Faults:

Nothing so far.

General Comments:

I love this car! The Escape is basic, but for the price, what more can you ask for?

I take my Escape camping often, and it performs admirably on dirt roads, and sandy beaches.

The V6 has a lot of power.

There is plenty of leg room in the front and back, and the seats are surprisingly comfortable even on long drives.

The Escape is one of the better looking SUVs in this class, and so far the reliability has been top notch. With fuel prices the way there are, I am completely satisfied with purchasing this vehicle.

Faults:

We discovered the alternator was defective shortly after we drove the Escape off the lot. The dealer quickly and correctly diagnosed and replaced it, and we've had no further problems.

General Comments:

The 2.3L Duratec is surprisingly quick, though a bit throaty. From what I've read, it's pretty highly regarded, and I'm pleased with it overall. The only problem is the gear-hunting from the 4-speed automatic when going over hills and mountains. That's to be expected in a 4-cylinder automatic in a fairly large vehicle. But for daily driving, it's wonderful. The CD4E automatic transmission has had some past issues, but from what I've seen and read, they're mostly in the past. With reasonable driving style and proper routine maintenance, I think it will do just fine.

The interior is plain, but nicely laid out. The seats are remarkably comfortable even for a big guy like me. On a recent 1500 mile round-trip, I never once got tired or felt uncomfortable. The steering is superb. The basic single-cd stereo puts out surprisingly nice sound, too. The cupholders are weird, in that the front "hole" is large and well-placed, but the one to the back is small, elevated, and cramped, too small for a larger drink. The fabric looks plain and inexpensive, but so far it seems to hold up well. Control, switches, and knobs were solid and well-placed. The instrument cluster is also plain and somewhat dimly-lit (yes, I turned up the dimmer all the way), but it has everything you need and is positioned fine. The steering wheel seemed a bit far away from a driver with the seat all the way back, like me. But it never really seemed to present a problem.

The cargo area is small, but it's a small SUV. However, the cargo floor is absolutely flat, and I wish it were more recessed. It seems there is some wasted cubic space there, but this is just my personal preference. I also know there are some aftermarket trays you can use after removing the flat cargo board.

The ride is actually pretty decent for a short wheel-base SUV. It's not *nearly* as bouncy as the Jeep Liberty I drove for a couple of days. It's fairly smooth, and it handles superbly in my opinion for that type of vehicle. I tried slightly overinflating the OEM General Tires to improve fuel economy just a bit, but it made the ride much too harsh.

Fit and finish are excellent, and overall it has a solid, good quality feel to it. Doors close with a solid "thunk", and I hear no unexpected rattles or noises.

Our fuel economy runs between 23.5 and 26.0 mpg, depending on the usual variables. Oil changes are a breeze, as both the drain plug and filter are very thoughtfully placed. You won't even need ramps or a jack in most cases.

Overall, I would recommend this vehicle as a good, dependable daily driver and for the occasional road trip.

Faults:

Seat warmer switches are in an inconvenient location.

Seat springs are too close to the surface of the leather.

Rear seat headrests block view of rear windshield.

General Comments:

The 3.5L V6 engine provides much better acceleration and power than the Nissan XTerra or Pathfinder, or the Jeep Liberty.

This car is sporty and fun to drive. The 2005-07 model year chassis is sleeker and much better looking than the new 2008 model year.

More cargo space and easier access through the rear hatchback than the Liberty or XTerra.

If you consider an Escape, it's definitely worth coughing up a few thousand more dollars for the Limited. The lower-end models have a lot of plastic, Naugahyde and cheap chrome on the interior and have a cheesy feel.

Outstanding handling and extremely easy to maneuver for an SUV.

Faults:

The battery died as I was buying it due to it sitting on the lot.

General Comments:

The stance of the vehicle is aggressive and it shows in the handling.

It handles like a snow-cat in deep snow and snow drifts. (location: Colorado)

Roomy cabin, plenty of head and leg room up front and tolerable in back.

Head rests are too far back to be of any use unless napping in the car.

Intelligent 4WD works wonders, but I worry about potential repair costs.

I can't speak on reliability, it's just too new, but it gives off good vibes and previous years speak well for it.

Great view of the road from the driver seat, especially when compared to other ford trucks/SUV's.

Overall, I'm very pleased. Having lived in Colorado my entire life and dealing with all the terrain it has to throw at a vehicle, I've never felt so comfortable behind the wheel. The only question that remains is whether or not my opinion will remain the same after 1 or 2 years.