There was a time, not terribly long ago, when it seemed Ford could do no wrong. It had the best-selling car, the best-selling truck, and three other models in the top ten. When it entered the compact car-based SUV fray back in 2000--years ahead of Chevrolet, Dodge, and Nissan--the Escape quickly shot to the top of that segment.

These days, of course, Ford is in much worse health. Successful new products could be critical to its survival. The problem is, money is much tighter than it was seven years ago.

And so we have the heavily-revised-for-2008 Ford Escape. Perhaps because of the tight finances, the chassis and powertrain have been carried over. In the face of more substantially revised competitors from Honda and Toyota and new entrants from Korea, has Ford improved the 2008 Escape enough to slow the erosion of its market share?

I took a 2008 Escape Limited V6 for a test drive to find out.

Styling

Despite the bolder new corporate front end, the overall look of the new Escape is more cute and less ute. Round aggressively flared wheel arches look more toy than rugged. And the cladding is gone, yielding ultra-clean bodysides. The Escape is no longer so intent to look like a scaled down Explorer. It's more comfortable with its car roots. Could this limit its appeal?

Inside the changes are far more dramatic. I sat in a 2007 Escape prior to driving the 2008. The new interior looks and feels far higher in quality, especially with the Limited's "piano black" trim. The styling is more upscale, the details are more refined, the controls are more sophisticated, and the fits are more precise.

All is not perfect, though. As much as I like the appearance of the new center stack and center console, the control layout, which alternates large knobs with columns of buttons, is unfamiliar. Here as in many other recent designs the control readouts are at the top of the center stack, far away from the controls. So you can't have you eyes on the controls and the readouts at the same time. I suppose this won't matter once you become familiar with them.

Fortunately Ford did not muck up the door panel design like it did with the 2006 Explorer, so opening and closing the doors is not the challenge it can be in the larger SUV. The door pulls are simply hard plastic rectangles, and thus aren't pleasant to use, but this is common among non-luxury vehicles.

The lower door panels include a large, flat expanse of hard plastic, while the instrument panel top uses a similar material, but with a half-dozen wide grooves molded into it. The effect of all this plastic isn't as bad as that of all the hard plastic in Chrysler's recent interiors, but it's getting there.

On the positive side of the ledger, a navigation system is available in the Escape. Only a few others offer this feature in this segment, though I suspect this its only another couple years before nav is available in nearly every car. The Limited's dual zone automatic climate control is another feature rarely found in this segment.

Accommodations

The packaging and dimensions of the Escape's interior remain almost exactly the same as before. So there's sufficient room for four adults. The driver gets a commanding view of the road through a modestly raked windshield--the Escape doesn't pretend to be a sports car like some of its Japanese cousins. The rear seat passengers enjoy a cushion high enough off the floor to provide decent thigh support.

Seat comfort is nothing special. The front seats remain a bit undersized for my taste, though at least I didn't find them outright uncomfortable as I did with the 2003. The rear seat remains too flat.

Cargo volume remains about average for the class. Unlike in the Edge and Freestyle, the front passenger seat cannot fold to make room for long objects.

On the Road

The 3.0-liter Duratec V6, good for the same 200 horsepower it has been putting out for the last decade, soldiers on in the 2008 Ford Escape. Its partner remains a four-speed automatic without any of that newfangled manual shift capability.. This powertrain was the class leader back in 2000. Today it lags well behind the 269-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 of Toyota's RAV4 and the 263-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 that will soon be available in Chevrolet's Equinox. A new 3.5-liter V6 powers the Edge, but no telling if or when it'll be offered in the Escape.

The problem isn't only power. The 3.0 also lags newer V6s in noise level and noise quality, though the version used in the Escape sounds and feels more refined than earlier iterations. The similar 3.0 used in the Freestyle sounds noisier and feels rougher.

The handling of the previous Escape always struck me as sportier than that of most competitors, with a more direct feel and sharper responses. I didn't get this sense in the 2008. Instead, the steering felt lighter and much more insulated. Good for those seeking luxury, perhaps, but not good for those who enjoy driving.

Looking through the brochure, I now see that the steering system is now an electric-assist unit. That explains it. While the 2008 Escape's steering isn't as wooden as the electric system in the Chevrolet Equinox, it's not nearly as communicative as the old, conventional system.

The 2008 Escape's ride is notably smoother and quieter. Between this and the reduced sharpness of the handling, I suspect that the revised suspension settings are softer. Though lean in turns remains moderate (for an SUV), the revised Escape no longer asks to be driven.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s Ford's product development executives focused on handling. Many even attended professional driving schools. As a result, Ford produced some of Detroit's best-handling vehicles: the Contour, the Focus, and the original Escape among them. It seems that their focus is now elsewhere.

Ford Escape Price Comparisons and Pricing

The 2008 Ford Escape's sticker price is lower than the 2007's. Load up both years, and the new SUV lists for nearly $1,200 less than the old one. Adjusting for feature differences (such as the new dual zone automatic climate control) widens the gap to about $2,000. However, the rebate is currently $3,000 on the 2007, with perhaps additional dealer cash available on top of that, while the rebate on the 2008 is only $500. So the net difference is about $500 before any bonus passed on by the dealer.

When both are similarly loaded up, a 2008 Escape Limited V6 lists for about $2,800 less than the strong-selling 2007 Toyota RAV4 V6. At invoice, the difference is about $2,000. Both figured include a $500 rebate for the Ford.

Adjust for remaining feature differences, and the gap shrinks to $1,900 at MSRP and $1,200 at invoice. This seems a bit small to me, and I suspect that Ford will put a larger rebate on the 2008 Escape once the 2007s are cleared out.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Ford Escape:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/Escape.php

Last Words

Compared to the 2007, the 2008 Ford Escape looks more up-to-date, has a considerably nicer interior, rides more smoothly and quietly, and costs less. On the other hand, the powertrain remains the same and the handling has lost its previous edge. So while driving enthusiasts will shop elsewhere, those who prioritize features and a quiet ride might opt for the Escape.

I suspect that Ford was aiming to do just enough to maintain its sales in its segment, not grow them. Though I don't see the new Escape generating much buzz, it may well succeed at such an unambitious goal. But where is the Ford that used to aspire for segment leadership? Maybe next time, assuming the company survives.

A Note on Ford Escape Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy an Escape rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Ford Escape reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need reliability data on all cars--not just the Escape--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Chevrolet Equinox review
2005 Ford Escape review [2005]
2006 Ford Escape Hybrid review
Honda CR-V review
Hyundai Tucson review
Jeep Patriot review
Kia Sportage review
Mazda CX-7 review
Mitsubishi Outlander review
Toyota RAV4 review