Pros: Good gas mileage (2WD); Great acceleration; Overall great value
Cons: Brake-only interrupt on cruise control; Poor sound quality on speakers
The Bottom Line: If you need more hauling capacity than a car, want to carry passengers, and don't want the bulk of a full-size SUV, you could do much worse than this vehicle.
After buying a house and getting into the whole home improvement thing, it was time to get a vehicle with more hauling capacity than my two-door sports sedan. However, since friends and I go places, a pick-up was impractical, and I didn't want a huge SUV for commuting to work.
I settled on the 2004 Ford Escape, which seemed to be the best value for the money, and so far I'm extremely happy with it.
The acceleration in this vehicle is incredible, and might be too incredible for areas with a lot of speed traps, as I have a hard time keeping it at the legal speed limit. Fortunately, the XLT model that I purchased has cruise control.
I've got the two-wheel drive version, and I'm getting a lot better mileage than I anticipated, somewhere between 20-23 MPG (I drive mostly highway miles, even to work).
All the console buttons are large, well within reach, and easy to understand from the labels, without having to consult the manual to see what each one does.
The heater and air conditioner work like champs, warming or cooling the interior very quickly.
The in-dash 6-CD changer has progressive scan and works beautifully. Too bad it's paired with some poor-sounding door and rear speakers. It's something you get used to after a while, but it could be better.
My only other problem with the vehicle is that there is no cruise control interrupt, other than pumping the brake. Previous cars I've owned had a button or lever that turned off the cruise while maintaining its setting for later resume, but the Escape does not. This is my first Ford, so I'm not sure if this is common among the other models.
All in all, this is a great vehicle I'm planning on keeping for a long time.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 24000
Condition: New Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: XLT, 2WD, V6 Auto
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