2008 Ford Escape Review
This is one of Ford's best
interiors in years in terms of the look and feel of materials used.
The headliner is plush and molded to the contour of the roof. Our
Escape Limited had thick, tautly tailored leather on the seats and
hard, glossy black plastic where you might expect fake wood or
metal. It looked like the lacquered finish on a fine piano. The
satiny black or silver used in lower trim levels isn't bad, either.
Yet the highlight is a woven-look, rubberized trim on the dash and
console. It looks sporty and suited to a more expensive car. The
lowlight is the grained plastic on the door panels, which feels hard
and looks cheap. Fortunately, it's not enough to overwhelm the good
stuff elsewhere.
The Escape features
upholstery cloth made from 100-percent recycled material. You'd
never know by its look or feel, and Ford claims that compared to
upholstery made from virgin fiber, production will conserve about
600,000 gallons
of water and 7 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually,
reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.8 million pounds.
Escape's front seats have
enough
cush to
prevent numbing and enough support to limit fatigue during longer
drives. Overall, though, the seats are smaller than those in a
larger sport utility. Drivers with big frames might find them small.
There's not an abundance of side bolstering, but that makes it
easier to slide into the seats, and there's enough to keep occupants
solidly in place during the type of driving a typical Escape owner
is likely to undertake.
The gauges are clustered in a
shaded binnacle that can be absorbed in a glance: Tachometer left,
speedometer right, with fuel and coolant temperature in the middle,
along with an easy-to-read trip- and systems-info display. We
absolutely loved this, because it includes a menu that allows the
driver to easily cycle through and change features such as
headlight-off delay and auto-locking.
The gauges and switches
feature Ford's new signature backlighting style, which the company
calls Ice Blue. No gripe here, as the bluish white is crisper and
brighter than conventional green-yellow or orange lighting. The
problem is the script on the gauges, and particularly the
speedometer. It's muddled and lacks differentiation beyond the big
even numbers, so it's hard to tell quickly what speed you're driving
unless you are traveling precisely at 20, 40, or 60 mph.
The dashboard is tall and
squarish, but it's attractive and fits Escape's little-truck theme
nicely. The big vents at the ends move lots of air, and there are
two more in the middle near the top of the center stack. These can
be aimed to avoid blasting the drivers hands or face with a rush of
air. At the very top sits a neat TFT display that shows compass
direction, date and time, exterior temperature and, on models so
equipped, the two interior temp settings.
When it comes to placement
and function of switches, the Escape is first rate, and examples are
easy to find. When the driver rests his or her left forearm on the
door rest, the window buttons sit almost perfectly at the
fingertips. With elbows on the door rest and center console, arms
are even and hands rest nicely at 9 and 3 o'clock
on the steering wheel. The mirror adjustor sits on the door pillar,
and it's easy to reach when the driver's head is in driving
position. One easy-to-use stalk controls the blinkers and all
wiper/washer functions. The steering wheel controls for cruise and
audio work without moving hands from the driving position.
Audio and climate controls
work just as well. The volume and station-selector knobs are good
sized, but more important, they are raised substantially from the
stereo plate, rather than nearly flat to the surface as they are in
some vehicles. The radial switches for fan and temperature are also
big and easy to find. The pushbuttons to control airflow direction
and the rear defogger are small, but they tend to be adjusted less
frequently than the others. The audio jack is at the bottom of the
center stack, just above a lined bin where you can set an iPod with
reasonable assurance that it will stay put for the entire trip home.
The Escape Limited we drove
had Ford's optional touch-screen navigation system, which is
becoming one of our favorites from any manufacturer. Its biggest
weakness is the display screen, which is smaller than those in some
other vehicles. Yet the graphics are clear, and easy to read to the
smaller details, at night or wearing sunglasses in bright daylight.
More important, the system is easy to use with minimal distraction,
and easy to learn without pouring over the owner's manual. The
software identified obscure roads that others missed. It's an
expensive tool, to be sure, but we particularly recommend the
navigation system with the Escape Hybrid. In the Hybrid, it includes
an energy display that demonstrates in real-time the fuel-saving
benefits of hybrid drive. By paying some attention to the graphs,
you'll find yourself becoming a more environmentally friendly and
fiscally efficient motorist. It can be fun to see how efficiently
you can drive.
Storage space is aplenty in
the Escape, at least in terms of cubbies within reach of the front
passengers. Start with that rubber-lined, slide-proof bin in front
of the shifter, which is great for iPods, phones, glasses, a wallet
or change. The little rubber mats in this bin and in the cup holder
bins can be pulled out for cleaning, a nice feature. Swing-down
overhead bins are provided for sunglasses and garage door openers.
The glove box is big enough for stuff beyond the owner's manual.
