With the automatic transmission and either engine, you get your choice of front- or all-wheel drive.
FORD ESCAPE GOLD MANUAL
Now the automatic is a six-speed, and you can still get a five-speed manual with the base four-cylinder and front-wheel drive. The 2008’s 2.3-liter four-cylinder and a 3.0-liter V-6 both teamed with a four-speed automatic transmission in a market that was moving toward five- and six-speed automatics (or CVTs). The Escape’s new drivetrains were overdue. An electronic stability system is standard on both front- and all-wheel-drive models, and that lends confidence. I must say, though, the new suspension tuning and rear stabilizer bar seem to decrease the body roll and make the Escape feel a little more grounded. The Escape is maneuverable and handles reasonably well, though it has always felt a bit more top-heavy to me than many car-based compacts, and the rollover rating detailed in the Safety section below supports this notion. It damps out the harshest road surfaces better than the 2008 and the 2009 Jeep Patriot, a close American-made competitor. Like most unibody SUVs, it’s still firm, but it isn’t bouncy like the truck-based, body-on-frame type used to be. Thanks to changes in shock-absorber tuning for 2009, the Escape rides better than ever.
FORD ESCAPE GOLD UPGRADE
Seventeen-inchers are optional on all Escapes except the XLS, which can upgrade to aluminum, but only with a 16-inch diameter. Fog lights are standard on the two higher trims.Īll models come with 16-inch wheels they’re steel on the XLS and varying styles of aluminum alloy on the higher trim levels. If you like the shiny stuff, you can get it on a Limited, too, with the optional Chrome Appearance Package, which my Escape Limited had. The top trim level, the Limited, is all body-colored, with standard black roof rails.
FORD ESCAPE GOLD FULL
The lower two of three trim levels, the XLS and XLT have the full chrome treatment, including the grille, the roof rails (standard on the XLT) and the trim above the rear license plate. Both are steps to improve aerodynamics and thus efficiency. There are no cosmetic changes for 2009, but Ford has reworked the spoiler under the front bumper and added rear tire spoilers, which look like squat little mudflaps in front of the rear wheels. With the exception of the Jeep Patriot, compact SUVs seem to be going in a more refined, less tough styling direction - while still trying not to be too cute - with some success. If you like the effect on those cars, you’ll probably like it here. It looks more like a Ford Explorer now, but with a plunging chrome grille in some trim levels that would be equally at home on a Volkswagen or Audi. The Escape was the most traditionally SUV-looking compact SUV when it first came out, and with its 2008 restyling it took another step away from cute and toward ute. I drove two Escape XLTs: a four-cylinder with front-wheel drive and a V-6 with all-wheel drive. (See a side-by-side comparison with the 2008 model). The most efficient Escape is a hybrid version, which is detailed in a separate review. Despite the increase in power from the four- and six-cylinder engines, the Escape gets better mileage. The 2008 model year brought interior and exterior styling upgrades and a quieter cabin, and 2009 brings two long-overdue milestones: improved drivetrains and higher crash-test ratings. Though it has some shortcomings, incremental improvements make it more attractive every year. The Escape has been one of the best-selling compact SUVs for close to a decade, along with the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. To see what’s new for 2010, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years. Little of substance has changed with this year’s model. Editor’s note: This review was written in October 2008 about the 2009 Ford Escape.
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