Looks good, roomy, plenty of power ( I have the 6 cyl.), steers and handles very well. I've read other's comments about wind noise but I don't find that at all. Also, I'm getting 22 mpg, which I think is pretty good. I like that fact that you are sitting up high like in a truck but it handles like a car.

The gearshift is too long and in the way of the radio. There is no center console armrest in the XLS ( which is what I have), sound system is not that great with the standard 4 speakers. I don't know about the optional 6 speakers. There is no place to put the rear seat headrests when you have to remove them to flip the rear seat down. In some models, there are little holes to put them in, but not on my model. This should not be an option. I'll have to let mine flop around in the cargo area should I need to put the seats down.

Overall, I love this vehicle. The few complaints I have can be lived with.

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1996 Blazer. I had a 6 cyl in this, too, and the power is the same, really good. Room is about the same but I had so much trouble from that Chevy that I will never own another. Hence, the Ford.

Love the look. For a smaller SUV it's very sporty looking and not strange looking like some of them. Love the leather interior and moon roof. The Escape is very roomy inside and the V6 engine is peppy. Have tried the 4 wheel drive on snowy New York roads and it works great.

Overall, I love the Escape but have some of the same complaints as others. The shift bar is in the way of the radio (slightly) but you do get used to it. It seems like a bad design that I'm assuming Ford will change. Concerned after reading about the fuel smells some people are experiencing. I have noticed a strong fuel smell right after fueling up. I never had that with my last vehicle.

I definitely recommend it. I have a 1 hour commute each way everyday and I don't even mind it now that I have the Escape.

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Looked at the Jeep and Blazer. The Escape is more economical and you get just as much as the hight priced SUV's.

Looks,Value,V-6,

Shift lever is to long and in the way.Leather seat option is way to
expensive (2,800.00). I only paid 1,000.00 extra for leather seats on
my honda accord!!

After about 300 miles I could hear a loud high pitched noise coming from
the gas tank area.My Ford dealer told me it sounded like the fuel pump.
Ford Motor Co.refused to replace the pump because thay said the new pump
might sound the same!! SHAME ON FORD!! Maybe thats why I have driven
Honda's and Toyota's for the past 15 years.My Ford dealer ship (New Country)decided to change the pump at their cost and guess what , the
noise is gone!! As for my overall feeling on the Escape,I love it, just
dont like the FORD MOTOR CO. doing nothing to try and fix the noise problem.5 stars for value 4 stars overall , would have been 5 if FORD
would stand behind what they sell.

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Rav4,Jeep

Roomy interior, smooth drive, acceleration is great on highways, good radio/CD sound.

Disapointed about the fuel economy, higher than what was expected. Possible problems with the transmission which might collaborate with the fuel economy. The dealership verified and noted that the truck skipped the first gear and went quickly to the second. They made an ajustment which helped a little, but I feel that there might be something else. Unless, the harsh cold weather of Quebec may be at fault... longer warming up, snow, icy roads, etc... On the other hand, used to have a Blazer 1987 and it drank just as much. So where is the problem?

There is also a lot of wind noise which appears to be normal for this type of vehicle. You hear it most on highways.

Besides the weaknesses I found, which I feel Ford will make adjustments in the future, I love this truck. I am a lot less stressed on the road, especially in traffic jams. I feel secure considering the harsh weather of Quebec and will never go back to driving a car.

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Used to have a Blazer 1987. It drove more like a tank but I loved it anyway. The escape drives more like a luxury car and is very pleasant to drive.

Good interior room; great value for the money. Handling and performance excellent, with reasonable mileage.

Wish the automatic shifter was on the floor.

What a fun car to drive! Handling feels excellent--taut suspension, quick steering, real zip off the line. Yet no rattles or squeeks.

My initial mileage has been good; 20.5 mpg average for the first 5 tanks.

Good roomieness. Plus I REALLY like the way it looks!

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I did a fair amount of research prior to buying -- this is the best SUV in its class!

It's a quick little car with lots of get up and go if you can keep the engine in the compartment. LOL. Lots of bang for the buck. Seats 4-5 comfortably.

Already replaced the transmission and engine in addition to the wiper recall. Gear shifter and wiper control in awkward and inconvenient place. I'm constantly turning the wipers on when trying to shift into drive. They are in the way of the radio. Lots of brake dust and grease in wheel wells. Wind noise when driving. No lights on the small vanity mirrors. Grommets constantly falling off and being replaced.

We bought this car for our daughter, a new driver. We wanted something reliable and safe. However, so far I think it's been in the shop more than in our garage. (I hope they don't start charging me storage) I think the mechanics have put more miles on it than we have. My daughter has nicknamed her car 'Lemonade'. When you get a lemon make....well you know the rest. We really like the car if they can work out all the bugs and Ford will stand behind their product. But we're very concerned with the replacing of the transmission due to a tranny leak, and the replacement of the engine due to low oil pressure and a lifter tap noise. Good thing we got the extended warranty. Checking into the lemon law.You start to get worried when you get to know the mechanics by name and meet every Saturday regularly and end play cards after fixing the car.(obviously an exaggeration. It's Friday night not Saturday)LOL Who should buy this car? A mechanic? Just kidding. It seems I'm the only one experiencing these problems.