Decent-sized bins are molded in the door bottoms, though whatever
goes there tends to slide. The crown jewel is the center console,
which is large enough to swallow a hand bag or laptop computer.
Better, it has two removable trays that allow stacking of smaller
items inside. Better still, the trays can be hung outside the
console, adding even more storage. These details add to the pleasure
of living with the Escape for everyday running around.
The back seats are
comfortable, though the seatback is too straight for some tastes.
There's plenty of knee room, and noticeably more headroom than
before. A 5-foot, 9-inch, 170-pound passenger stayed comfortable for
nearly on hour behind the driver, though the middle space works best
for six-year-olds. There are cup holders and a power point on the
back of the console, but storage space for rear passengers is
limited to those slide-prone bins at the bottom of the rear doors.
For 2008, some of the
interior dimensions, particularly headroom, have increased. Cargo
capacity has decreased slightly, from a maximum of 69.2 cubic feet
to 66.3, with 29.2 cubic feet
behind the rear seat, compared to 33 previously. The difference is
equal to a big duffle bag, and Escape's maximum cargo volume puts it
below the leaders in a class that includes the Toyota RAV4, Honda
CR-V, Jeep Liberty and Chevy Equinox (73, 72.9. 69, and 67.1 cubic feet,
respectively).
The cargo space is easy to
maximize and access, however. The rear seat folds quickly, 60/40,
and the bottom can be removed to make a perfectly flat load floor.
There aren't a lot of frills in back, but the essentials are there:
tie-downs, and an optional cargo shade and under-floor bin that's
deep enough for a small load of groceries.
Ford invested a lot of time
and money making this latest Escape quieter inside than its
predecessors. The windshield, for example, has an acoustic laminate
sandwiched between two layers of glass. The headliner has more
sound-deadening capability, and the carpeting is 50 percent thicker.
The net result, according to Ford, is a 20 percent reduction in
interior noise at
80 mph.
The 2008 Ford Escape is
truckish as the current crop of small sport utility vehicles go, but
not in a bad way. Its ride height and seating position are higher
than a lot of unit-body (sedan style) utilities, though lower than
many traditional truck-based SUVs.
The Escape is quite pleasant
to drive. It handles well and has a firm, comfortable ride, without
the roly-poly mush quality or the jarring suspension clanks that can
characterize conventional truck-based SUVs with tall, off-road tires
and long-travel suspensions. Several improvements for 2008,
including an electric power steering system and changes in
suspension tuning, raise the level of refinement above earlier
Escapes.
Engines in the new 2008 model
are carryover from the previous generation, but all are solid
performers. Both the four- and six-cylinder engine deliver good
response and decent acceleration. The Escape Hybrid delivers
essentially the same performance, with very little to give away its
hybrid powertrain except improved mileage. Indeed, all Escape
models, from front-wheel-drive four-cylinders to all-wheel-drive V6s
to the Hybrid, have some of the best EPA mileage ratings in the
class (Be sure to compare mileage ratings according to the same
model year. The EPA changed its calculation formula for 2008 to
reflect something closer to real-world results, which lowered the
ratings for 2008 models).
The base 2.3-liter
four-cylinder delivers good power at high revs for those who like to
wind it up and decent torque for acceleration when you need it at
any speed. With a balance shaft to offset vibration, it's also
smoother than some of Ford's previous four-cylinder engines. We
prefer the 153-hp four-cylinder with the five-speed manual
transmission; indeed, a front-drive, manual Escape XLS 2WD might be
the most engaging and enjoyable model to drive. At an EPA-estimated
22/28 mpg City/Highway, it has one of the highest EPA mileage
ratings of any non-hybrid SUV. With the four-cylinder, maximum
towing capacity is 1,500 pounds,
sufficient for dirt bikes or a snowmobile.
The 3.0-liter V6 engine
offers 200 horsepower for stronger acceleration. It has about as
much torque as any small SUV is likely to need. It's available only
with the four-speed automatic, but its power band is broad. In
day-to-day driving, it never lugs, strains or feels as if it's out
of breath. And with the optional Class II towing package, the V6 AWD
models can pull a substantial 3,500 pounds,
which surpasses most vehicles in this class. Neither the
four-cylinder nor V6 powertrain is the smoothest in small SUVs, but
neither is course enough to seriously detract from Escape's appeal.
Our gripe in the driveline is
the four-speed automatic, and it's not because some competitors now
offer five-speeds. While the Escape automatic shifts smoothly, it
sometimes shifts slowly, in that it seems to take its time deciding
what gear it wants to be in. In particular, it's very reluctant to
shift itself down into first gear, which would provide the most
immediate acceleration. When rolling out of a parking lot onto a
busy road, for example, the transmission will stay in second gear
when you hit the gas, even when first is better for the traffic
conditions. That's our biggest complaint about Escape's overall
performance, and its importance will depend on how you drive.
