Ford Escape

odie6l

and did notice that they are still very similar to the 2001. Plus even though you get the 6-disc you only get 4 speakers. witht the mach in the '01 you got 7 speakers (including the sub). Plus if you don't want certain items. I got everything you could possably get except the leather or pant killers , and I'm very happy. Plus after adding up the items on the 2002 I would have paid more to wait till the 2002. I paid $24,625, On the Choice XLT 4x4 I would have paid $25,200, on the Premium XLT 4x4 (which I don't want leather) I would have paid $25,695.

Odie

hckynut

odie6l. Can't really tell much difference from the outwards appearance of the 2002. Seems like I read a couple things inside they were changing like maybe the back seats laying flatter or something.

With the 2001 equipped exactly as the Premium 2002 that I ordered(which I ordered without the Mach audio option and wouldn't have on the 2001)the cost for the the 2001 was $22,453 and for the 2002 my cost was $22,194.12. Both were with the X-Plan. The way the X-Plan worked for me was looking at the "A/Z Plan price on the invoice in the lower right corner". To this I added 4% and thus the formula for my X-Plan cost.

Guess it depends on which options you want in a particular 2001 versus the 2002 price. My 2002 came out to be $259 cheaper than the 2001 with the exact same equipment. I'm an audio fanatic so I know about the Mach as opposed to just the 6 cd changer. I usually build my own sound systems for my cars and get them exactly the way I like them to sound and not a pre-installed expensive option. Don't know for sure but it seemed like the Mach 7 speaker option was close to $600 on the 2001.
For a lot less than that $600 I can upgrade the amp, speakers and sub and any other little audio toys I like to play with in my cars.

I am also really glad to see the Escape come out with the Satin Silver Metallic color as I have always been fond of that color especially with the metallic.

tedgh

For anyone interested in the 2002 Escape

prices you can find them posted on the two

web sites below.

http://www.kbb.com/

http://www.edmunds.com/

lc9063

Did anybody who got an Escape with X-plan use a dealer in the NYC-WASH corridor. If so, dealers name would be greatly appreciated.

aldehyde

lc9063, I used X plan to get an XLT Escape at Towson Ford Sales in Towson, Maryland. Every dealer I contacted was willing to do X plan but no other dealer had the exact configuration I wanted (moonroof, cloth and no sidebars) but Len Stoler Ford in Owings Mills, MD, Apple Ford in Columbia, MD and Ourisman Ford in Bethesda, MD all offered higher end models than what I wanted at X plan. Two Mazda dealers were also offering S-plan on Tributes (Shaefer and Strominger Mazda, Towson and Russell Mazda, Ellicott City, MD) but again I wanted ABS, moonroof and I hate leather, so it was a hard combo to find. Good luck... try using the www.forddirect.com website to search dealer inventories so you know what models and colors each dealer has available before you call them.

-EC

ken94530

hckynut,

When all doors are locked you can get out the *front* doors without unlocking them -- pulling the levers gets you out locked or unlocked. However, the *rear* doors still require a separate unlocking action. I suppose it makes sense, assuming that adults or more self-controlled persons sit up front and children or less-controlled persons sit in the back?

The odd thing, however, is the physical design of the lever. That little triangular thingy simply looks weird either in the locked or unlocked position!

hckynut

Didn't even get in the back seat so that is some new info. for me and I always appreciate learning more things about a car I have ordered.

I agree with the design of the door lock.I was not driving(she was)when I discovered that I had a problem telling if the door was locked or unlocked. Each time I pushed the handle the door would open and it was a bit confusing to me for a minute there when it the lever opened the door in both postions.

schmidty1963

This morning I took my XLT into the dealer to find out why when my tank is reading empty (just when my low level light comes on) I go to fill the tank up and it only takes 12 gallons instead of like 15 gallons of gas. They ended up calling Ford and talking to a tech rep and he said that the low level light was designed to come on when there is between 2-4 gallons left in the tank. So for all of you that are wondering why your only getting 250 miles before that light comes on now ya know that you have a good 80 miles left before your engine starves ta death.

hckynut

Just ordered the 2002 Thursday, but I will mark that down on my "to remember list".

ruteger

With the miserable gas mileage that nearly everyone is getting (some as low as 14 mpg), I don't think I'd count on being able to go another 80 miles after the low fuel light comes on.

