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By
EWAN KENNEDY
6 June 2006
Ford's Escape works surprisingly well in off-road
conditions for a vehicle that’s nominally a soft-roader rather than a
purpose-built off-road vehicle. An Japanese/American design, it’s the
result of collaboration between Mazda and Ford, the Escape is more than
simply a people mover with a couple of extra differentials and some
added drive shafts.
Not that it doesn’t work well as a people
mover. The Escape has good interior space for four adults, and
there’s good room for three children across the back seat.
Luggage carrying capacity is very good for a vehicle of this size
and the load area can be accessed either by way of the hinged
glass or a top-hinged full tailgate. The latter is a particularly
handy feature if you’re parked in a restricted area such as that
in an underground shopping centre.
Ford added the option of a four-cylinder engine
to the Escape early in 2004 and at the same time gave the complete
range a mild facelift.
As well as the facelift and tail-tuck, Escape
also comes in a new range of colours. In some models the body
protection cladding has been done in body colours instead of in
the more practical grey. This isn’t necessarily such a good idea
if you are going to de doing any tight off-road running.
The interior has been revised, with interesting
two-tone treatment for the dash area and new designs and colours
in the fabrics.
Ride comfort is good, though some may find the
steering slightly too light and not particularly sensitive in the
straight-ahead position. You may find yourself adjusting to this
feel fairly quickly, but to be on the safe side take it for a
decent test drive in areas that you know well before deciding this
is the 4WD for you.
The new four-cylinder engine is a 2.3-litre unit
that manages a handy 108 kW. Performance is probably enough for
most drivers however, you would not describe it as being startling
in its acceleration and it can take a fair bit of time to
overtake. Refined and smooth in its output it pulls from modest
revs and remains happy at the top end of the rev scale.
At this stage all four-cylinder Ford Escapes
have an automatic transmission. Ford Australia had discussed the
possibility of a manual gearbox coming later, but there doesn’t
seem to be a real demand from drivers for it. The four-speed
automatic is a well-adjusted unit that is generally in the right
gear to make the best use of the engine’s power.
On the positive side, the lighter mass of the
four-cylinder engine compared to the V6 takes a load off the front
suspension. That, and further tuning of the suspension and
steering to suit Australian conditions, means Ford Escape is very
nicely balanced. It corners almost as well as a conventional car,
though, as always in a 4WD, you have to be aware of the higher
centre of gravity.
Ford's Escape is a very competent little (well,
small-to-medium) 4WD that draws an excellent compromise between
on-road use and off-road ability. When used by the typical buyer
in the suburbs most of the time during the week, with some weekend
exploring and the occasional big holiday trip, it will prove
pretty well ideal.
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Marque Publishing Company
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