2009 FORD EXCAPE XLT: A clean getaway

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/04/2009 (6372 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At first, I thought it was the same old, same old.

Car companies have a habit of sending us fully loaded test vehicles for evaluation. As far as I can tell, they do this for one of two reasons: Either they want to distract us from some fundamental design flaw by coddling us in heated leather seats and drawing our attention to fancy navigation systems, or they like to showcase the available options on a vehicle that might not be found in others in its class.

In the case of this week’s tester, it’s clearly the latter. Because while it was adorned with nice alloy wheels, leather seats, navigation and other niceties, it was driven by its front wheels only with the Escape’s base four-cylinder engine.

This came as a surprise, and I immediately questioned Ford’s judgment after having recently been disappointed with a four-cylinder version of Suzuki’s Grand Vitara. That one was truly underwhelming in the performance department — particularly on the highway, where cruising had the four-speed automatic turning the engine at more than 3,000 r.p.m. With a headwind on the day I drove it, the under-engined Suzuki consumed more fuel on the highway than in the city.

I’m happy to report that this isn’t the case with the Escape. Along with a more powerful four-banger for 2009 (170 hp vs. 153), a six-speed automatic transmission (rather than four) is standard on all models except the XLT, which gets a five-speed shift-it-yourselfer.

The net result is a powertrain that sounds great, responds well, and provides improved fuel economy relative to last year’s model. Official ratings are 10.1 L/100 km city and 7.2 on the highway, and I had an observed consumption of about 12 L/100 km city during cold weather. Not too shabby at all.

Even though the optional V-6 gains some power this year as well (up 30 to 240 hp), the four-banger’s performance was satisfying enough that I’d recommend anyone considering an Escape to try it before they take the leap to the six.

So what’s not to like? The as-tested price might turn you off, but like I said, the test vehicle served as a showcase of features available on the Escape line. Base price for the Escape starts at $24,499, although as I write this the Ford website is offering a $5,000 "delivery allowance" bringing the price down into the very high teens (before destination and taxes, of course).

I would take or leave the $400 convenience package (illuminated visors, auto-dimming mirror, compass and information display) and the $650 chrome cladding on the wheels, but I’d go with the $1,200 moonroof, $1,100 cold-weather package (heated leather seats), and $500 Sync communication package. Our tester also wore the $230 cargo package, $300 interior lighting package (don’t get me started on this one), and the $3,150 navigation system.

All in, our tester wore a total retail price of $33,429 including destination. Let’s remember now: front-wheel drive, four cylinders. For me, I’d gladly dish out the $2,400 for all-wheel drive (ridding the trucklet of its front-drive torque-steer) and forgo a few of those goodies, netting a well-equipped version for a little more than $30K (minus the delivery allowance, of course).

The Escape’s standard equipment list isn’t lacking: stability control, capless fuel filler, alloy wheels, heated power mirrors, keyless entry keypad and remote, satellite radio and auxiliary input jack, cruise control, four-wheel independent suspension, split-folding rear seat, air-conditioning, roof rails with cross bars and stain-resistant cloth seats.

The styling of this compact SUV is agreeable, but its basic form hasn’t changed much since the model was introduced in 2001. That puts it at a disadvantage for those looking for up-to-date looks in their next ride. But it is clean and the shape is such that function doesn’t give concessions to form. Its 1,877 litres of maximum cargo capacity (seats folded), is about the same as for a Hyundai Tucson, slotting it neatly between the Nissan Rogue and the deceptively commodious Honda CR-V for stuff-hauling capacity.

The cargo area has its pluses and minuses though. On the upside, it’s a good size and shape and the rear glass opens separately from the liftgate. It’s a great feature if you happen to be backed up against a wall or just want to toss a few light items back there. But this dose of practicality is negated by a rear seat that doesn’t fold from the cargo area, which is fine because you need to go around to the rear seat and remove the headrest first anyway.

The relatively high step-over into the Escape led me to its feature-laden innards. Unfortunately, I was disappointed almost immediately. The first impression set the tone with loose interior trim at the windshield A-pillar, and it didn’t get much better back at the B-pillar (between front and rear doors) where there was a large gap between upper and lower trim pieces. And in general, while the dash is a solid design, material choices border on chintzy. Given the effort virtually every carmaker has put into interiors over the last few years (not the least of whom is Ford), this ranks as unacceptable.

The Escape is well-sized with car-like manners and a user-friendliness about it; traits that have made it consistently the top-selling SUV in Canada. The technical changes for 2009 fix some of the oversights from last year’s restyle.

 

THE SPECS

2009 Ford Escape XLT FWD

Base price: $24,499

Options: $7,630

Price as tested: $32,129 (not including freight and taxes)

Vehicle type: four-door, five-passenger compact sport-utility vehicle

Drivetrain: front-engine, front-wheel drive

Engine: 2.5L inline four, 16 valves

Power: 170 hp @ 5,800 r.p.m.

Torque: 171 lb-ft @ 4,500 r.p.m.

Transmission: six-speed automatic

Brakes: front disc, rear drum with four-wheel ABS

Suspension: fully independent

Tires: P235/70R-16

Wheelbase: 2,619 mm

Length: 4,437 mm

Width: 2,065 mm (with mirrors)

Height: 1,720 mm

Warranty: 3 years/60,000 km (comprehensive)

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

Highs: Tidy package, responsive powertrain, decent fuel economy

Lows: Interior quality, front-drive torque steer, seat heaters set to ‘sear’

The verdict: A right-sized family-mover with more options than ever.