[chevy22]

Hi everyone,

Its time for me to make a decision on a vehicle here. After driving both the Escape and Equinox, I've come to the conclusion that it must be the V6 model for sure with the Escape, I still may consider the I4 on the Equinox but after reading about some of the issues and its "bare minimum" power, I'm not convinced that the I4 will make me happy enough to drive it regardless of a couple MPG.

So what do you guys think? Any reason to consider the Escape over the Nox?

 

[RIT333]

So what do you guys think? Any reason to consider the Escape over the Nox?

None that anyone here can think of !!!

We all bought either an Equinox, Terrain, or a SRX. You're going to get vary biased answer here, and likewise if the ask the same question to an Escape Forum.

 

[DavidPJ]

chevy22,

I have an '11 Terrain and '09 Escape Limited. I can tell you first hand there's a world of quality difference between the vehicles. Since I puchased the Escape new, there's always been something wrong with it. Something is either broken or wearing out prematurely, and it only has about 32K miles. There's currently a class action lawsuit being formed on the 6F35 transmission, and that's the one that's used with the V6. The choice of materials and look & feel is much better on the Terrain. I can talk about this at length, but I'll just tell you that with about 9K miles on the Terrain there's only been 1 thing wrong with it, and that was just a rubber window guide.

The current Escape is an old design with decent upgrades (Ford Sync) and is being discontinued after the current model year. An entirely new Escape replaces the current model in 2012. They have nothing in common and are entirely different vehicles. The new Escape is based on Ford Europe's Kuga.

On the plus side, I like the Escape's V6 power and gas mileage. It's an amazingly quick little SUV (mine is FWD). Presently my Escape gas mileage is comparable to the I4 Terrain mileage. I also like the truck like characteristiccs of the Escape, which is why I bought it. To me the Terrain feels more car-like than the Escape. Lastly, I like the Escape's wider cargo area with the smaller wheel wells. I still like the Escape's old styling. That's all the positives I can think of.

I may replace the Escape with a 2012 Equinox.

 

[chevy22]

chevy22,

I have an '11 Terrain and '09 Escape Limited. I can tell you first hand there's a world of quality difference between the vehicles. Since I puchased the Escape new, there's always been something wrong with it. Something is either broken or wearing out prematurely, and it only has about 32K miles. There's currently a class action lawsuit being formed on the 6F35 transmission, and that's the one that's used with the V6. The choice of materials and look & feel is much better on the Terrain. I can talk about this at length, but I'll just tell you that with about 9K miles on the Terrain there's only been 1 thing wrong with it, and that was just a rubber window guide.

The current Escape is an old design with decent upgrades (Ford Sync) and is being discontinued after the current model year. An entirely new Escape replaces the current model in 2012. They have nothing in common and are entirely different vehicles. The new Escape is based on Ford Europe's Kuga.

On the plus side, I like the Escape's V6 power and gas mileage. It's an amazingly quick little SUV (mine is FWD). Presently my Escape gas mileage is comparable to the I4 Terrain mileage. I also like the truck like characteristiccs of the Escape, which is why I bought it. To me the Terrain feels more car-like than the Escape. Lastly, I like the Escape's wider cargo area with the smaller wheel wells. I still like the Escape's old styling. That's all the positives I can think of.

I may replace the Escape with a 2012 Equinox.

This is the post I was looking for. Thanks for posting. They are doing a short build later this year for 2012 and in early 2012 we will see the new Kuga-style escape.

I'm surprised that V6 gets just as good mileage...although the truck is about 500lbs lighter.

 

[barhoc11]

We have an 09 Mariner and the overall quality cannot be compared to a Terrain/Equinox... but it does have fold flat rear seats!

 

[INNOCNT]

Hi everyone,

Its time for me to make a decision on a vehicle here. After driving both the Escape and Equinox, I've come to the conclusion that it must be the V6 model for sure with the Escape, I still may consider the I4 on the Equinox but after reading about some of the issues and its "bare minimum" power, I'm not convinced that the I4 will make me happy enough to drive it regardless of a couple MPG.

So what do you guys think? Any reason to consider the Escape over the Nox?

Nope..

Just get a Terrain :thumb: V6 of course[/color]

 

[DavidPJ]

We have an 09 Mariner and the overall quality cannot be compared to a Terrain/Equinox... but it does have fold flat rear seats!

Yes, I like the flat fold rear seats too. But I'm tired of having to remove the headrests to put the seat down.

