Just bought the 2002 Escape XLT with almost everything. I have about 200 miles on my vehicle. Till now I find the PT very refreshing, handling great and response good. I have had no problems at all. But I do dislike the shoddy materials in the interior, Ford can benefit from changing this.
I think I feel a draft coming in from the door locks while driving. Does anyone else have this problem. Please let me know.
Also the PT is a little bit noisy to my liking. Perhaps that's what happens when everything else is great !!!. We had same experience with Toyota also.
.................that draft you feel maybe a vacuum that's occuring as your passing Bob in his tribute as he is franticly trying to restart his in neutral............
I purchased my Escape 2 weeks + 1 day ago! My 1st new car EVER! I have been looking since Feb. and with the interest rates could not put off the inevitable any longer. Ck'd out everything (almost) on the market... wanted the Highlander but, when they would not go under $29,500 for 2002 corporate exc's demo w/12,000 miles I could not justify the difference in sales price + interest + the X-Plan. I do not regret the decision one little bit. Thank you to all of you who posted the questions, answers and information re: the X-Plan. I had been quoted $500 above invoice prior to my finding out about the plan... called the dealer to see if they participated (they did) and asked if I could still purchase the vehicle through them... No problem. It was the smoothest purchase ever. Scary really...no pressure...no add-ons. I was approved and gone in 30 minutes w/a beautiful 2002 Dark Highland green XLT 4x2 Premium + Moon roof Escape. Approx. $700 saved
on your new Escape! I also have a Dark Highland Green XLT, but a 4X4. You will have many happy miles in your new vehicle.
Isn't it great to have a truck! I've hauled lots of big stuff home from the hardware store, like a big wrought iron patio table, that I never would have been able to with my little Escort (which I was happy with, but it was time to get more practical!).
SUV (silly urban vehicle) practical or fashion statement ? I'd consider a hatchback van or some such practical but not a mini SUV (am looking forward to the HEV Escape in a couple years though) but the sex appeal will probably cost a few extra grand. Could/might get HEV Civic if I want practical. Rob Fruth Houston
I had a hatchback twice and absolutely loved them. Try finding a mid-size 4-door hatchback these days along the lines of a Pontiac Phoenix or a Plymouth Sundance. Good luck...this is the size you will need to even start to compete with the interior room of the Escape. Still does not have the height either that makes loading/unloading getting in/out of the vehicle so easy. I'm telling you, they are not out there.
When you get to a certain point in your life, you just want something that says you are continuing to become more successful in life. A bigger vehicle such as an SUV gives that--good for the image and practical too, a statement that a hatchback cannot make. I cannot even believe I'm even commenting on this, so let me say...
I bought a 2002 XLT Premium 2 wheel drive- dark blue. Got it for $300 over invoice- they were being too nice at the dealership so I thought I was getting screwed, but TMV says I got a good deal. AAA pricing plan.
We love the car- lots of fun. Dissapointed with the gas mileage- last tank got 15mpg. Could something be wrong with the car that effects mileage?
bruceville. We have the XLT Premium and in a combination of city/interstate miles have yet to get under 21mpg. The lady drives it over 95% of the time and I can guarantee you if I was to drive it the mileage average would be even better. Reason being? Her Right Foot is much heavier than mine.
The first think to look into when question MPG is the amount of weight being used by the driver on the accelerator pedal. You could have a problem, but from reading this board and responses from many about their mileage my suspicions would lead me to suggest easing up a bit when pressing the "Move Pedal".
Not meant to be confrontational in anyway towards you. Just mentioning a few of my opinions backed by a few of my own real experiences with gas mileage figures.
The Cleveland and Windsor engines were more than just different heads. The 351C was a semi-hemi design like the Boss 302 and very few parts were similar to the 351W. I wanted to get a Mustang, but when I got back from nam, I had to get a 72 and did not like that body.
That pontoon boat that is being towed by a Tribute: Depending on length, the boat may weigh 2500 lbs empty, but with trailer, motor and gear is probably more like 3500-4500 lbs. If you have weighed it and it scales at 2500 lbs, great. If not, please weigh it at the nearest scale with full tank and normal load. Even so, be careful because a short platform vehicle like the Escape/Tribute is going to suffer more from wind and emergency braking situations. If you have hydraulic brakes, consider replacing them with the new electric brakes for boat trailers. They are a much improved safety feature.
is just one of the huge advantage the Escape has over other small utes like the RAV4, CRV, Forester. I needed some towing power to tow my wave runner. No problems whatsoever! Escape handles the tow like a charm. Even with 4 people, gear in the back the Escape still pulls strong.
Just purchased a Parchment Gold 2001 XLS V6 front wheel drive Escape. Traded in a 2000 Mitsu Galant GTZ, the Escape will blow the doors off the Galant! Great V6, very roomy interior, and looks like a smaller version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Much better looking than any of the other small-SUV's out there. I kinda hate that term "mini SUV" because it doesn't seem to apply to these vehicles. Oh well, the big SUV guys can laugh all they want as we dust their doors LOL!
