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2008 Ford Escape

150 messages,  Last post on Oct 08, 2009 at 7:37 AM

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#11 of 150 Initial Impressions by antoninb Mar 16, 2007 (9:55 pm)
My wife and I had just finished test driving a new Santa Fe GLS (Canada version) and decided to drive down the road to look at a new Escape. We'd also taken a new Edge out a few weeks prior.   We didn't get a chance to drive a new Escape, but spent some time checking out interior features, leg room, etc. Our first impression was that compared to the Santa Fe, the interior of the Escape looks very cheap and dull. Having said that, in Canada, it comes with features that the Santa Fe doesn't have, such as in-dash CD-changer and aux input for MP3 player. I'll post again once we've had a chance to drive a new Escape.
#12 of 150 What did you like better about the Hyundai? by mschmal Mar 17, 2007 (9:59 am)
2007 Santa FE     2008 Ford Escape.   I'm not a fan of fake wood. Also, I like the top of dash display and the blue lighting. Lots of hard plastic though. I like that the controls on the Hyundai are mounted higher up by moving the vents to the sides.   Mark Replies to this message: antoninb (Mar 19, 2007 3:14 pm)
#13 of 150 Re: What did you like better about the Hyundai? [mschmal] by antoninb Mar 19, 2007 (3:14 pm)
Replying to: mschmal (Mar 17, 2007 9:59 am) So, now that we've thoroughly test driven an Escape Limited, I will happily withdraw my previous criticisms about the interior. We drove a black / black Limited, and came away very impressed. This vehicle is now on our very short list, and maybe even ahead of the Santa Fe. We have yet to experience a new Mitsubishi Outlander though.   I have a few questions though for anyone willing to respond...   - Why rear drum brakes? Obviously they're cheaper to maintain, but most vehicles in this class have disc all round.   - How effective is the AWD? Is it activated electronically? Is it a good system? I do like that the Santa Fe and Outlander can lock in the AWD at low speed. I don't believe the Escape has this feature.   - Does the "shuffle" feature work just for the CD being played, or across all CD's in the 6 CD magazine?   Thanks!
#14 of 150 Escape AWD by mschmal Mar 20, 2007 (7:06 am)
The Escape AWD is electronic and engages within 50 milliseconds.   The "low" on the Santa Fe and Outlander is a gimic. Neither of those 2 trucks have either the towing capacity, or the ground clearance to go anywhere or do anything that would reasonably require a low range on the 4x4.   Shuffle works for the CD being played.   Rear drums: Ford claims that stopping distands are the same with the reat drums.   Mark. Replies to this message: antoninb (Mar 20, 2007 8:48 am)
#15 of 150 Re: Escape AWD [mschmal] by antoninb Mar 20, 2007 (8:48 am)
Replying to: mschmal (Mar 20, 2007 7:06 am) The Escape AWD is electronic and engages within 50 milliseconds   Thanks - the AWD on our 03 CRV is activated by pumps, and tends to be slow sometimes. I'm looking forward to a newer and more responsive system.   The "low" on the Santa Fe and Outlander is a gimic. Neither of those 2 trucks have either the towing capacity, or the ground clearance to go anywhere or do anything that would reasonably require a low range on the 4x4.   No plans to tow or go offroad. With the snow that we get, we do like the ability to lock into awd at low speeds. I could see it as being useful, or at least adding some security to what can sometimes be an interesting drive.   Thanks for your response!
#16 of 150 You misunderstand the "low range" by mschmal Mar 21, 2007 (7:08 am)
No plans to tow or go offroad. With the snow that we get, we do like the ability to lock into awd at low speeds. I could see it as being useful, or at least adding some security to what can sometimes be an interesting drive.   Low range is used to engage the shorter gear in the 2 speed differential. You have to be at a complete stop, shift the truck to neutral then set the diff to low and then your speed is limited to 15 mph.   Low does not give you better traction it merely provides more torque and more engine braking.   People who go off road (not dirt or gravel, real off road trails) use low range for maximum engine braking when going down long descents where going over 3 to 10 mph will mean total disaster and relying only on brakes would smoke'um.   People who tow boats can use low range to get pull a boat out of a steep ramp.   If you ever try to drive through deep enough snow where a "low range" is necessary, you will probably be in deep enough to break your axles and end up stranded due to the overall low clearance.   People who actually do the types of things for which a "low range" would be used, would never by a Santa Fe or a CRV to do them, hence its a gimick   Escape has no buttons or knobs because the system is constantly measuring wheel speed differences and can almost anticipate wheel slip and will engage with in the blink of an eye. This system is closer to Honda's SH-AWD on the MDX/RDX then the hydraulic system used on the CRV. Replies to this message: antoninb (Mar 21, 2007 11:33 am)
#17 of 150 Re: You misunderstand the "low range" [mschmal] by antoninb Mar 21, 2007 (11:33 am)
Replying to: mschmal (Mar 21, 2007 7:08 am) Sorry - I think we're both talking cross-purposes here. No problem.   To be clear, I'm not searching for a low gear on any of the vehicles that I'm considering. I merely noticed the ability to lock in AWD at lower speeds (eg below 30 kmh) and liked that feature as a means to ensure maximum traction in situations where I should be driving slowly anyway.
#18 of 150 In that case, by mschmal Mar 22, 2007 (9:06 am)
Escape doesn't need the switch because its system already reacts so quickly.   Mark.
#19 of 150 Like the looks. by difica Mar 22, 2007 (12:08 pm)
I really like the look of that thing, reminds me of the 2nd generation Ford Explorer, but the grille shape is better. Though i like the squared off looks, it looks a bit draggy when compared to the "modern" crossovers, and i suppose that'll hurt the fuel economy somewhat.
#20 of 150 4 speed trans hurts fuel econ more. :( by mschmal Mar 23, 2007 (6:04 am)
6 speed prolly won't arrive until 2009.   Mark

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