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SUVs Ford Escape 2008 Ford Escape
150 messages, Last post on Oct 08, 2009 at 7:37 AM
You are in the Ford Escape Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
My Mustang is Vista Blue and I hate the fact that the same color is offered on more plebian conveyances.  Incidently, if you want choice, take a look at a F-Series SD order guide. All choices do in these times of cut production is piss the guy off who thinks he can walk onto a lot and find a certain car he built on the website. Like a 5 speed 4 cylinder Premier Milan. No dealer wastes there limited allocation to order a car like that. Mark. |
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| Took delivery of a 2008 escape last week. So far the car runs great, handles well and I like just about everything about it. One strange issue: During the last 5 or 10 feet of a stop I can hear a noise that follows the rotation of the wheels. It's like a pad is not perfect and has a high spot. Several people have told me with todays drum brakes you can have these noises but they go away. I hate to have the dealer touch it if I can help it. Anyone else heard this? | |
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Replying to: cgb002 (Sep 07, 2007 6:58 am) -Ron |
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Weighing the pros and cons of buying a Ford Escape or Toyota RAV4 or Hyundai Santa Fe (all 6 cylinder models).....any comments from current owners would be greatly appreciated!
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The reason for buying a hybrid is not always a matter of whether the difference in cost will ever be recovered and/or whether your "driving habits" are such that a significant increase in MPG will be realized. The sooner the car salesmen get off the "cost recovery" mindset, and we consumers think beyond only $-MPG benefits, the better off we will all be. We should all be thinking in terms of how to improve our "green report cards". Buying a hybrid vehicle rather than it's comparable gas-engine model is only one method among hundreds of others. It's a fact that hybrid vehicles contribute to a better environment. To what degree is not always clear, but doing something is better than doing nothing at all. (Even if gas prices exceed $4.00 per gallon, most hybrids will unlikely recoup their extra cost at the pump). Making a determined effort to reduce greenhouse emissions is a sensible step toward preserving our environment. Even if what we do eventually turns out to be not enough, at least we will have slowed down the warming process allowing us and technology more time to adapt to the changes that come from climate change. Hybrids burn cleaner, and as a result their emissions contribute less to smog. Hybrids by nature get more MPG than their gasoline equivalents, and every gallon of gasoline we burn produces 20 pounds of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Per Kermit the frog, "It's not easy being green" and I accept that, so I will continue to wait for my "backordered" Ford Escape. Rnarg
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Replying to: rnarg (Sep 07, 2007 9:27 pm) While I agree strongly with everything you say, it was explained to me that the hybrid only runs on electric power when the vehicle is traveling under 45 mph. Once you exceed that speed, it switches over to gas power. Very rarely do I find myself in stop-and-go traffic nor do I travel many roads with speed limits under 40 mph, so I'd be using gas power most of the time, except when stopping at occassional traffic lights and stop signs. With its 4-cylinder gas engine, the hybrid just didn't provide the kind of power I'd need for the kind of driving I do. Now, if I didn't believe in improving the environment and reducing emmissions, I wouldn't have been shopping for a hybrid in the first place. I still wish it would have worked out for me, but until they can improve the technology to increase the capacity of the electric engine, I will have to stick with what I have. Good luck with your new hybrid and let us know how you like it! Ladyblue 
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Replying to: ebr (Sep 07, 2007 1:34 pm) We looked seriously at all three. To begin with the excessive cost of financing for Hyundai and Toyota were early turnoffs. Neither has satellite. We really liked the Santa Fe, but couldn't understand why (in Canada) a 6-cd, satellite or aux-input wasn't available. We're both tall, and lack of leg room in Toyota, Hyundai and Mitsubishi was also an issue. In the end, we were able to get a better deal with the local Ford dealer, and I'm willing to accept that quality is approaching Japanese / Korean territory. The 4-speed tranny and rear drum brakes were early turnoffs for the Escape. |
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Hybrids really don't help the environment at all. Especially if you include the impact of the strip mining used to get enough copper and rare metals for the Hybrid battery pack. Then there is the cost of disposal. 3rd, any minisule contribution done by the individual as far as carbon emission is concerned is already off set a hundred fold by increases in China. China plans to open an average of 1 coal fired electric plant per week for the forseeable future. Now for Lady Blue. The FEH runs in electric launch mode up to 25mph. This is the point at which Ford determined that continuing to run on battery discharges the battery pack so quickly as to be less effecient than starting the gas motor. 2nd, just because the gas motor is running, does not mean you are using the same amount of gas as you would use in the exact same circumstances in the Gas Escape. Remember that in a Hybrid, all three power sources can be called upon. The ICE, the ETM, and the HVB. (Internal combustion engine, electric traction motor, and high voltage battery). All three can work together. For instance if you pull quickly into traffic, the gas motor is running, but if you have a full charge in the HVB, the ICE my run at a lower RPM and call for acceleration assistance from the ETM and the HVB. Remember, the ETM is more effecient than the ICE at producing low rpm torque to get you moving. The hybrid is a transition technology. Mark |
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Mark---Thanks for your comments regarding the workings of the Escape's power plant. I have observed and experienced the power changes taking place as you outline. I have noticed a couple of things that the operator can control to a degree without much effort. 1. when you start from a standstill, pressing the accelerator lightly and gradually (watching the instrument panel guage to make sure it doesn't leave the "green" electric mode) you can get to 40MPH without the gas engine kicking in. This for some drivers may take some change in "driving habits"---(can't gun-it from a standstill. The driver must press the accelerator as though there is an egg between his shoe and the accelerator or else the gasoline power may kick on. 2. Run your AC only when necessary. It's been my observation that when the AC is on the gasoline engine is also on no matter what the speed. ( You can press the economy mode button if you desire to shut down the gas engine when you are at a standstill) Obviously, the gasoline engine will run more frequently in the year round warm climate areas of Florida where AC may be a must. Also I agree that the "hybrid in itself" isn't what is contributing to better air quality. It is the fact of the better MPG of the hybrid when compared to the SAME VEHICLE in gasoline form that contributes to better air quality. As mentioned earlier, every gallon of gasoline we burn produces 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Logically then, for every gallon of gasoline a hybrid saves as compared to its equivalent gasoline powered twin, there is 20 lbs less carbon dioxide placed in our atmosphere. That's not "B.S.", that's a logical conclusion. RE China comment: Just because one's neighbor continues to drive their V-8 SUV rather than an Escape gas or hybrid SUV shouldn't be reason enough for one to give up hope on helping out with improving our atmosphere. Sometimes there are other reasons and conditions people do the things they do, but regardless, that gives us the challenge of convincing them to change their ways. It may take some time, but eventually they will change. (I believe it's just a matter of time until the Chinese realize that a BUICK is NOT the most desirable car in the world, so I think pollution will eventually be on their change agenda as well) In any event, my advise (for what it's worth) is don't throw in the towel quite yet. Everyone should do what they can to help out our environment. Even if we fail, at least our future generations of children will be able to look back and say, "hey, at least they tried". Rnarg |
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| Rented a 2008 Escape AWD limited for the weekend, drove 400 miles. The vehicle had 7k miles. After driving 245 miles of which 180 were highway at 65-70 mph I got 23mpg. I was surprised how much stuff I was able to get in it. I thought it handled excellent. On some roads it was a little noisy, and the gas pedal seemed a little lite, at 65 mph you only needed to push it down a 1/2 inch. Now I wish I could find the new Saturn View to rent so I could compare it to the Ford. Love the blue dash lights. | |
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