Just changed the oil @ 1000 Miles (I always do that with our new vehicles, just to drain the residual "break-in" metal that settles in the oil). Anyway, anyone else notice that the only 5W-20 oil available is made by Motorcraft? Is this Fords' way of grabbing a little extra $$, by making your only Oil choice a Ford product?
It's not a big deal, just seems kinda coincidental, BTW, the oil is in a bright orange container and sells for $1.77/qt at Wal-Mart. Not bad considering that it's a "synthetic-blend". Draining that 5W20 is like draining water however, the stuff will really shoot out when it's draining, better have a good sheet of plastic down when attenmpting this at home
Texaco havoline also has a 5w-20 but the cost is about the same as the motorcraft.. Amsoil also makes a fully synthetic 5w-20, but at over $5 a quart and only supports 7500 mile changes, so a waste of money in my opinion.
I found the Havoline at a local auto store (I think it was auto zone or parts america or something like that).
I took my Escape in (to the dealer) for its first oil change. When I asked about using 5W20 instead of 5W30, they told me there would be an extra $22 charge just for the oil!!!!!!!
At 5-6 quarts at $1.77/can, I find this charge beyond unreasonable. What gives?
As I understand it, and I posted previously, the 5W20 Motorcraft Oil that Ford ' recommends ' is being hawked for corporate fuel averages only d/t slippery nature of semi-synthetic. I've talked with several mechanics ( at least one Master Mechanic ) and they say it will not affect the warranty in the least if you use 5W30, 10W30 full parafin based, semi-synthetic, or full synthetic. The Master mechanic recommends changes every 3K miles ( who doesn't ) with regular oil but that can be bumped up to 5K miles with a full synthetic. I'm switching to a full synthetic at the next oil change. The $ 20.00 surcharge for 5W20 oil is excessive under teh circumstances. If you like to get your oil changed, buy your own oil, 5W20 or otherwise and take it to your favorite shop. It'd be a bit cheaper, and the shop should reduce the price.
Sorry, but I've just got to gripe about Ford's new 'packages' concept. Intead of allowing you to pick from a long and supposedly confusing list of options, they have now "simplified" things by giving each model of the Escape 3 different package levels. From each of these packages, there are a few additional options that can be added.
Perhaps I'm just weird, but the packages just don't match up to what I like in the Escape. I realize that if I bought off the lot at a dealership, that I would be getting something along these lines anyway, but if I want to order my Escape, shouldn't I have more freedom to choose what I want?
rugen. After shopping the 2001 Escape we decided to wait until production of the 2002's. With the 2001 options we wanted it would have cost us close to $200 more for the same SUV than in the 2002 XLT Premium Package.
I have something about saving money and also ordering new vehicles with exactly what I want on them. If none of the Escape packages had matched my preferences I would not have bought one.
With packages it's a "give/take" situation. It's great if the vehicle you are looking to buy/order has a package with exactly what you would order it with without being a package. But if it has things that you plain just don't like or want, it's a call you have to make.
My only complaints with Ford Motor Company and Ford Credit is they came out with the Zero(0)% Percent financing less than 2 weeks after we took delivery of our 2002 XLT Premium and they would not even entertain the thought of at least going back to the beginning of the month in which these huge savings were introduced.
The other is that they knew of the Gear Shift Lever Problem. Now they come out with a fix for that, more cup holders and more heavily padded seats. I can do without the cup holders and I understand they cannot change the seats. But I would think that they would offer the Updated Shift Lever to all that own an Escape be it a 2001 or 2002. As everyone that owns or has driven an Escape for any length of time will tell you. The Shift Lever almost completly blocks access to things you use all the time on the dash. I can't visualize this being a high cost fix that Ford Motor Company could do to better Consumer Relations with those that have recently purchased either model of the Escape.
for the gear shift lever problem, just out of curiosity? I love having the shifter on the column instead of on the floor, and I've learned to work around it to get to the controls for the radio and a/c.
To be honest, the shift lever doesn't bother me at all.. I've never had any problem reaching radio or other dash controls..
I do have a preference for the wiper controls to be on the left signal lever, and lights on the left dash like my other ford trucks. I don't really like the 3rd wiper lever concept.. However I don't feel strongly enough about to avoid purchasing the Escape.. It looks great, runs great, extremely functional, comfortable to drive, and an overall awsome vehicle..
lovethosesuvs. The way I read the report of the changes was that the shift lever would be shorter and shaped differently to avoid exactly your comment of ", and I've learned to work around it to get to the controls for the radio and a/c."
With a known problem such as this(at least it is to me)I would maintain as I said in my previous reply that Ford Motor should at least offer this Free Change to those Espcape owners that would prefer not to "learn to work around it".
Remember it is very possible for a driver while working around this problem to bump the shift lever. Depending on what speed you are traveling and the type of road you are driving this could conceivably lead to a major problem.
