I am going to order a I4 stick 4wd for my wife. We took a i4 model for a ride last night but it was a automatic. the dealer said he had never seen the stick before and what the counsel looked like. We could not even find any pics of it anywhere and how it differs from the automatic. I was hoping it was car like with a short throw. Any one out their have one???

 

The console will be very similar to the automatic. As for the shifter, I don't have any experience with the manual but the Escape is built off a car chassis so I would expect the shifter to be more carlike than trucklike. Hopefully a manual owner will chime in here.

 

I have an 05 with the stick. Console is identical. Shifter is a thort stick with round ****. Mine shifts very smooth. The oval opening for the stick has a nice black boot filling the opening.
Dan

 

I also have an 05. The console is the same as the auto. I was looking fo a 4wd with the i4 and stick and couldn't find one. The dealer said they didn't make them that way. If I wanted 4wheel then I would have to get the 6 auto combo. They didn't even ask if I wanted to order one.

 

According to Ford's website, they do build an I4 with manual in 4 wheel drive.

http://www.fordvehicles.com/suvs/Escape/features/specs/

 

Thanks, I guess I should have looked before I bought. I'm happy with the car now but would have bought the 4wd for the sand and dirt roads. The way the car works now the front tires spin too easy on the pavement and really bad in the rain. I have to be really careful in loose sand and dirt access roads.

 

I have yet to find one withthe side airbag in v6 of i4. it seems i have no choice but to order withthe i4, 5 speed, 4wd and the extra airbags

 

surfdaddy - do you have Continental tires? My Tribute easily spun those tires but when I bought a set of Michelins I had much better traction. Plus, when I know that I am on a slippery surface such as a boat ramp I put the transmission in 2nd gear.

 

I have the General tires on my 05 stick FWD and tires don't spin. Sure I can spin them if I dump the clutch at 3grand. I have driven in a lot of snow and traction is great with the FWD, not that you don't know how to drive a stick in snow but I do and traction is great.

 

I did a bit of checking the inventory of local Ford dealers and the I-4 manuals are pretty hard to find. However, I did find one XLS in 4WD with the I-4 and the manual transmission so they do make them in that configuration. But I only found one out of 4 dealerships (probably 80-100 Escapes).

 

Surfdaddy... First of all, not knowing where you are driving your Escape but get rid of the OEM tires (probably Crappyentals) and get a good set of AT tires. Even the Firstone Destination LEs are better than the stock. I have a set of Hercules Terra Trac AT tires on a 05 2wd and they are great. Actually they might have to much grip. They do not spin what so ever and disperse the water to the sides and not over the hood. I have a set of these tires on my 04 F150 4x4 and on the Escape and believe me I have put them thru thier paces and have not gotton either one stuck. They handle good in Snow also and here in N.E. Ohio (along Lake Erie) we get a bunch of snow. I have even taken both vehicles Bahaing in Lake Erie with no problems, yank out trees with the F150 and have yet to loose traction, drive through corn fields and through thick, deep mud and have yet to loose it. Take a look at them and decide for yourself. Take a look at the tread depth and design, there are many manufactures that make a tire that looks like these Dean Tire make a Wildcat AT that is also good with the same design. STAY AWAY FROM THE Bridgestone Dueler AT REVO though!!!! They are excellant at first but after about 10,000 miles you have to rebalance them constantly and they are very noisey. Reviews for many of them at www.tirerack.com

I hope this helps.