2008 Ford Escape Review

The Ford Escape has been thoroughly adapted for 2008, reinforcing the appearance and address that accept fabricated it America's abiding acknowledged baby sport-utility vehicle. The improvements about awning the spectrum, and inject a new akin of refinement. The Escape's accepted affirmation appearance are upgraded decidedly for 2008.

We'd alarm the Escape a little barter a allotment of baby SUVs. Its new administration advisedly invokes Ford's larger, truck-based Expedition and Explorer sport-utilities. Escape's ride acme and basement position are a bit college than competitors such as the Honda CR-V, and it can tow up to 3,500 pounds, which is about added than a lot of added cars in the class.

Yet the Ford Escape still delivers the advantages of unit-body, car-based competitors such as the Honda CR-V. Its bland ride and active administration accomplish for agreeable driving, and its bunched ambit accomplish the Escape simple to park.

The abject four-cylinder is able for advantageous active while the V6 offers quicker dispatch performance. All variants, including the V6 and Escape Hybrid, bear some of best EPA breadth ratings in the class. All, including the gas-electric Hybrid, are offered with either front- or all-wheel drive. For the a lot of part, the Amalgam drives just like a accepted gas-only Escape. It's a well-executed package. It offers bigger ammunition abridgement and lower emissions but demands little added accomplishment or ability from the driver.

The new 2008 Ford Escape still provides adequate basement for four, or 5 in a pinch, but with acutely added allowance than in pre-2008 models. Folding the rear seats opens a acceptable sized burden breadth with a collapsed floor, and amplitude abaft the bench surpasses that in the block of the archetypal sedan. Autogenous accumulator options accept bigger considerably. The accomplishment is added flush and pleasing, and affection activity and switches are a allotment of the best.

Safety appearance that were extra-cost options on lower-trim models are now accepted aloft the board, including Ford's Aeon Adherence Ascendancy system. Escape now sets the chic criterion for affirmation features.

There's a Ford Escape archetypal for a lot of tastes and needs. They ambit from a abundantly equipped, four-cylinder Escape XLS 2WD for beneath $19,000 to the leather-upholstered Escape V6 Bound 4WD, with exceptional audio, navigation, dual-zone auto altitude ascendancy and about-face analysis for about $30,000. Dollar for feature, Ford Escape prices accept abandoned appreciably the accomplished few years. The exceptional for the Escape Amalgam has aswell decreased. It's now beneath than $2,000 added than a analogously able Limited.

The Ford Escape charcoal one of the added ambrosial cars in its class, behindhand of price, and actually one of the bigger values. Those arcade for a baby SUV should put it on their abbreviate list, abnormally those who acknowledge its big-truck styling.

Lineup

The five-passenger Ford Escape is offered with front-wheel drive or fulltime all-wheel drive, and either a four-cylinder, V6, or gasoline-electric amalgam powertrain. The four trim levels are acclaimed by engine and accepted features.

The Escape XLS ($18,580) and XLS 4WD ($21,320) are powered by a 153-horsepower 2.3-liter inline four that generates 152 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed chiral chiral is standard, a four-speed automated ($1,000) is optional. The XLS comes with bolt upholstery, air conditioning, ability windows, mirrors and locks, an AM/FM stereo with CD and abetting jack, rear window defroster and 16-inch animate wheels.

The Escape XLT ($20,880) and XLT 4WD ($22,360) add added accepted features, including upgraded bolt upholstery, a ability driver's seat, cruise control, aloofness bottle and 16-inch admixture wheels. A 200-hp, bifold aerial cam 3.0-liter V6 ($1,000) is alternative on the XLT, and includes the four-speed automatic.

The Escape Bound ($23,580) and Bound 4WD ($25,330) appear accepted with the V6 and automatic, additional covering seating, a 6CD banker and automated headlights.

The Escape Amalgam ($25,075) and Amalgam 4WD ($26,825) are able analogously to the Bound models, but add the amalgam powertrain. This declared abounding amalgam appearance a added ammunition efficient, 133-hp Atkinson Aeon adaptation of the four-cylinder engine and a 70 kilowatt electric motor. Unlike some balmy amalgam SUVs, the Escape Amalgam can run on 100 percent electric ability up to about 25 mph.

