11-09-2008, 10:18 PM
Back in Denver and I've got a Ford Escape rental - I asked for something a little larger than "mid size" as I brought my road bike with me packed in a massive plastic case.
The good: It drives well. Really well. Engine is adequate, brakes good, transmission seems to be pretty good although shifts slowly. Interior is nice, all the controls are laid out well and visibility is good. Fuel mileage is reasonable (mid 20's, already burned through a tank of gas since friday). I can fit the bike in the back without taking wheels off.
The bad: Its slow (probably heavy), interior rattles in the back and the rear end is too harsh and skittish over bumps in the road. I wouldnt put my mountain bike in the back (everything is cloth and would dirty up real quick).
The ugly: there's a huge glaring fault - the back seat doesnt fold down flat. I cant believe no one along the line said "hey the seat shouldnt remain propped up at 45* when its folded over. It kills a lot of the 'utility' of having a big box car.
That said... if you need a slightly larger car to haul a bunch of stuff around it would be a great choice, but probably doesnt offer anything extra over something like a subaru wagon other than being taller.
Overall: B+
![[Image: ford_escape_limitedfwd_2008_dashboard_da...40x480.jpg]](http://us.autos1.yimg.com/img.autos.yahoo.com/izp/ford_escape_limitedfwd_2008_dashboard_dashboard_640x480.jpg)
![[Image: ford-escape-2008-xls-fwd-manual-001.jpeg]](http://www.cars-bikes.info/d/329-1/ford-escape-2008-xls-fwd-manual-001.jpeg)
The good: It drives well. Really well. Engine is adequate, brakes good, transmission seems to be pretty good although shifts slowly. Interior is nice, all the controls are laid out well and visibility is good. Fuel mileage is reasonable (mid 20's, already burned through a tank of gas since friday). I can fit the bike in the back without taking wheels off.
The bad: Its slow (probably heavy), interior rattles in the back and the rear end is too harsh and skittish over bumps in the road. I wouldnt put my mountain bike in the back (everything is cloth and would dirty up real quick).
The ugly: there's a huge glaring fault - the back seat doesnt fold down flat. I cant believe no one along the line said "hey the seat shouldnt remain propped up at 45* when its folded over. It kills a lot of the 'utility' of having a big box car.
That said... if you need a slightly larger car to haul a bunch of stuff around it would be a great choice, but probably doesnt offer anything extra over something like a subaru wagon other than being taller.
Overall: B+