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U04 4DR 4X4 XLT $21025 $19642.00
103" WHEELBASE
BZ CHROME YELLOW C
1 PREM CLOTH BUCK
2 MED GRAPHITE
991 3.0L DURATEC V6 1480 1332.00
444 4-SPD AUTO O/D NC NC
T63 P235/70RX16 OWL NC NC
153 FRT LIC BRACKET NC NC
43M POWER MOONROOF 585 527.00
TRAILER TOW II
588 AM/FM 6-DISC 585 527.00
64S WHLS, 16 ALUM NC NC
67A SIDE AIR BAGS 345 310.00
MACH AUDIO SYST
7 US GAL GAS $14.35
FDAF ASSESSMENT 105.00
DEST AND DELIV 540 540.00
TOTAL BASE AND OPTIONS 24560 22997.35
But if it is just ordering it to these specifications from the factory and waiting through all of the approximately 10 to 12 weeks it will probably take (not the completely unrealistic 8 to 10 weeks you were told), then I recommend that you move back up on these postings and read post # 172. Also 171 and 210 should be helpful. If you have a trade in, that can be handled separately when you order with the understanding that there could be a slight adjustment for added mileage while you wait for your new vehicle. You could save over 900. That's how we help each other with information.
Also, as far as trade-in adjustments go, mine was not changed from the initial estimate even though I put 2K on the odometer while I was patiently awaiting the Escape. Which either tells me they made plenty of money on the deal or were worried about my 'customer satisfaction levels' because delivery was delayed. Maybe it was a combination of both. It did say on the contract that trade-in price could be adjusted. I was pleased the dealer did not try to change the value of the trade.
I must mention that the dealer also "threw in" an incentive that was not available when I ordered the car and had been offered and expired in the month before I picked up the car. I noted the paper work was dated 12/31 while I was signing to accept delivery, falling within the month of the incentive offer. Even though the Escape was not delivered until early January, I pressed for the deal and the dealer added it. May I suggest that you hold the dealer to any incentives or offers you may be entitled to in spite of any delays encountered.
Good luck with your order!
Note that heated seats is not an available option. If you live anywhere that gets chilly in the winter, that is a big draw back. Leather can be cold on the rump.
I just traded in my Accord Coupe with leather, and until the seat heaters kicked in, it could get uncomfortable. I decided that I probably would not get leather again.
Brian
Gas Mileage: It started out bad, but has improved over the last couple trips. Around 20 MPG average between hwy/city. A note: the ODO reads low. I used mile markers from the highway and determined after 12 miles I lost 3 tenths of a mile. Either the state is wrong or the ODO is.
4X4 as 4X2: Dec. was a bad month for Michigan weather. 50+ inches of snow for the month. And I had fun! I switched to 4X4 once, just to see what happens, otherwise, I have left it in Auto and I can barely tell when the 4X4 kicks in. And the snow has been bad enough where it has to kick in. My sister-in-law had her drive way plowed to narrow for her Olds 98, so I used the Escape to knock down the sides (playing) so the snow could be shoveled away. No problems.
After market Accessories: If anyone has leads, I would appreciate it. All I found was Yakima makes a system that can attach to almost any roof system. I was looking for a low-profile ski enclosure, that was what I found (Yakima is a bit price though). Haven't really looked for anything else.
Seat belt clicking: There was an annoying clicking from the driver side seat belt. I took it into the dealer and they replaced the seat belt unit (?) but the clicking has re appeared. I was mistaken in my original diagnosis: the velocity lock for the pensioner. It seems to be coming from the swivel loop the seat belt travels through at the shoulder. My guess is that there is a washer that is not tight (so the mount can swivel). It has been too cold for me to check into it further, so I have been living with the click.
Comparisons: When we started looking into the mini-SUV market we test drove Kia and Honda as well. My take: Kia doesn't hit the pocket book as hard, but has less power, smaller, and has poor stability, while the CR was bigger (not as big as the Escape), better power (not like my V6) and looked better, but the $18k for a '97 with decent miles just didn't seem to be a bargain. The 20 minute drive we took in the Escape sold me, even after I saw all of the complaints here at the Town Hall.
To anyone still on the fence: if you have tried it but are concerned about recalls, etc., get one anyway if you have patience. I have found Ford to be prompt (I received a recall notice already, and it has been dealt with) with dealing with the problems with this new vehicle.
Cheers.
i went and read all the posts you pointed me to. Just have some questions, perhaps someone on this thread can help with.
