The Ford Escape Experience

Having owned two Ford Escapes since 2001 when the first one was launched in Malaysia, I guess I would know it very well and the fact that I have owned two also indicates that I have had a good experience. It’s the second SUV in my life after the Toyota RAV4 which I bought in 1996. I would have bought another RAV4 but back in 2000, the price was over RM200,000 for the second generation and it was really ridiculous because for that kind of money, I could have bought a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado!
 
Ford Malaysia launched the Escape around that time and I loved the looks and the equipment level was also good value for money because they were asking for only RM140,000 for it. So I left the Toyota 'family’ (having owned Toyotas for 20 years) and entered the Ford world. I actually wanted a yellow one but they didn’t have that colour in the Malaysian CKD version so I had to settle for silver.
 
Coming from the full-time 4WD of the RAV4, the Escape’s 'on-demand’ system seemed like an inferior one but I never really found it to be an issue either. I got 4WD when I needed it but the occasions when the ground was so slippery that 4WD was needed were few so it didn’t matter. Anyway, the tyres are also vital to how much grip you can get and the dual-purpose tyres become slicks very quickly if the ground is muddy and 4WD won’t be able to help much.
 
It’s no secret that the 2.0-litre engine’s performance was not suitable for mating to an automatic transmission. In America, it was sold with a manual transmission and owners never expressed dissatisfaction but in Asia, there was a greater demand for automatics and Ford chose to offer it so the performance left something to be desired. In part, the engine was tuned more for highway cruising and it had high gearing which kept revs unusually low. Good for fuel economy on outstation trips but a drawback because there was weaker torque at the low end.
 
There were criticisms about its performance but quite honestly, I was not particularly unhappy. Maybe it was the way I drive and I was satisfied though I admit that I too would have liked a bit more power.
 
What did impress me and still does was the handling. I rate the Escape’s handling as above-average in its class and the engineers did a great job on this model. Of course, we’re not talking about driving it like a sportscar but I found that I could drive briskly on twisties and felt confident enough as body roll was minimal.
 
The service intervals were 10,000 kms, which pleased me as my RAV4 and all earlier cars had required visiting the service centre every 5,000 kms. I saved money on oil and filters and I only had to go in twice a year.
 
The Escape proved to be reliable and nothing failed (though there were cases of the automatic transmission having problems but I never had them) in 70,000 kms. There were two recalls, one to change a seal on the fuel tank as a precautionary measure and the other to replace a seatbelt part, also precautionary. While there were people who chose to highlight the 'poor quality’ that made Ford do a recall, as a consumer and owner, I felt that Ford was doing the right thing by openly announcing defects it found (and no car is perfect) and then asking owners to come in for the fix. Some companies think it is embarrassing or negative to make recalls which is rather silly. 
 

The first Escape was driven all over Peninsular Malaysia (I put 75,000 kms on it) and it was very enjoyable to use with the large cargo space at the rear. I also liked having the side steps which came standard on the first one but not on the second (so I had to buy them and install them myself).  I never had occasion to use the roof rails and when my son was still using small bicycles, I could fold down the rear backrests flat and load two bicycles inside – as advertised in the brochures.
 
The second Escape was the 2.3-litre version launched in 2005. I didn’t get it new and it was actually from the Ford Malaysia company fleet. They had a few units they were wanting to sell off and I was just fortunate to know about them and made a bid for one. Actually, one of the reasons I wanted to sell off my first Escape was because it had been stolen and then the thief 'returned it’ (long story…) but he kept the key. So I had only one key and I felt very uncomfortable about it; replacing the whole lock system which was integrated with the immobilizer system was very expensive and I did not want to spend the money. So when the chance to get another Escape came along, I grabbed it. 
 

The second Escape, introduced in 2005, was a delight to drive from the first day. The new MZR engine which Ford had developed with Mazda was not only more powerful – thus eliminating the one complaint people had – but it was also efficient and economical. The mechanics at the service centre told me that it was trouble-free and required little work, just like other Japanese engines. It’s the same engine as the one in the Mazda6 but obviously with the greater weight of the Escape, the performance is different from the Mazda6. 
 
The Escape 2.3 had bigger wheels so the ride height is a bit higher and I felt a difference in handling almost immediately. The Escape 2.0 sat lower and felt just that bit more stable. But I still enjoy the Escape 2.3 and it feels as good as new now after I put in new shock absorbers at about 90,000 kms.
 
The Escape 2.3 is identical to the Escape 2.0 but it has leather and that was something I really disliked but I had no choice. When it was launched, I questioned why the 2,3 version had to have leather like the 3.0-litre version; I felt that the 2.3 could have had fabric upholstery to provide differentiation. Instead, when you look at the interiors of the 2.3 and 3.0, it is hard to tell them apart unless you notice that the bigger one has cruise control and a 6-CD changer. And also… being a light beige colour, the upholstery is hard to keep clean and I’ve given up!
 
Now comes a new Escape and while many will say that retaining the original styling makes it dated, I am fine with it. I feel a SUV should look like a SUV and don’t really like the way newer SUVs have begun to get all curvy and rounded. I prefer chunky looks for such a vehicle, same with a pick-up. 
 

The new one should have all the great attributes of the past two and the new engine will be a plus point. Though having the shift lever on the steering column was awkward at the start 8 years ago, I am so used to it that I am not sure I like the idea of it being down between the seats, which is where it is now!
 
Will I get this new one too? It’s tempting but as I told the people at Auto ConneXion, I am at an age where I really must think about ending the 'H-P noose’ and not starting yet another one for the next 7 years or so. Therefore I am planning to keep this current Escape in a good condition and so far, after 90,000 kms, it looks like it can serve me well for many more years to come (I certainly hope so!). But I do envy those who will be buying the new Escape