I own a Mercury Mariner which is the same as the Escape, just nicer appointments. Are you considering 2Wd or AWD? Mine is AWD and I can tell you the mileage sucks for the kind of driving I do which is very short distance, lots of stop and go. In the winter when I use my heated seats a lot my mileage hovers right around 16mpg but can often be less. In summer it jumps to a whopping 18mpg - whoopee. Highway driving gets me up to 22 when mixed with my usual short hops. On the few driving trips we've taken with lots of highway time I can get close to 25mpg. That said....... the size of the car is perfect for me. Anything specific you want to know about?

Heated seats affect the mileage? I didn't know that. I have mine on all the time and I am not happy with my car's mileage. Hmm.

I think the Escape's are cute. I looked at the Honda CRV and the Hyundai Tucson, but ended up with a Honda Accord.

The energy to the the seats comes off the battery thru the alternator which is powered by the engine and that's fueled with gasoline. Anything the engine powers impacts mileage. (that's my engineering by osmosis explanation!!)

I don't own an Escape, but drove a rented one for a week. I thought it was just okay. I thought the ride was hard, and my 2 teen DDs said they wouldn't want to do a roadtrip in one. I did like the cargo area.

Since we are considering buying this size car, we were eager to check this one out. Also planning to look at the Honda CR-V, Toyota Rav-4 and Honda Crosstour. Really interested in the Crosstour, but CR says it has bad visibility. We shall see.

Nicole

The new 2013 is completely redesigned from the ground up so you can't compare it to previous models.

It has best in class fuel efficiency with the EcoBoost engine (more expensive option).

I think it's a fantastic vehicle, but I do advertising for Ford so I'm a little biased.

My daughter just bought a new Ford Focus, the 4 door sedan with all the bells and whistles and is pretty happy with it over all especially because it uses both types of fuels. Considering it's still considered an economy car, I was pretty impressed with the way it drove so maybe the SUV has been improved as well. She did consider the Escape but said the interior of the new design is cramped especially in the drivers area. She felt cramped in it.

My 81 year old mother just bought a brand new Honda CRV. She did a comparison between it and the other smaller sized SUV's available and said it drove very easy and was much more comfortable to be in.

I don't have the Escape, but have a Ford Explorer with the Ecoboost (4cyl engine). For the size of the vehicle I get great gas mileage - used to be the same as the 2007 Toyota Camry I had before, but then they increased the speed limits and I sit in a lot more stop and go traffic so it went down. I used to average 24.3mpg and it is now down to 22.8mpg. I live in TX and have either the AC on or heated seats or sometimes both depending on the time of the month and if my back is hurting. Since the Escape is lighter and much smaller I would expect it to get even better gas mileage.

dlm--- i don't think heated seats (or headlights) used more frequently in the winter would have any more drain on the mpg than windows open or airconditioning would in the summer... maybe you're noticing changes in tire pressure which are significant in colder weather vs warmer weather or something else???

i love the smaller suvs for carrying flexibility and we will probably be shopping for another in the next year and will consider the escape hybrid... haven't started looking yet tho...

busybee3 I don't claim to understand it completely but my engineer DH does and that's my watered down version of what he tells me when I complain about mileage! He goes into some long drawn out explanation about power draw and voltage and things that involve math and numbers and my eyes glaze over and I just say, yes dear. And...... I've tested it myself by not using the heated seats and mileage does go up. Yes, the same is true in summer with the AC but that's much easier for me to do without - I prefer windows open - so I don't notice it as much. And here in IL, we have seasonal gas additives mandated (not sure if that's true elsewhere) and the formulation change makes cold weather driving less fuel efficient. I was going to mention tire pressure but figured I'd already lost my audience ;-)

Does anyone know (kellyeng ??) if you still have to take the headrests off to fold the seats down in the new Escape? I could/should just go test one out.

folkvictorian - I love the size of my car and assume the new Escape is very similar. Cargo space is terrific and the seats fold completely flat which is an issue I have with the CRV - they don't fold flat but... you don't have to take the headrests off - nothing is perfect. I also have a flip up window on the hatch door which I use ALL the time but no new car that I'm aware of has that anymore :-( I have my dog in the car with me a lot, buy a lot at the nursery every summer, haul tons of mulch and have brought home sofas in the back of my car on more than one occasion! What kind of use do you have?

