Introduction

Ford Escape, America's best-selling small SUV was developed in association with Mazda; Mazda Tribute is built on the same platform and is assembled at the same plant.
Available as Front- or Four-wheel drive. Hybrid version is available from 2005.
Unibody construction, transverse mount engine, 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive, MacPherson struts in the front, multi-link independent suspension in the rear.
Two engine choices: 4-cylinder 2.0-liter 127 hp engine (replaced with 4-cyl. 2.3L 153 hp engine starting from 2005) and powerful 3.0-liter V6 Duratec engine with 200 h.p.
The interior is comfortable and roomy, but conservatively-styled and some materials look rather cheap. The split rear seat can be easily folded flat (with headrests removed) for extra cargo room.
Ride and handling are good for an SUV, great maneuverability, good visibility. Optional four-wheel drive system provides good traction on a slippery road, although it's not designed for heavy off-roading.
ABS is optional (standard from 2006). Disk brakes in the front, drums in the back (all four disk brakes available on late V6 4WD models).
In NHTSA frontal crash test, 2001 - 2004 Ford Escape has five stars for driver and four stars for passenger, while 2004 - 2006 models have four stars for both driver and passenger.

The engine

Escape is available with two engine choices:
4-cylinder 2.0-liter 16-valves DOHC 127 hp engine (replaced with 4-cyl. 2.3L 153 hp engine starting from 2005) and the 3.0-liter 200 h.p 200 lb.-ft. DOHC 24-valve V6 Duratec engine. Either engine is fairly reliable if maintained properly and doesn't have major problems.

Strengths

- Comfortable and spacious interior
- Good handling, maneuverability
- Great visibility
- Powerful V6
- Perfect size; not too big not too small
- Rear seat folds flat

Weaknesses

- Not the best quality and reliability
- Ignition switch location
- Excessive road and wind noise at highway speed

Overall

Escape combines benefits of a car-based SUV with roomy interior and optional V6 of larger truck-based SUVs. It's not as cramped as Toyota RAV4, it offers optional V6 you won't find in Honda CRV, it's not as expensive as Toyota Highlander and not as thirsty and bulky as larger truck-based SUVs.
Although the general quality of Ford products has been improved in recent years, there are still some quality and reliability issues. The Escape doesn't have major problems so far, but minor problems like defective rear wiper, noisy front brakes, cupped tires, etc. are not uncommon. An extended warranty might be a good idea to protect yourself from unexpected repairs.

Few maintenance tips

- Wash your truck regularly, wax it once in a while to keep the car body shiny and protected from harsh environment.
- If you live in the area with high humidity, rustproofing will help to protect the car body from corrosion.
- Regular oil changes are very important to keep your engine in a good shape.
- Change transmission fluid regularly.
- Try to avoid overheating the engine; it may cause serious problems.
- Take care of minor problems as soon as you can, before they cause something serious.
- Always check your parking space for leaks, and if you find one, get it fixed as soon as you can.
- If your car stalls unexpectedly, visit your dealer, there is an engine computer software update available to address this problem.
- At least once a year have your car inspected in the garage on the lift (e.g when doing tire rotation) to keep it safe. Many components (e.g brakes, steering, suspension) cannot be properly inspected by simple visual inspection at one of those fast lube places; the car must be on the lift.

Ford Escape short specs. (2003 US model)

Dimensions:

Overall length: 173.0 (4394 mm)
Overall width: 70.1 (1781 mm)
Overall height:69.1 (1755 mm)
Wheelbase: 103.1 (2619 mm)
Ground clearance: 7.8 (198 mm)
Track front/rear:61.2/61.0 (1554 / 1549 mm)

Base Curb Weight:

2WD 4-cyl. Manual:3019 lbs (1369 kg)
4WD 4-cyl. Manual:3175 lbs (1440 kg)
2WD V6 Automatic:3181 lbs (1443 kg)
4WD V6 Automatic3346 lbs (1518 kg)

Fuel Tank Capacity:

4-cyl engine:15 US gal. (57 liters)
V6 engine:16 US gal (61 liters)