Again to me it is a simple fix for Ford Motor and one they should offer(FREE)to those that own the Escape.
yes, it would be great if Ford could replace it for everyone out there.
but I don't agree that it would be a simple fix. you gotta yank the steering wheel and probably tear apart the whole steering column to change it. could be a 4-5 hour job easy.
I just read a news article online that said the Escape would not be included in Ford's extended 0% financing to Nov. 20th. Does anyone know if this is true?
first thanks to you guys i avoided paying msrp ($26,292 in NYC) for a fully loaded xlt 4x4. the help required is with a couple of things. this will be my first new car. so how do i join the xplan? also what price should i be looking for on the escape desribed above? or should i opt for a tribute?
I only found 2 references to the mirror ssshhhaakking issue (#954 & 956). It is also only on the driver side. I am aware of the message indicating that it is caused by manually moving the mirror -such as when washing the car with a brush I guess-and so damages the mechanism. I admit to doing this while cleaning the mirror, but on both sides - but the problem is only on the driver side. I have taken it in twice-still no fix. They indicated they would call their "hotline", but still no call to me to bring it in. I believe that I am my best advocate, but I need accurate and detailed information. Has anyone had this problem and what was the specific fix that was applied. Tnx
A really easy way to get the x-plan is to join the Experimental Aircraft Association (www.eaa.org). It costs $35 for a one-year membership, but it gets you the x-plan. I just ordered a fully loaded XLT 4x4 Premium last Saturday after joining the EAA last Thursday! The only thing I did not order was the side step bars. The sticker will be about $25,840 and the x-plan price about $24,000. No questions asked either on the price, it just is what it is. Hope this helps you out!
Yesterday I emailed two dealers in my area (L.A.) and both said no, the 0% will not be offered on the Escape.
And then, one said this
"Because of the overwhelming success of the 0% A.P.R. financing over the last few weeks, we no longer have fleet allocation on Escapes and I would not be able to honor the "X" Plan program."
Nice, huh?
Obviously, I won't be buying from them.
Another one said,
"We have a pretty good selection right now and I think that the availibility in the future may be a liitle more limited."
Wonder what that means? I asked, he never replied.
I don't know what I'm going to do now. Maybe they'll be some good deals around X-Mas, but who knows.
It means, keep your options open on what dealership you buy from.. All dealerships get different allotments based on many various categories such has previous sales etc.. The allotments determine how many Escapes a particular dealership can be guaranteed to get.
Some of their statements are obvious attempts to influence you to buy sooner rather than later.. (can you blame them?)
On the 'non-availability' of x-plan, I've not heard of this, but it is my understanding that FoMoCo re-imberses the dealership some costs..
So if a dealership doens't want to do x-plan, it's probably because they prefer to sell the few Escapes they have an allotment for at MSRP type pricing, because their low allotment for Escape prevents them from selling large numbers of Escapes..
Dealerships with large allotments will probably have no problem selling Escapes at x-plan prices.
There is NO substitute for doing your homework. Knowledge is the real power in buying so don't be lazy. Otherwise you get roped in by the seller's slanted information which is there to make you pay too much for what the seller wants to move. Since YOUR money alone makes the deal go, First make the effort to discover exactly what YOU really want so you can't be compromised easily. Next go to a site that posts detailed prices, especially invoice prices and add things up so you know, and believe me, the seller will pick up that you know! Use Competition: don't let yourself be dependent or loyal to any one seller, they will read that too. Don't stop until you have contacted more than enough of the competition. Someone will read your buying knowledge and how you approach them and offer the competitive deal.
If you are a woman or anyone who doesn't want to pay a commission salesman to haggle with them for hours or days, just buy through X-Plan using the fleet manager. Investigate that!
Remember that competition rules. There are about 5000 Ford dealers competing against each other and dealing for your business because the Escape assembly line is cranking very fast and because they have other popular Ford vehicles to support their volume selling. Mazda is assembling half as many Tributes but they have only about 900 dealers and the dealers aren't competing locally. They are stonewalling the buyers to support their operations. They don't have enough other popular vehicles to volume sell. So if you can, be an Escape buyer instead of a Tribute buyer in this situation. That's a worthwhile compromise to consider at this time since the two are so similar. And don't forget the servicing. 5000 Ford dealers are everywhere when you need them or when you want a second quote! But investigate your local situation! KNOW!
Well said. I picked Ford, as I am a woman and wanted more options for selection and service (there's only one Mazda dealership in town, and legendary horror stories associated with them).
When you speak knowledgeably, you are in a far better situation, and can get things done quicker, and on your terms. I recently bought furniture for my living room and did extensive research on the Internet before I ever went into a store. I found what I wanted in one store and then researched two other stores to get the best price and options. It was worth it. Knowledge is power.
that info helps big time. i am hoping that i can join and use the xplan for my purchase too. i am looking at the tribute a lil more. i like the interior and bumpers a lil more. i am stuck in the middle at this point. the only issue is there aren't as many mazda dealers as ford where i am at. i am going to fill out eaa stuff now. thanks again.