I'm in the market (hopefully this year) for a new 4wd SUV. Right now I drive a Durango.

Are these smaller SUV's good on muddy roads?

Thanks, everyone! DLM -- I didn't know the Mariner was the equivalent and we'll have to check it out as well. We're less than 10 miles from town so much of our driving is over low country hills and some of it is stop-and-go in town. We also have a pick-up truck, so cargo isn't as important in this vehicle. Lots of snow and ice here, so that's a concern. (And dang! I love my heated seats!)

Kellyeng, I read that about the 2013 being completely redesigned and it's at the top of some small suv lists for mileage and features. That's what prompted me to ask about it in the hopes that older models were also good ones. Unfortunately, our budget won't allow for a brand new car.

Lucki, we'll check out the Honda CRV as well. Our Saturn Vue has a Honda engine and that's one of the reasons we bought it to begin with. My first car was a Honda accord and I loved it!

folk - Mercury is history - Only Ford and Lincoln are left from the original Ford family.

What about a Subaru Forester? We used to have a Forester and a wagon. I lode the Forester.

My neighbor has the Honda CRV and loves it. I don't know anyone with the Escape so I can't comment on that. I will say, and my apologies to Ford, that we had a Ford Explorer years ago and it was nothing but a headache. I would never buy a Ford again after that car (and it was still under warranty, thankfully, when it had all its major problems). Since then we've been Toyota/Honda loyalists. My Toyota SUV has over 150K on it and I've never had any problems other than routine maintenance. With four kids, I need a 3-row large SUV, but I will probably stay with Toyota as it has been a fantastic car for us and the GM/Chevy SUVs are just too large for me.

Am I the only weirdo that doesn't like leather seats? I live in hot and humid MD so leather seats are awful in the summer. I prefer cloth seats but all my friends think I'm crazy, with four kids, not having leather, since "they are so easy to clean." I don't have any stains on my seats, so not sure that leather would make a difference. Dh has leather and I hate them - he does have heated seats for winter, but the summer is just awful. Just today my kids told me they want me to get cloth seats again! Whenever I take my almost 14 y/o dd anywhere, she always asks if we are going to take my car as opposed to dh's - she hates the leather seats.

So are my kids and I in the minority?

I like cloth seats but haven't had them in a zillion years. I keep saying the next car will have cloth... That never happens because I fall for the upgrades and leather is part of the package.

I have cataracts and live in the country. In order to get the good lights, the leather came with it.

Thanks for the education on why heated seats up the mileage. This is my first car with leather seats and they are cold when you sit on them! I need the heater to get the cold out.

I miss my 1996 Honda Accord so much. I wish I had kept it. It had cloth seats which I like so much better than the leather. I went after them with upholstery cleaner every once in awhile and they cleaned right up. They never split or cracked and most of all they did not get hot or cold. It was a great little car for zipping around town.

My new Accord is a lovely car and there is nothing to not like about it except it just feels so much bigger to me. The trunk is enormous. I do enjoy the bells and whistles, although I was happier with dials and buttons than all the electronics. It took me a week to figure out how to change the clock.

If I had it to do over again I would get a CRV or an Acura TSX. Totally different cars, but either one is more "me".

HATE to admit this, but that new little Escape looks kinda cool!
(died-in-the-wool GM dude here!)

Also- GOTTA have heated leather up here in Fargo!!!

I'm 6'3" with a longer torso relative to my legs, so I couldn't even GET IN that little Ford! I don't care much about gas-mileage, but at least my '08 Impala LTZ can achieve ~24 mpg flyin' down the Interstate @ 75-80! The '01 GMC-Jimmy we had b4 that (V6-4WD) could maybe get 18mpg (hwy) if it was babied. In town....uffda....maybe 10....!

Hopefully....my next vehicle will be a full-size Denali or Escalade....

Faron

fourkids,
You're not alone, I hate leather seats. And that also goes for in the house too, not just in the car. My husband's car has leather but I insisted on cloth in my car. I don't eat in the car and I don't have kids so I'm not worried about stains.

I googled fuel consumption and heated seats - I actually understand this!!! And it's not just the seats but any extra power draw.

