American cars are a rarity in our country. Basically, these machines do not want to buy because of their expensive maintenance and high fuel consumption. But there is an opinion that American cars are highly reliable. Is it really? Let's try to understand the example of a Ford Escape car . Description, technical specifications and vehicle features - further in our article.
Appearance
This car was released in 2000, and the design of the Ford corresponds to its year of manufacture. According to the manufacturer, this model was designed for an audience aged 35-45 years, for whom a bright appearance is not in the foreground. The front of the car has simple halogen optics and a black bumper with a compact grille. On the sides there is a wide “foliage” of moldings and a small footboard. These elements are also made of plastic and are not painted in body color. there are roof rails for installing an additional trunk.
What do the owners say about the body of this car? According to reviews, Ford Escape is not very prone to rust. Particular attention should be paid only to the edge of the rear door. It is here that corrosion is most often formed. In the lower part of the doors and on the arches, rust is rarely formed, since there is plastic protection. Chips rarely form on the paintwork of an SUV. This is mainly the edge of the front hood and part of the doors.
Among other points, it is worth noting the lack of towing eyes. In view of this, the owners themselves weld a massive piece of metal.
Sizes, clearance
The car has standard dimensions for the "American". So, the length of the body is 4.48 meters, width - 1.75 meters, height - 1.73. The ground clearance is 21 centimeters on standard wheels. According to reviews, Ford Escape has pretty good angles of arrival and exit. The length of the front overhang is 92 centimeters, the rear is 94. Tuning is not very common among Ford Escape car owners. A lot of models in the secondary market can be found in factory condition. The only element of tuning is discs. So, owners install larger wheels on mud tires. This allows you to increase the characteristics of the vehicle.
Ford Escape: Salon
The interior design is standard for those years. First of all, a massive lever under the steering wheel catches your eye. He is responsible for the inclusion of automatic transmission modes. In the usual place, between the seats, the gearshift lever cannot be found. The steering wheel is four-spoke, made of leather. The instrument panel is arrow-shaped, with white dials. On the center console is a cassette player, two airflow deflectors and a stove control unit. Below, due to the lack of the usual “beard”, engineers installed a couple of niches and shelves for small things. By the way, the floor in the car is flat.
In total, Ford Escape was produced in two trim levels. These are XLT and Limited. They differ only in the presence of a leather interior, rear parking sensors, climate control instead of air conditioning and a sunroof. Power windows and mirror drive are already in the basic version of the car. The driver's seat can be adjusted in eight positions.
According to reviews, Ford Escape has a fairly spacious interior. At the same time, the seats have a wide range of adjustments. Even a tall driver will feel comfortable driving. The back will also not be crowded, not only together, but also three together. The only minus concerns the back back, which is exposed almost vertically.
What problems do Ford Escape car owners face? In the reviews there are complaints about the resistor of the stove. Because of this, the heater fan stops working at three speeds - only at the fourth. And the cost of a new resistor is more than two thousand rubles.
Trunk
Another plus is the trunk. Its volume in a five-seater version is as much as 934 liters. Given the folded backs of the seats, the volume is almost two cubic meters. The rear seatback folds flush with the floor. By the way, the trunk lid opens both fully and partially (thanks to the opening glass).
Ford Escape: Specifications
A gasoline inline four-cylinder engine was installed on this car. This engine has a 16-valve head. With a volume of 2.3 liters, it develops a capacity of 145 horsepower. In terms of acceleration dynamics, this car is not the best. So, according to passport data, the car accelerates to hundreds in 12.1 seconds. The maximum speed is 160 kilometers per hour. But this car has a good torque, which allows you to easily carry trailers. That is why many cars are already sold with a tow bar in the secondary market.
Paired with this unit is an uncontested automatic transmission. This is an old, classic four-stage torque converter. It has a simple design and therefore quite reliable. Among the problems, reviews note except that the oil leak from the front-wheel drive. After replacing the stuffing box, this malfunction goes away.
But you have to pay for reliability. So, often Ford Escape car owners complain about high fuel consumption. In the city, a car can spend 20 liters per hundred. On the highway, this figure rarely drops below 15. In winter, consumption is always a couple of liters more. Ford Escape user manual states that before leaving in cold weather you need to warm up the box by switching the selector several times in all modes. So, the box warms up and will be ready for full operation.
Are there any problems with the engine? Owners do not complain about the reliability of this engine. The only problem is the oil leak from under the valve cover gaskets , which appears after 200 thousand kilometers. Also, the oil sweats in the area of the sensors.
By the way, this engine is designed for 92nd gasoline. As practice has shown, the engine resource is more than 500 thousand kilometers. The engine is very simple to install and repair. You do not need to have any special tools for maintenance.
Chassis
The chassis for the Ford Escape automobile was developed jointly with Japanese engineers. The chassis was borrowed from the Mazda Tribute. This was done in order to reduce the cost of developing new components. In addition, a big plus is the interchangeability of suspension parts with the Japanese Mazda SUV.
Front of the car is an independent MacPherson strut with a transverse stabilizer and double levers. An independent suspension was also used at the rear.
How does this car behave on the go? According to reviews, the suspension is quite comfortable and elastic. The car absorbs any irregularities, and silently. But there are also disadvantages. So, the owners note an excessive roll. The car is difficult to enter into turns at high speed due to the high center of gravity. Ford Escape is designed more for a comfortable and measured ride.
The steering is a rack, but it is also not informative. However, the steering wheel itself is quite light and short-stroke.
As an option, it is possible to set the center differential lock with the rear axle connected. But most cars only came with front-wheel drive.
The reviews say that over time, the Ford Escape starts to click the cardan when the steering wheel rotates. Also, over time, the steering angle sensor on the electric amplifier fails. Otherwise, there are no problems with the control system.
Price
At the moment, you can find such an SUV on the secondary market for about 300-700 thousand rubles, depending on the year of manufacture. Most cars are in good condition.
There are practically no rotten copies on sale, despite such a great age. The average mileage of cars that are sold in the secondary market is 180-230 thousand kilometers.
Conclusion
So, we found out what a Ford Escape is. What can be said about him in conclusion? This is a fairly massive and spacious car with a comfortable suspension. At the same time, this machine is characterized by high fuel consumption, weak acceleration dynamics and excessive roll.