Nervous about buying Escape

[esage]

Sorry Guys this is not typical toyota question .

Q1 -whats the difference b/w Ford Escape XLS and XLT?

Q2- Does XLS mean 2WD always? and XLT 4WD always?

Q3- What is special about Escape limited?

I have a very limited knowledge about cars and now I am planning to spend 13k-15k to buy a 4WD SUV Escape , i like the "escape " shape.

I am nervous and trying to do all due dilligence to make sure I am doing the right thing.

Q4-I have seen heaps of Ford terriotry on melbourne road but not even 10% of Escape , just wondering is there any knows issues people generally do not go for escape. heaps of RAV and CRV though.

Q5 - How would you rate Escape in terms of overall car from 1-10 ( 1 is very low) as compare to RAV4 and Honda CRV

Or my observation is completely wrong about escape.

thanks

[Noodle Boy]

as you said, not many escapes appear on Victorian roads, therefore i have a very limited knowledge of them. why not go browse some info on it, it may help you.

[Ronnyboy]

Maybe try a Ford Forum, might help :)

[SecaBoy]

STAY THE FUQ AWAY FROM FORDS!!!!

i made the mistake of buying a ford even after all of my dad's previous fords were bomb's... i figured "nah, its the new one and its a performance model, it'll be better"...

STAY THE FUQ AWAY!!!!

[Buff Hamster]

So you wouldn't recommend me getting the new FPV GT-P :(

[Hiro]

Number one thing to remember about the Escape is that it is actually a Mazda in disguise. Also, the fact that not many were sold is a bit of an indication of how good (or not good) a car they are.

If it absolutely has to be an Escape though, I'd get the Mazda instead - better looking, all the good stuff that the Ford had, plus there were much more of them sold so parts should be a bit easier/cheaper.

[Ronnyboy]

How about the Ford Territory, theres a few of them on the Road..

[SecaBoy]

ford territory was one of the worst made fords..

sooooo much rust issues....

go have a look at a territory and open the rear hatch, pull the rubber seal off it and i guarantee it to be rusted...

[Ronnyboy]

Yeah If Territory has rust problems then definetly stay away from it....

Cant really say much about the Ford Escape.

You can check out the Klugers aswell, :)

[eviltwin]

my old man and i test drove a territory and as we were rolling along dad goes lets put our windows down... his got halfway down and then fell into the door skin and shattered , i looked at him and said... dont think shes for us dad

[01 VEY]

Hello there

I have had a few freinds who have the Escape/Tribute. The Mazda variant is better trimmed inside and has what I believe to be better looking wheels.

I work in the Auto electrical industry and sell a heap of alternators for these vehicles. Keep in mind that the alterator alone is worth around $900.00 and can take some tradesmen around 6 hours to remove and refit so please ask if the one you intend to buy has had this VERY expensive job already done. You may save yourself a couple grand in the next year or so. Generally the alternator will need to be replaced round every 120,000 to 150,000kms depending on the quality of the unit that is fitted.

Happy hunting for the right one.

[Ronnyboy]

my old man and i test drove a territory and as we were rolling along dad goes lets put our windows down... his got halfway down and then fell into the door skin and shattered , i looked at him and said... dont think shes for us dad

So your dad probably would have bought the territory if he didnt put the window down :P

[Ronnyboy]

I work in the Auto electrical industry and sell a heap of alternators for these vehicles. Keep in mind that the alterator alone is worth around $900.00 .

.

Thats pretty expensive for an alternator

[01 VEY]

The alternator I am talking about is a genuine one. There are some cheap aftermarket ones that give heaps of trouble and end up costing loads more due to the hours to remove and refit.

Personally I admit that although I am a Ford fan I would steer clear of these.

Remember though that any Holden vehicle that is not a Commodore, Statesman, Monaro or Ute are made by GM Global and will be a Korean made Daewoo re-badged. i.e Captiva, Barina, Cruze and Epica.

Look closely and you will see the family resemblance...YUK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hiro]

Remember though that any Holden vehicle that is not a Commodore, Statesman, Monaro or Ute are made by GM Global and will be a Korean made Daewoo re-badged. i.e Captiva, Barina, Cruze and Epica.

Holden haven't made the Monaro in years....and if you're going back that far, then a decent percentage of Holden vehicles won't be Korean, they'd actually be European, ie Barina, Vectra, Astra, and some Japanese ones too (Frontera, Rodeo/Colorado, Jackaroo are all rebadged Isuzus, although the last of the Rodeos are Thai-built).

[01 VEY]

My sincere apologies for the Monaro gaff. I was talking of Holden cars made since 2006 though. They are, no matter what they are called, badged or labelled a Daewoo. For my money I will always demand Japanese first, Japanese second and Japanese third.

If you can't afford the up front cost of a decent car be prepared to keep on paying through the nose to keep it on the road for the next few years.

In recent times some of the Korean vehicles ie. Hyundai have been setting the standard of build quality. Due to being at the wholesale end of the automotive parts supply industry I see a lot of vehicles that I would steer clear of. The Ford range doesn't offer any imported vehicles of any merit either. The Focus, Fiesta and Mondeo etc are like the Holden Daewoos a poor excuse for a car which are best left in the sellers yard. Kia vehicles are another car for which I am constantly being asked for parts. My employer's company makes a tidy profit from the lower end price cars that are brought into the country.

The long & short of it is this - Quality is like buying oats...If you dont mind having oats that have already been through a horse, That will come a little cheaper.

Just rememmber to do a lot of research before you buy and spend a hundred or so on each car to have it checked by a trusted mechanic before you sign any sale contract. Well worth it

Regards

01 VEY

[SecaBoy]

i'm sorry... you'd buy a jap over a euro car?

are you serious?

hmmmm, Mercedes or Lexus... Mercedes thanks...