Plus, running out of gas can quickly cause damage to the fuel pump. In most new vehicles, the fuel pump is located *inside* the fuel tank near the bottom. It is designed to always be submerged in fuel to keep it cool during operation. The only way to expose it is to completely exhaust all fuel in the tank. When this happens and the pump continues to run (by continually trying to start a vehicle with an empty gas tank), the fuel pump can quickly overheat and malfunction, requiring a replacement.

The bottom line is if you run your vehicle out of fuel, when you finally get some more fuel into the tank, there is a chance it may not run, anyway, as the fuel pump has now stopped working...

Bode13

Read somewhere that the cladding colors for 2002 Escapes are to be Black and Charcoal. As I understand it, in 2001 it was either Charcoal or Parchment. This would be a tremenous improvement, especially if the black was truly black (or reasonably close) and was offered with the Chrome Yellow, since I think the parchment looks horrible with the yellow.

Anyway, does anyone have info. to this regard? I've e-mailed Ford Cust. Svc. but have yet to receive a reply and thought some of you who have been ordering or negotiating on 2002's might know off hand.

hckynut

Bode13. When we ordered the 2002 Escape last Thursday we were shown the book with the available Exterior and Interior color choices.

I am not sure by "cladding" if you mean the Interior colors or the contrasting color of the plastic(or whatever it is made of)on the lower portion of the exterior and front and rear of the SUV.

We ordered the XLT Premium and the new color called Satin Siver. I believe there was no Interior color option for the Leather with this particular color and Charcoal was it.

I thought for the 2002 there would be a model similar to the Liberty. The Liberty Sport comes with the (contrasting plastic, or again whatever) on the lower, front and rear. The Limited comes with all Paint in it's place. I was hoping the Escape would have this option as I prefer the Solid Paint Color over the contrasting. It didn't show anywhere in my dealers book of an option of All Paint or the Contrast Color.

Don't know if this answered anything for you but it's the best I can give you.

Bode13

....I should have been more specific in my post. The "cladding" I'm referring to is indeed the protective plastic stuff on the rocker panels, fender flares, and bumpers. In 2001 the colors were charcoal and what they called parchment (a very light sort of almost beige/gray color).

The two cladding colors were specific to particular body paint colors (don't ask me to repeat which cladding color came with which body color). But, someone on another Web forum said they thought this year (2002) the cladding color chioces would be charchoal and black, dispensing with the ugly (IMHO) parchment.

Anyway, thanks for your info. I agree, a monochromatic paint scheme on the entire vehicle would be a great addition to the options list, but probably won't happen for at least another year. But, I was thinking of getting the yellow one, and if they would offer that plastic body moulding stuff in black, it would be a nice look. Right now, the one thing that keeps me from going right out and buying one (sounds silly, but looks DO matter) is that the only two colors I'm interested in (and of course it would be a fully loaded XLT Premium 4x4) are the yellow and the black and they both come with that awful parchment cladding color, which essentially resembles the at least halfway decent looking charcoal verison, only after it has been faded by the sun for a couple of years!

tronsr1

If that's all that's keeping you from a purchase...go get a Tribute...that has the painted outside cladding on the top of the line models.

Bode13

I'm having a bad day today with posts. First I was vague. Then I misrepresented what I wanted to say. I meant to say ONE thing not THE one thing. Also, I just like the overall look of the Ford better than the Mazda.

PLUS, I live in Minnesota and my wife used to drive a Mazda 626 that, although I recall no hard evidence of it, she INSISTS was a terrible winter car that was hard to start and didn't do well on snow and ice. So she pretty much refuses to purchase another Mazda. And before you say it, yes I have made her fully aware that for the most part aside from a few superficial styling cues and slightly different suspension tuning they are the same damn vehicle! To that she replies, "I don't care. It's a woman's right to be illogical in matters such as these."