The Escape handles well, and
improvements for 2008 give it a more refined feel. One of those is
the electric power-assisted steering system (EPS), which operates
with an electric motor rather than a belt turned by the engine. One
of the advantages is increased efficiency, because a conventional,
belt-driven steering pump takes a bit of the engine's power just to
operate. That's power that's not being used to move the vehicle.
Another advantage, at least in the Escape's case, is improved
steering feel. With the electric steering, there's a nice balance
between steering assist at parking-lot speeds and decent feel on the
highway. The steering tracks more steadily than before, with less
adjustment or correction required over uneven surfaces. It's direct
and accurate with no dead spot in the center, and there's enough
feeling when you turn the wheel to impart a sense of control. In
all, refinements in the steering and suspension improve the 2008
Escape's performance on the road, which wasn't that bad to begin
with. Despite its truck-style facade, the Escape delivers a
ride-handling balance on par with many sedans. Its ride is
comfortable, but never wobbly or floaty, over a variety of road
surfaces, including expansion joints and shallow potholes. The tires
deliver respectable grip in paved corners, so the Escape stays
planted where a lot of SUVs might slide. Transient response is
surprisingly good, meaning the Escape maintains its composure in a
series of left-right-left lane-change maneuvers. This permits
quicker driving that is also smooth, and it won't make passengers
feel sea-sick.
Braking performance is good.
The Escape stops in plenty of time, with no brake fade in any
typical on-road driving circumstances. The anti-lock brake system is
well tuned, keeping the brakes right at the threshold between
maximum stopping force and wheel lock, and allowing the driver to
maintain steering control in a full-panic stop. One of Escape's
alleged improvements for 2008 is drum-style rear brakes for all
gasoline-powered models. Previously, V6-powered Escapes had disks
front and rear. Ford claims this adds durability and reduces the
amount of brake dust generated. We call it a cost-saving move, plain
and simple, and that's fine. We also believe consumers are smart
enough to know whether they like the cost advantage of drum brakes,
or not. No need to spin it. Even with all drums, braking performance
isn't something that would keep us from buying an Escape.
The Escape Hybrid is a
different beast entirely from the gasoline-only models, at least on
one hand. On the other, few drivers will notice any substantial,
functional differences with the hybrid powertrain in day-to-day
driving. The belief may persist that hybrids need down time for
charging, but in fact the Escape Hybrid can't be plugged into an
electrical outlet. Its battery pack is automatically recharged by
the gasoline engine and by regenerative braking, which captures
energy that is otherwise wasted when a vehicle loses momentum and
sends it to the batteries.
By combining a four-cylinder
gasoline engine with the boost from an electric motor, the Hybrid
can deliver a significant fuel-economy improvement and reduce
emissions. The Escape Hybrid is a full hybrid, meaning it can run on
100 percent electric power up to about
25 mph
to maximize in-city fuel economy. It was the first hybrid-powered
SUV available in the
United States,
and the first hybrid with optional all-wheel drive and significant
towing capacity (1000 pounds).
The Hybrid's primary source
of power remains the gasoline engine. It's nearly identical to the
2.3-liter four in gasoline-only models, except that it runs on
something called the Atkinson cycle, which improves its fuel
efficiency but reduces horsepower by 20 (to 133). The companion,
70-kilowatt electric motor can kick in and deliver more torque to
the wheels when a driver demands full acceleration or it can power
the Escape Hybrid by itself in certain circumstances, such as
creeping along in a traffic jam or rolling through a parking lot.
Bottom line, the Hybrid model delivers acceleration times comparable
to the gas-only V6, with a 55 percent improvement over gas-only
four-cylinder models in City mpg, according to the EPA (34/30 mpg
City/Highway for the Hybrid 2WD).
On the road, the Escape
Hybrid delivers excellent acceleration at lower speeds. Floor it at
20 mph,
and it will snap heads back toward head rests. Floor the Hybrid 2WD
at a stop sign, and it can squeal its front tires like a hot rod. To
be sure, its tires are harder than those on other Escapes and
designed for maximum efficiency, which means less rolling
resistance, and less grip.
Few drivers will notice any
significant difference between the Hybrid and a conventional Escape,
except when the Hybrid shuts itself off at stop lights or glides
quietly through a parking lot on electric power. Indeed, the Hybrid
is a bit quieter, probably smoother, in all circumstances. In order
to minimize the power lost as it transfers to the drive wheels, Ford
equips the Escape Hybrid with a continuously variable transmission,
which has no conventional gears. Instead, it has metal bands that
adjust to best match the engine's revolutions. The CVT does offer a
low-range setting for increased traction. But in typical driving,
there's no hesitation as gears shift, no uneven surges of speed and
less variance in the noise coming from under the hood as the car
picks up speed. There's just smooth, even acceleration.
