Fugly.

 

That is an understatement if I have ever seen one. YUCK! uke:

Just a few comments...

A HUGE negative for me besides the appearance is that "thing" has auto AWD. Been there and done that with a Chevy Equinox. It works fine for average driving but the inability to engage it when needed is a major drawback and one reason the Equinox is gone. The Patriot's 4WD system may be more closely related to an AWD setup than a real 4WD one but it has the ability to manually engage it and it is a 50/50 split vs 70/30 like most AWD's in that vehicle class. So you get more of a 4WD performance and control than a typical modern auto AWD system. BIG PLUS for the Patriot.:notworthy:

I would assume Ford sets it up like all the other mfg's with these small SUV/CUV vehicles( other than Chrysler/Jeep )in that the driver has no control to turn it on/lock it in the way we do with the Patriot. If that is the case I would not get one.

MPG looks good if it actually can get that high? I would question interior room though. The old escape was small inside and this new one looks even smaller on the outside so inside?

$37K? NOT! I would buy a GC, Durango, or a FS truck before spending that kind of cash on a little SUV/CUV. :doh:

Too ugly
No ability to manually engage 4WD(AWD)
WAAAAAY too expensive.

 

Escape is not a Patriot compedior at all. Different price range and target market.
Used to be a liberty compeditor, but now its just uggggly.
Now its looks like its target market is the Journey.

 

...Now its looks like its target market is the Journey.

I am leaning more towards it competing with the CR-V, Tuscon, or Sportage... but I agree its definitely less rugged and more 'stick to the streets'. I used to think of it as in "Escape from the city." They ought to rename it a "Trapped," as in unable to get out of the city.

The second picture makes it look like a Focus would if it were on 30" rims:

 

Doubt it could make my driveway in winter. Not sure what the clearance is either, and no way to lock in 4x4, not sure how well that would work.

MPG looks good though, but for the money I'd probably go for the Wrangler Unlimited.

 

I actually like the '07 & '08 design of the Escape, not this design.

 

I can see people really liking that look.
So, even if I don't care for it, I can understand why they did it.

But for offroad capability, it's tough to compare.
It doesn't have a locking center diff.
No info on any BLD or equivalent system.
No info on ground clearance or approach/departure/break over angles.


In looking at the motors though, that little 2.0L Ecoboost engine is nice.
240hp at 5500rpm.
270ft-lb torque at 3000rpm. Yes. 3000!
It's almost like a diesel.

Pull up the specs on the gear box and final drive ratio, and it has 14.1:1 ratio in lowest gear with that Ecoboost motor. Not as low as the FD2, but the same as the FD1, and with 60% more available torque at a lower RPM too, it would feel stronger than the FD2.

 

No info on any BLD or equivalent system.

Pull up the specs on the gear box and final drive ratio, and it has 14.1:1 ratio in lowest gear with that Ecoboost motor. Not as low as the FD2, but the same as the FD1, and with 60% more available torque at a lower RPM too, it would feel stronger than the FD2.

They are talking about something called "torque vectoring control" which sounds like BLDs to me. Without knowing how it's set up, who knows how well it will perform in an off road situation. That's all on the software there.

For a 4 wheel drive "lock" it can lock it in a 50/50 split it sounds like, but it seems as if the driver can't control that. There's funny looking knob in the middle below the shifter that could very easily be a selec-terrain type system which perhaps would allow you to indirectly do a 4x4 lock.

As for the 14.1:1, low gear is more about control than it is power. 14.1:1 is going to be rolling down the trail too fast for my tastes.

Low range vs brakes

 

You're right about the power UA, that would be nice in the Patriot.

I also like the foot thing for the hatch, many many times I've had things in both hands, just like in the picture, and that feature would come in handy for me a couple times a week.

 

Looks ugly as sh*t, congrats Ford you officially completed making all your vehicles look the same and ugly as anything. My friend had a nasty looking 06 Explorer he's so disappointed how much Ford has ruined their vehicles by taking away all their bold lines. Now every vehicle of theirs looks like a meatball on wheels or a caravan. He has since come to Jeep haha.

 

I like it and the looks - and price reflects the added features.

 

It looks like an $85 pair of basketball shoes to me. :icon_rolleyes:

 

Interesting discussion. I considered replacing my 08 Patriot (CVT 4X4) with a new Escape because I can't get a Compass Latitude with a 5 spd. I'm not thrilled with CVT. I contacted Jeep about the 5 spd and asked whether a new trans is in the works. Jeep wouldn't comment on future upgrades. I don't want another CVT. If I wanted to go off road, I'd buy a Wrangler. I have 118K on my Patriot and I'm ready to trade. Right now the CR-V and Escape look pretty good for on-road vehicles.

 

Badger, From what I saw, I was not impressed with the standard I-4 motors. Same-O same-O. The kicker was the new 2L Ecoboost motor. But I think that only came with the 6-spd auto.

and Mischief, no lie about needing the control. Going slow and careful is important in offroading, and very low gearing really helps that. But good driver skill can keep you going slow too. (just harder to do) When you can't pull up an incline or the motor bogs down on an obstacle though because of lack of torque, there's no driver skill to account for it. Just the run-it-and-gun-it approach.

 

HDC is better than nothing, but ultimately you are still relying on brakes which can over heat

 

this ford escape you are talking about is marketed for almost 2 years in europe as ford kuga:

i test drove the diesel version and i can tell you it is nothing compared to my diesel pat.
and you can't lock 4x4.
just a cute little crossover imo.
can not be compared to the pat.