Now how can a guy argue with that? ; ^ )

So we'll probably get the 2002 Escape, and if the body cladding ultimately bothers me that much then I can always take it somewhere and spend a few hundred measly bucks to have the damn stuff painted.

jefferson1964

These came with my XLT they are the black tubular side step Bars that came dealer installed. I did not want them at purchase but had no choice as they were installed at factory. They are a $275 option im selling mine for $100 firm plus shipping if any. They are basically new as i took them off shortly after purchase. Easy to install. I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and can meet you. If interested email me at Jefferson1964@yahoo.com

Thanks, Jeff

tronsr1

You are correct...it is a woman's right to be illogical...and yes...you can always get the cladding painted. I have the parchment gold exterior and parch. leather interior and the cladding is light grey that "looks" like a light tan color. There are only two cladding colors for the 2001 Escape...dark grey and light grey.As for the 2002...I do not know what color options are offered. On the 2001...you get what they give you and that's it.

betsela

I am buying an SUV for the 1st time and not sure how to decide between these two. Comfort is critical as I have a bad back, but they seem comparable (hard to tell till you own the car, but I have driven the Escape for almost 2 hours without a problem and the Highlander for only 15 minutes at a time). Price is not an issue -- there is about 4-5K separating the two, but it may be worth it in terms of Toyota reliability and safety and resale value. I have the feeling the Ford won't hold its value, and its frontal offset crash test results weren't too good, though other crash results were fine. Highlander hasn't been tested yet but Toyotas always do well. I need the v6/4WD combo in the Boston area. I prefer the look of the Escape (didn't like Tribute as much and they are the same car). I also preferred the braking on the Escape to the Toyota, but could live with Toyota braking and looks if someone advised me it's the better way to go. Any advice would be deeply appreciated!

czy4god2

First of all I would like to say i like our escape! I think it is the best! 01 wedgewood blue XLT 4x4!
One Thing does anyone else have this problem of the driverside mirror vibrating?? Figured i would check here before asking dealer! Sometimes dealers are slow on their knowledge.

schmidty1963

Yep, my mirror does the same thing. Usually doesn't start until I hit about 50 mph. I thought maybe mine might be the only one with the problem.

lovethosesuvs

I thought some of the same things you are thinking. I have an Escape on order--should be here next week or the week after.

You're right about holding value--I think Fords don't as much as Toyotas do. Yes, Toyotas are known for their reliability too.

The choice I really wanted wasn't in Toyota's or Honda's lineup--a rugged-looking, V-6 smaller SUV. Something that doesn't look like it would be blown over if you blew too hard (to me the CR-V and RAV-4 look like they would, though I believe they're terrific vehicles).

I too saw the Highlander, but to me it seemed more of a minivan (and if you read the boards, that's the image it's getting)--not the image I was going for. It is a beautiful vehicle though.

So I guess what I'm saying is that what you and I really want is not in existence. I picked the Escape because I was truly happy with the combination of features it offers, but if Toyota or Honda would have a similar vehicle, I would have picked one of theirs.

I have a '99 Ford Escort that I have been very happy with since Day 1--not a stitch of trouble, and it goes and goes without frequent fill-ups, so I'm crossing my fingers that the Escape will not give any problems either (wish I could get the kind of mileage I'm getting now on the Escape!!).

Let us know what choice you made. That's a tough one!

intention

Is there a website listing equipment that can be purchased separately for the Escape? (Cargo Net, SideStep Bars, Roof Rack, etc.)

I'm looking into ordering a 2002 escape. They just couldn't find a 2001 Yellow V6 4x4 for me with the options I wanted.

Any advice you can give on how to get the most for my money, or what I should typically be paying is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

cygnusx1

go look at the Xterra. It can actually go off-road unlike the Escape. Both are about the same size/shape/looks, but I chose the Xterra because of relibility and it is built on a truck frame and had 4 hi and 4 low and skid plates for off-roading/camping. It also has a solid rear axle which is beefier.

odie6l

here you go intention

Http://www.partscheap.com/forda.htm

Happy shopping (but remember the golden rule, Cross Compare and check with a couple of your local ford parts departments)

Odie

macone49

I have the same problem as a couple of you identified. We are on the 2nd driver's side mirror - that seems to be the only one it affects. The dealer has tried and gluing a weight on the back, balancing the tires, etc. and doesn't have a clue. They contacted Ford and are awaiting word back - probably another mirror. To me it's a safety thing and they better figure out a way to fix it. Otherwise it has been a joy and handles quite well on long trips.

ken94530

The Toyota Highlander is categorically a larger SUV. And with its larger size comes a higher price tag. I don't think it's an equivalent comparison with the Escape. It may be closer to the Explorer.

