Escaping debt: a reasonably priced alternative to full-sized pickups and SUVs, the Ford Escape has all the power and comforts required

Canadian Forest Industries, Aug 2001 by Jamieson, Scott

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Tight margins demand a fresh look at all parts of the operation, including people/parts transport. Compact SUVs have been available for years now, including the Suzuki Sidekick, GM Tracker, and newer Honda CRV and Toyota RAV 4. But for the most part these have proven too small or meek to attract much serious attention in our industry.

That changed this year, with the introduction of the Ford Escape (and identical Mazda Tribute). This 4WD mid-sized SUV is slightly larger than the above pack, yet smaller and far easier on the wallet than its bigger sibling the Ford Explorer or its competition. Beyond size is the way the Escape feels, handles, and accelerates, all of which inspires more confidence than earlier "sport-utes."

The base Escape XLS lists for under $22 000, but this front-wheel drive, 4-cylinder version won't tempt many in this industry. I'd recommend a quick upgrade to the XLT 4WD version, with a 3-litre, 200-hp, V6 engine. This prices out at $28 695, and with a few extras our test truck rounded out to around $30 000 (including an in-dash, 300-watt 6-CD player with 7 speakers, towing package, and side steps).

Tight handling, clearance

With the V6 power plant, the relatively light Escape is fast, accelerating aggressively at any speed. The all-new platform on which it's based was designed with help from Mazda, and shares the tight-steering, confident ride that those familiar with Mazda products will immediately recognize. The Escape's highway ride is also smoother than other small SUVs we've tried, although those used to full-sized pickups or SUVs will still find the shorter wheel-base choppy.

The well-finished interior, sporty dash and sound-feeling steering wheel are all bonuses in the Escape, as are the good-looking two-tone exterior, roof rack, and solid feel as the doors close. The Escape has none of the cheap tinny feel you can get on some of the lower-end mini-SUVs. Ours was banana yellow, which we liked, but evoked a strong reaction either way with people we surveyed.

CFI had the Escape at the end of March, a week during which we could test the automatic/locked 4WD and ABS brakes during several wet and very heavy snow storms, both on and off road. The ABS brakes, standard on the XLT and optional on the XLS, are excellent: immediate and strong. The 4WD system also worked as expected, even with all-season tires, right up to the point where the Escape finally got hung up.

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Unfortunately that limit was reached in heavy wet snow sooner than we expected given the 7.8 inches of clearance, and one look under the Escape reveals the culprit - some low-slung suspension gear. The vehicle has plenty of clearance for off-road driving dead centre and 18 inches or so either way, but that falls rapidly as you approach the inner wheel hubs. That, and the fact that much of the guarding is lightweight plastic means that you'd have to take far greater care in the Escape over the last few kilometres of logging road to the landing than in larger, heavily-guarded off-road vehicles. That's what we did, and we managed fine on some typical secondary and spur roads.

In the end, whether the Escape works for you depends on the type of roads you have to navigate, perhaps even your willingness to walk the last hundred metres or so from time to time when things get really hairy at the landing. It also depends on how important the extra $15 000 to $20 000 means to you compared to a full size pick-up or 4WD. As an added incentive to check this vehicle out, even the high-flying V6 we had is rated for 31 mpg highway, something to think about as gas hovered close to 90 cents/litre in parts of Canada this past spring.

Logger's Commute reviews and photos by Scott Jamiesin.