilst the seats are comfortable the squab is very small, even for a small person such as myself.

The big gripe - Fords dishonesty in regard to towing. We bought this car to tow a small caravan of 1500kgs. Ford says the car can tow up to 1800 kgs, that is absolute rubbish. The Escapes Gross Combination Mass (car+caravan+Load) is 3580 kgs and the car's Gross Vehicle Mass (car+driver, passengers, fuel + load) is 2230, then 3580-2230 =1350. So with a loaded car, driver_passengers+ fuel+ whatever else you have in your car up to a maximun of 2230kgs then the towing capacity is only 1350kgs. Very disingenuous of Ford, I wonder how many have been caught out by this blatant lie.

Would I buy another? Absolutely not, Ford's total lack of honesty with regards to specifications is alarming. What other untruths are Ford spinning?

Generic functions – The vehicles suspension is so soft and seems like the power of the engine is so little. The sound deadening of the vehicle was good but still the ride comfort was not too good i hope they make a better suspension on the next model so people would feel safe riding on the newer model  Show details

Ugly, cheap and reliable – The car is ugly and slightly under-powered as nearly all SUVs with 2.0-2.5L naturally aspirated engines. I bought it new in 2011 for $27 000 which offset a 10 years old design. 4wd SUV developed by Mazda-Ford (they shared platforms in 1985-2005) for $27 000 was a good deal. Just remember that it was produced since 2000 and it was not a cheap… Read more

car in 2001-2005 so the design is pretty rugged as it had to compete with RAV4 and CR-V in 2001-2006 and was a best selling small SUV in the USA for the first two years of production until Toyota and Honda updated their range.

Mine has done 85 000 km with zero problems, except a discharged battery which was mostly my fault, if you start the engine and the heater "forget" the last settings and blows a warm air on the windscreen - the battery is going to die, change it.

The Ford Duratec / Mazda L4 engine is one of the most reliable in the industry and cheap to service, runs on any fuel, all you need is to change oil every 10 000 kms and replace spark plugs every 70 000 km. You can service engine yourself, nothing hard. I never heard this engine had excessive oil burning, mine doesn't require to top oil between changes.

The weak point is the old 4 gears transmission. This is the old Mazda transmission you can find on Mazda 626. It probably develops some problems after 150 000 kms and is unlikely to survive beyond 250 000 kms.

Spare parts are cheap and you can opt to Mazda Tribute spare parts.

To sum up. Taking the price into account this is the best choice for small unassuming SUV if you don't need to be an envy of your neighbors - you get a roomy interior, a reliable engine and good old Mazda-Ford design for a reasonable money. If you are buying a car that has done more than 100 000 kms check the transmission as the transmission problems are likely to develop after 150 000.

Ano t her useless and costly vehicle to mai tain. Far from being a 4 wheel drive – One costlly unreliable SUV. Another dud frFprd. Fordneeds to come up with a cheap and reliable hybrid car. It is hard to ac ess the spark plugs at the rear ofthe engine the manifold hastocome off whichis an expensive affair. Fueleconomy is poor. Parts are expensive and hard to get. Avoid buying them escapes.  Show details