Key strengths: Great fuel economy User friendly controls Roomy Price Easy to park
Areas for improvement: Brakes
My husband and I purchased ours last year and June and we have been extremely pleased with our Escape. We chose the 4 cylinder XLT model. It gets great gas mileage-about 24 to 27 on the open highway and about 19 to 23 in city traffic driving.
The interior is a nice and classier upgrade from the previous year models. Ours came with a sunroof which gives it a sporty touch. Plenty of leg room in driver and passenger sides. The radio panel is very easy to use and all of the controls are arranged in a user friendly manner. The back seats collapse to fit larger cargo if needed. We have found it takes about 3 minutes with two people to fold the seats down and about 5 minutes by yourself.
The rear brakes really should be disc brakes instead of drum brakes..
Overall if you are looking for good gas mileage in an SUV then do consider this car in your shopping. I have seen an large increase of them on the roads last year since their introduction. The running costs for Ford Escape Automatic are normal
Safety: 78
Equipment: 75
Reliability: 79
Driving: 76
Comfort: 78
Design: 76