Car Gazing
Freshened Ford Escape still among the best
By Derek Price
Thanks to its near-perfect mix of price, handling and style, the Ford Escape has been a hit since it was introduced in 2001.
No matter. It’s already time for a new one, Ford says.
Thanks to ferocious competition in the mini-SUV market – including some very strong offerings from America, Japan and Korea – Ford significantly updated the popular Escape for the 2005 model year. It follows the same basic formula as the first Escape, only with a little more style and refinement.
While ford calls the new Escape redesigned, it’s actually more like a mild facelift of the old model than full reconstructive surgery. And that’s a good thing.
The 2005 Escape has new headlights, fog lamps, front and rear fascias, grille, wheels and bumpers, but the overall look is only subtly different from the popular older model. There are also four new paint colors to pick from.
But the best changes are beneath the skin.
For starters, a new 2.3-liter Duratec four-cylinder engine replaces the wimpier base engine in the 2004 model to make 153 horsepower. It’s also significantly smoother and more responsive than the four-cylinder powerplant it replaces, and you can get it with an automatic transmission. Before now, you could only get the base engine with a stick-shift tranny.
The same powerful, smooth 3.0-liter V6 engine is carried over from last year, which isn’t disappointing. It makes 200 horsepower and 193 pound-feet of torque, or enough to tow up to 3,500 pounds with the right equipment. No complaints here.
Inside, the 2005 Escape features nicer materials than the old model, but you still won’t mistake it for a luxury car. Ford took what was already a good interior and made it better, with a floor-mounted shifter, new gauges, more storage space and upgraded seat cushions and fabrics.
The Escape further benefits from what Ford calls “major engineering efforts” to silence the cabin. New sound-absorbing panels and tighter sealing measures reduce interior noise, making highway trips much more comfortable.
Of course, the new Escape has the same comfy, car-like ride that made it so popular initially. It doesn’t feel bouncy or truck-like at all, instead seeming to float down the road like a good mid-size sedan.
One of the Escape’s best new features – and the one you’re least likely to notice on a test drive – is its new automatic transmission. It not only feels remarkably smooth and responsive, but it also offers more efficiency and better traction in slippery conditions than the model it replaces. It’s definitely one of the best on the market.
Not only does the Escape’s new look give it a tad more style, but Ford says it’s safer, as well. Revisions to the body structure have improved performance in some types of frontal collisions, Ford claims, and standard weight-sensing technology on the front passenger side helps make airbag deployment safer. Ford’s Safety Canopy system is designed to protect occupants in rollover crashes, too.
On the downside, if you want to take your SUV on serious off-road adventures, the Escape still isn’t for you. Unlike the rugged Jeep Liberty and Nissan Xterra, the Escape is built more for on-road comfort than heavy-duty trips through the Rockies. It has all-wheel drive, but it lacks a truck-like ladder frame and solid axels that true off-road machines need.
Realistically, though, few people need an SUV to leave the pavement. For those people, the Escape impresses with a car-like driving feel, rugged look and pleasant starting price.
Just like it always has.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.
Contact him at dprice@cargazingonline.com)
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