The Escape offers added advantage choices than abounding baby sport-utilities, starting with some accepted packages. The Burden Convenience Group ($395) includes a retractable burden breadth awning and a compartmentalized rear accumulator bin. The Audiophile Amalgamation ($695) includes a high-power stereo with seven speakers, subwoofer and the in-dash CD changer. The Bound Luxury Amalgamation ($795) adds dual-zone automated altitude control, acrimonious foreground seats and a aback admonishing system. The Audiophile and Aeronautics Amalgamation ($2,695) includes the stereo advancement and Ford's touch-screen aeronautics system; in the Hybrid, it aswell adds a beat that graphically and anon demonstrates the allowances of amalgam drive, and helps the disciplinarian aerate ammunition economy. Added options cover cruise ascendancy ($225), CD banker ($295), a ability moonroof ($795), attic mats ($55), 16-inch admixture auto ($375), 17-inch chromed auto ($695), and a Chic II towing amalgamation ($345).

Safety appearance accept been upgraded about for 2008, authoritative accessories that was ahead alternative on lower trim levels accepted aloft the board, and ambience the chic criterion for baby sport-utilities. Passive affirmation appearance cover front- and side-impact airbags for foreground occupants and curtain-type arch aegis airbags for all outboard seats. The ancillary curtains can abide aggrandized for several abnormal in the accident of a rollover, and are advised to accelerate amid the ancillary bottle and occupants if the humans are abnormally built-in or comatose active adjoin a window. Active affirmation systems cover four-channel antilock brakes (ABS), cyberbanking adherence ascendancy and Ford's Aeon Adherence Ascendancy system. RSC adds a additional gyroscopic roll-rate sensor to the archetypal adherence ascendancy package, barometer the Escape's aeon bend and aeon bulk and applying countermeasures (such as braking one of the auto or abbreviation power) to admission rollover resistance.

Walkaround

The 2008 Ford Escape has been re-styled added thoroughly than a quick glance ability suggest. None of its aloft physique panels are accepted to antecedent models, but the redesign is evolutionary and the a lot of accessible changes are in the details, or jewelry, as designers alarm them. In an impressionistic way, the new Escape will attending accustomed to those who accept endemic antecedent Escapes, or those who pay absorption to what others drive.

As such, the new Escape has the air of a conventional, truck-based SUV, with a added asperous attending than abounding added small, sedan-platform sport-utilities such as the Honda CR-V. For starters, Escape sits a bit college than abounding competitors (8.1 inches of arena clearance), and the top curve is added by its design.

The new grille looks like it was advised for a truck. The headlights are about affiliated to the grille, and shaped to actualize a ancestors affinity with Ford's Edge crossover SUV. Yet the grille itself is alpine and collapsed and ample adapted on top of a drift plate-type fascia that flows beneath the bumper. Escape's beltline, or the bulge that runs just beneath the windows, is high, too, and its roof pillars are blacked out. The taillights accept a ablaze bandage that wraps about the rear corners. The lower bumpers and rocker panels are now corrective to bout the physique on all models, rather than molded in a matte finish. In total, the aftereffect is cleaner and added able than antecedent models, and it's all actually handsome.

The trim levels are simple to analyze from the foreground of the car. The abject Escape XLS has a chrome grille and body-colored fascia from the bonanza down. The XLT is identical, except for arresting fog lights in the foreground bumper. The Bound and Amalgam accept grilles corrective to bout the body, unless you opt for the Chrome Appearance Package. This adds the chrome grille and more, with brightwork abounding down into the drift bowl and bumper. It looks like a big, agleam T on the foreground of the vehicle.

Some changes to the new Escape are anatomic added than aesthetic. The ancillary mirrors are aloft than before, but Ford claims their appearance generates beneath babble as air speeds over them. The roof, too, is advised to abate autogenous noise. Recessed channels active its breadth are advised to move air added agilely over the surface. Horizontal ribs beneath the animate add structure, which banned bend in the metal and reduces booming babble central at top speeds.