EAA sounds like a great organization to join. What happens after i apply online and pay the 40$ ? do i have to wait for a Membership card to be sent to me ? can i immediatly walk into any ford dealer, tell them i'm on plan X and ask them to order the car for me ?
basically, can anyone help walk me through the entier purchase process for plan X through www.eaa.org ?
appreciate the help, but i want to ensure that i have all my ducks in a row and get the right discounts.
thanks !
(Presumeably EAA tells you what their code number is in the members-only area of their web site, which you get access to once you join.)
Once you have a code number, you can go to http://www.fordpartner.com to get assigned a PIN.
Take your membership card (or other proof that you are a member of the organization) and PIN and:
- Visit a dealer. Ask for the Fleet Sales person.
- Identify yourself as an X-plan (or S-plan for Mazda) participant (by virtue of PIN and proof of membership from above.)
- Select a vehicle.
- Arrange for delivery.
Note that dealer participation is voluntary, however most dealers will accept X plan deals.Specific to EAA, also look at: http://www.eaa.org/communications/eaanews/ford_partner.html
My gas milage is slowly creeping up in the cty,but my highway miles are at about 22.5MPG at between 65-80MPH.So I can't really complain. My wife does all of the city driving[normally 10 in. in any direction and the car never gets up to proper operating temps]This will eat up the MPG.
I'll say one thing,this vehicle can lull you into a false sense of security. The handling is almost too good for an SUV. find myself driving it like a sports car at times and I enter a corner and it will remind me.I have had it slide[General Tires 15"]with some roll in the body.I get out of the excellarater and it straitens right up.It does scare you though.Overall though this vehicle seems very safe and is a lot of fun to drive.
I'm hoping to start seeing aftermarket products soon,like grille guards and lights,specificly for the Escape.
I haven't had any problems with my clading wipers,or fuel smell and mine was purchased Oct.27,2000.
I think anyone that purchases one of these vehicles should be very pleased.It is very functional,comfortable and FUN to drive.
an Escape.
Now, I have a green XLT V6 4x4 w/ Side-step bars. It's wonderful - I've only had it for two days so
far.
What I learned when using the X plan:
1. It took a while (for me) to get the pin, so
don't have time-sensitive plans depending on
the purchase date till you have the pin. I also
had to phone EAA to get the PIN, I don't know if
they normally email it or not...
2. Some dealers don't sell fast-moving lot cars
on the X plan. Others will sell anything on X-plan, so if they say no, keep looking. Plenty of dealers exist that will sell anything on X. Never accept a substandard dealer if you can help it.
3. You can go to Ford's www.dealerconnection.com and get numbers for ford dealers in your area - there is a tab at the bottom to get more (I missed this first time). Just start calling dealers until you find one that has the car you want and go there.
4. Dealers will offer to call around and dealer trade for you - you can let them try, but in my experience they can never find anything that someone is willing to trade - find the dealer yourself, it's easier. Don't let yourself feel obligated to compromise for a salesperson because they got paid by the hour to use a phone on your behalf.
5. They will NOT give you as much for your trade-in on X-plan, because they can't get
it back on retail price negotiations, so you
might want to sell your trade in seperate.
6. Don't compromise on options until you've called
twenty or thirty dealers - just my opinion, but I would rather drive 100 miles at a maximum of $20 round trip in fuel costs than pay for an 100 dollar option I don't want, or lose an $100 option
I want.
7. Don't give up till you've seen the window paper with your own eyes - I've had dealers misrepresent these (I do believe that it was an honest mistake), don't let this wear you down. They are selling hammers, you want a wrench, so keep looking.
Thanks Jim, and Rutegar, for the X-plan info!
Kevin Bealer
Here's a couple of additional points on using the X or S plan:
1. While it does take a little time and patience to get the proper documentation, you can get do everything through the webside, i.e. obtain the X/S plan PIN and printout for the dealer. You have to navigate through the website (www.eaa.org) member's area, and it can be done relatively easily and quickly once you have the eaa member number that they email to you.
2. Trade-ins. Doing a trade-in on a plan is exactly the same as doing one without. In other words, just like getting the price of a vehicle *before* telling them you have a trade, *don't* tell them you're going to use the S or X plan until *after* they've appraised your vehicle. It's harder for them to low-ball your trade that way. That's how I did it and I'm sure if I had went in and announced that I was going to use the S-plan prior to the appraisal, I wouldn't have gotten as much for my trade.
The flip-side of this is that you won't know if the dealer will do the plan price *at all* until after the appraisal, so you may have just wasted the time waiting for the appraisal if they won't do the plan price under any circumstances.
