Personal review 2015 Ford Escape

(Disclaimer.... If you own one and like it that is all that matters, this is just our examining and comparing it to our 2011 Escape)


Deb's 2011 went in for it's regular service and they noticed a trans leak (couldn't be that bad of a leak as she parks behind the blue woody and the drive way shows no oil/trans fluid drip spot). I don't know yet the exact details of that other than they kept it and are waiting for a gasket to be delivered from out of province so dealership rented her at no cost a brand new 2015.

Typical dealership as they said to her..."You will like this one so much, you will want to trade in the 2011" IMO he should have said..."If you think you hate it now just wait till you drive it"

Deb came home with this, and she HATES it!

Just us, but we both think it's fugly for starters.......



Rear gate window does not open, it does on our 11 and IMO proves to be more practical. We also do not like the power gate as it will be open 100% or closed. Our 11's gate you can haul a larger object out the window and or laying flat, close and strap the gate down if need be.





In the rear cargo area the 11 has about the same size cargo hold and the baby spare witch ...who really uses them today anyway?...is under the SUV. the 15 hs the spare inside that cargo hold so you can't store squat in there.



I'll admit the big glass sunroof is kinda cool but you can forget about putting anything on the roof. Also notice the STUPID location for the sun roof controls being placed on the drivers visor. You can also see the over head console for sun glasses, the 15 will only except one pair were as the 11 you can put 2 pair in. The over your shoulder blind spots in this thing is horrible, you can't see anything.....except the cars parked across the street.

Oh but it does have a built in back up camera. Deb's comments on that were and I quote..." I can see the camera being handy if I'm by myself hooking up our trailer but if a person needs a camera to back up to park they should not be driving at all'


Both of us drive 10 and 2 o'clock, the huge bulges in the steering wheel just don't work for us, that and the controls.... the 11's steering wheel and driver access to the controls are much more user friendly. Top of the 15's dash is a speaker now, on the 11 that spot is a convenient tray where you can p[lace all those hand held devices etc.



Console layout is poor, they put the e-brake handle back in it witch make no room for the cup holders other than end to end and not exactly user friendly. the 11, the e-brake is still a foot peddle and the release is very easy to access.



I think there is a engine under all that plastic, but I'm not sure!The 11, the entire engine is visible and you can get to anything and everything.



The rental did not have the glove box book so we have no idea if you can even turn it off....we sure hope you can......the aggravating "bing, bing, bing" front sensor that tells you are to close to the object in front of you and the closer you get the louder it gets.......Deb pretty much looked psychotic when she got home after driving in city traffic....'bing, BING, BING, BING, BING" Drove me nuts and I only drove to the grocery store and back in rush hour traffic.

I get home, drive in and this is where the "bing" starts a "binging", ridiculous!!




The 11, the drivers seat goes back to far for me = I have ample and comfortable leg room and can adjust my seat perfect, I'm 5' 11". The 15 though, the seat does not go back far enouph for me to be comfortable so if you are taller you will not like it at all and I swear there is more foot room in the 11. About the only thing I can say nice about the 15 though is, the seats themselves are much more comfortable than the 11 but lacks leg room.

I've been shot gun in one of these some time back as the sun was setting and we were driving into it. The ghost reflection on the windshield with the sun at that "perfect angle" is so bad it's almost dangerous witch makes me wonder how the visibility would be at night in the rain with headlights glaring at you.

All that, the horrible blind spots in any other direction other than straight ahead we both agree that if we were looking today for a new ride for Deb, we would not be buying one of these. Deb even said she is not driving this thing until she goes back to work Monday.... and I sure have no desire to drive it also.


I'm a Ford guy at heart but I have to give this a strong


But on a lighter note.......

Dogs had a friend come over and play, best pic I could get




Flowers are blooming, grass is growing, and I'm sill looking at the grass from the top side down and not the other way around, life is good!

 

That is a great automotive write up. Ford might hire you. You could take over for those pros I used to read about in the magazines. Makes me want to run right out and escape!
Our daughter has some kind of Ford SUV. I can never remember if it's an Escape, Edge, or what goofy name it has. It seats only four but it's large. So with her giant car seat only one other person can ride in back. It has the fancy back up camera and I notice visibility is as bad at the "A" pillars as my Dodge truck. Which is like driving with telephone poles on the dash.
Why do they take a fairly good thing and mess it up.

 

Thanks for posting this, Tedy. It confirms Marcia and I made the right choice. When we went to the Ford dealer on a whim in January of 2014 with the HHR, we certainly didn't know we'd be driving home in a new (slightly used) Ford Edge. Marcia saw the Edge and was instantly in love, and I couldn't even get her to sit in one of the (slightly used) new-gen Ford Escapes they had on the lot. I think they had 2, and both were SE models as I recall. I kinda wanted to at least take a test drive, since with the 4-cylinder, they would be a bit better on gas that the V6 Edge.

For us, it was mostly the driving environment of the Focus that turned up off. The dash and console were a bit too 'space-agey' than the Edge, which is a slightly older design. We still got the nice info-tainment, satellite radio, etc, back-up warning (no b/u camera or front warning on ours). Our rear hatch glass doesn't lift up separately also (which would be a great feature...). The front area of the Escape also seemed quite a bit tighter than the Edge. Plenty of hip and shoulder room in it.

