Hello everyone,
I am thinking about buying an 05 Escape xlt v6 fwd with the trailer tow package and I'm curious how well it will tow. I'm looking to tow a 12' utility trailer with 2-3 atv's and the total weight will be around 2,500lbs. Ford rates their tow package at 3,500lbs. I would appreciate any opinions.
Mike

 

Should be OK, Longer stopping distances and sucks gasoline.
Keep it out of OD and do a flush-n-fill of Mercon twice as often as recommended, (15,000 instead of 30,000).

 

I have the same with 4WD, but I'm not planning to tow a lot right now, may get a tent trailer later. I am adding some key performance additions that you might want to consider: computer tuner (when available for '05 Escape), cat-back performance exhaust, performance air induction or air filter. These should add enough extra power for you.

However, my sister had an '04 XLT 4WD with the towing package, to pull a tent trailer around 2500 lbs., but had a lot of problems in the mountains near her home in Colorado. She and her husband sold the Escape and replaced it with a new Toyota Tacoma truck.

 

Has any one with the 05 XLS 4cyl FWD and 5speed towed any thing yet? I would like one of these but have a Starcraft tent camper that weighs about 2600lbs and the factory rating is 1500lbs. I had a 95 Ranger with the old 2.3 L and that pulled it ok. I would love to get rid of the gas guzzeler truck I have if this would work.
Thanks Dan

 

We have been pulling a 2500 pound pop-up trailer for several years with our 2002 v6. The thing to understand (we always learn the hard way) is that the Escape isn't a truck. It is a car dressed up to look like an SUV...and not a very good car at that. Just look at the number of problems on the forums with transmission, suspension, brakes, electrical.... Last time I checked there were 110 advisories from Ford on the vehicle to its service people--for reference, the 2002 Toyota 4Runner had 11 such advisories. And most of those advisories we and others like us have had go wrong already on the car. You can do it--we've pulled through the Rocky Mountains every year without any great difficulty actually pulling...but three years later the car is literally falling into pieces despite impeccable maintenance. You might want to buy yourself a more brawny (and far better built) vehicle if you are going to put any kind of stress on it at all! You will be far happier in the long run.
cmj

 

I bought my wife an 05 Limited with the 3.0. It came with the towing package, but I'm not real sure what I would actually tow with it. Maybe a single jet ski, but I don't think I'd put much more behind it. As CMJ said, the vehicle would pull whatever I wanted to put behind it fairly reasonable, but the stress on everything in the Escape would create headaches down the road.

I would look at an Explorer or equivalent for things like that. I have pulled anything you can think of with my 97 - from 2 jet skis to grossing over 8000lbs between a trailer and John Deere tractor (mine is set up to handle that type of weight if needed - stock they are not). I have not had the first problem...

 

I have an '04 XLT 4WD with the trailer package. I pull my 17 foot runabout short distances with no problem. I pulled a small uhaul trailer last summer for 4oo miles with only a slight decrease in MPG. The 'scape is not an ideal pulling vehicle, but for limited use it should be fine, just keep your speed down.

 

It seems as though other escape owners have had more trouble than myself.
I tow a tent trailer that is in excess of 2800lbs fully loaded and have had no problems to date. I change the trans fluid at least once somtimes twice a year depening on how often we tow. I also have the heavy duty tow package. It seems to hold its own at highway speeds even up long steep grades. I also keep it out of overdrive when towing and I still get good gas mileage.