mmarshall

In the late 1990s, after the long-standing success of the truck-based Ford Explorer SUV and the rapidly-rising success of smaller car-based crossover SUVs such as the Toyota RAV-4, Honda CR-V, and Subaru Outback/Forester, Ford's designers and planners decided that the time had come for them to enter that rapidly-growing segment and introduce a car-based crossover of their own. Since Ford owned them at the time, the project was shared with Mazda, who did much of the engineering, and the first version was introduced in the fall of 2000 as a 2001 model....and was built until the 2008 model year. Both an in-line naturally-aspirated 2.0L four and 3.0L V6 engines were offered. The Mazda version, known as the Tribute, was strongly related, but was not quite a rebadge...there were some minor differences in styling and interior. A few years later, a slightly upmarket Mercury Mariner version was added (one of my co-workers and his wife owned a nice Second-Generation Mariner, and loved it)...but the Tribute and Mariner versions, in the American market, never sold in the huge numbers the Ford version did. In many ways, the new, smaller Escape was just as much, if not more, of a success as the original trend-setting, truck-based Explorer....and, of course, unlike the Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer, the Escape was not plagued by the Firestone Wilderness tire-failure/rollover incidents.


I was a big fan of the original Escape...somewhat less so of the second-generation and current (fourth)-generation versions, and did not like the quirky third-generation model at all, which was essentially a rebadged European Ford Kuga. The Escape was also one of the first American-badged vehicles to get a hybrid version. Some of the hybrid components on it were derived, under license, from Toyota, who, at the time, was considered the world leader in hybrid vehicles (still is, to an extent). I liked the general design of the first-generation model, with the classic two-box design for space-efficiency and its handsomely-done lines. In those days, interior space-efficiency and outward-visibility were given priority over the swoopy lines/angles, sport-oriented styling, large blind spots, and a reliance on cameras for much of the visibility that we see today. (Subaru is an an exception...they still do small crossovers the old-fashioned way, with tall rooflines, large windows, and good outward visibility). One of my old friends, a condo-neighbor of mine, had a first-generation V6 Escape, painted bright yellow.....sharp-looking paint job. He had a very interesting license plate on it....ADOCDOC....which I can share today without violating privacy-concerns, since he passed away several years ago. When he first got that plate, I couldn't figure out what the letters meant until he told me....a Paradox. He was somewhat of a quirky driver...wouldn't turn left with oncoming traffic if there was no traffic-light, and would drive a mile or two out of his way if needed to avoid that. Never had an accident, though, in the time I knew him, and I used to ride around with him when we would go shopping together. We took about a 15 or 20-mile drive in it (one-way) when it was brand-new, down to see his insurance agent so he could get a policy on it....stopped at my brother's house on the way back, so we could wash and clean it up there (our condo doesn't allow outdoor hoses or water-faucets). When he went out of town for a week or two or so with his girl friend (can't remember exactly how long), he left me the keys to it (he trusted my driving), and told me to drive it locally every couple of days, even if there was snow, to keep the battery charged and the mechanicals lubed. I did what he asked, and took it down to Fuddrucker's for a bite to eat, on a mildly-snowy night, to test the Ford car-based AWD system and see if it was as good as Subaru's for traction...no problems, tracked as good as my Outback did, and I didn't have any noticeable wheel-spin under reasonably light throttle. I cleaned it up, of course, after driving it on the snowy road. (Oh, and not long after that, so much for those big Fuddrucker's hamburgers....I gave up beef and pork, permanently, for health reasons).

I felt in the past, and still do today, that the first-generation Escape, to my line of thinking and senses, was clearly the best of the four versions, even though the current fourth-generation version, of course, comes with a lot more features. The second-generation model kept a nice two-box design for space-efficiency and visibility, but was a noticeable cheapening in sheet metal, interior trim/hardware, door-solidness, and fit/finish. The third-generation model (a redone European Ford Kuga) was just plain quirky and had an awful rear-seat, and the fourth-generation model is a noticeable improvement over the third in many areas, but still not as solid-feeling as the first-generation, and the entry level version has an unrefined turbocharged three-cylinder....the nice V6 having been dropped for the third-generation.