Here are some more links to parts:

http://genuine-ford-parts.com/

http://www.escape-parts.com/

http://www.suvfx.com/

Enjoy!

currey

It is a fact that the Highlander is a mid-size suv, however, while shopping I shopped the Tribute against the Highlander because the feel of both were similar. I actually found that I had more driver side leg room in the Tribute. Just my opinion.

firstname

Did you know that the Escape is shorter than the Honda Accord (by several inches), functionally narrower (due to its door design when fully opened, requiring a narrower parking space), but has more interior room?

lovethosesuvs

I can't say that I'm surprised. To me the Escape is deceiving...looks big but isn't that big. The RAV-4 and CR-V LOOK small, but the Escape looks bigger and beefier. I keep looking at it and wondering how they pulled off the illusion!

indylowflyer

O.K.-if you don't care to read this posting the bottom line is this is fantastic vehicle. So here is why;
I had been waiting almost two years to order one after reading in late 1998 that Ford was going to produce this mini SUV. Ordered a Wedgewood Blue XLT with every option available on 9/02/01 and was given a 6-8 weeks estimate on delivery and then I waited, and waited, and waited. Finally gave up on 11/20/01 after many excuses (as we now know production was stopped, etc.)and no vehicle. I gave up because I saw a red XLT being unloaded at another dealer I happened to be driving by. This had every option and was available for purchase, which I did! I purchased this for my wife who drives it day to day.We took delivery on approximately 11/22/00. We had one recall(wipers) which nothing wrong was found. We now have 7500 miles on it and nothing,NOT ONE THING, has gone wrong. I just returned from a 500 mile round trip with four adults and gear driving 75 to 80 m.p.h. and averaged 24 m.p.g.! Everyone had plenty of room and the ride was very smooth.
Here are my pros and a few cons:
Pros: XLT 200 horsepower engine is fantastic, very responsive.Handling/ride: great ride and very good handling for a suv-this is a blast to drive. Roominess: I'm 6'4" and am amazed at the room in front and back. The seats are firm, but comfortable.Stereo: The six disc in-dash stereo is well worth the $500+ option. It sounds great! Four-wheel drive: Only drove in eight inches of snow for a couple of days this past winter, but it was a hoot. It was alot of fun to toss around and the four-wheel drive system was very good.Well-built: This vehicle is very "tight" and still is rattle free. I checked the seams and alignment of doors etc. before buying and was impressed. Competition: I checked-out the RAV4 and the CRV and there was no comparision in roominess and horsepower. These two were severely lacking in horsepower and interior room.
Cons: I would like to see an electronics option that includes outside temperture, compass, miles to empty, miles per gallon, etc. Firestone tires; Our came with these as standard equipment and I do not feel these will remain on our Escape as I plan on replacing even at my own expense. I question why only 29 p.s.i. is recommended as I feel this not enough. I keep 34 p.s.i. and found this to be best, the max pressure is listed as 44 p.s.i.,however,definately do not inflate anywhere close to this pressure.
Overall: I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a mini SUV. This is key as this is not a mid-size or luxury SUV. I feel for less than $26,000 sticker this is a great value. Value= quality and price. I have not experienced any problems reported on this site such as gas smell or stalling. I feel Ford has done a good job on design and build of this vehicle and no I do not work for or have anything to do with this company. In fact this is only the second Ford we have owned.(the first was a 1993 SHO with manual-another great vehicle). We traded-in my wife's Honda Accord on the Escape and have not missed it one bit. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone and would buy again.

dkahn2

Just had my 2001 Escape XLT 4WD (May, 2001 purchase; 2800 miles) towed to the dealer. As car was in reverse, the gear shift lever popped from reverse into neutral. The shifter would then not shift out of neutral. Car could be started, but not shifted.

