Ford Escape
Less is more
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By Richard J. Newman
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NITS: The interior is a bit spare, even on the higher trim lines. The seats and center console feel bolted on, for instance, rather than molded into a comfortable single unit. That makes the Escape feel
more like a truck than a car inside; a little additional refinement couldn't hurt.
G-FORCES: The 201-horsepower V-6 engine on the test car offered plenty of pick-up. (The base engine is a much softer 127-
horsepower four-cylinder.) Handling was a high point–not sporty, by any means, but far easier to handle than heavier SUVs that lunge on curves and require muscular braking.
GIZMOLOGY: The dashboard controls are nothing special, and some of the dials feel cheap and "plasticky." The radio is adequate, although the rocker switches for seek and scan are a bit small. The power
outlet is conveniently placed near the center console, and storage compartments are spacious.
KID MARKS: There was plenty of room for my kids in the back, although it was a high climb for them, even with optional running boards. My 4-year-old in particular tended to grab on to the magazine
pocket to help pull himself up.
HOT OR NOT? Hot. The Escape is a pleasant mix of lean and boxy, which gives it a rugged look without all the fat that weighs down larger SUVs.
ENVIROMETER: Ranges from 4 to 6, out of 10, on the EPA's emissions/air pollution scale, depending on the engine. Details:
http://www.epa.gov/autoemissions/
E-FORD-Escape-03.htm
CRASH COURSE: Earns 9 stars out of 10 on the government's frontal crash test and 10 out of 10 on the side-impact test. Rollover resistance rating is 3 stars out of 5. More info:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/NCAP/Cars/
2318.html
PRICE POINTS: Base prices range from $19,300 to $27,675. Price as tested: $26,900. (All prices include delivery fees.)
MORE INFO: http://www.fordvehicles.com/suvs/
escape/
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Model year tested: 2003
It was the sort of opportunity SUV owners live for. No, not driving a pregnant woman to the hospital in a blizzard. But the stakes were high enough. I was moving. It was snowing. The movers were coping fairly well, but I had to stuff a lot of the fragile and awkward items in my vehicle. Then I had to lead a small convoy, including the moving truck and a car driven by another helper, through the slop, about 50 miles to my new residence. The most direct route was a parkway that would probably be plowed–but the moving truck exceeded the weight restrictions for that road. That forced us onto some side streets that turned out to be well suited for the Iditarod.
I tend to pooh-pooh the appeal of four-wheel drive and snicker at SUV owners who buy the vehicles for capabilities they will never use. But for the time being I have changed my tune. On those occasions when you have to venture out in the muck, and when you need expandable cargo space, an SUV seems heaven-sent. The Escape plowed confidently through the mounting snow–not necessarily with greater adherence to the road, as I was
frequently reminded by other SUVs stuck in ditches–but at least with the ability to move out. My helper, in a Toyota Camry behind me, could barely make it up some of the hills and seemed in danger of sidelining the whole convoy. And the moving truck slid along with the grace of a locomotive on ice skates. It was a weak chain, but at least I was the strongest link.
We all survived the ordeal, the snow stopped, and the roads cleared up within a couple of days. And it was then, on dry pavement, that the Escape's attributes became most apparent. Lots of SUVs can plow their way through a snowstorm, and most offer the kind of versatility that lets you fold down the rear seats and enlarge the cargo area. But when the weather improves and driving conditions return to normal, you're often left with
more vehicle than you need. Not so the Escape. The snow-worthy SUV was quite sprightly once I switched off the full-time four-wheel drive–not quite carlike, as in some new "crossover" vehicles, but easy to handle around curves and manageable in parking lots. The 201-horsepower V-6 engine provided brisk acceleration, with no need for the torque–or the mounting stigma–of a gas-guzzling V-8. And there was ample room for a family of five, plus lots of stuff.
There are a few trade-offs, of course. Drivers who need to do heavy towing or accommodate carpools may require a larger vehicle. The Escape does feel small at times. And the doors produce kind of a hollow pop when you close them, not the heavy thunk that gives some drivers an intangible sense of security. Those limitations obviously don't bother many buyers, though. One sign of the Escape's popularity is that Ford is offering fewer incentives on the Escape than on other popular vehicles, including the bigger Explorer. And with large SUVs increasingly coming under fire for poor gas mileage and the damage they do to other cars in collisions, it might be more than sensible to downsize to SUVs like the Escape–it
might become politically correct, too.
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