For your reference as well as others here that might be wondering about the 2009/2010 Ford 6F35 transmission, here's notice of the lawsuit:
http://www.girardgibbs.com/FordFusion.asp

 

[SuperMat64]

Why do you have to remove the headrest to fold the siege down ?? I am doing it almost 3~4 times per month and never had to remove the headrest to achieve that...

Yes, I like the flat fold rear seats too. But I'm tired of having to remove the headrests to put the seat down.

For your reference as well as others here that might be wondering about the 2009/2010 Ford 6F35 transmission, here's notice of the lawsuit:
http://www.girardgibbs.com/FordFusion.asp

 

[barhoc11]

Why do you have to remove the headrest to fold the siege down ?? I am doing it almost 3~4 times per month and never had to remove the headrest to achieve that...

The Escapes/Mariners require you pull out the headrest if you want to fold the rear seats down flat. It is not the most fun thing to do but it does allow them to fold flat.

 

[SuperMat64]

Oh ok sorry you were talking about the explorer... my bad sorry.

The Escapes/Mariners require you pull out the headrest if you want to fold the rear seats down flat. It is not the most fun thing to do but it does allow them to fold flat.

 

[NoobNox]

As someone who seriously considered the Escape before buying my Nox, I can tell you that when I made a pros/cons list for all the different CUV's in consideration....the Escape scored near the bottom of the list. Of course your personal pros/cons list may be different depending on preferences and priorities...but 4 main things stood out for me and eliminated the Escape from serious consideration:

1. The V6 was ok, but didn't really feel all that powerful...and not a great deal more than the I4 in the Nox.

2. The interior (even updated starting in 08) looked cheap and outdated compared to the Nox and some of the others that I test drove.

3. Rear seat legroom wasn't bad when compared to some of the other CUV's, but nowhere near the room of the Nox

4. Ride was a little more choppy than the others over certain types of pavement, and borderline harsh at times. There was more front to back "bucking" than any of the others I drove.

Basically, I felt that the Escape wasn't a bad vehicle overall, (I liked the separate glass hatch on the liftgate) but it's basically a 10+ year old design that doesn't quite match up to most of the newer competition. The all new Escape may be a different story...but I don't think they are for sale yet.

 

[chevy22]

As someone who seriously considered the Escape before buying my Nox, I can tell you that when I made a pros/cons list for all the different CUV's in consideration....the Escape scored near the bottom of the list. Of course your personal pros/cons list may be different depending on preferences and priorities...but 4 main things stood out for me and eliminated the Escape from serious consideration:

1. The V6 was ok, but didn't really feel all that powerful...and not a great deal more than the I4 in the Nox.

2. The interior (even updated starting in 08) looked cheap and outdated compared to the Nox and some of the others that I test drove.

3. Rear seat legroom wasn't bad when compared to some of the other CUV's, but nowhere near the room of the Nox

4. Ride was a little more choppy than the others over certain types of pavement, and borderline harsh at times. There was more front to back "bucking" than any of the others I drove.

Basically, I felt that the Escape wasn't a bad vehicle overall, (I liked the separate glass hatch on the liftgate) but it's basically a 10+ year old design that doesn't quite match up to most of the newer competition. The all new Escape may be a different story...but I don't think they are for sale yet.

I definitely agree the Escape's interior is old and dated. I think the V6 is decent power though. I'm surprised you compare it to the I4 in the Nox as I find the I4 fairly laggy.

The thing that bothers me the most is the lack of telescopic steering wheel in the escape.

Some of the mileage stories scare me on the site, it sounds as though the Escape gets better mileage overall and GM hasn't refined the engines just yet. Maybe I'm wrong?

I'm still on the fence on which way to go here even though I think the EQ is much more feature rich.

 

[NoobNox]

I definitely agree the Escape's interior is old and dated. I think the V6 is decent power though. I'm surprised you compare it to the I4 in the Nox as I find the I4 fairly laggy.

The thing that bothers me the most is the lack of telescopic steering wheel in the escape.

Some of the mileage stories scare me on the site, it sounds as though the Escape gets better mileage overall and GM hasn't refined the engines just yet. Maybe I'm wrong?

I'm still on the fence on which way to go here even though I think the EQ is much more feature rich.

Basically, unless you can get an Escape for much better price than a simularly equipped Nox...I wouldn't go that way. Of course a V6 is going to have more torque for towing than a n/a I4, but I was just going on feel and straightline acceleration. The I4 when it's new is very tight..but after you get about 5k on the clock it loosens up and becomes a smooth revver. If you aren't used to driving a 4 banger then it can be a little hard to get the hang of keeping it in the power band when you need it. The I4 made sense for me since I have nothing to tow, and no immediate plans in the future. Also, I may be in the minority (and it could be a one time fluke) but on a recent 300 mile round trip I was able to get 33mpg rounded up the old fashioned way. Of course the conditions were perfect (about 60F, and no a/c) and I was running a tank of pure gas, (no ethanol) and it was just me and a passenger with no luggage. I did however log over 28mpg when the engine was under 5k...and I was still happy with that.