 

Looks like a Focus mated with a CR-V. If I wanted that look I would've gotten a CR-V/Rogue/Rav4/etc. I very much prefer the boxy lines of the Patriot and the FDII and its various off road goodies. I could care less if the drivetrain of the Patriot is dated by comparison so long as I'm not driving something that looks like every other crossover on the road.

 

Chicaboo said

while using cheaper diesel, and not premium.

Around here diesel is at least 30 cents more per gallon.


MrMischief

HDC is better than nothing, but ultimately you are still relying on brakes which can over heat

You are correct, using the HDC control in the Patriot works ok, but much better if in 4Low, and in low gear. The HDC does use the brakes, it does a pretty good job of it, but each time the brakes come on you do slide a bit. I'd rather use the gears if possible.

 

Around here diesel is at least 30 cents more per gallon.

So you might pay 8% more for fuel, but yield 38% better economy with a diesel. Or you could get the 1.6T and sacrifice power and towing capacity while using premium for a happy medium. But if the diesel isn't offered, there's not much to argue over.

 

The Escape will sell a bundle. It is much more a Focus station wagon than a direct competitor to a Patriot from a marketing standpoint. More a Compass competitor. In either case the drivetrain is much more advanced for a hefty price.

 

When I bought the pat I also looked at escape and vue,
While both offered more power, both were about $3000 more than my pat. And that was in 07.
With these prices and that grill won't even be a consideration when I am ready to replace the pat.
Looks more and more like next purchase will be another pat

 

Only if you buy a used one. The current design is done or about to be done. Who knows what the new one will look like?

 

The Patriot STILL offers the most bang for the buck. Is it less refined than the others? yes. But the off-road system is superior to most AWD out there, it gets the same fuel economy as most out there (but with less power, granted), and costs a LOT less.

I did a quick comparison just for kicks. Using each websites build-your-own feature.
I stuck with almost no upgrades, except for power locks/windows.
Cloth seats and no fancy electronic gadgets. So all of these are as comparably equipped as possible. Obviously the bigger models do offer more standard stuff that I couldn't take off.

Here's what I found
Smaller size:
2012 Patriot, FDII sport: $21500
2013 Ford Escape, 4WD, 2L Ecoboost $27000

Bigger size:
2012 Ford Explorer, 4WD, 3.5LV6 $31000
2012 Jeep Liberty, 4WD, with Select trac II $25250

Semi-lux
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 4WD with Offroad Adv I package $37100



Essentially, the Escape's motor is nice... but $5500 nice?
The Explorer has more power than the Libby and gets better fuel economy, but for $5750?


So you could say, the Jeeps are not as refined, but are cheaper, and do better offroad. Hmmm. That actually sounds like Jeep's motto, doesn't it?

 

New Escape looks like eurotrash.

When I was vehicle-shopping last year, it was down to between a Patriot and Escape. For what the Escape was, I thought it was pricey. Glad I chose the Patriot.

 

I like the features of the new Escape though the body styling looks a bit odd.

 

Rear end of the Ford looks pretty good, though it looks like many other vehicles. Front end looks like, uh, like it needs more work.

I wonder about cargo space? And I've got my doubts about a boat on the roof.

Now if Ford can get the price down into the teens or low 20s they've got something. If its in the high 20s, then they're appealing to a different market, not the entry market.

And, no, I just can't see it playing in the mud with Patriots and Wranglers. Or even in the snow.

As for MPG, I don't know how accurate Ford's estimates are. I've found GMs estimates to be slightly optimistic. I've always been able to exceed Chrysler's MPG estimates.

 

Yuk.

 

Official EPA numbers (according to a Ford press release):

curb weight: 3,500 - 3,600 lbs (Patriot is what? 3,100 lbs???)
2.5L n/a motor, 168 hp, 170 ft/lbs, 22 city, 31 highway
1.6L Ecoboost, 178 hp, 184 ft/lbs, 23 city, 33 highway
2.0L Ecoboost, 240 hp, 270 ft/lbs, 22 city, 30 highway

I'm betting these are FWD numbers, figure it's safe to knock one or two mpg off for awd. I think they did really well, but not as high as I had hoped for.

 

Knocking off one or two puts it in the same range as the Patriot with the 5-Speed 4x4 rated at 22 city, 28 highway MPG. I'll check my sticker tomorrow, but I am pretty sure my curb weight is around 3,400. Not sure on the Jeep though

 

I had my Patriot on the scales at the dump the other day, and it was about 3350lbs [3/4 full tank] after you subtract me and the load I was carrying. TBH I thought it was 100lbs heavier than that.

If those figures stay true to the final 4x4 release specs - the 1.6T isn't quite as good as I had hoped, and the 2.0T is quite a bit better than I had previously seen. Quite frankly I'd take the 2.0T over the 1.6T if that's all that separates them. But $$$ is another thing entirely... I'd pick the 1.6T over the 2.5, however. It's just a pitty we only have the thirsty 2.5T here for now.

 

Before buying the Patriot I test rode the Ford Escape, other than having the higher height and descent looks, the Escape had a lousy ride and felt cheap inside.

 

The 2013 Escape, the topic of discussion, is all new and supposedly a great ride with quality materials. It is very unlikely that this is what you drove.

I drove a Beetle before. It was cheap loud and slow. That doesn't mean the 2013 Beetle is the same.