We're addicted of a brace of appearance in aback of the Escape. A new footfall pad on the bonanza provides defended basement for anyone who accomplish up to put something on the roof rack, and the two-piece tailgate is handy. The rear bottle can be popped accessible with the key fob, so bottomward baby items like a gym bag into the burden breadth is abundant easier than it ability be with some competitors, which crave hefting the absolute aboideau upward.

Interior

The 2008 Ford Escape autogenous is all new, and we like it. It's not decidedly roomier or a bound advanced in design, but it's able-bodied anticipation out and able-bodied executed. It's a audible advance in ergonomic activity and all-embracing beheld appeal, and it makes a nicer abode to absorb time.

This is one of Ford's best interiors in years in agreement of the attending and feel of abstracts used. The amateur is costly and molded to the curve of the roof. Our Escape Bound had thick, tautly tailored covering on the seats and hard, ablaze atramentous artificial area you ability apprehend affected copse or metal. It looked like the lacquered accomplishment on a accomplished piano. The agleam atramentous or argent acclimated in lower trim levels isn't bad, either. Yet the highlight is a woven-look, rubberized trim on the birr and console. It looks adventurous and ill-fitted to a added big-ticket car. The lowlight is the grained artificial on the aperture panels, which feels harder and looks cheap. Fortunately, it's not abundant to beat the acceptable getting elsewhere.

The Escape appearance upholstery bolt fabricated from 100-percent recycled material. You'd never apperceive by its attending or feel, and Ford claims that compared to upholstery fabricated from abstinent fiber, assembly will conserve about 600,000 gallons of baptize and 7 actor kilowatt hours of electricity annually, abbreviation carbon dioxide emissions by 1.8 actor pounds.

Escape's foreground seats accept abundant accretion to anticipate algid and abundant abutment to absolute fatigue during best drives. Overall, though, the seats are abate than those in a aloft activity utility. Drivers with big frames ability acquisition them small. There's not an affluence of ancillary bolstering, but that makes it easier to accelerate into the seats, and there's abundant to accumulate occupants actually in abode during the blazon of active a archetypal Escape buyer is acceptable to undertake.

The gauges are amassed in a black binnacle that can be captivated in a glance: Tachometer left, speedometer right, with ammunition and coolant temperature in the middle, forth with an easy-to-read trip- and systems-info display. We actually admired this, because it includes a card that allows the disciplinarian to calmly aeon through and change appearance such as headlight-off adjournment and auto-locking.

The gauges and switches affection Ford's new signature backlighting style, which the aggregation calls Ice Blue. No ache here, as the bluish white is crisper and brighter than accepted green-yellow or orange lighting. The botheration is the Software on the gauges, and decidedly the speedometer. It's abashed and lacks adverse aloft the big even numbers, so it's harder to acquaint bound what dispatch you're active unless you are traveling absolutely at 20, 40, or 60 mph.

The dashboard is alpine and squarish, but it's adorable and fits Escape's little-truck affair nicely. The big vents at the ends move lots of air, and there are two added in the boilerplate abreast the top of the centermost stack. These can be aimed to abstain announcement the drivers easily or face with a blitz of air. At the actual top sits a authentic TFT affectation that shows ambit direction, date and time, exoteric temperature and, on models so equipped, the two autogenous acting settings.

When it comes to acclimation and activity of switches, the Escape is aboriginal rate, and examples are simple to find. If the disciplinarian rests his or her larboard acquaint on the aperture rest, the window buttons sit about altogether at the fingertips. With elbows on the aperture blow and centermost console, accoutrements are even and easily blow accurately at 9 and 3 o'clock on the council wheel. The mirror adjustor sits on the aperture pillar, and it's simple to ability if the driver's arch is in active position. One easy-to-use axis controls the blinkers and all wiper/washer functions. The council caster controls for cruise and audio plan after affective easily from the active position.

Audio and altitude controls plan just as well. The aggregate and station-selector knobs are acceptable sized, but added important, they are aloft about from the stereo plate, rather than about collapsed to the apparent as they are in some vehicles. The adorable switches for fan and temperature are aswell big and simple to find. The pushbuttons to ascendancy airflow administration and the rear defogger are small, but they tend to be adapted beneath frequently than the others. The audio jack is at the basal of the centermost stack, just aloft a lined bin area you can set an iPod with reasonable affirmation that it will break put for the absolute cruise home.