 

[chevy22]

Basically, unless you can get an Escape for much better price than a simularly equipped Nox...I wouldn't go that way. Of course a V6 is going to have more torque for towing than a n/a I4, but I was just going on feel and straightline acceleration. The I4 when it's new is very tight..but after you get about 5k on the clock it loosens up and becomes a smooth revver. If you aren't used to driving a 4 banger then it can be a little hard to get the hang of keeping it in the power band when you need it. The I4 made sense for me since I have nothing to tow, and no immediate plans in the future. Also, I may be in the minority (and it could be a one time fluke) but on a recent 300 mile round trip I was able to get 33mpg rounded up the old fashioned way. Of course the conditions were perfect (about 60F, and no a/c) and I was running a tank of pure gas, (no ethanol) and it was just me and a passenger with no luggage. I did however log over 28mpg when the engine was under 5k...and I was still happy with that.

Is that US MPG? I'm looking at an AWD either way so will take a bit of a hit. And the performance will be less with the I4 AWD so maybe the I4 FWD isn't too bad.

I agree unless I get get a sweet deal in the ESC than its tough to pass the Nox up.

And yes I'm used to V6 and V8 power but I occassionally drive a civic so know all about putting it to the mat 8)

 

[DavidPJ]

Why do you have to remove the headrest to fold the siege down ?? I am doing it almost 3~4 times per month and never had to remove the headrest to achieve that...

Because my wife and I are both tall we keep the front seats almost all the way back. With the front seats in this position there's not enough room for the rear seats to fold down unless you remove the 3 rear seat headrests.

 

[barhoc11]

Is that US MPG? I'm looking at an AWD either way so will take a bit of a hit. And the performance will be less with the I4 AWD so maybe the I4 FWD isn't too bad.

I agree unless I get get a sweet deal in the ESC than its tough to pass the Nox up.

And yes I'm used to V6 and V8 power but I occassionally drive a civic so know all about putting it to the mat 8)

They MUST have better deals on the Escape now since there is no way they can compete with a Terrain/Nox head to head. My 4cyl Mariner (which is pretty much a Escape Limited) is no competition to my 4cyl 2LT Equinox and both are relatively loaded with what you can get from each Manufacturer. The only reason I could see getting the Escape over a Theta vehicle would be that you like the 'boxiness' and the fact that it does NOT ride like a car.

If you have any other specific questions feel free to ask as I drive both vehicles (both 4 cylinders) just about every day and can give you great details on their differences.

 

[chevy22]

They MUST have better deals on the Escape now since there is no way they can compete with a Terrain/Nox head to head. My 4cyl Mariner (which is pretty much a Escape Limited) is no competition to my 4cyl 2LT Equinox and both are relatively loaded with what you can get from each Manufacturer. The only reason I could see getting the Escape over a Theta vehicle would be that you like the 'boxiness' and the fact that it does NOT ride like a car.

If you have any other specific questions feel free to ask as I drive both vehicles (both 4 cylinders) just about every day and can give you great details on their differences.

I gave the escape an honest go today but I agree the ride doesn't even come close. The equinox rides like a car/minivan which is much more comfortable. Aside from the rear/side visibility, fold down seats and the fact its like 500lbs lighter, the Escape really can't hold a candle to the Nox. At this point I'm not sure what to do though need to take the Nox out again.

 

[Patronus]

One of these is an IIHS Top Safety Pick, one is not. That is enough to make the Nox the winner in my book.

In fact, my shopping begins with the IIHS list. if it is not a top pick, its not on my list.

 

[Wind]

i understand the fact that ppl whant to save fuel and whant more for the $ i got the v6 got 3 kids... there is a world diference whit the 4!!! i test drive both and yes when you are alone or 2 in the truck, no problem the power is good whit the 4 :thumb:
but when your more like 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 kids and go uphills it runs like a chevy aveo...it realy needs a turbo to be perfect. :thumbdown: get the v6 ;D its not going to kill your wallet and its way more fun and power!!!and it sounds way better.
i dont buy a 37000$ truck to save gas :facepalm:...get a toyota echo or the chevy volt for that..you have to get fun in life and its not always cheap...and for 264 hp its reasonable .

Get the nox v6 awd.