I agree. Knowledge is power. This is especially true for women, who have a better chance of being treated poorly (or just being ignored) while visiting the dealer.
Here is what happened to me. I visited four dealerships and made email contact with 6 others. I was totally ignored at one dealer and asked where my husband was at another. I heard many different stories. None were true.
1) PRICE I was told everything from "We are selling at retail only" to being lied to about invoice price (I was told that it was $400 under retail because "there just isn't any mark up on these.") Invoice information is available on this web site as well as on Ford's. Go to the dealer with the print out. Needless to say, the difference is well over $400 dollars
2) X-Plan I found one dealer out of the ten that I contacted who was willing to honor X-plan on this vehicle, but one is all that I need. I will have to drive 45 minutes to pick it up when it comes in, but the drive will be well worth it. I contacted this dealer by email, was given the price quote within an hour, and had the purchase order in my hands within a day. This is a no-haggle price. After my experience with the other 9 dealers, I am sure that I would not have received as good a price on my own. I highly recommend this program.
3) Be Persistent Given #1 and #2 above, you need to figure out exactly what you want before you go looking. Sign up for the X-plan and find a dealer who will honor it. They are out there.
I am ordering my red 2002 XLT 4x4 Choice with leather and side step bars this week. I chose the parchment interior. It is a new option on the red this year, and it looks great, especially in the leather. My current car (I have had it for 15 years) is gray on the inside and the outside. I was ready for a change.
Before I finalize my order, does anyone have anything to say about side airbags?
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. Knowledge is power, and your willingness to share information has made my first new car purchase a better experience.
How loyal do you have to be? I used Ford credit to purchase a '01 Ford Supercrew in June. Will there be a coupon in my mailbox soon? I'm very interested in buying a 2002 Escape for my wife - soon. Should I wait for this coupon?
The way I look at it, anything that enhances my safety is worth the price, so I ordered mine with the side air bags. Not all collisions are "good" ones where the front bags will be enough protection. The possibility of a side or offset crash is enough to make me want them, even if all they do is blow the door glass out instead of letting it shower in during a crash. Anyway, just my 2¢ worth!
On a pragmatic note, my insurance rates were lowered somewhat (~ $25/half) because we ordered our 2002 XLT with the side-impact air bags. The bags themselves are mounted in the front seats, so when we took delivery, I had a few minutes problem actually FINDING them...I was expecting to find something of a 'bulge' in the door upholstery. Having them in the seats looks exactly like units without the airbags...except for a small decal on the side of the seat!
I also concur with the safety issues....I've been a passenger in a crash where the side bags deployed...it's startling just how quick they 'appear'....but they DID help....nothing broken, no serious injuries, and the side bags were part of the reason !
I keep hearing about a few changes for the 2002 Escape, supposedly beginning production in December.
Are they moving the shifter to the floor or simply shortening the lever? I drove a Tribute and couldn't stand having that lever blocking my radio volume/on-off button!
After logging 5K miles on the Escape, I've come to enjoy this vehicle a lot more each day. I'm consistently getting 18+ MPG predominantly in town. The V6 is a nice powerplant which has plenty of reserve power for moving around traffic and congestion. I would recommend to all interested in acquiring an Escape to empower yourselves through knowledge. I agree with the previous posts about this. Also, it may help if you live in an area with multiple Ford dealerships to go straight to the ' Fleet Sales '. These guys are paid straight salary, not commission like regular sales types. They also may get a small commission form the dealer and Ford on the number of vehicles sold. My experience over the last ten years has been positive using this process. A Credit Union or other financial institution can recommend you to the ' Fleet Dept. ' Be aware that popular vehicles ( like the Escape ) will always be tagged for MSRP if dealers think that they can get away with it.
canadatwo. To the contrary it is an easy fix. I have a friend that has been a GM certified tech(mechanic)for over 15 years. He got all the info on the shift lever change from a relative of his who happens to work as a certified tech at a local Ford Dealership and has been there for 5+ years.
According to the info the Ford Tech received from the department of R&D from Ford Motor Company it is rated as a .75 time basis for Ford repairs and/or replace charges. This means it is less than an hour and even a today's high tech costs this is a small amount for Ford to cover considering the much larger Re-calls they have been involved with in the past.
I doubt that every Escape owner, for example "lovethosesuvs " who has "learned to work around it" would even take the time to have it done. My guess from where I sit and the info I've gotten from those that work in the Auto Repair Business at Dealerships, they have problems even getting car owners to come in for major "Recalls" and I think it is highly doubtful there would be a monumental rush to the Ford Dealerships to have this "simple fix" taken care of on their Escapes.
Some of this is JMO, some are based on what has happend on other things and several are just plain facts.