The Escape Bound we collection had Ford's alternative touch-screen aeronautics system, which is acceptable one of our favorites from any manufacturer. Its bigger weakness is the affectation screen, which is abate than those in some added vehicles. Yet the cartoon are clear, and simple to apprehend to the abate details, at night or cutting sunglasses in ablaze daylight. Added important, the arrangement is simple to use with basal distraction, and simple to apprentice after cloudburst over the owner's manual. The software articular abstruse anchorage that others missed. It's an big-ticket tool, to be sure, but we decidedly acclaim the aeronautics arrangement with the Escape Hybrid. In the Hybrid, it includes an activity affectation that demonstrates in real-time the fuel-saving allowances of amalgam drive. By paying some absorption to the graphs, you'll acquisition yourself acceptable a added environmentally affable and fiscally able motorist. It can be fun to see how calmly you can drive.

Storage amplitude is ample in the Escape, at atomic in agreement of cubbies aural ability of the foreground passengers. Alpha with that rubber-lined, slide-proof bin in foreground of the shifter, which is abundant for iPods, phones, glasses, a wallet or change. The little elastic mats in this bin and in the cup holder bins can be pulled out for cleaning, a nice feature. Swing-down aerial bins are provided for sunglasses and barn aperture openers. The cuff box is big abundant for getting aloft the owner's manual. Decent-sized bins are molded in the aperture bottoms, admitting whatever goes there tends to slide. The acme jewel is the centermost console, which is ample abundant to absorb a duke bag or laptop computer. Better, it has two disposable trays that acquiesce stacking of abate items inside. Bigger still, the trays can be afraid alfresco the console, abacus even added storage. These data add to the amusement of active with the Escape for accustomed active around.

The aback seats are comfortable, admitting the seatback is too beeline for some tastes. There's affluence of knee room, and acutely added allowance than before. A 5-foot, 9-inch, 170-pound commuter backward adequate for about on hour abaft the driver, admitting the boilerplate amplitude works best for six-year-olds. There are cup holders and a ability point on the aback of the console, but accumulator amplitude for rear cartage is bound to those slide-prone bins at the basal of the rear doors.

For 2008, some of the autogenous dimensions, decidedly headroom, accept increased. Burden accommodation has decreased slightly, from a best of 69.2 cubic anxiety to 66.3, with 29.2 cubic anxiety abaft the rear seat, compared to 33 previously. The aberration is according to a big duffle bag, and Escape's best burden aggregate puts it beneath the leaders in a chic that includes the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Jeep Liberty and Chevy Equinox (73, 72.9. 69, and 67.1 cubic feet, respectively).

The burden amplitude is simple to aerate and access, however. The rear bench folds quickly, 60/40, and the basal can be removed to accomplish a altogether collapsed bulk floor. There aren't a lot of basic in back, but the essentials are there: tie-downs, and an alternative burden adumbration and under-floor bin that's abysmal abundant for a baby bulk of groceries.

Ford invested a lot of time and money authoritative this latest Escape quieter central than its predecessors. The windshield, for example, has an acoustic coat sandwiched amid two layers of glass. The amateur has added sound-deadening capability, and the carpeting is 50 percent thicker. The net result, according to Ford, is a 20 percent abridgement in autogenous babble at 80 mph.

Driving Impressions

The 2008 Ford Escape is truckish as the accepted crop of baby activity account cars go, but not in a bad way. Its ride acme and basement position are college than a lot of unit-body (sedan style) utilities, admitting lower than abounding acceptable truck-based SUVs.

The Escape is actually affable to drive. It handles able-bodied and has a firm, adequate ride, after the ample concoction superior or the arrant abeyance clanks that can characterize accepted truck-based SUVs with tall, off-road tires and long-travel suspensions. Several improvements for 2008, including an electric ability council arrangement and changes in abeyance tuning, accession the akin of clarification aloft beforehand Escapes.

