I Drove a Ford Escape Today

"AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC" (addictedtom3s) 11/11/2015 at 02:17 • Filed to: None

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I had to drive one of these today. Ask me anything.

Some notable things:

Steering is horribly numb and uncommunicative

Understeer for days

Brakes have no real travel (most of the stopping is done in the first few inches of travel)

Throttle feels severely disconnected from the car

Torque is quite good

Brakes work quite well for something of that size

I really do not like sitting high up in an SUV

The mirrors were a joy to use compared to my car

bob and john > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 02:28

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how weird did you find it that the dashboard had SOOOO MUUCCCH DISTANCE to the lower edge of the windscreen?

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > bob and john 11/11/2015 at 02:42

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To be honest I didn’t notice the distance as much as the small size of the gauge cluster and the really bizarre rise of the dashboard where it meets the windscreen. It was not very well sized in my opinion. The speedometer is on the right and it’s SUPER tiny. I had to fiddle around with the center screen to make it display the speed digitally. The other thing was the infotainment screen was super far away from the center console and underneath it was a RIDICULOUS explosion of buttons. Just look at this shit!

Before this I was just thought everyone was complaining for the sake of complaining about modern cars being flooded with horrible things (electric steering, infotainment, dashboards). Well I can see what everyone is on about now after this experience.

bob and john > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 02:58

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my dad had one as a rental so i’ve been on the inside.

Agree on the proportions thing. it just feels wrong.

911e46z06 > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 03:00

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Going from the M3 to the Escape, was it difficult to adjust to actually utilizing the turn signals?

Flavien Vidal > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 03:02

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I would have killed myself for less... Great job surviving some time behind the wheel of a Ford Escape!!! :)

What will be your next challenge?

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > 911e46z06 11/11/2015 at 03:03

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I had no idea what that weird stalk on the left side of the steering column was. It made some green arrows flash. No idea what that does.

Secretly though, I wish I had an M3. My current chariot is an Acura CL so luckily indicators were a standard option on it back in the day.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Flavien Vidal 11/11/2015 at 03:10

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It was difficult. Unfortunately the company fleet consists of Escapes and Fusions. My coworker checked out the Escape for us. Steering was terrifying at first. It was like using one of those arcade steering wheels with a little better resistance and return to center. The throttle literally has the same resistance as if you were to step on ripe fruit.

Hopefully something fun. AHEM anybody who has an air-cooled 911...feel free to contact me ;) Realistically though, probably a Fusion since I have to go work off-site again on Friday.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 03:11

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I miss my old Escape V6. Makes this thing look like a space ship.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 11/11/2015 at 03:13

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Well this one certainly drives like a space ship so you’re not far off.

pip bip - choose Corrour > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 03:19

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clearly not a drivers car , but is it any good at doing its intended purpose?

911e46z06 > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 03:23

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Ah gotcha. Assumed from your handle that you were one of the tribe.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > pip bip - choose Corrour 11/11/2015 at 03:23

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Yeah. Rear passenger seating is roomy. The rear cargo area is rather large. Ride is pretty smooth. Noise isolation is pretty decent as well. Rear backup camera is definitely a godsend with the narrow rear window on this thing. The turbo-charged engine definitely has some hustle to it after about 2500rpm from what I found. Although fuel economy...not so great.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > 911e46z06 11/11/2015 at 03:26

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Unfortunately I’m just one of the people staring inside the VIP area from outside. Although if things go according to plan then I should be able to join the tribe soon.

Flavien Vidal > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 03:45

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Ouch, yeah Fusion are pretty bad :)

I can’t say it won’t be much worse for me though... I’ll probably be driving the slowest 3 series diesel BMW ever in 3 weeks over 2500km.... The throttle response on those is so damn bad that you can’t even really heel and toe on downshift. It takes like 1s before anything happens and it revs back up, but you are already way to slow so it’s useless :)

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 04:18

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Does it torque steer?

atrombs > bob and john 11/11/2015 at 08:09

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Same in my Focus. I can put pizza boxes on the dash.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 08:22

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The short brake pedal travel really must be a modern Ford thing. My mom’s ‘14 Fusion 2.0T is an absolute peach to drive except the brake pedal’s short travel which takes a few stops to get used to so you don't send yourself through the windshield.

spanfucker retire bitch > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 08:40

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Was it the 2.0 model? My mom bought one of those a couple of months ago and the thing has a surprising amount of kick to it.

Justin Hughes > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 09:40

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The Escape was decent for the impaired driving exercise I did.

I did have trouble finding the shifter while wearing “beer goggles,” which simulated a .10 BAC. I whacked the MyFordTouch screen while searching for it. I can’t really comment on driving dynamics, because according to the cop riding with me (yes, driving impaired with a real live police officer on board), I never exceeded 5mph. But it was good at mowing down cones as I drove off the “road” I couldn’t see. (It was clearly marked with cones and chalk lines.)

pjhusa > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 10:21

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Was it a rental?

pjhusa > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 10:22

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The screen... Too small...

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Flavien Vidal 11/11/2015 at 11:53

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That sounds horrible. Hopefully there aren’t any large hills for you on the trip. I imagine that’d be the most frustrating thing ever.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 11/11/2015 at 11:56

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Oh goodness. The first stop I almost sent everyone in the car through the windshield since I was used to my car. I hope the Fiesta/Focus STs aren’t like this because I can’t see how that’d make them as well liked as they are.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > spanfucker retire bitch 11/11/2015 at 11:57

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Yep 2.0 model. It has a lot of umph if you nail the throttle. It can gain speed almost alarmingly quick for something its size.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 11/11/2015 at 11:58

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No it doesn’t. But it’s so disconnected from the car I wouldn’t be surprised if Ford just added a correction aid to prevent the driver feeling any if it were to exist.

spanfucker retire bitch > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 11:58

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Seriously. I was testing it out for a little bit on some local roads after she brought it home (about 35mph for the speed limit) and before I even realized it was I was at nigh 60mph. Not only is it deceptively quick, but you don’t feel the speed either.

Way quicker than my Mazda3.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > pjhusa 11/11/2015 at 12:00

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No it was a company fleet vehicle. I probably wouldn’t hesitate to rent one if I were to have a long road trip with some friends and we needed a large vehicle though. It serves its purpose as a transportation appliance very well. It’s just not a driver’s car as we are used to ;)

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 11/11/2015 at 12:03

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The first time I drove the car the brake pedal reminded me of my old GMC Safari... Not exactly the first thing I wanted to be reminded of in an otherwise wonderful car to drive. Thankfully the Ford doesn’t have the nose dive and brake lockup the Safari did..

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > spanfucker retire bitch 11/11/2015 at 12:10

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Yes I almost forgot about that. I was constantly checking the tiny screen for my speed because it didn’t feel any sense of speed even though I was going 70mph. It was a different kind of deceptively quick too. In an e39 5-series the car feels deceptively quick but you can still feel comfortable and confident. In the escape the car just feels vague. I was actually kind of terrified while going over a bumpy mountain pass in it at night since I couldn’t tell if the car was going to get upset from a bump or not.