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Introduction
What’s New: With subtle styling changes addressed for the 2008 model year, Ford is using 2009 to take on the Escape’s powertrains. The four-cylinder and Hybrid models see a nice bump in output, and the V-6 gets a bit more potent with 40 extra ponies. A six-speed automatic transmission is now available, as is a voice-activated and touch-screen navigation system with Sirius Travel Link and a 10-gig hard drive.
Competes With: Jeep Liberty, Saturn Vue, Toyota RAV4
What We Think: From its compact size to available technology including a hybrid powertrain and in-dash DVD player, there’s plenty to like about the 2009 Ford Escape. Heck, we can’t even complain about a relative lack of power anymore. Higher-quality materials and modern styling would be nice, but what’s delivered is acceptable in a trucklet that starts at about $20,000. Unfortunately, keeping the price reasonable means you’ll have to skip some of the Escape’s cooler options.
Ford Escape – 2009 Review: If you aim to be best-in-class, there’s only one way to get there: Improve.
We all know that, with the exception of lottery winners and trust fund kids, getting more out of life means putting a lot more into it – longer hours, added sacrifices, greater expenses, and so on. It’s a simple concept that applies equally to the young basketball player who practices free throws everyday, rain or shine, and the single parent who puts the kids to bed before spending the night finishing an assignment for an online college course. These are singular instances of the “will to improve” at work, but it’s a mentality that’s also alive and well elsewhere, including within the offices of Ford Motor Company, maker of the 2009 Escape and Escape Hybrid.
With small SUV sales up about 20 percent over the past five years, Ford realized that the market was growing, and to take advantage would require improving the Escape. The transformation started for the 2008 model year with updates of the exterior and interior. But what drivers will really appreciate, what might lead you to purchase an Escape, comes in the form of added power for 2009 and the availability of desirable options, such as SYNC and a voice-activated touch-screen navigation system. Put it all together and you’ve got a small SUV that’s solidly positioned mid-pack instead of bringing up the rear. However, in order to attain that best-in-class ranking, improvements need to continue – namely in the areas of materials quality and driving dynamics.
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