I got tired of trying to convince myself that my Escape wasn't a cheaply made time-bomb, so I sold it. Ford obviously did some good engineering on the Escape, but they get a D- for the end product. I will never buy another car with a plastic intake manifold and a solid plastic dash again.
charleywb. I kept reading your post trying to find what this "time bomb" on your Escape was. Are you saying the intake manifold is going to explode, or the dash is going to blow up in your face?
I can't attest to your fact on whether the intake manifold is in fact plastic or not, or the dash. I am not an expert what kind of plastic is used on the Escape(assuming you are correct)
However having worked for 33 years at Western Electric/AT&T in there Cable Plant and exclusively making plastic wiring from the copper wires that most phone lines are still using, tinned copper switchboard wire that is still be used, PolyPropylene,and Fiber Optic cable, I can assure you that none of these will explode when used for what they were designed to do.
Wonder why you bought the Escape knowing all of these(at least to you)facts about this SUV!! Hmmm
Plastic(I can't say)or not we love our Escape and I wish you well in whatever you bought to replace your Escape.
P.S. Be sure to take that same magnet you used to discover these plastic parts on the Escape and check out whatever you purchased in liew of the Escape.
I'd be willing to bet most of the SUV's in the Escapes' price range have a good amount of plastic on the interior. And if you're talking cheap construction, go take a look at what GM's trying to pass off as SUV's these days e.g. Pontiac Aztek/Buick Rendezvous. As far as the plastic intake manifold, I believe it's a Carbonfiber/plastic hybrid, and it's something that is used in VERY high performance racing applications. I'll take that over a cast iron (that's prone to cracking)manifold anyday!! BTW, hckynut, I'm assuming that's short for hockeynut, who's your team?? I'm a big-time Avs fan, love that NHL-the last sport where the players really EARN their $$$!!
The styling personality of Escape is "Utility Truck" not aesthetic sedan as some people expect and complain about. Our "No Boundaries" Sports vehicle has that "Ford Tough Truck" look and practical,scuff able unpainted utility cladding. The interior uses the hard, tough durable plastics used in no nonsense commercial trucks. The XLS vinyl and coarse pattern seats don't show the hard wear and serious stains that happen in utility use. It has the consistent design integrity of Ford trucks and is listed as a Ford truck. Most people see that and accept it. If you want more sedan-style aesthetics and amenities, don't complain about the practical Escape, choose the design integrity of Tribute styling. If you are concerned about fairly rare random function failures due to use of cost effective assembly which brings the pricepoint down, then pay a lot more for a more expensive vehicle but first check it's reliability record if it is also a first year model. You may not get as much improvement as you're paying for! Expect fewer problems in 2002 Escapes, and reliable fixes for 2001 model glitches. Think of the Value you're getting!
blf2. It does stand for hockeynut and my favorite team is the N.Y. Rangers. Has been since the 1960's when we had their farm team here in the old CHL where the likes of Phil Esposito played their minor league hockey.
I was a fan of that same team when they were known as the Quebec Nordiques. However when they moved to Colorado I dropped them as I strongly felt Colorado should not have been given another NHL hockey team after they failed to support their Expansion Hockey team called the Colorado Rockies. That team originated as the Kansas City Scouts(which we used to drive about 250 miles to watch play in the Kemper Arena).As you probably know after all of the hoopla during the NHL finals last year about how both of the final teams has Colorado ties. Before that 99.9% NHL fans didn't have a clue of the history of the New Jersey Devils.
I guess I resent the fact that after not supporting an Expansion type team Colorado was given a team that had just won the Presidents Cup and most of the AVS fans before that had never heard of who?? Joe Sakic, or even knew anything about the Quebec Nordiques. The year prior to getting the Quebec franchise the Colorado fans supported(another winner)the best team in the now defunct CHL(the Colorado Grizzlies)which won both the League Title and the Playoff Title. I'm not overly fond of supposed sports fans who only support a team when they are a winning team.
Told you probably a heck of a lot more than you wanted to know, but hockey is my passion both from having played(now ref adult league here in town)and as a fan. Win or lose I have supported my favorite NHL team for close to 40 years which happen to be the New York Rangers. I am not what you call a "Fair Weather Fan" or "Jump on the Bandwagon" of a winning team.
Don't take any of this as a personal attack on you, as that is not my intent. This is just my feelings on the Colorado Hockey Fans in general. Win=support-Lose=many empty seats.
hckynut: And then there is the Flyers' loss of Forsberg, Ricci and 2 others (we got Ron Hextall back) to the Nordiques / Avalanche for the rights to Eric Lindros. Nothing against #88, I'm a fan of his. Hope he does well for your (not Ford) Rangers.
To keep this on topic, I think that all the above hockey players have seen a Ford Escape at one time or another.
lol, seems like we went through this in another discussion recently. I bet Scotty Gomez rode in SUVs lots going to practice in Anchorage all those years, and I bet now he may even ride in an Escape occasionally. Steve Host SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Comments
But I do dislike the shoddy materials in the interior, Ford can benefit from changing this.