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Compared the Mazda Tribute, Toyota Rav4, and Nissan X/Terra. The Escape had better appearance for the price.

V6 power, auto 4x4, comfort of seats [have leather], locking system [easy to use, only unlocks driver door with first click.], has hatch window as well as rear gate, CD/cassette/radio very good sound, I don't have to curl up into a ball to get in the door like with most cars [big or small], acceptable MPG. [not as good as I would like, but better then most]
Extra; all Escape owners are very frindly.

no direct outside air with out the fan running [except the windows of course], Rear view mirror could be wider.

I'd been considering the Chrysler PT Crusier and purchased a magazine for information on it and found the Escape. It's seemed too good to be true. Further investigation with many hours on the Net, I decided to take the plunge. Bought one coming in for dealer stock. It was close enough to what I wanted, and I didn't have the long wait. It's was better then they said. Handled very well on the ice packed drive and passed on two lane roads with power to spare. Small enough to wash quickly but large enough to haul what ever my wife thinks she needs to buy. Some of the knobs were in new to get use to locations, but this was minor. Had to pay out more money to buy the Escape over the Crusier, but it has been worth the extra.
Who would like the Escape? Anyone who use to enjoy driving and would like to again.

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V8 Dodge Dakota, Equal power for size and Escape rides better.

Silky smooth 3.0 Duratec motor; Good visibility; Very nice styling, especially the XLT with wheel lip moldings, which make it look more aggressive - the XLS looks a bit underweight without these. Plenty of interior room and comfortable seats all around. Had to give up my Mustang to seat my three growing children in the roomy Escape. City/Highway MPG has been accurate as long as you don't have a heavy foot - this is true for any vehicle. No problems with the previously mentioned gas odor after a fill-up. You get what you pay for, and that's a lot for this vehicle - Auto 4x4, Four wheel anti-lock brakes, independent suspension, ControlTrac II, lots of interior room just to name a few.

The most annoying feature is the location of the keyless entry " panic alarm" button, which is located right where you don't want it - too close to the other buttons. I've accidentally pressed the panic button on numerous occasions. How many people will actually use this? Wind noise is not too intrusive and is actually tolerable - remember, this is not a $45,000-$65,000 Lexus LX470 or BMW X5. Lets see, with an additional $25,000 above base price, I'm certain that Ford can build the fastest, quietest, best handling most elegant and functional SUV on the market, too - but why?

Overall impressions are very good. Ford really hits its mark on this one as it impresses in every aspect. This is my very first SUV and I swore that I would never own one. But I did a lot of homework prior to purchasing this vehicle and only time will tell if I made the right decision. How can Motor Trend compare all SUV's regardless of price for "2001 Sport/Utility of the Year" and call the comparison fair? And by the way, the Escape matched the Winner of this comparison in skidpad g's, outperformed it in 60-0 mph braking, almost matched it's 1/4 mile sec time by .1 second and it's 0-60 sec time by only .6 seconds. I'd say that's not bad for a vehicle that costs approximately $18,000 less than Motor Trend's winner. Makes you wonder who pays these guys.
Can't wait for the next snow fall here in the UK to really put it to the test.

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Have not had a chance to test drive similar compact SUV's, but styling and power train definitely have the compact competition beat. Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, Subaru and Toyota all look a bit too feminine to me. No offense, ladies.
Previous vehicle was a '92 "Fire Breathing" Mustang 5.0L with lots of power mods. Hard to compare power here, but would welcome a little more power to compete with the overpriced competition.

Great styling (seen the Hyundai Santa Fake? Eek...) Plastic in the areas that get hammered with road feff is smart. Great seating, firm, lots of adjustments. At 6'/220 lbs., I need room and Escape has it. Headroom is good. Decent grunt with 3.0/200 hp engine, tho lots of tranny seeking traveling uphill between 7,500' and 11,000' often. Climbed out of mudpit in 4X4 lockup, even with crappy firestone "street" tires with which it is equipped. EPA accurate for me @ 20-24 mpg "at elevation" as described above. Great interior flexibility with 60/40, rollup cover, dual mode tailgate, etc. Decent base stereo, so road noise? Turn it UP!

Price, tho competitive in class.

Great design and ergonomics, EPA mileage is accurate.

Only time of ownership will tell if a car is great or not. Out of the gate, the Escape is the only game to me. ALso, Car & Driver rated it #1 out of 11 mini-SUV shootout.

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None

powerful engine...lots of leg and head room...good driving position...wonderful visability

wind noise!!! when automatic shift lever engaged it blocks the rear window defroster and hazard switch...disappointed about fuel economy!..no center console arm rest(im driving xls model)...shift lever covers radio control.. cheap interior..interior door handle looks cheap..NO SEPARATE LOCK ON THE GASOLINE CAP!!!.. squeaky sound at the back seat or from the back window..no mirror on the driver and passenger sun visor(this should have been standard).

1 of d best mini s.u.v. field...the handling is nice

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RAV4,MAZDA TRIBUTE