'09 Escape questions
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Joined: May 2003
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'09 Escape questions
New to Escapes but drove an '09 today and I think we're sold. But...
How do they drive in snow/ice? We're in the UP of Michigan and the snow gets a little thick. How does the Escape do in deep snow or on rutted roads? Imagine the most crummy driving conditions but you still have to get to work. Would you hesitate to take the Escape or would you jump in the full size truck with lock in 4wd? Some mornings, we have to just get out of the driveway prior to snowblowing. Will the Escape bash it's way out?
How about long trips? Tiring? Two teenage boys will be in the back seat. Not concerned about them fighting (haha) but will the leg room be sufficient for a longer journey? I know no center arm rests. How about highway/driving noise? It seemed louder on accel. I'm not expecting a Cadillac type ride but is it ok to hop in and drive 6-8 hours without being drained at the end?
How do they drive in snow/ice? We're in the UP of Michigan and the snow gets a little thick. How does the Escape do in deep snow or on rutted roads? Imagine the most crummy driving conditions but you still have to get to work. Would you hesitate to take the Escape or would you jump in the full size truck with lock in 4wd? Some mornings, we have to just get out of the driveway prior to snowblowing. Will the Escape bash it's way out?
How about long trips? Tiring? Two teenage boys will be in the back seat. Not concerned about them fighting (haha) but will the leg room be sufficient for a longer journey? I know no center arm rests. How about highway/driving noise? It seemed louder on accel. I'm not expecting a Cadillac type ride but is it ok to hop in and drive 6-8 hours without being drained at the end?
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,512
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From: Detroit
New to Escapes but drove an '09 today and I think we're sold. But...
How do they drive in snow/ice? We're in the UP of Michigan and the snow gets a little thick. How does the Escape do in deep snow or on rutted roads? Imagine the most crummy driving conditions but you still have to get to work. Would you hesitate to take the Escape or would you jump in the full size truck with lock in 4wd? Some mornings, we have to just get out of the driveway prior to snowblowing. Will the Escape bash it's way out?
How about long trips? Tiring? Two teenage boys will be in the back seat. Not concerned about them fighting (haha) but will the leg room be sufficient for a longer journey? I know no center arm rests. How about highway/driving noise? It seemed louder on accel. I'm not expecting a Cadillac type ride but is it ok to hop in and drive 6-8 hours without being drained at the end?
How do they drive in snow/ice? We're in the UP of Michigan and the snow gets a little thick. How does the Escape do in deep snow or on rutted roads? Imagine the most crummy driving conditions but you still have to get to work. Would you hesitate to take the Escape or would you jump in the full size truck with lock in 4wd? Some mornings, we have to just get out of the driveway prior to snowblowing. Will the Escape bash it's way out?
How about long trips? Tiring? Two teenage boys will be in the back seat. Not concerned about them fighting (haha) but will the leg room be sufficient for a longer journey? I know no center arm rests. How about highway/driving noise? It seemed louder on accel. I'm not expecting a Cadillac type ride but is it ok to hop in and drive 6-8 hours without being drained at the end?
If your boys are headed toward being 6'4" tall like my son is (he's 21 and I *believe* he's stopped growing), the back seat might be a bit tight, but not worse than something like a Fusion--and more headroom. If you are medium sized people, you'll do great.
Compared to a Lincoln, the Escape might be a bit noisy inside, but compared to something like a Jeep Wrangler, it's a limo. The new Escapes are better insulated than the earlier ones. Are you looking at 4 cyl or 6 cyl?
George
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Greenwood In. USA
Wife just picked up a 09 FWD Limited after putting 80,000 on an 04 fwd limited. we have never had any issues with the o4 in snow or ice as was mentioned before its a tank. As for leg room I am 6' 4" well over 300 (big boned 
and I have set in the back seat numerous times with plenty of room
of course wife has shorter legs.
regards
and I have set in the back seat numerous times with plenty of roomof course wife has shorter legs.
regards
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2006
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I've put 21,000 highway miles on my '09 and I think its an excellent highway vehicle. 5-6 hour days are pretty normal. This past Thursday and Friday I drove 500 miles each day. Make sure you get the Sync and Sirius radio.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 629
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From: DFW Metromess, TX.
We have an 08 Tribute (cosmeetically different) and it gets the job done. My son and I are 6' 4" and about 225 #. One of us sits in the back whenever we go the distance. Drove from Ft. Worth, TX. to Knoxville, TN. in one day. Were we tired? Yup, but bored would be more like it. It's a 2.3L four cylinder and gets about 30-32 mpg on the road, loaded or not. As for snow, I understand from my Escape City site that the snow bunnies love the Escape in snow conditions. It isn't a true 4 X 4, it has open differentials and smart logic as it's AWD and the processor makes the determinations on when it uses the front or rear wheel drive or both. Works great in the mud, not worth anything for rock climbing...
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Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Warren, MI
We have an 08 Tribute (cosmeetically different) and it gets the job done. My son and I are 6' 4" and about 225 #. One of us sits in the back whenever we go the distance. Drove from Ft. Worth, TX. to Knoxville, TN. in one day. Were we tired? Yup, but bored would be more like it. It's a 2.3L four cylinder and gets about 30-32 mpg on the road, loaded or not. As for snow, I understand from my Escape City site that the snow bunnies love the Escape in snow conditions. It isn't a true 4 X 4, it has open differentials and smart logic as it's AWD and the processor makes the determinations on when it uses the front or rear wheel drive or both. Works great in the mud, not worth anything for rock climbing...
Not sure about how smart the logic is! Every time you accelerate from a dead stop, no matter how slow, you have over 20% rear wheel torque even on dry hard pavement. Putting the pedal to the floor, never seen higher than 30% to the rear wheels. This smart logic is a waste of gas.
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Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Warren, MI
I first got the '09 wiring diagrams and located the 4WD module in the console and measured the duty cycled signal going to the ATC unit in the rearend with a scope. I'm now using a ScanGuage-II which can be programmed to read the ATC duty cycle PID.
I think that I started a thread here and posted a sceen capture of the ATC signal.
Here it is: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ybrid-4wd.html
I think that I started a thread here and posted a sceen capture of the ATC signal.
Here it is: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ybrid-4wd.html
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Warren, MI
The maual says that "most" of the torque is sent to the front wheels but if front wheel slippage is detected more torque is sent to the rear.
The manual has a pinpoint test for a noise or binding condition. You monitor the 4WD ATC duty cycle and make sharp turns at no more than 5MPH. You should see at least 20%.
I was at my dealer for a oil change. I asked how much rear wheel torque do you get driving normal with no turning after mentioning the above test? Nobody could answer my question including the service manager but he agreed to call their Tech Hot Line. I got a call and they were told the same thing about "most" of the torque going to the front wheel, etc. They also said that there are no published specs for what I asked either.
Annoying, somebody knows how it works because somebody designed it!
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
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And I'm quite sure that guy that designed it is not on the Tech Line.
It's probably a trade secret or patented.
Heck, it could be that Ford is only a user of the controls, somebody else designed it in a small electronics firm at their kitchen table. My department buys designs like that for our control systems. Why spend lots of money and time "reinventing the wheel" as it were. Write one check and its yours!
It's probably a trade secret or patented.
Heck, it could be that Ford is only a user of the controls, somebody else designed it in a small electronics firm at their kitchen table. My department buys designs like that for our control systems. Why spend lots of money and time "reinventing the wheel" as it were. Write one check and its yours!
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Warren, MI
Right, that's with front slippage but there was something also written about full throttle starts too, that's where 100% was mentioned.