I think I feel a draft coming in from the door locks while driving. Does anyone else have this problem. Please let me know.
Also the PT is a little bit noisy to my liking. Perhaps that's what happens when everything else is great !!!. We had same experience with Toyota also.
Thanks,
Check out
http://www.bonforums.com/trucks/escape_02changes.htm
After all I've read, I think it might be worth it to wait to buy.
Isn't it great to have a truck! I've hauled lots of big stuff home from the hardware store, like a big wrought iron patio table, that I never would have been able to with my little Escort (which I was happy with, but it was time to get more practical!).
The Escape is practical, looks good and is fun to drive..
When you get to a certain point in your life, you just want something that says you are continuing to become more successful in life. A bigger vehicle such as an SUV gives that--good for the image and practical too, a statement that a hatchback cannot make. I cannot even believe I'm even commenting on this, so let me say...
To drive an Escape is to love an Escape, and
Once you go Escape, you never go back!!!!!, and
It's an Escape thing...you wouldn't understand!
We love the car- lots of fun. Dissapointed with the gas mileage- last tank got 15mpg. Could something be wrong with the car that effects mileage?
The first think to look into when question MPG is the amount of weight being used by the driver on the accelerator pedal. You could have a problem, but from reading this board and responses from many about their mileage my suspicions would lead me to suggest easing up a bit when pressing the "Move Pedal".
Not meant to be confrontational in anyway towards you. Just mentioning a few of my opinions backed by a few of my own real experiences with gas mileage figures.
hckynut
That pontoon boat that is being towed by a Tribute: Depending on length, the boat may weigh 2500 lbs empty, but with trailer, motor and gear is probably more like 3500-4500 lbs. If you have weighed it and it scales at 2500 lbs, great. If not, please weigh it at the nearest scale with full tank and normal load. Even so, be careful because a short platform vehicle like the Escape/Tribute is going to suffer more from wind and emergency braking situations. If you have hydraulic brakes, consider replacing them with the new electric brakes for boat trailers. They are a much improved safety feature.
Just changed the oil @ 1000 Miles (I always do that with our new vehicles, just to drain the residual "break-in" metal that settles in the oil). Anyway, anyone else notice that the only
5W-20 oil available is made by Motorcraft? Is this Fords' way of grabbing a little extra $$, by making your only Oil choice a Ford product?
It's not a big deal, just seems kinda coincidental, BTW, the oil is in a bright orange container and sells for $1.77/qt at Wal-Mart. Not bad considering that it's a "synthetic-blend". Draining that 5W20 is like draining water however, the stuff will really shoot out when it's draining, better have a good sheet of plastic down when attenmpting this at home
I found the Havoline at a local auto store (I think it was auto zone or parts america or something like that).
At 5-6 quarts at $1.77/can, I find this charge beyond unreasonable. What gives?
' recommends ' is being hawked for corporate fuel averages only d/t slippery nature
of semi-synthetic. I've talked with several mechanics ( at least one Master Mechanic )
and they say it will not affect the warranty in the least if you use 5W30, 10W30 full
parafin based, semi-synthetic, or full synthetic.
The Master mechanic recommends changes every 3K miles ( who doesn't ) with
regular oil but that can be bumped up to 5K miles with a full synthetic. I'm
switching to a full synthetic at the next oil change.
The $ 20.00 surcharge for 5W20 oil is excessive under teh circumstances. If you
like to get your oil changed, buy your own oil, 5W20 or otherwise and take it
to your favorite shop. It'd be a bit cheaper, and the shop should reduce the price.
Perhaps I'm just weird, but the packages just don't match up to what I like in the Escape. I realize that if I bought off the lot at a dealership, that I would be getting something along these lines anyway, but if I want to order my Escape, shouldn't I have more freedom to choose what I want?
Does this bother anyone else?
I have something about saving money and also ordering new vehicles with exactly what I want on them. If none of the Escape packages had matched my preferences I would not have bought one.
With packages it's a "give/take" situation. It's great if the vehicle you are looking to buy/order has a package with exactly what you would order it with without being a package. But if it has things that you plain just don't like or want, it's a call you have to make.
My only complaints with Ford Motor Company and Ford Credit is they came out with the Zero(0)% Percent financing less than 2 weeks after we took delivery of our 2002 XLT Premium and they would not even entertain the thought of at least going back to the beginning of the month in which these huge savings were introduced.
The other is that they knew of the Gear Shift Lever Problem. Now they come out with a fix for that, more cup holders and more heavily padded seats. I can do without the cup holders and I understand they cannot change the seats. But I would think that they would offer the Updated Shift Lever to all that own an Escape be it a 2001 or 2002. As everyone that owns or has driven an Escape for any length of time will tell you. The Shift Lever almost completly blocks access to things you use all the time on the dash. I can't visualize this being a high cost fix that Ford Motor Company could do to better Consumer Relations with those that have recently purchased either model of the Escape.
hckynut
I do have a preference for the wiper controls to be on the left signal lever, and lights on the left dash like my other ford trucks. I don't really like the 3rd wiper lever concept.. However I don't feel strongly enough about to avoid purchasing the Escape.. It looks great, runs great, extremely functional, comfortable to drive, and an overall awsome vehicle..
