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The smaller-style all-wheel drive market is booming! We all know that. But have you ever asked why? There are some mighty fine products on offer. This product selection is very enticing. One such product is the Ford Escape. Here, we test the newest model which was released earlier this year. The original model appeared in March 2001. Yes, the Escape has been with us for 3 years already! The new model received a minor face lift earlier this year, with the introduction of the ZB series. At this time, the model range was expanded to include a 4-cylinder version as the base model and a "Limited" model as the top of the range. It's this new Escape Limited model which is the subject of our test. The test car was coloured "Sand Dune", a metallic gold, which is one of 3 colours available. The interior was a light coloured leather called "Pebble". As the top-of-the-line model, it comes with a 3-litre V6 engine, 4-speed auto transmission (all Escape models are automatic), disc/drum brakes (a good set-up for AWD and 4x4), independent suspension, power steering, alloy wheels, leather trim, sunroof, air conditioning, driver and passenger airbags and side airbags up front. There's also cruise control, 6-CD audio system, front fog lights, cargo blind and power windows. Well-equipped? Yes, indeed it is! The price you ask! The Limited sells for $41,870 (as tested, including the optional metallic paint), plus the traditional add-ons. It's not cheap, but it's very good! At nearly 4.5 metres long, it's not really small, and it's over 1.8 metres wide, so it's quite generous with room. Quite comfortable, too! The Next Car team covered 968 kms in this car (we'll call it a car, if that's OK!). It became immediately apparent that this car is roomy and comfortable. Just as it was evident that the car was powerful. This car is rewarding to drive, as the attributes already mentioned indicate. But, as with others in this class of vehicle, the high in the saddle driving position, is commanding. |
 Fuel usage, using the ADR 81/01 standard as a guide (as we did no tests), indicates 12.2 L/100km as the figure to expect. As with others in this class, that's more than you would use with a conventional sedan. Now what about faults and weaknesses? There's only one really and it's no big deal. That's the door trims. To digress just a moment, at sometime you may notice the person next to you at the traffic lights is singing. You may not always join in, but I did notice when Michael W Smith came on singing that great song "I See You" I began to play the door trim. You know, tapping the window sill while you enjoy the music! It was then that I noticed the shallow, empty feeling of the door trim. It was a terrible drum, just no good for finger-tapping at all! Recognising that the Escape is a soft-roader rather than a off-roader, we were cautious when going off-road. We did find the Escape to be stopable off-road. But in quite mild off-roading situations, it was delightful. As with many soft-roaders, it's very desirable to recognise that soft-roaders are not off-roaders. A rewarding drive, a comfortable drive, a stylish presentation .... the Ford Escape explains why the compact AWD segment of the market is expanding! Stephen Walker | |
