2009 Ford Escape Longevity
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2009 Ford Escape Longevity
Looking at a 2009 Escape. I put a lot of miles on per year.(40,000) A lot of it is on dirt roads. Currently using a Ranger with just shy of 300,000 miles. What are everyones thoughts on an Escape holding up? I don't beat my vehicles but the roads I travel are sometimes very rough. I know the Escape is built on a car platform opposed to the Ranger is a truck platform.
docgj
docgj
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Not sure if you would want a Escape for the roads you travel. In my honest opinion for what it's worth, I would get something with more of robust suspension system. I am not 100% sure, but I think the Explorer is built on the Ford F series truck platform. That is also an option a Ford F series truck. I would look around for a low mileage Ford F-250, they are around, not many, but you can find them. I just think an Escape wouldn't be able to handle that kind of terrain day in and day out without something breaking.
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Thanks! That was my concern because the Escape is on a car platform vs the full frame of a truck. I also have the option to purchase a 2011 Ranger with only 4,000 miles on it. Remainder of the factory warranty will transfer.
Any other opinions?
Any other opinions?
Fleet Mechanic
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For your rather severe use, I would not go with an Escape. Not that they're tinker-toy or anything, but they are built on what was once a modified Mazda 626 platform that has evolved. I would be concerned about the pounding/bending of the suspension and its mounts to the unibody structure.
There are unibody vehicles that are beefed-up enough to take it, like the old Jeep Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee, both are unibody. But they were designed with off-road pounding in mind. And unless you are going to be jumping, I doubt you would bend any unibody attachment area on those.
So outside of a more specially-designed unibody vehicle like that, I would tend to stay with a body on frame vehicle.
Tony, the Expedition shares some rough chassis design with the F-150. The original body on frame Explorers were based on a modified Ranger chassis, IIRC. They are narrower than the F-series. The latest generation of Explorers went to unibody.
There are unibody vehicles that are beefed-up enough to take it, like the old Jeep Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee, both are unibody. But they were designed with off-road pounding in mind. And unless you are going to be jumping, I doubt you would bend any unibody attachment area on those.
So outside of a more specially-designed unibody vehicle like that, I would tend to stay with a body on frame vehicle.
Tony, the Expedition shares some rough chassis design with the F-150. The original body on frame Explorers were based on a modified Ranger chassis, IIRC. They are narrower than the F-series. The latest generation of Explorers went to unibody.
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I have a 2009 Escape with 125,000 miles that has held up very well but I agree with the others in that I would look for one of the newer F-150's with the 3.7 V6 or a very late model Ranger if you need a 4-cyl for economy. That being said, I bought my daughter a 2002 Ranger and it didnt seem all that durable in highway use as the ball joints needed to be replaced after 75,000 miles. I really depends on how rough your roads are. I grew up on gravel roads in Iowa and I wouldn't consider them to be very hard on a vehicle - except for the dust.
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