Need Recommendations on COmpact SUV!!! Escape???

[rpr]

I'm looking for a compact 2005 SUV that has the best compromise of street handling and off road capabilities. My only "must have" is a full time 4WD system.

I'm between the Subaru Forester XS or XT (Turbo), the Ford Escape or the Jeep Liberty. I think the Escape and the Forester come standard with full time 4WD systems. Although the Liberty lists it as an option (I think), I think it alsoi has the added benefit of a lockable 4WD "high" setting for serious off-road use if I'm not mistake. However, I also heard the Liberty gives the worst street ride.

Any thoughts, recommendations or warnings?

 

[davidmmm69]

Go with the Escape I am getting ready to purchase a 2002 esxape for my wife next week.
I have a 1995 2wd explorer and 2002 4WD explorer and will get her the escape going with a 2002 so I can pay case for it since i refuse to be slave to any financial institution anymore...
Have you driven the escape if not go ahead and drive it it is so nice inside...

 

[rpr]

We actually just test drove a 2005 Escape XLT with the 3.0L V6. It seemed surpisingly underpowered, especially for a V6. We may be leaning towards the Subaru Forester.

 

[F14CRAZY]

The Liberty has low range 4x4. Escape does not.

If a 4 banger base 4x4 will do, you can get an Escape in a stick if that's a factor for you.

 

[davidmmm69]

mY brother had a liberty that his wife wanted...
Well that laster 9 months this was last year. IT had so many problems and the gas was horrible and i mean less than 16 mpg..
Manual tranny on a new vehicle wow WHY!!!
might as well get crank down windows also and an am fm radio without cd...

 

[Bwana Bob]

Well, my two choces in a small SUV would be the Escape or Forester, but I'd be hard pressed to say which I'd choose. If you want a manual trans (and many of us do) you have more choices with the Subaru. Only the base Escape XLS with the 2.3L engine is available with a stick.

It is said that the base Subaru engine is a but slow, too. The turbo has more power but check to see if it requires premium octane fuel, plus the turbo may be less reliable and it gets lower gas mileage.

Check some of the Subaru user's web sites and check http://escape-central.com. Users on that web site report automatic transmission problems with the early Escapes. On escape-central.com you can get a lot of user comments.

I have heard about the poor gas mileage with the Liberty.

There are vehicle comparison generators on both the Subaru and the escape-central web sites. It may boil down to personal preference. Either one should do fine in snow, with proper tires. The Forester may have more cargo room and more features in the base model than the Escape. The Escape looks like an Explorer junior. The Forester looks like a station wagon. Test drive them both and see what you like.


Bob

 

[F14CRAZY]

Manual tranny on a new vehicle wow WHY!!!

Less stuff to go wrong, better performance, a more satisfying driving experience, better gas milage.

I have spent close to $1000 in audio/video in my XL, and still don't have a CD player.

 

[Stephen]

I'd stay away from the Liberty, they've had some huge quality problems...

The Escape is a nice little truck, its more "truckier" than the Subarus. You should also look at the Honda CR-V and the Toyota Rav-4, both of which are also very nice little vehicles. I think I'd be in a CR-V in that class.

 

[newc5188]

I am not sure but if they offer the escape in leather I would definitely get it. The clothe seats in the Escape are a bit hard. Unlike what you stated I found the escape to be pretty quick, definitely accelerates faster than my Explorer...

 

[davidmmm69]

Less stuff to go wrong, better performance, a more satisfying driving experience, better gas milage.QUOTE]


I have seen manual transmissions go bad also..
the only time i wanted a stick was when I was 16 and had a Mustang, And that was like in 1988 and i blew up so manycmanual transmissions back then..
never had a problem with automatic.. better gas mileage Yes i agree but it is such a tiny percent.
more saisfying??
not sure what you mean by that having to keep shifting up and down and up and down and up and down, so much more satisfying to put it in gear and just go. so that way you can eat with the other hand or use your phone or write soething down...DO you realize how hard it is trying to talk on the phone and shift and have one hand on the wheel all at same time.haha

Better performance again back when i was 16 maybe but do i really care now that i am in my 30's and with a family.
do I care that my vehicle what ever it may be can go 0-60 2 seconds quicker with a manual tranny...
Also like years ago many cars did not come with AC being in florida it totally differnet but I do not think they can sell a car at least a new car without air conditioner...
sorry to just babble about stupid items...

 

[F14CRAZY]

More satisfying is taking a nice turn, starting with a perfect downshift to bleed off speed with braking, making the turn, and downshifting one more notch (like to 2nd) and coming out of the turn.

More satisfying is why high end sports cars don't have autos.

Yes I am aware that manuals transmissions can and do fail. I say that there is less to go wrong because it is the truth. There are some owners here that would like to switch to a manual from an auto if they could because of the problems that the A4LD and other autos have given. One gentleman asked if he could use his warranty to have the dealer convert the truck to a sticker instead of having to keep putting in rebuilt autos.

I sometimes have to answer my cellular phone while driving in town with the XL. Oh well.

Air conditioning in Florida has little relevence to this topic.

 

[davidmmm69]

It is again personal preference.
but then again I shift a truck every day all day and the last thing I want to do when i get home is start shifting again,
I was talking about AC because I was talking about some options that vehicle come with..

"More satisfying is taking a nice turn, starting with a perfect downshift to bleed off speed with braking, making the turn, and downshifting one more notch (like to 2nd) and coming out of the turn"
In an explorer???

 

[Stephen]

More satisfying is why high end sports cars don't have autos.

Sorry F14 lol, but even high end sports cars come with Autos now. Even on Ferraris and Porsches the manual is becoming more and more rare, the vast majority are sold with Autos or fake manuals like tiptronic etc.

I loved driving manuals for all the years I did, but at this point I wouldn't want another car with a manual. My car has the sport shift manumatic feature (both the Lexus and the Infiniti do actually) and I use it every once and a while for fun, but I don't even do that much.

 

[F14CRAZY]

In an explorer???

Would you like a video clip?

 

[blichy]

Sorry F14 lol, but even high end sports cars come with Autos now. Even on Ferraris and Porsches the manual is becoming more and more rare, the vast majority are sold with Autos or fake manuals like tiptronic etc.

Actually, in Porsches it is less than 25% Tip (which is still pretty high for a sports car IMO).

 

[Stephen]

Are you sure about that? I find that hard to believe. I know Ferraris are something like 65% auto.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Do they use Ford A4LDs?

Sorry for the hijacking. My brother has a 2004 Toyota Rav 4 AWD that he likes a lot, but may be limiting to you since it doesn't have a switchable transfer case. It's a 2.4L VVTi 4 banger, but it's pretty fast (he calls it the Toyota big block)

 

[blichy]

Are you sure about that? I find that hard to believe. I know Ferraris are something like 65% auto.

Yep, I was just looking into option contenting the other day. If you include the Cayenne, then the overall percentage goes up (less than 5% will be manuals in the US).

 

[Stephen]

Cool, I guess theres hope for the motoring public yet.

F14- Another problem with the Rav4 is the side hinged rear door, much less convenient than a hatch. The CR-V may have one also...

 

[unabonked]

Noth the CRV and Rav4 (and liberty i belive) have rear mounted tires and smash the hatch in if you back into a pole at low speed. I would think a wrangler would also be considered a compact SUV. Personally, i'd get a Rubicon.

Ford desperatly needs a new small V6. 200 just isn't enough for people anymore. 220-240 would be pretty nice for an ALD escape.