Has anyone experienced this problem?

firstname

Wow. From the last two posts, I would guess that Ford assembly workers got drunk on the job occasionally and really screwed up some units coming off the line! Others come off perfect as designed.

estelle2

--At another Ford Escape site, a member posted this possible solution to this
problem.
He said he read in the Ford Escape Repair Manual that disconnecting the battery
for 20 minutes and then reconnecting it will cause the computor in the car to
reset. It seems the computor will program itself to the initial driver's driving
habits. This means that the person who: test drove your car, delivered it between dealers, or
backed it off of the tractor trailer, may have had a heavy foot when pulling out etc., and
programmed the computor with these driving characteristics.

hckynut

Like anyone working a manufacturing job as I did for the Western Electric/AT&T/Lucent/Avaya Company. Worked the Midnight shift for many years and the Sunday Nights(Monday to most)the quality of everything produced in the cable shop was at it lowest of the week. Don't know if this still holds true, but I hope the 2002 Escape I have on order is made on any day but a Monday.
Superstitious? Maybe! But also have a little a lot of factory experience and shift and day of the week quality percentages. Midnight shifts and Monday's are not a good mix.

Just my opinion based on my life in manufacturing for 33 years.I retired in 1991 and haven't missed going to work at Midnight one iota.

bjbird2

I looked at the Rav-4, Escape,the new Jeep and the Santa Fe today, and before today I would not have considered a Hyundai. After driving them, I think the Santa Fe is the best value in the category today. It rides and handles very well, feels solid, and I can get a loaded Santa Fe for the price of a stripped down 4 cylinder Rav 4.I can remember when people used to bash the Japanese cars for quality, and they ultimately had the last laugh. It appears that the Korean cars have improved considerably and you can still get them at a great price, with the best warranty out there, 10 years, 100K miles on the drivetrain, 5 years 60K miles bumper to bumper and 5 years roadside assistance. I say buy before everyone catches on and drives the price up to match the rest of the world. I'd rather invest the $10K or $20K I'll save. By the way, I noticed the Santa be was getting a lot of admiring looks.

bess

bjbird,
At the top of the screen it indicates this is the 'Ford Escape' discussion..

The price point of the Escape is about the same as the Sante Fe. Extended warranties from Ford are available but not really needed. All of this for a vehicle that the same interior capacity as the Sante Fe, but drasticly out performs it in acceleration, handling and braking.

indylowflyer

You must be looking through rose colored glasses, the Sante Fe is ugly. The Escape is now in the 2002 model year for orders and should be past the first year new vehicle glitches. Also, I would guess resale is worse on the Sante Fe.

bajabill

why would you guess the resale to be worst on the SF?

Factor in,
fords first model year image
amount/availability of new escapes
amount/availability of new SF

ford is going to push these on the market real hard, much more than the first year, and I guess that we may see some price competition, which Ford will certainly win that battle with Hunday. You know what effect soft new pricing has on resale value?

Indy, I wish I could believe your scenario would play out, but history is not on your side. who knows, this one could buck the trend. Regardless, placing too much interest in marginal PREDICTED resale differences is not wise.

bjbird2

I understand this is the Escape site, but if you read my message, I've been shopping and looking at most of the similar vehicles, including the Escape. If you want me to be more specific, I would not buy the Escape because the Seats are the most uncomfortable of the 9 vehicles I've driven, and I was not alone with this opinion. My wife said the same thing with no prompting from me.It's like sitting on a board, and would be very uncomfortable on a long trip. the salesman even admitted he has heard this from customers. Now do I belong on this site? I'm sure you didn't want to hear that.

bess

I'm happy to hear anything you have to say.. Each person is entitled (and encouraged) share to their opinions..
I thought it was interesting that you post on the Escape board your preference for the Hyundai and then went on to compare the Hyundai mostly to the Toyota product.. You then mentioned the 'value' was much better than the Rav4. Also you mentioned the solid handling of the Hyundai.
I simply pointed out that in my opinion the Escape equaled or surpassed the Hyundai in performance, handling and value..

bjbird2

but not comfort... and I don't agree that the Escape is an equal value. You get much more for your money in the Santa Fe.

ken94530

On the Sante Fe? Or ridiculous curiosity for an ugly duckling? It can go either way. Personally I do not think it looks too bad.

