So, my name suggests I've got an F250... but I've also got a 2003 Escape XLT V6
Just wondering how you all feel about your Escape. Mine has been one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. Other than general maint, the only thing I've had real trouble with is the six CD changer, which I finally gave up on and replaced with aftermarket.
I've got 142,000 miles and the little guy is still running strong. I still get mid 20's when doing total highway miles. My commute is a mix of country, some city, and some highway, and I get 19mpg. I couldn't be happier.
We will eventually need to replace the Escape so I'm also curious about how the Hybrid has done so far... comments?
well that escape doesn't owe you a thing, nice to hear you've had good service out of it. If anyone is looking to replace an older Escape I'd highly recommend an 09 or 10 replacement, the upgrades offered by the newer Escapes are really great, particularly in the drivetrain and safety departments. I'd love to have a hybrid, but the initial price always seems to prevent me from getting one. I've got an 09 2.5 l auto xlt 2wd, and I'm totally happy with the fuel economy and performance package that it offers. The hybrid offers big improvements in city driving, and much less in highway driving conditions. If you do a lot of city driving it is worth looking at a hybrid. About 75% of my driving is highway so it would have taken much longer to get my investment back from a Hybrid, but I'd still love to have one
The '05 and '06 hybrids that I have are the two best vehicles I have ever owned. After 4+ years with each of them, mileage is still improving. I have lifetime averages of around 33 mpg on each which includes every mile driven on them, not just road trips or some tanks.
And contrary to popular myth, the hybrids also do considerably better in non-city driving. Highway driving at 65 mph gets over 30 mpg. My driving is mainly mixed light highway/parkway type driving (25 mile/42 minute commute) and I get tanks as high as 40 mpg in other than extreme heat/cold.
From everything I have read, the '09 hybrids do even better than the early models.
You can have one....just buy my 05 escape hybrid 4wd.....titanium green w/ silver, great looking and running, I just don't want the payments, not a single problem w/ it, they do get awesome mpg's and ride nice!
they are nice,,, just not the payments.... I bought mine w/out a long range plan ,,,at my wife urging, she was complaining about the expense of the gas in our "paid for" Tahoe, now we still have the Tahoe and the Escape...I am hoping that someone will buy the Escape and put it to good use
I like everything about my '05 except the CD4E transmission. It's not bad, but it is nowhere near as smooth as my buddy's '07 Honda CR-V that I drive regularly. The Escape transmission is kinda jumpy and there is way too big of a gap between 1st and 2nd gear. Are the new 6-speeds better?
Bought my middle daughter a new '05 4 XLS when she gradated from high school. Almost years old and still a great vehicle...even though her and my son-in-law don't maintain it well....
My 17 year old daughter is driving an '01 XLT V-6...110,000 miles and it has been great as well. She now wants a 2010 Excape when graduates...or a Range Rover.
I may look into the HBs but, the capital outlay scares me.
__________________ "There is a fine line between fishing... and just standing on the shore looking like an idiot"
This is my first NEW vehicle i have ever owned. I bought the '09 XLT 4X4 with the 6/6spd. I must say that i have been very disappointed with the 6 spd auto tranny so far. I find the shift points are horrible, i find that there's a very constant almost hum that occurs at various shift points that is very annoying. Between 95-120 KM/hr, the noise in the cab is very loud, to the point almost un-bearable. I find that my DS windowl, when you close it with the power, when it gets to the top, it's as if it's hitting something hard, thus causing a much louder sound than it should (When i compare it to the other 3 windows at least and any other vehicle i have owned....).
It is extremely frustrating on my end as I had certain expectations when i bought new. So far, my experience has been quite stressing.