With the stereo cranked up to
hide engine noise, a driver will have a hard time knowing when the
gas engine starts or shuts off at stop lights, when the Hybrid is
rolling along on electric power alone, or when the electric motor is
augmenting the gas engine for maximum acceleration. The transitions
are generally seamless, and for 2008 models, Ford engineers spent a
lot of time revising the control software to make the changes even
less perceptible.
They've done a great job, but
we're not sure what protocol determines when the Escape Hybrid
operates on electric power. In fact, it seemed to operate in
electric mode less frequently than we might have expected. At times
the gas engine ran when we thought it might not have to, and at
times it didn't even shut off at a stop light. For the most part, we
drove the Hybrid as we would any other test car, which is fairly
aggressively, using the accelerator as if someone else were buying
the gas, and we still saw some improvement in fuel economy.
But not an incredible
improvement. Our normal rounds include more city than highway
driving, though rarely in a true rush-hour traffic flog, plus a few
extracurricular, test-specific maneuvers. In this routine, by our
best calculation, we found an improvement of 10 to 12 percent over
what we've seen with a conventional four-cylinder. We expect most
consumers will get better fuel economy than we did, at least those
with long, traffic-laden commutes. Still, the real-world fuel
savings with a hybrid depend heavily on how, where and when you
drive. For guestimation, EPA mileage numbers may be the best tool,
and the Escape Hybrid still surpasses the other hybrid SUVs that
have followed it to the market.
If you want the best fuel
economy, and presumably most hybrid buyers will, you'll want to be
gentle on the gas pedal. It will maximize the instances when the
Escape travels only on electric power. Dip the pedal quickly, or
much past a quarter of its travel, and the gas engine restarts
immediately to provide what the control electronics determine to be
a demand for serious acceleration. Even if a driver is not going to
exceed
20 mph,
which is well within the limit of electric-only speed, the gas
engine will start if the pedal application is too strong. It
probably helps to stop slowly, too. Long, steady, coast-down stops,
using more engine compression than wheel brakes, are best for
charging the batteries. We surmise that short, quick stops from road
speeds may be what keeps the engine from shutting off at a red
light. The control system may take aggressive stops as an emergency,
or just sporting, aggressive driving, and leave the engine fired for
more action.
You'll want the optional
navigation system for the Hybrid, which includes an energy-meter
function that graphically illustrates how well you're doing at
saving fuel. It includes instant and average fuel economy readouts,
and tells you when the gas engine is running, when the electric
motor is doing the work and when the batteries are charging. It's a
good tool to learn how to maximize economy with the Escape Hybrid.
Regardless of powertrain, the
Escape makes an excellent all-season vehicle in all climates. It
does not make an excellent off-road vehicle, despite a bit more
ground clearance than some competitors. Ford's optional Intelligent
all-wheel drive (AWD) system is tuned for driving more on slippery
pavement than dirt or gravel. It monitors vehicle speed, throttle
input and steering angle and delivers engine power to the
appropriate wheels before any particular wheel can loose traction.
It can switch power front to rear or side to side, and theoretically
can send 100 percent of the engines power to either the front or
rear wheels. The all-wheel-drive system takes stress out of driving
on wet, slushy or snowy roads. It helps maximize forward progress on
slippery surfaces, and its transfer of power to wheels with the best
traction is rarely noticed by the driver, who can focus simply on
using the gas smoothly and steering between the lines.
Off road, the Escape is less
than stellar. It's built on a front-wheel-drive platform developed
primarily for sedans, and like most small SUVs, the 2WD models are
front-wheel drive. With caution, it can handle level gravel or dirt
trails. But if there is no graded path, forget about it, and if the
way is much steeper than you'd attempt in a car, forget about that,
too. Shoppers seeking a small SUV with real off-road potential
should consider a competitor like the Jeep Liberty. For every day
driving and travel on the road, the Escape is one of the best.
The 2008 Ford Escape remains
one of the best vehicles in Ford's lineup, and competitive in a
crowded field of small sport-utilities, regardless of price. Yet
model for model and feature for feature, Escape prices are very
good. Considerable improvements for 2008 add safety features,
refinement, comfort and more style. The Escape offers front-wheel
drive, all-wheel drive, competitive four- or six-cylinder engines
and the Hybrid package, which works essentially as the conventional
models do. Fuel mileage for all models, and towing capacity, rank
with the best. For all-purpose, reasonably efficient daily transport
on the road, the Escape rates among the best smaller SUVs.