The first-generation version had a reasonably smooth ride (crossover tires were of higher-profile in those days than today), good handling, relatively good traction from the AWD system as I explained above, good build-quality, reasonable power, and, IMO, was generally a pleasure to drive....much more so than the larger truck-based Ford Explorer, which, at the time, drove more like....well, a truck. The interior was not particularly plush-looking, but used decent materials, was reasonably well-assembled, relatively comfortable, and offered good versatility. There was only one thing in the interior that I thought the designers really messed up on. Depending on interior trim, there were two different shifters for the 4-speed automatic...a fore/aft console-lever and a column-mounted lever. The console-shifter was fine, but the column lever had a bad quirk...the left hand on the designers didn't know what the right one was doing. When the lever was in the "D" position used most often for driving, its long right-handle stuck out and, out an inch or so away, almost completely blocked some of the radio and climate-adjustment controls...you had to take your eyes off the road, stick your fingers around the lever, and try and adjust those controls the best you could...somewhat awkwardly. But that was the only real quirk I could find inside, and even that column-lever had one nice feature.....I liked the way that it used digital PRNDL figures in a small window to show you what gear you were in as the lever moved, instead of the old plastic pointer sticking up and moving back and forth.

And, today, my (current) next-door neighbor still owns a burgundy-color first-generation Escape...it's getting up in years now, with some body-rust on it, but is still apparantly dependable basic transportation and running well. She has not (yet) seen any reason to replace it......especially after her husband came home with a beautiful brand new Ford Expedition last year to replace his old one.


And, as Always, Happy Vehicle-Memories.

MM

sdls

I remember people getting excellent service out of their Ford Escape Hybrids. Great fuel economy and a much more reliable battery pack than Honda’s IMA setup.

mmarshall

The early Honda IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) system wasn't a true Parallel-hybrid which could run on either gas or electric motor. It was a simpler Series-system, where the gas engine and electric motor cannot run independently of each other, and the electric motor simply serves as a starter and torque-booster for the gas engine as needed. The first Escape Hybrids used the more advanced and complex Toyota parallel system (partly under license).

I don't know of any automaker that still uses a series-hybrid system.....it is now considered obsolete.

sdls

The Honda IMA system was a total half-... job. Awfully unreliable batteries. Thanks for the insight into the Escapes hybrid setup, I had forgotten their Toyota partnership for that system. I remember that their batteries were NIMH 7.2v sticks like the ones Honda used in their early hybrids.

mmarshall

No pun intended ....but the first Honda American-market vehicle to actually use the IMA system was called the Insight.

It was a very small two-seater, done more or less (but not exactly) off of the old CRX platform.

Fizzboy7

The first Escape was by far the best of the series. It sold extremely well, and was in short supply for the first model year. It was a great alternative to the Explorer. A large amount of room inside, lower price, and a very punchy V6. A friend of mine bought one around that time, and I remember him flooring it to get on the freeway. It was extremely peppy and decently refined. The interior however, while ergonomic, was the weak point. Materials were parts bin Ford, which is to say average at best for the time.
Overall, the boxy design of the first gen was a winner. The main reason I like the new Bronco Sport is because it mimics the old Escape before it got too slinky.

sm1ke

iTrader: (5)

I've got a family friend with first gen Escape in his garage. As far as I'm aware, it has very little body rust, which is nothing short of a miracle with the amount of salt that gets thrown on the roads during our winters. He has only recently started entertaining the idea of replacing it with something else, and it isn't out of necessity - he just wants a vehicle bigger than the GLK 250 he currently owns. No issues with it other than a very minor oil leak that developed last year.

mmarshall

Totally agreed. The 2Gen, though, also kept the 1Gen's boxy, space-efficient layout inside and the V6, but lost some points for fit and finish. It was obviously built more to a budget. The 3Gen simply sacrificed too much to style and quirkiness...and lost the V6 option.

mmarshall

One thing to remember with salt is that, all else equal, the lower the temperature, the slower the chemical reactions will be that cause the salt to be corrosive to steel body panels. Canada's very cold winters tend to help out in that respect, compared to places further south.


Interesting that you would say that. The GLK250 is about the same size as a typical older Escape and has the same two-box design for space efficiency. However, I can understand your friend's caution in (ultimately) wanting to avoid the classic money-pit of aging M-B products out of warranty....even if it is still fairly reliable now.

sm1ke

iTrader: (5)

Oh, he isn't planning to get rid of the GLK as it's his primary vehicle. He just wants to upgrade the Escape to a larger vehicle, which would then become his primary vehicle. The GLK then becomes his wife's car for work commutes.

JDR76

The original Escape was absolutely my favorite of the series. Those drove really well with the V6 and looked great.

ArmyofOne

I struggle to understand how we ever thought (as consumers) that interiors like that were acceptable

mmarshall

Two things, Josh. First, a lot of buyers, twenty years ago, when the first Escape debuted, apparently had no problem with the interior....the sales numbers alone proved that, although the column-shifter design did have one significant flaw that I pointed out. Second, at least IMO, the 1Gen interior was actually better than the 2Gen and 3Gen, for different reasons. On the latest 4Gen model, the top-line Platinum interior is pretty nice...the base model, not so much.