I took the chance, got a decent appraisal, then told them I was entitled to the plan price, and although they hedged a bit, they did the deal anyway. It's true that you might have to sell your trade-in vehicle on your own to reap the benefits of the plan price. Otherwise, getting the plan price deal with a miserable trade-in negates any of the plan price advantage.
Escape is such a great mini SUV. A friend of mine has one and I test drove it and love it very much. Now I really want to get one for my own. Unfortunately it comes with a dilemma. Since Escape does not have the option I want with V6 engine, the only obvious choice is to get a relatively weak 2 L engine with manual transmission.
As a matter of fact, I just ordered an Escape XLT 4x4 with manual transmission earlier this week through a local Ford dealer with only $200 deposit. Now I just start wondering if it is a right decision. Could anybody give me suggestion on this issue? Well, I may sound stubborn here, but manual transmission is really my bottom line in the decision on new car purchasing!!
Thanks a lot.
I thought I was doing something wrong. Sheesh!!!!
Can you go from 225/75R15 up to say:
245/70R15, 255/70R15, 255/75R15, 265/70R15, 265/75R15, 30x9.50R15, 31x10.50R15, 8.750R16.50
9.50R16.50, 285/75R16?
How do all these sizes compare? What are differences between old and new sizings? (*I know the 70 or 75 is aspect ratio, and the last number is rim size, but I am looking for widths and heights).
What I am looking for is a tough tire (can take rocks and curbs) which is tall, but not too too wide.
Thanks in advance.
Is this a problem or is Ford just being conservative because of the Explorer and making sure that the Escape dosen't have any major problems as it seems that all the recalls have been tweaks rather than major fixes? Is this just the better safer than sorry theory in action?
As far as the recalls, Ford has been excellent at addressing them. Yes, there have been five, some dangerous at that. However, 4 of the 5 recalls were stop sale or stop production notices meaning that none (if any) of the affected Escapes/Tributes reached the consumer's hands. These recalls only affected a small percentage of the cars (between 500 and 2000 produced) and were a while back. Nonetheless they were all handled promptly and succesfully without any casualties or injuries. The recall that made it to our doorsteps was the windshield wiper recall.
I wouldn't be concerned about buying an Escape/Tribute in the near future, the only problem I forsee is finding one with all the options you want. People are also speculating about a recall to owners about the fuel smell in the cars. You can make that six recalls when it happens, but Dealers are already fixing the problem.
Over the past several months I have read the ABS problem is a design defect ... not just a supply problem. If there is a "silver lining" when we finally receive our new vehicles, they will have the newly designed brakes. Hopefully they will also have the new intake manifold gasket, which I strongly suspect is the cause of some Escapes with fuel smell, and in many instances poor gasoline mileage.
I ordered my Escape on 1/20/01. They wanted me to take the one off the lot (exactly like the one I ordered except for color) but I wanted to order one in the hopes that by the time they make it all of the bugs will be worked out.
My salesman called me on 1/24/01 to let me know that the vehicle had been ordered. He told me he will call whenever he gets any information on the progress of the vehicle.
The next time he calls with information I will post it here so you can all wait with me!
Thanks for any help.
joe H
Vehicle is XLT, with the Leather Group being the only added option.
My DORA of 12/13/00 shows the U04 XLT 4x4 base invoice of $19,456. On 12/22/00 there was a price increase on MSRP of $205 for orders placed after that date. Multiplying $205 x inv./msrp = $192. Adding $19,456+$192=$19,648 This is approximately $19,642 shown by Kelly. Remember also there will be a Ford corporate advertizing fee listed on the invoice as FDAF Assessment which you must pay. For my invoice it was an additional $105.
Ford holdback is 3%. My dealer told me that the Blue Oval Dealer qualification process is very new, expensive, and takes considerable training time so very few of the dealers have completed it so far. When they do they get an extra 1.25% holdback as a carrot. I suspect your salesman is confused.
As for the back seats, the XLS model comes with a 1-piece bench, while the XLT model is supposed to have 60/40 split bench unless the factory screwed up. The option should have nothing to do with the engine types (V6 or 4-cyl).
One more question: If Ford decides to offer incentives on Escapes during my order waiting period, am I still eligible to get it? Furthermore, what if the incentives start between the date it is delivered to the dealer and the date I actually pick it up?
Thanks in advance.
A few weeks ago, I thought I saw a post in that someone mentioned they could track online the process of their Escape (or any Ford vehicle) by the VIN. Was this a dealer only web-based site, or can it also be accessed by a purchaser?
