As many times as I have been under my Subaru to change oil, transmission fluid or differential fluid, I never thought to look at the U-joints or the drive shaft. DBGrif91 brings up a great point about maintenance costs on an AWD car. I don't know what the expected service life is on driveshaft U-joints on a vehicle like the Escape or Subaru is, but maybe they are lifetime parts.

In modern age, that could mean jack squat though. Definitely a consideration.

Matt167, I guess we got lucky with our 2008 based on what you have said about quality going downhill.

Lariat 86 brings up a good point as well about AWD being nice to have. We use our AWD to scout boondocking camping spots on forest service roads and Jeep trails. There have been times where we were on 2 wheels opposite of it each with the other two in the air. This is extreme though and not the norm.

MPG is less in an AWD vehicle, but only by a few for the 2018 Escape based on a quick search I performed. I cannot speak to the AWD system by Ford in the Escape. It is nice to have though and can be useful in a whole lot if scenarios. Wet pavement, grass, snow, ice, etc... Definitely not required, but nice to have.

Like you said BigKen, want vs. need with a dash of budget.

We are very happy with our 1.6L EcoBoost Escape as it does a great job at its intended purpose. Errand car, dog hauler, short trip (4 hours one way) sprinter and general BS duty. Great MPG's, extremely quiet and reasonably comfortable.

Let us know what you decide sir and good luck with your choice.

Here is a picture of our little gas sipper errand car.

 

I just checked the dealership web site...the SEL is no longer listed...apparently it's been sold. Saves me the trip...now...the search continues. Thanks to all for your advice.

 

Tribecca is a great car with the 3.6L. AFAIK it was never actually intended to have the 4cyl but the price tag forced a cheaper option. It also used many of it's own parts, unlike most Subaru's that pull mechanical parts from the same pile.

A Great tire for any of these small SUV's is the Falken Wildpeak AT Trail. Both my moms Escapes had them. I just put a new set on her new car.. Both of her cars gets about the same ~25-27 MPG even with the aggressive tires

 

For the driveshaft in particular, I think the expectation is that will either last the life of the vehicle or it may have to be replaced once. But that’s determined by a mileage or age set by the manufacturer, regardless of customer expectation.

 

I agree 100% with your statement, it just didn't occur to me what the makeup of the components like that were until you said it. Here is a diagram of the rear driveshaft for my 2008 Tribeca from a Subaru Factory Service Manual I have for it.

 

That’s a CV type driveshaft - those will nearly outlast any vehicle as long as the boots stay sealed and there’s nothing causing stress to the CV joint (hard shifting, for example).

Also, for clarity, is that the driveshaft from the differential to the wheel? Because I’m talking about the driveshaft from the transmission/transfer case/PTU to the rear diff, which is sometimes called the rear propeller shaft. Most AWD cars now use a multi-piece driveshaft assembly that have at least 2 u-joints which are staked in place rather than held with a c-clip. Additionally, they’re smaller than any u-joint I’ve ever seen (cap size of about 3/4” as compared with most which are at least 1” diameter). To be able to remove them, you’d have to grind or chisel off the stakes.

The last AWD vehicle I owned was a 2009 Pontiac vibe. I found one of the u-joints was bad and attempted to find replacements to no avail. I talked with a local driveshaft shop that’s been here for decades and they said even if they could remove them without damaging the yokes, they wouldn’t be able to source replacements. I ended up paying $750 for a used driveshaft on eBay to eliminate the vibration the bad u-joint was causing.

Last year I was looking at a 2015 Dodge Challenger (RWD) for a low speed ticking noise that sounded like a wheel bearing. It ended up being one of the carrier bearings, but the driveshaft had the same staked in u-joints.

Looking at pics for the driveshaft for the 2018 escape and your 2008 Tribeca, it’s hard to tell whether or not the center joint utilizes the same design. But that’s using my phone and trying to zoom in, so maybe it’ll be easier to see on my home computer.

 

Just because BIGKEN got his answers and this thread turned into a free for all, I have uploaded the "propeller shaft" documentation from the 2008 Subaru Tribeca manual that I have for DBGrif91 to dissect as much as he sees fit.

Thanks for the general knowledge and I hope that I never have to venture down the driveshaft replacement road with the Subaru.

 

Interesting how most threads on FTE take many twists and turns...one of the charming features in my not so humble opinion.

Still in the "considering phase" of a new to me vehicle purchase. Selling the old family homestead to my niece...closing is 2/1/21. I'll then recover the $16,000 I've fronted for upgrades...I'm thinking that will be my budget...which means just under $15,000 for the vehicle and another grand for tax and registration. In order to maximize my buying power...I may be looking at a front wheel drive car...Corolla...Mazda 3...Altima. I've gotten by without AWD this long...do I really need it now??? I've found that snow/winter tires work well in most situations. Updates as they happen.

 

I can only address the Escape as a vehicle as we have no need for AWD. We had a 2013 Escape FWD LE with the 1.6, put a bit over 30K trouble free miles on it. Bought a 2019 SEL FWD and currently have 13K trouble free miles on it. The wife likes the Escape, finds them easy and quick to drive. But, she'll never forgive me for selling her Jeep Wrangler.