11 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
Good small SUV
Date of Review: Jun 30, 2007
The Bottom Line: I would buy it again, but would have bought with more warranty.
I have owned this vehicle for two years and have put 60,000km (approx. 37,000 miles) on this vehicle. I drive this vehicle 100 km a day (60 miles a day) to and from work.
The good:
This vehicle is very quick, I dare compare it to my 2000 Mustang with a V6. It is very peppy and will allow you to pass easily.
As a daily commuter it is very comfortable, very commanding of the road, and has reasonable gas mileage. Remember you are driving a SUV.
"4x4" on demand works well. It has gotten me out of some sticky Canadian winter snowstorms.
It drives smoothly and compared to an old pickup truck does corner quite well... but it's not a sports car so be careful with aggressive maneuvers.
It has a lot of cargo room with the seats folded down to make trips to Rona or Home Depot. It can haul most small furniture with no problems.
Two adults can fit quite comfortably in the back and it is good for long trips.
The bad:
I have always had problems with the braking system. Sometimes in the winter, the brakes have frozen on me! No dealer has been able to fix this problem. I do not know if anyone else has experienced it, but keep a keen eye on the brakes and slam them when driving (safely of course on a quiet road!).
As well the ABS light has been on for some time now. The problem may be due to the recall issued for the ABS problems from Ford. I have not been able to schedule an appointment yet, unfortunately. If the ABS light is on in the vehicle you are considering, ask about the recall.
The ugly:
Within the first 30 days, the windshield cracked in the winter. The dealer replaced it free of charge.
Just after my extended warranty expired, the vehicle felt like it was driving over bumpy roads constantly. It needed a new drive shaft. The dealer did not help me cover the expense and I was out of pocket $1200.
After that it also needed new rotors and brakes.. not much can be said about that with the mileage I put on though.
Overall:
I think next time I will buy the Escape hybrid. In the meantime if you're looking for a small SUV that can be used to haul some items for your house and move a small family of people, it's great.
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