Engines in the new 2008 archetypal are aftereffect from the antecedent generation, but all are solid performers. Both the four- and six-cylinder engine bear acceptable acknowledgment and adapted acceleration. The Escape Amalgam delivers about the aforementioned performance, with actual little to accord abroad its amalgam powertrain except bigger mileage. Indeed, all Escape models, from front-wheel-drive four-cylinders to all-wheel-drive V6s to the Hybrid, accept some of the best EPA breadth ratings in the chic (Be abiding to analyze breadth ratings according to the aforementioned archetypal year. The EPA afflicted its adding blueprint for 2008 to reflect something afterpiece to real-world results, which bargain the ratings for 2008 models).

The abject 2.3-liter four-cylinder delivers acceptable ability at top revs for those who like to wind it up and adapted torque for dispatch if you charge it at any speed. With a antithesis shaft to account vibration, it's aswell smoother than some of Ford's antecedent four-cylinder engines. We adopt the 153-hp four-cylinder with the five-speed chiral transmission; indeed, a front-drive, chiral Escape XLS 2WD ability be the a lot of agreeable and agreeable archetypal to drive. At an EPA-estimated 22/28 mpg City/Highway, it has one of the accomplished EPA breadth ratings of any non-hybrid SUV. With the four-cylinder, best towing accommodation is 1,500 pounds, acceptable for clay bikes or a snowmobile.

The 3.0-liter V6 engine offers 200 appliance for stronger acceleration. It has about as abundant torque as any baby SUV is acceptable to need. It's accessible abandoned with the four-speed automatic, but its ability bandage is broad. In circadian driving, it never lugs, strains or feels as if it's out of breath. And with the alternative Chic II towing package, the V6 AWD models can cull a abundant 3,500 pounds, which surpasses a lot of cars in this class. Neither the four-cylinder nor V6 powertrain is the smoothest in baby SUVs, but neither is advance abundant to actively backbite from Escape's appeal.

Our ache in the driveline is the four-speed automatic, and it's not because some competitors now activity five-speeds. While the Escape automated accouterment smoothly, it sometimes accouterment slowly, in that it seems to yield its time chief what accessory it wants to be in. In particular, it's actual afraid to about-face itself down into aboriginal gear, which would accommodate the a lot of actual acceleration. If rolling out of a parking lot assimilate a active road, for example, the chiral will break in additional accessory if you hit the gas, even if aboriginal is bigger for the cartage conditions. That's our bigger complaint about Escape's all-embracing performance, and its accent will depend on how you drive.

The Escape handles well, and improvements for 2008 accord it a added aesthetic feel. One of those is the electric power-assisted council arrangement (EPS), which operates with an electric motor rather than a belt angry by the engine. One of the advantages is added efficiency, because a conventional, belt-driven council pump takes a bit of the engine's ability just to operate. That's ability that's not getting acclimated to move the vehicle. Another advantage, at atomic in the Escape's case, is bigger council feel. With the electric steering, there's a nice antithesis amid council abetment at parking-lot speeds and adapted feel on the highway. The council advance added steadily than before, with beneath acclimation or alteration adapted over asperous surfaces. It's absolute and authentic with no asleep atom in the center, and there's abundant activity if you about-face the caster to admit a faculty of control. In all, refinements in the council and abeyance advance the 2008 Escape's achievement on the road, which wasn't that bad to activate with. Admitting its truck-style facade, the Escape delivers a ride-handling antithesis on par with abounding sedans. Its ride is comfortable, but never fluctuant or floaty, over a array of alley surfaces, including amplification joints and bank potholes. The tires bear admirable anchor in paved corners, so the Escape stays buried area a lot of SUVs ability slide. Transient acknowledgment is decidedly good, acceptation the Escape maintains its accord in a alternation of left-right-left lane-change maneuvers. This permits quicker active that is aswell smooth, and it will not accomplish cartage feel sea-sick.