I did notice, however, that the Sante Fe looks SMALL. Is it a grossed-out station wagon or an enlarged hatchback? That was my reaction. Can't carry much, could it? That was my thought. What is it good for? That was my concern.

Admittedly, I envy its rear disc brakes -- top of the line model I presume.

hckynut

I ordered a 2002 Escape about 10 days ago. The seats were also one of the things I did not like. Now have a Grand Prix GT with Leather and it's like sitting in an easy chair compared to the Escape. But I also noticed there was a very distinct difference in the comfort of the Leather versus the cloth(or whatever it is made of)interior. Neither of them comes close to the GP/GT seat comfort, but the value overall to me is well worth not being quite as cushy as my Grand Prix Leathers. With the X-Plan and all I couldn't justify buying any of the others I drove including the Santa Fe. All of them seemed like too much more money, or not enough car for the same price as the 2002 Escape. I liked the Liberty seats the best of the ones I drove, but it took a long time to find a dealer that had one with leather.

When we take long trips we always rent a car anyway. I like to keep all of my cars "Low Mileage" and Excellent Condition when I sell them after 3 years. Have done that since the mid '60's with all of my cars and have done well selling them for the upper end of the price scale for their particular year and model.

lovethosesuvs

The salesperson said my Escape would arrive either Saturday or Monday, so I went this morning by the dealership and they had just offloaded it from the semi! In fact, the semi was still sitting there on the lot and took off a few minutes later.

It's a beautiful vehicle! It's the Dark Highland Green with leather and moonroof.

It's all full of bugs right now (it was on the top level of the truck, the guy said), so they've got some prep work to do. He said I'd get it in a few days. S'ok with me; I have things I need to get done this week and would rather wait till the end of the week anyway.

It was sitting next to a Wedgewood Blue with grey leather and privacy glass that had also just come in. It was nice, but very cold looking compared to my green exterior/parchment interior.

It is a handsome vehicle!

hckynut

lovethosesuvs. Is your SUV a 2001 or 2002? I am supposed to hear something tomorrow(Aug.1)about the build date for my 2002. Just wondering if they have shipped any 2002's yet.
Thanks

indylowflyer

I too feel the leather seats in my XLT are firm,however at 6'4" I feel they are comfortable. I just did a 500 mile jaunt in one day and found the seats to be very comfortable-felt I like I could have done another 500 miles. I have read postings about the Jeep Liberty having very uncomfortable seats. No excuse, but these vehicles don't cost as much as a Grand Prix GT. These are MINI SUVS with M.S.R.P.s below $26,000. Hey, you could always install a couple of Recaros and still save money. Or spend another $10,000 to $15,000 for a "luxury/upscale SUV with better seats.

skulczyk

I'm in the process of buying a 2002 XLT, and my only remaining decision is should it be 2wd or 4wd. I live in the Northeast (Buffalo to be specific) and have owned front wheel drive vehicles before, all have performed very well in the snow. I don't do a whole lot of off-goading and don't plan on doing any towing (I owned a Taurus wagon for 7 years with a trailer hitch and never used it once). I guess I'm wondering if anybody out there that has a 2wd Escape could give me some feedback on how it handles in adverse weather conditions. Being that there a $1600 difference between 2wd and 4wd I want to make an informed decision. Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Steve

currey

The Tribute has the same seats, however, at first they seem harder then most too. Yet, when I put in a ten hour drive from Miami to Pensacola in one sitting, I have to admit that the seats never entered my mind much less became uncomfortable (not to mention that at 6' 2" I loved the fact that I could stretch my legs out perfectly straight). Just my opinion.

indylowflyer

I don't live in Buffalo, but I would think that it is definitely a city where you want 4 wheel-drive. $1600 seems well worth it for the added safety/convience. Plus, resale- I would think 4WD would be a big plus. Just my two cents worth err......I mean $1600 worth!

lovethosesuvs

It's a 2001 (didn't want the privacy glass that is standard in the 2002--I'm with rsholland in that I want to build my own vehicle so I want to be able to pick and choose).

The waiting really gets to a person, doesn't it? Hang in there--seeing my Escape out on the lot is a great feeling, even if I can't pick it up for a few days!