Your going to see mpg improvements a cross the board, the people want it and the goverment demands it. I had no complaints with my escape except for the auto shifter, it would hit your passenger in the knee's, you could dry your laundry on that thing. I'm glad it's now on the floor where it belongs. The escape was rugged for what it was, but it was no jeep. I got the liberty to get low range and I can wheel it heavy, but my best tank highway was a mere 20.7 mpg. But it's a true capable 4x4, so I'll live with it. The diesel engine does better, but I like gas. Oversea's they have 2 4 cylinder common rail diesels avaible in the ranger, a 2.5 and 3.0. Just think if the american ranger and escape had those available. Awesome torque and mated to a 6 speed auto, should have awesome mpg as well. The jeep libby with the diesel gets 22/26 and thats with a t-case low range 4x4 system and the libby is by no means light for it's size. I wonder what a 4x4 diesel escape with a 6 speed auto would do, should be at least around 30 I would think. I wish ford would get a clean burning 4 cylinder common rail diesel for light duty application like they have available in fords in other countries. I'm not a diesel person, but I could become one for 30 mpg in a 4x4. I'm telling you guy's a fib, I didn't my jeep with a gas motor because I dislike diesels, there were none on the lot when I bought mine. However I do like gas engines because I like to mod the motors as you can tell by my sig and I don't know much about diesels. That is a cool concept, an escape with a diesel, what do you guy's think ?

 

On the contrary, I like the auto shifter on the column, frees up all that room between the bucket seats to put things in the compartments provided. Auto shifters were always on the column until some Detroit engineer had a brainstorm and thought all cars were race cars and started putting them on the floor. The only way a passenger could hit the shifter with his or her knees is if he or she was 7 foot tall and had the passenger seat brought up as far as it could go towards the front of the vehicle. Maybe they gave you the extended version shifter arm??? LOL

 

So for the best MPG what combonation would be good.....4WD is a must!

 

nitramjr seems to have a problem with his escape. I have a 01 with the 3.0 and get 20 in the city and 24 on open rd. It is well tuned and I think it could use alittle more power. say 3.8 V6. maybe He has the wrong gearing in it and it revs to high on the road. it sounds that way to me. just something to go by, on open highway my escape will cruse at 70 mph at 1700 rpm. YES I SAID 1700 RPM.

 

You say 4WD is a must, thease are front wheel drive "cars" with a viscous coupling in place of a transfer case and tiny rear diff that never gets more than 50 % power. If 4wd is a must then the best combo for mpg is the 2.3L with manual 5speed that is rated 21 city and 26 highway.

I would think the 2.3L auto with 4wd would be bogged down by the extra mass and drivetrain losses of the viscous coupling and rear diff/axel assembly.

As it is the 4wd looses 3mpg both city and hiway from the front drive only.

 

No, there were no problems with the Escape. It was 100% stock and everything worked fine on it. I can't recall off the top of my head what the engine speed was at 70 mph but it wasn't very high. And my poor mileage wasn't because of my driving - I certainly know how to drive for efficiency. Like I said earlier, I was able to nurse 27 mpg out of it on a highway trip but that was extreme. Ancient history now anyway, I traded that car in two years ago come June.

I have no complaints whatsoever now, I'm driving the exact same vehicle in a hybrid version and get over twice the mileage in my normal driving. All is well.

 

The escape colum shifter allmost stuck out the passenger side window, I never seen one so long before, I'm being funny, but it was long and hung in front of the stereo. I think all auto shifters should be on the floor where the manuals use to be. The best combonation for mpg, would be the 4x4 hybrid, second would be the 2.3 manual trans 4x4. A v6 manual 4x4 wouldn't be bad, if they made one.

 

Be careful what you ask for. I thought the column shifter was so old-fashioned until they put it on the floor. You lose all kinds of storage space and legroom with the '05's and later. The center console in my '05 and '06 are near worthless except for a few CD's.

 

All my vehicles has it on the floor, thats just where I perfer it, I rest my hand on it while I'm driving, just an old habit. Actually I don't even like automatics and never have. The escape was an auto because thats what the wife likes, same with the liberty, but my ranger and focus st are both manual. I'm 47 and have only personally owned a couple of automatics in my life. But if it has to have one, I want it on the floor.

 

Exactly, the problem is though, there aren't that many vehicles made anymore with the shifter on the column. I am glad my '03 Escape has the shifter on the column. I remember manual transmissions that had the shifter on the column also, now that was a PITA!
How many times do you actually shift an automatic transmission? I normally go from PARK to DRIVE and when I reach my destination back to PARK, it's not like I am constantly shifting gears like with a manual trans. Yes, a manual 5 or 6 speed transmission shifter should be on the floor for ease of shifting, but not an automatic IMHO.

Anyone know of any other late model vehicles besides the earlier Escapes who have the shifter on the column? Forget about the funky Honda CR-V with the shifter on the dashboard. The new Hondas have it on the floor though.

 

You must be old like me Tony . Several of my first cars and trucks had the incredibly unreliable three on the tree. But, for the $25 or so I used to pay for them, I got what I paid for.

 

Me old? I'm a spring chicken, lol...was just born in 1946, that's not old

Seriously, one of the first cars I owned was a 1955 Chevy BelAir, straight six, with 3 speed manual on the column. You needed two feet to push the clutch down though . This one was in pretty good shape and cost me a whooping $100 back in 1963. These cars sold new for about $1500 in 1955. So $100 for a 7 year old car was a pretty good deal!

 

I'm glad I got one before they decide to make more changes. 2007 Escape XLT