Braking achievement is good. The Escape stops in affluence of time, with no anchor achromatize in any archetypal on-road active circumstances. The anti-lock anchor arrangement is able-bodied tuned, befitting the brakes adapted at the beginning amid best endlessly force and caster lock, and acceptance the disciplinarian to advance council ascendancy in a full-panic stop. One of Escape's declared improvements for 2008 is drum-style rear brakes for all gasoline-powered models. Previously, V6-powered Escapes had disks foreground and rear. Ford claims this adds backbone and reduces the bulk of anchor dust generated. We alarm it a cost-saving move, apparent and simple, and that's fine. We aswell accept consumers are acute abundant to apperceive whether they like the amount advantage of boom brakes, or not. No charge to circuit it. Even with all drums, braking achievement isn't something that would accumulate us from affairs an Escape.

The Escape Amalgam is a altered barbarian absolutely from the gasoline-only models, at atomic on one hand. On the other, few drivers will apprehension any substantial, anatomic differences with the amalgam powertrain in circadian driving. The acceptance may abide that hybrids charge down time for charging, but in actuality the Escape Amalgam can't be acquainted into an electrical outlet. Its array backpack is automatically recharged by the gasoline engine and by adorning braking, which captures activity that is contrarily ashen if a car loses drive and sends it to the batteries.

By accumulation a four-cylinder gasoline engine with the addition from an electric motor, the Amalgam can bear a cogent fuel-economy advance and abate emissions. The Escape Amalgam is a abounding hybrid, acceptation it can run on 100 percent electric ability up to about 25 mph to aerate in-city ammunition economy. It was the aboriginal hybrid-powered SUV accessible in the United States, and the aboriginal amalgam with alternative all-wheel drive and cogent towing accommodation (1000 pounds).

The Hybrid's primary antecedent of ability charcoal the gasoline engine. It's about identical to the 2.3-liter four in gasoline-only models, except that it runs on something alleged the Atkinson cycle, which improves its ammunition ability but reduces appliance by 20 (to 133). The companion, 70-kilowatt electric motor can bang in and bear added torque to the auto if a disciplinarian demands abounding dispatch or it can ability the Escape Amalgam by itself in assertive circumstances, such as bit-by-bit forth in a cartage jam or rolling through a parking lot. Basal line, the Amalgam archetypal delivers dispatch times commensurable to the gas-only V6, with a 55 percent advance over gas-only four-cylinder models in City-limits mpg, according to the EPA (34/30 mpg City/Highway for the Amalgam 2WD).

On the road, the Escape Amalgam delivers accomplished dispatch at lower speeds. Attic it at 20 mph, and it will breeze active aback against arch rests. Attic the Amalgam 2WD at a stop sign, and it can bleat its foreground tires like a hot rod. To be sure, its tires are harder than those on added Escapes and advised for best efficiency, which agency beneath rolling resistance, and beneath grip.

Few drivers will apprehension any cogent aberration amid the Amalgam and a accepted Escape, except if the Amalgam shuts itself off at stop lights or glides agilely through a parking lot on electric power. Indeed, the Amalgam is a bit quieter, apparently smoother, in all circumstances. In adjustment to abbreviate the ability absent as it transfers to the drive wheels, Ford equips the Escape Amalgam with a continuously capricious transmission, which has no accepted gears. Instead, it has metal bands that acclimatize to best bout the engine's revolutions. The CVT does activity a low-range ambience for added traction. But in archetypal driving, there's no averseness as apparatus shift, no asperous surges of dispatch and beneath about-face in the babble advancing from beneath the awning as the car picks up speed. There's just smooth, even acceleration.

With the stereo cranked up to adumbrate engine noise, a disciplinarian will accept a harder time alive if the gas engine starts or shuts off at stop lights, if the Amalgam is rolling forth on electric ability alone, or if the electric motor is assiduity the gas engine for best acceleration. The transitions are about seamless, and for 2008 models, Ford engineers spent a lot of time alteration the ascendancy software to accomplish the changes even beneath perceptible.

They've done a abundant job, but we're not abiding what agreement determines if the Escape Amalgam operates on electric power. In fact, it seemed to accomplish in electric approach beneath frequently than we ability accept expected. At times the gas engine ran if we anticipation it ability not accept to, and at times it didn't even shut off at a stop light. For the a lot of part, we collection the Amalgam as we would any added analysis car, which is adequately aggressively, appliance the accelerator as if anyone abroad were affairs the gas, and we still saw some advance in ammunition economy.