__________________ My project for the next ummmmm 15 yrs!!!! 1997 OD TJ with a few MODS 09Ford Escape XLT 4WD V6
08Toyota Matrix XR (Wife's Car) Welcome to Holland (Homage to my Boy)
I purchased a new 2009 Escape XLT V6 4X4 back in March and I too am quite disappointed with the shift points of the automatic transmission. It seems as if it is NEVER in the gear it should be in. For example: If you are slowing down to make a turn and start up a small incline, it shifts to a higher gear as soon as you get back on the "go" pedal, making the engine "lug" and bog down. If you give it just a little more "go" pedal, it shifts what seems like 2 gears lower and you end up flying up the hill with the engine screaming at you all the way. A few weeks ago I scheduled a visit to my Ford dealer for my free SYNC update and it's 1st oil change and told them about the shifting issue. Evidently Ford has issued a "re-program" of the computer on the 2009 V6 4x4 Escapes that is supposed to correct the weird shifting issues. They did the "re-program" but I see NO difference in the way the transmission is shifting. A friend of mine at work bought a 2009 Escape V6 4x4 and her's shifts exactly like mine. I know because I drove it. More than likely it's something we will just have to live with. I don't think it's a transmission problem, it's just the way the transmission is programmed to shift.
Another issue I have is that the cloth seats STAIN very easily. I left work a few weeks ago and it was raining. I ran to my Escape, opened the door and quickly jumped in. In the 2 seconds the door was open 8 or 10 raindrops got on the driver's seat. Now I have 8 or 10 dime-sized "oily" looking spots on the driver's seat. Did water cause the spots??? Of course! All I know is those spots were not there before the raindrops got on the seat..
I like my new Escape overall. It rides very nice and is relatively quiet inside for an SUV. The audio system is actually good as far as "factory" systems go. The air conditioning will FREEZE you to death! I'm just not sure if I'll ever get used to the weird shifting. How durable and reliable can this vehicle be if it's always shifting and hunting for the right gear - engine lugging then screaming all the time?
I've had several vehicles over the years - cars, trucks, SUV's... All by different manufacturers. Some I kept for years after payoff because they were so "issue" free and reliable. Some I traded off after only a year or two. Unfortuately my new Escape doesn't seem like a vehicle I'll keep very long.
I purchased a new 2009 Escape XLT V6 4X4 back in March and I too am quite disappointed with the shift points of the automatic transmission. It seems as if it is NEVER in the gear it should be in. For example: If you are slowing down to make a turn and start up a small incline, it shifts to a higher gear as soon as you get back on the "go" pedal, making the engine "lug" and bog down. If you give it just a little more "go" pedal, it shifts what seems like 2 gears lower and you end up flying up the hill with the engine screaming at you all the way. A few weeks ago I scheduled a visit to my Ford dealer for my free SYNC update and it's 1st oil change and told them about the shifting issue. Evidently Ford has issued a "re-program" of the computer on the 2009 V6 4x4 Escapes that is supposed to correct the weird shifting issues. They did the "re-program" but I see NO difference in the way the transmission is shifting. A friend of mine at work bought a 2009 Escape V6 4x4 and her's shifts exactly like mine. I know because I drove it. More than likely it's something we will just have to live with. I don't think it's a transmission problem, it's just the way the transmission is programmed to shift.
Another issue I have is that the cloth seats STAIN very easily. I left work a few weeks ago and it was raining. I ran to my Escape, opened the door and quickly jumped in. In the 2 seconds the door was open 8 or 10 raindrops got on the driver's seat. Now I have 8 or 10 dime-sized "oily" looking spots on the driver's seat. Did water cause the spots??? Of course! All I know is those spots were not there before the raindrops got on the seat..
I like my new Escape overall. It rides very nice and is relatively quiet inside for an SUV. The audio system is actually good as far as "factory" systems go. The air conditioning will FREEZE you to death! I'm just not sure if I'll ever get used to the weird shifting. How durable and reliable can this vehicle be if it's always shifting and hunting for the right gear - engine lugging then screaming all the time?
I've had several vehicles over the years - cars, trucks, SUV's... All by different manufacturers. Some I kept for years after payoff because they were so "issue" free and reliable. Some I traded off after only a year or two. Unfortuately my new Escape doesn't seem like a vehicle I'll keep very long.
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