With a known problem such as this(at least it is to me)I would maintain as I said in my previous reply that Ford Motor should at least offer this Free Change to those Espcape owners that would prefer not to "learn to work around it".
Remember it is very possible for a driver while working around this problem to bump the shift lever. Depending on what speed you are traveling and the type of road you are driving this could conceivably lead to a major problem.
Again to me it is a simple fix for Ford Motor and one they should offer(FREE)to those that own the Escape.
hckynut
but I don't agree that it would be a simple fix.
you gotta yank the steering wheel and probably tear apart the whole steering column to change it.
could be a 4-5 hour job easy.
Does anyone know if this is true?
I hadn't heard that. Do you have a link to the article? Does anyone else have info?
tidester
Host
SUVs
Here's the link.
http://www.detnews.com/2001/autos/0110/29/-330177.htm
Yesterday I emailed two dealers in my area (L.A.) and both said no, the 0% will not be offered on the Escape.
And then, one said this
"Because of the overwhelming success of the 0% A.P.R. financing over the last few weeks, we no longer have fleet allocation on Escapes and I would not be able to honor the "X" Plan program."
Nice, huh?
Obviously, I won't be buying from them.
Another one said,
"We have a pretty good selection right now and I think that the availibility in the future may be a liitle more limited."
Wonder what that means? I asked, he never replied.
I don't know what I'm going to do now. Maybe they'll be some good deals around X-Mas, but who knows.
All dealerships get different allotments based on many various categories such has previous sales etc.. The allotments determine how many Escapes a particular dealership can be guaranteed to get.
Some of their statements are obvious attempts to influence you to buy sooner rather than later.. (can you blame them?)
On the 'non-availability' of x-plan, I've not heard of this, but it is my understanding that FoMoCo re-imberses the dealership some costs..
So if a dealership doens't want to do x-plan, it's probably because they prefer to sell the few Escapes they have an allotment for at MSRP type pricing, because their low allotment for Escape prevents them from selling large numbers of Escapes..
Dealerships with large allotments will probably have no problem selling Escapes at x-plan prices.
If you are a woman or anyone who doesn't want to pay a commission salesman to haggle with them for hours or days, just buy through X-Plan using the fleet manager. Investigate that!
Remember that competition rules. There are about 5000 Ford dealers competing against each other and dealing for your business because the Escape assembly line is cranking very fast and because they have other popular Ford vehicles to support their volume selling. Mazda is assembling half as many Tributes but they have only about 900 dealers and the dealers aren't competing locally. They are stonewalling the buyers to support their operations. They don't have enough other popular vehicles to volume sell. So if you can, be an Escape buyer instead of a Tribute buyer in this situation. That's a worthwhile compromise to consider at this time since the two are so similar.
And don't forget the servicing. 5000 Ford dealers are everywhere when you need them or when you want a second quote! But investigate your local situation! KNOW!
When you speak knowledgeably, you are in a far better situation, and can get things done quicker, and on your terms. I recently bought furniture for my living room and did extensive research on the Internet before I ever went into a store. I found what I wanted in one store and then researched two other stores to get the best price and options. It was worth it. Knowledge is power.
that info helps big time. i am hoping that i can join and use the xplan for my purchase too. i am looking at the tribute a lil more. i like the interior and bumpers a lil more. i am stuck in the middle at this point. the only issue is there aren't as many mazda dealers as ford where i am at. i am going to fill out eaa stuff now. thanks again.
Here is what happened to me. I visited four dealerships and made email contact with 6 others. I was totally ignored at one dealer and asked where my husband was at another. I heard many different stories. None were true.
1) PRICE
I was told everything from "We are selling at retail only" to being lied to about invoice price (I was told that it was $400 under retail because "there just isn't any mark up on these.") Invoice information is available on this web site as well as on Ford's. Go to the dealer with the print out. Needless to say, the difference is well over $400 dollars
2) X-Plan
I found one dealer out of the ten that I contacted who was willing to honor X-plan on this vehicle, but one is all that I need. I will have to drive 45 minutes to pick it up when it comes in, but the drive will be well worth it. I contacted this dealer by email, was given the price quote within an hour, and had the purchase order in my hands within a day. This is a no-haggle price. After my experience with the other 9 dealers, I am sure that I would not have received as good a price on my own. I highly recommend this program.
3) Be Persistent
Given #1 and #2 above, you need to figure out exactly what you want before you go looking. Sign up for the X-plan and find a dealer who will honor it. They are out there.
