If I Were to Describe My Friend's 2002 Ford Escape V6 in One Word

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
05/13/2015 at 21:46 • Filed to: None

That word would be: Silly.

Seriously. I was giggling the whole time I was driving it. Bouncing over bumps, feeling what felt like the back wheel pick up around turns, that peppy Duratec V6, the high driving position.

It reminded me of driving the Vue a bit, but more rugged.

My friend loves driving my car, and I enjoy driving his, we may have to switch more often!

DISCUSSION (22)

CB > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/13/2015 at 21:50

We had an Escape of this generation that we got rid of five or so years ago. I think it was a V6 as well. A bit of a rusty deathtrap, it was.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/13/2015 at 21:51

I miss mine. I regret selling it now, even though it was a rusty shitbox.

Kinja'd!!!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > CB
05/13/2015 at 21:52

His is surprisingly rust free. 154,xxx miles and only surface stuff from what I saw.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > CB
05/13/2015 at 22:03

I’m with you on the rust. Mine had loads marinating under the plastic trim, it only had 186K KM, which is not much considering the age. Too much wrong to fix cheaply.

CB > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy
05/13/2015 at 22:05

I think ours had somewhere around the same mileage when replaced it with the Maxima. Which is also a very low mileage vehicle (127,000 kilometres or so in 12 years).

GeorgeyBoy > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/13/2015 at 22:07

My mom used to have one. I loved driving it. It’s one of the few cars I drove that loved to be floored, not sure how to explain it.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/13/2015 at 22:18

Get one when you sell the BMW, if you’re still planning to. Few things are cheaper and more plentiful in the midwest than old Ford Escapes.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/13/2015 at 22:19

my mom DD’s a 2005 escape V6, the suspension on those things are so stinkin’ stiff, hers has no rust at all though (and we live in northern idaho).

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
05/13/2015 at 22:21

Psh, I’ll just ask my friend if he wants to trade, that way I know it’s going to someone who will care for it (he absolutely loves my car.)

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
05/13/2015 at 22:22

My sense of stiffness has been skewed since the M3’s suspension is so stiff, because this felt soft in comparison.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/13/2015 at 22:25

I considered trading with a friend of mine recently here. He has a ‘79 Continental sedan. Then I thought about it for a few more seconds, and then decided I would regret that decision very much. So I didn’t.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
05/13/2015 at 22:28

Malaise era V8 boat sounds like a bit of a downgrade from your all-aluminum 5-valve (right?) V8 luxoyacht.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/13/2015 at 22:33

I find most SUV’s to have obnoxious suspension, my car, a rebadged ford explorer somehow manages to have a floaty soft suspension thats annoying, but yet makes you feel all of the bumps as well, if you fling the car sideways, there is tons of body roll, and yet the soft suspension doesn’t soak up many of the bumps, and where I live doesn’t have particularly bad roads (for america) but you still feel all the bumps.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/13/2015 at 22:45

5 valves, yes. It’s much cooler than my car, but that’s the only benefit.

Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/13/2015 at 23:14

We just recently got rid of our 05 XLT for an 06 Suzuki Gran Vitara. Before the 05 we had like an 02?

I HATED that 05. It was by far one of the rustiest cars I’ve seen. Nevermind the fact most of the car was gone, the front suspension had a habit of just eating anything you put on it. It went through front sway bar links like I go through Baconators. My dad rear ended a van with it and the car never was right after. Eventually, I told my parents I flat out would not do anymore work to it and that it was time for it to go.

When Escapes work and are in nice condition, they are fantastic DD’s. They are incredibly common (at the Ford dealer where I work, we have a separate section in the used car key box just for Escapes) mostly easy to maintain, get pretty decent mileage, plus 4wd that is fairly competent. I’d personally suggest one newer than an 02, but that’s just me. Make sure to look in the rear wheel wells for rust, as this is a common problem area. The wheel well has a nasty habit of rotting out and leaving your shock and spring not attached to anything. Since I started at Ford in August I think I’ve seen 7 Escapes get their rear wheel wells replaced.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey
05/13/2015 at 23:27

my mom has a white o5 xlt with the duratec V6, and her’s strangely has practically no rust at all, and we live in northern idaho, so its not like we don’t have road salt and other crap, she has only ever had to replace 1 suspension part and that was after hitting a pothole that was literally 9 inches deep and like 4 feet long after coming around a blink corner, its been her DD for 8 years and she never has had any major issues with it.

Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
05/14/2015 at 19:51

It seems like ours was one of the rough ones. Of course, this is western PA, land of salt. And potholes.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey
05/15/2015 at 00:28

we have some potholes in our roads (like everywhere in america) but our roads are not filled with potholes as some places are, our city just sucks horribly at plowing the roads in the winter.

Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
05/15/2015 at 06:26

Roads not filled with potholes sounds like heaven.

Big Bubba Ray > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/16/2015 at 01:09

Didn’t know how else to reach you. Are you going to Cars and Coffee tomorrow? I might be driving the Z, weather and slave cylinder permitting haha

I’d love to see the M3 and finally meet you. If you do end up going, I’ll be wearing myBlipshift shirt with a Datsun on it and carrying a big ass camera around my neck. If you see me, come say hi!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Big Bubba Ray
05/16/2015 at 08:08

I am going tomorrow, unless of course it decides to hail or something like that!

I'll be with a group of friends, but I'll be wearing a brown Chevy shirt.

dogisbadob > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/18/2015 at 22:12

The Escape is nice and has good visibility, but how is that V6 to work on? I know it was also available with the Zetec.

If you’re worried about rust, there’s always the Focus wagon.