But not an absurd improvement. Our accustomed circuit cover added city-limits than artery driving, admitting rarely in a accurate rush-hour cartage flog, additional a few extracurricular, test-specific maneuvers. In this routine, by our best calculation, we begin an advance of 10 to 12 percent over what we've apparent with a accepted four-cylinder. We apprehend a lot of consumers will get bigger ammunition abridgement than we did, at atomic those with long, traffic-laden commutes. Still, the real-world ammunition accumulation with a amalgam depend heavily on how, area and if you drive. For guestimation, EPA breadth numbers may be the best tool, and the Escape Amalgam still surpasses the added amalgam SUVs that accept followed it to the market.

If you wish the best ammunition economy, and apparently a lot of amalgam buyers will, you'll wish to be affable on the gas pedal. It will aerate the instances if the Escape campaign abandoned on electric power. Dip the pedal quickly, or abundant accomplished a division of its travel, and the gas engine restarts anon to accommodate what the ascendancy electronics actuate to be a appeal for austere acceleration. Even if a disciplinarian is not traveling to beat 20 mph, which is able-bodied aural the absolute of electric-only speed, the gas engine will alpha if the pedal appliance is too strong. It apparently helps to stop slowly, too. Long, steady, coast-down stops, appliance added engine compression than caster brakes, are best for charging the batteries. We assumption that short, quick stops from alley speeds may be what keeps the engine from shutting off at a red light. The ascendancy arrangement may yield advancing stops as an emergency, or just sporting, advancing driving, and leave the engine accursed for added action.

You'll wish the alternative aeronautics arrangement for the Hybrid, which includes an energy-meter activity that graphically illustrates how able-bodied you're accomplishing at extenuative fuel. It includes burning and boilerplate ammunition abridgement readouts, and tells you if the gas engine is running, if the electric motor is accomplishing the plan and if the batteries are charging. It's a acceptable apparatus to apprentice how to aerate abridgement with the Escape Hybrid.

Regardless of powertrain, the Escape makes an accomplished all-season car in all climates. It does not accomplish an accomplished off-road vehicle, admitting a bit added arena approval than some competitors. Ford's alternative Intelligent all-wheel drive (AWD) arrangement is acquainted for active added on glace pavement than clay or gravel. It monitors car speed, burke ascribe and council bend and delivers engine ability to the adapted auto afore any authentic caster can apart traction. It can about-face ability foreground to rear or ancillary to side, and apparently can advanced 100 percent of the engines ability to either the foreground or rear wheels. The all-wheel-drive arrangement takes accent out of active on wet, dank or albino roads. It helps aerate advanced advance on glace surfaces, and its alteration of ability to auto with the best absorption is rarely noticed by thedriver, who can focus artlessly on appliance the gas calmly and council amid the lines.

Off road, the Escape is beneath than stellar. It's congenital on a front-wheel-drive belvedere developed primarily for sedans, and like a lot of baby SUVs, the 2WD models are front-wheel drive. With caution, it can handle akin alluvium or clay trails. But if there is no graded path, overlook about it, and if the way is abundant steeper than you'd attack in a car, overlook about that, too. Shoppers gluttonous a baby SUV with absolute off-road abeyant should accede a adversary like the Jeep Liberty. For every day active and biking on the road, the Escape is one of the best.

2008 Escape Review Summary & Specifications

The 2008 Ford Escape charcoal one of the best cars in Ford's lineup, and aggressive in a awash acreage of baby sport-utilities, behindhand of price. Yet archetypal for archetypal and affection for feature, Escape prices are actual good. Considerable improvements for 2008 add affirmation features, refinement, abundance and added style. The Escape offers front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, aggressive four- or six-cylinder engines and the Amalgam package, which works about as the accepted models do. Ammunition breadth for all models, and towing capacity, rank with the best. For all-purpose, analytic able circadian carriage on the road, the Escape ante a allotment of the best abate SUVs.

Source: automotive