Biggest thing I miss in the Edge - A moonroof.

 

What turns me off about all the new cars is that every function is controlled by the computer. Hit the unlock, the computer decides whether to do so or not. If you are lucky enough to have a key hole, turn the key and wait for the computer to unlock the door. If the battery died, you need a tow to the shop as you can't open the car to boost it. Turn on the lights and the computer this abiut that, too. A buddy had to Jerry rig his drivers headlamp as the completed decided it was never needed. A new computer was over $2,000 and a 2000 Grand Am isn't worth that. Add the lack of visibility, and there is not one newish car I will touch with a barge pole.

 

What most don't know about these new computer controled cars is when our King decides it's KINGS DAY or another special holiday he can have all newer cars shut down for his holiday. That would be the same day our KING has internet shut down and all shops will automatically close because they can't open the cash registers.
Still younger people like the new vehicles because they have pretty lights and things that make noises.

 

Just for sh*t's and giggles we looked online at what would we buy today if Deb needed a new ride. Only thing both of liked was the 2015 Honda pilot..........



Grill is a bit fugly but nothing a can of black paint would not cure.









Even has optional made to fit puppy wrap for the interior.



And the rear glass hatch opens.




So we decided........ this just isn't gona happen


And it looks like Honda is following the rest for fugly, the 2016 Pilot is...DAM that's FUGLY!

 

And the 2016 Pilot doesn't have a separate opening at the rear glass as far as I can tell.

I'd love to be interested in newer vehicles but even when my wife is considering them, she turns herself off to the idea in only a few minutes of looking.

She loves our '00 Suburban. As much as I like the looks of the 07-current models, they are hardly any more efficient, not as wide in the cargo area (a 00-06 GMT800 Suburban can haul 4x8 plywood flat on the floor, 07+ GMT900 chassis cannot), and they hold their value better. For the $12,000 or so a used 2007 Suburban or Yukon XL would cost (that isn't salvaged or over 150K miles or having mechanical issues), I could buy three or four 00-06 models in good repair.

She loved her '00 Durango. The second generation 04-09 Durango is garbage, unreliable, plasticky and clunky. The third generation 11+ models are still way too expensive to consider and while they are heavier and larger and longer and taller, they aren't as comfortable inside as the 98-03 models. 98-03 Durangos have their share of problems, though. Anything with a 4.7 V8 is junk. The 5.9 is a gas hog. The short-lived V6 is a joke, no power. I wouldn't get one unless it had the 5.2L engine (318cid) and that limits me to 98-00 models. The bumpers, rockers, door, quarter panels, and tailgates rust out easy. They have cooling systems that don't work well unless every part is perfect. Electrical problems aren't uncommon. But I can buy them for $600-$1500 each still running. I could get two or three Durangos for the price of one GMT800 Suburban.

 

I'm so confused !

Do they have lots of cup holders, stereo with 27 speakers, GPS, and back up camera? Gotta have all that or we can't make it to Wal-Mart.
We live in Florida. Need heated mirrors, heated steering wheel, heated seats, and heated door handles. Need lumbar support and massage for my butt. Will it tell me when to change oil and air up the tires? I need to know when the window washer fluid gets low. Hope it tells me that too. I just hate to open the hood to check.

 

............. and rumor has it many 2017 models will have this option!

 

Our next-door neighbor has a '14 Pilot (same as the '15) - young family, probably a pretty good vehicle for them. Those are the first pics I've seen of the '16 Pilot. Looks like they're going in the direction of the Ford Explorer.......

 

In a strange way I kinda wish we were looking for a new ride for Deb...but don't tell her that. Although I have not done any home work via consumer reports etc the 15 Pilot based on the pics and what little info I have read, I would not mind one at all for Deb. The drivers cockpit looks more functional than Deb's escape, there is the extra 3rd seat if needed, AND the optional made to fit puppy wrap for the cargo area...well for us that would a cleaning bonus in itself!

BUT it was very nice to hear from Deb, she is totally happy with her 11 Escape.......Thank gawd as this Mothers day is the last payment..... maybe I can spend some $ on my wagons

 

You would be going (at least) one size up in the Pilot. I think the current CRV is even a bit bigger......

 

Tedy Tedy Tedy...


are you in a competition with your neighbour as to who can park the most cars in their driveway???


Where's Rev?

 

I like driving my 29-year old Country Squire...

1) It's simple to find in any parking lot.
2) It is the ONLY car in the parking lot with chrome bumpers.
3) It is the ONLY car in the parking lot with 15" aluminum wheels and whitewalls.
4) It is the ONLY car in the parking lot with woodgrain sides.
5) It is the ONLY car in the parking lot where I can see the engine when the hood is raised.
6) It is one of a very few cars in the parking lot that does NOT have SAT/NAV, auto-park, tire inflation warning light, "oops, I'm in the wrong lane" alert, backup beepers, heated seats/mirrors, or a warning light that illuminates when I fart.

 

And that's why I like your wagon and other older cars. Built to drive and enjoy. Reasonably easy to get in and out of, see out, and work on.
I never did try to keep up with the Jones'.
I don't need warning lights to warn me when I fart. My wife reminds me.