I am ordering my red 2002 XLT 4x4 Choice with leather and side step bars this week. I chose the parchment interior. It is a new option on the red this year, and it looks great, especially in the leather. My current car (I have had it for 15 years) is gray on the inside and the outside. I was ready for a change.
Before I finalize my order, does anyone have anything to say about side airbags?
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. Knowledge is power, and your willingness to share information has made my first new car purchase a better experience.
Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
I also concur with the safety issues....I've been a passenger in a crash where the side bags deployed...it's startling just how quick they 'appear'....but they DID help....nothing broken, no serious injuries, and the side bags were part of the reason !
Again...my $.02 worth.....
- Cheers -
Are they moving the shifter to the floor or simply shortening the lever? I drove a Tribute and couldn't stand having that lever blocking my radio volume/on-off button!
What other changes are happening?
There are also some additions to the XLS (cupholders etc)
After logging 5K miles on the Escape, I've come to enjoy this vehicle a lot more each day.
I'm consistently getting 18+ MPG predominantly in town. The V6 is a nice powerplant
which has plenty of reserve power for moving around traffic and congestion.
I would recommend to all interested in acquiring an Escape to empower yourselves through
knowledge. I agree with the previous posts about this. Also, it may help if you live in
an area with multiple Ford dealerships to go straight to the ' Fleet Sales '. These guys are
paid straight salary, not commission like regular sales types. They also may get a
small commission form the dealer and Ford on the number of vehicles sold. My experience
over the last ten years has been positive using this process. A Credit Union or other
financial institution can recommend you to the ' Fleet Dept. '
Be aware that popular vehicles ( like the Escape ) will always be tagged for MSRP if
dealers think that they can get away with it.
According to the info the Ford Tech received from the department of R&D from Ford Motor Company it is rated as a .75 time basis for Ford repairs and/or replace charges. This means it is less than an hour and even a today's high tech costs this is a small amount for Ford to cover considering the much larger Re-calls they have been involved with in the past.
I doubt that every Escape owner, for example "lovethosesuvs " who has "learned to work around it" would even take the time to have it done. My guess from where I sit and the info I've gotten from those that work in the Auto Repair Business at Dealerships, they have problems even getting car owners to come in for major "Recalls" and I think it is highly doubtful there would be a monumental rush to the Ford Dealerships to have this "simple fix" taken care of on their Escapes.
Some of this is JMO, some are based on what has happend on other things and several are just plain facts.
hckynut
Are you saying the intake manifold is going to explode, or the dash is going to blow up in your face?
I can't attest to your fact on whether the intake manifold is in fact plastic or not, or the dash.
I am not an expert what kind of plastic is used on the Escape(assuming you are correct)
However having worked for 33 years at Western Electric/AT&T in there Cable Plant and exclusively making plastic wiring from the copper wires that most phone lines are still using, tinned copper switchboard wire that is still be used, PolyPropylene,and Fiber Optic cable, I can assure you that none of these will explode when used for what they were designed to do.
Wonder why you bought the Escape knowing all of these(at least to you)facts about this SUV!! Hmmm
Plastic(I can't say)or not we love our Escape and I wish you well in whatever you bought to replace your Escape.
P.S. Be sure to take that same magnet you used to discover these plastic parts on the Escape and check out whatever you purchased in liew of the Escape.
hckynut
BTW, hckynut, I'm assuming that's short for hockeynut, who's your team?? I'm a big-time Avs fan, love that NHL-the last sport where the players really EARN their $$$!!
I was a fan of that same team when they were known as the Quebec Nordiques. However when they moved to Colorado I dropped them as I strongly felt Colorado should not have been given another NHL hockey team after they failed to support their Expansion Hockey team called the Colorado Rockies. That team originated as the Kansas City Scouts(which we used to drive about 250 miles to watch play in the Kemper Arena).As you probably know after all of the hoopla during the NHL finals last year about how both of the final teams has Colorado ties. Before that 99.9% NHL fans didn't have a clue of the history of the New Jersey Devils.
I guess I resent the fact that after not supporting an Expansion type team Colorado was given a team that had just won the Presidents Cup and most of the AVS fans before that had never heard of who?? Joe Sakic, or even knew anything about the Quebec Nordiques. The year prior to getting the Quebec franchise the Colorado fans supported(another winner)the best team in the now defunct CHL(the Colorado Grizzlies)which won both the League Title and the Playoff Title. I'm not overly fond of supposed sports fans who only support a team when they are a winning team.
Told you probably a heck of a lot more than you wanted to know, but hockey is my passion both from having played(now ref adult league here in town)and as a fan. Win or lose I have supported my favorite NHL team for close to 40 years which happen to be the New York Rangers. I am not what you call a "Fair Weather Fan" or "Jump on the Bandwagon" of a winning team.
Don't take any of this as a personal attack on you, as that is not my intent. This is just my feelings on the Colorado Hockey Fans in general.
Win=support-Lose=many empty seats.
hckynut
To keep this on topic, I think that all the above hockey players have seen a Ford Escape at one time or another.
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards