2005 Ford Escape - Limited 3.0L Automatic (500B) FWD

Submitted on 7/11/2005 6:44:17 PM

Pros: leather interior

Cons: passenger side front seat not powered and the sound system is horrible.

Advice: the specs state this vehicle is to fit a family of 5......not true....it's only comfortable for 4.

Handles turns smoothly and climbs mountains with ease.

2005 Ford Escape - Hybrid (300A) FWD

Submitted on 7/11/2005 9:03:23 AM

Pros: Too many

Cons: Console between the front seats

Advice: Expect it to feel closer to a truck than a car as an SUV should.

My FEH is actually a 2006 and I just purchased it. So far, it is wonderful and lives up to its billing. Although you can hear the engine working on steep highway upgrades, the power is there and I've had no trouble getting up the grade. It also has plenty of power for getting onto the freeway and through traffic. My fuel efficiency is increasing, but there is definitely a break-in period. At 5'2' most vehicles don't fit me very well, this one is an exception; the seat is can move even closer than I need and it does not put me too close to the airbag. Plus, it has a sensor for my seat position and weight to regulate the force of the airbag. The back seats are roomy and comfortable, which seems unusual for a hybrid. The fuel economy is great for an SUV or truck, but not for a car so if you want look for the smaller hybrid cars.

2005 Ford Escape - XLT 3.0L Automatic (310A) FWD

Submitted on 6/2/2005 11:54:28 AM

Pros: price

Cons: interior & exterior styling and quality

Advice: Test drive other vehicles and you'll see the difference immediately

If you are searching for a well-made 4WD vehicle, you can do better for a little more money. I found the Escape interior cheap and the handling loose. The exhaust pipe just stuck out from the side of the car with no consideration for appearance. Who shifts on the column!?! My shopping list included 200hp+, sunroof, leather & 4wd. I purchased the Subaru Forester turbo. I love my Ford Mustang GT and F250, however the Escape is a cheap alternative to the Explorer.

2005 Ford Escape - Hybrid (300A) FWD

Submitted on 5/25/2005 11:04:31 AM

Pros: fuel economy

Cons: headlights bumping

Advice: check for updates on the new fancy front-headlights.

I am having problems with the headlights. They vibrate while driving. It gets you deeze at night just looking those lights bumping. No, it is not related to wheel balance or nothing. My nearby dealer told me that it is the second one they hear about and that Ford engeneers are working on it already, but have not solution yet.. Did I buy a future Lemon? time will tell.. if you know something about this, let me know. In the meantime, if you have one, test drive it at night on a no-so even pavment...

2005 Ford Escape - XLT 3.0L Automatic Sport (330A) FWD

Submitted on 5/24/2005 6:54:17 AM

Pros: Leather Seats

Cons: Stereo System / Sound - It Could be Better

Advice: Test Drive both the 4 Cyl and the 6 Cyl. - You'll love the 6

I just purchase an Escape XLT with the V6 and Leather Seat Package, It also has the 6 CD Changer. In the beginning I was concerned about outside noises and how comfortable this vehicle could be. It has lots of power, at least compared to the 4 Cyl 4x4 Escape. Fuel Economy is not that bad for a 6 Cyl. I put about 180 miles a day on this baby and it drives fine. It is really confortable and no noises. So Far, I am loving it... I also heard fuel economy should improve after break-in.

2005 Ford Escape - Hybrid (300A) FWD

Submitted on 5/4/2005 3:00:00 PM

Pros: The economy and mpg readouts.

Cons: The lack of storage area for front seat passengers and lack of temperature gauge.

Advice: Read everything you can so you understand how the car works.

At first I was a little disappointed in the gas mileage. BUT after reading the owners manual I have realized that there is a break-in period of up to 3000 miles. I now have 1850 miles on my Escape and my mpg is going up. It definitely took some time to get used to how the car operates. I really don't even think about it much now as I have gotten used to it. I tend to watch the gauge showing my economy feature going from low to high. I tried to keep my gauge on the high side of economy, which by the way does not mean driving 25 miles an hour. There is plenty of room for up to 4 adult passengers. It's been a good purchase for me.

2005 Ford Escape - Hybrid (400A) 4x4

Submitted on 5/3/2005 1:27:17 PM

Pros: An SUV with great mileage

Cons: Getting used to the 'feel' of the electric motors zero vibration

Advice: Buy one. It is the right vehicle to do the right thing with.

WE have about 1400 miles on our hybrid. It does give you a feel good attitude. It is great fun to see how far you can drive on battery power. Our record is 2.2 miles. Was it worth the additional cost? I guess it depends on what value you put on the environment or being dominated by oil producing countries. We average 28.2 miles to the gallo0n versus 11.4 in the Chevy pickup we traded for our Escape. Our driving is 70% city, 30% hwy. The Escape rides great and has plenty of power. It does take alittle getting used to the gas motor kicking out when you coast or stop. Once you figure out you are using zero gas, It becomes a very fun game to see how much better mileage one can achieve. The biggest problem is waiting so long between fillups to check fuel economy.