Thanks.
Still no build date for the truck. My dealer told me 12 weeks when it was ordered and has advised me that now they are telling customers it will be 15 weeks. I'll believe it when I get it.
When switched to "ON" a solenoid latch is released and the clutch is mechanically firmly closed transfering maximum power to the rear wheels. This can be as much as 7 times as much as you get in "auto". It can cause too much load on the system and instability at high speeds so it only operates up to 18 mph. Above that speed it reverts to "Auto". You will almost never need to use "ON" because the front wheel drive and "Auto" does all the job that usually needs doing! Be very careful where you use "ON", your best practice is to leave the drive in "Auto" and forget about it.
Thank you for your message of 01/27/01 regarding the 2001 Ford Escape.
We appreciate the time you have taken to write us regarding online
monitoring of your vehicle order.
Congratulations on your choose of a new Ford Escape.
Regrettably, online vehicle order tracking is not yet available. We are
hoping to add this feature to our web site in the future.
We recommend that you keep in contact with your selling dealership.
Ford provides it dealerships with the most up-to-date vehicle order
information.
Gary, we value you as a customer and if you have any other inquiries or
concerns, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to address
them.
At Ford Motor Company, we consider the satisfaction of our customers as
one of our most important objectives.
Thank you for contacting Ford Motor Company.
Sincerely,
Reg
Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center
I really liked the vehicle when I took it for a test drive but wished it had heated seats and radio controls on the steering wheel like my 99 eddie bauer explorer. In Chicago, the seats are very useful and with the long arm of the shifter and the convience and safety aspects of controls on the steering wheel, I think Ford should have offered them on the top of the line Escape like the eddie bauer explorer. From what I have been reading, some of the competitors of Ford agree and do offer or will offer some or all of these options on their top of the line models that compete with the Escape.
My dealer (who I'm not too impressed with) acted like there was no such thing. I did find a web site today dedicated to the escape and the guy had scanned in a Ford outfitters catalog with accessories in it, but there was no rodering information. If any one has any idea where I can order accessories please let me know.
Hutchins1@aol.com
I was surprised driving home.The power seems to have increased and the motor seems noticably smoother and quieter.And It has been almost a week and over 200 miles without stopping at a gas station.I expect it will go 300 miles on a tank now.And a little more all highway.
So if you are having milage disputes, I think Ford is capable of tuning the vehicle to get better milage.
When I was at the dealer purchasing my Escape last year, I saw a poster ad with an Escape fitted with these really cool headlights.
http://www.zing.com/picture/p762e3f81555b9a72a01328882035c5d5/fee4c1d1.jpg.orig.jpg
what do you think ? the dealer does not know about this option being available, do i stand a chance of adding this option to my escape that has been ordered today ????
However, I've heard rumblings that the XLT trim level Escapes have been put on production hold recently, due to some redesign aspect with the XLT's standard ABS system.
Has anybody heard of this, and is there any guess as to when production will resume?
thanks
pilewort@email.com
Also,you might be considered a "re-order" & have to pay the $186.00 increase in the base price effective Feb. 01!
The only difference was the rack system & side step bars, which was not that important to me. I also ordered the moonroof, which would have had to been eliminated.
I am a young female looking to buy the Escape, and I know from messing with the dealerships in town on my old crappy car that they tend to take advantage of those of us that are not so car-savvy. I was planning on either taking my boyfriend or my dad with me to the dealership when I go buy the Escape for this reason (which by the way seems to go against everything I believe in...why did women fight for rights, only to be put in predicaments like this?).
So...now that I've ranted and raved, are there any women out there that have taken advantage of this deal? I've gotten the impression that most of you are male (correct me if I'm wrong), and I just wanted to know how a female fared buying a vehicle this way.
Thanks for all of your posts...you've been very helpful!
All of us have been young and not so dealer savy. X Plan only helps you buy the Escape itself without haggling. It may close soon with eaa for Escape so you will probably have to get the PIN this month but you can then use it anytime. If you finance or have a trade in or get offered dealer accessories or an extended warranty you must haggle so you need to read www.carbuyingtips.com and take a knowledgeable friend with you as they recommend. One of the most important things often overlooked is to take enough time to really know what features you yourself want. If they pitch you a curve, sleep on it overnight before deciding. Keep reading and see it through and Good Luck!
fight for rights, only to be put in predicaments like this?)."
The funniest line I ever seen so far at the Edmunds forums. LOL
And the scariest too.