Faron I used to be like you and not worry too much about mileage but living in suburban Chicago with the highest gas prices (except maybe CA) in the country has changed my thinking - along with the desire to be a better world citizen. My DH drives a Ford truck that gets about 8mpg and it drives us CRAZY that a relatively new vehicle should be so inefficient. Thankfully he doesn't drive much and his truck sits in the garage sometimes day after day.

fourkids4us & golddust - I am not crazy about leather either but do love my butt warmer ;-) So I googled that too and lo and behold, there are heated seat cushions you can buy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Heated seats & mileage

I hate to say it, but I would never go with a Ford either. It's embarrassing to me that the foreign cars are typically much better. I would go with Toyoto, Honda or as Goldie mentioned - Subaru. My mom had a Subaru SUV, and my brother-in-law had a little subie that just would not die!

I'm on my third camry and may consider a new car in the near future. Mine has 120,000 on it and that's nothing for a toyota, but we do travel a good bit and that's the vehicle we travel in. Gas mileage is important to me and I have no need for a SUV (no children and we have also have a truck).

I like leather seats although as someone mentioned, no children and we don't eat in the car either. Still, they are nice and hold up well.

tina

Oh Tina, that is a myth. Foreign cars are not much better. Yes, there was a time, long ago, when foreign cars were better. But for years now, domestic cars are just as safe and dependable as foreign.

On that note, my Mom has a new Honda CRV and loves it. I think it's okay and drives well and has great gas mileage but it has kind of a "tin can" feel to me. Meaning, it's just not substantial enough for me.

- dlm2000, sorry this took so long but I got it from a "big wig." the headrest flips down (you don't have to remove it) then you pull a lever and the seat folds completely flat. Hope that helps!

It's not been a myth for me Kelly - 3 vehicles with 1 water pump the only repair ever and all three vehicles had 100,000 miles or better. Oh I'm sure there are some domestic cars that are good - it just seems in my family and circle of friends, the foreign cars have outlived the domestics. Of course two of my camrys were built in Kentucky! The one I have now was actually built in Japan.

A funny is my MIL who drives a caddy - insists on one, but is afraid to keep one one the warranty has run out. Granted, on her previous models she has had multiple repairs.

I've toyed with the idea of something different this go round, but then feel like i'd be crazy to give up the dependability I've had so far. I am definitely going to try out one of those larger mini coopers though!!!

On the flip side, I've owned five Fords in the last 23 years and have never had any unusual problems. DH has owned probably as many and no problems either. Heck, my FIL drove the same Ford Bronco for 16 years!

But all that is just anecdotal evidence and doesn't really mean anything. True data (which is easily collected) tells a different story.

Car ownership is oddly a very personally and emotional issue. People become very loyal to brands or groups of brands and have on rose-colored glasses regarding their preferred brand.

I know this stuff. I've built my entire career around the automobile industry and the psychology of car buying.

Thanks so much kellyeng - I will definitely be looking at an Escape again - had one before my Mariner. We are largely a Ford product family and have been practically forever. Product reliability has never been an issue - in fact I drove my Mercury wagon - remember those big old boats?! - for 13 years. Back in the day, probably mid 70's and earlier, the old Found On Road Dead acronym may have applied but not anymore. And I'll put fit and finish up against any car - my Lexus was no better than any Ford I've owned except my 65 Mustang which was pretty tinny!.

Yes, people are definitely loyal to their brand. Like I said, I'd kind of like to try something different - buy why go against such dependability???

I know you and I can "agree to disagree" and still have an pleasant discussion!

So, most of your clients are auto related? I didn't realize that! Interesting!! I'm sure you have learned alot about cars.

tina

Gosh Tina, of course we can!

And I have to agree, when you find a product you like and trust, especially as expensive as a car, there's nothing wrong with sticking with it.

Yes, I specialize in marketing and consulting exclusively for the automotive industry - going on 17 years now.

We have had SUVâÂÂs and mini vans as the second vehicle and IâÂÂll take a minivan for comfort any day. Mini vans can be very luxurious inside and the new ones can at the flick of a switch fold the back seats down level, you can get a whole Craigslist sofa in there lol. They are about the same on gas I think as the smaller SUVâÂÂs but way better gas than large SUVâÂÂs. They are also great if you have guests as its so comfortable, sort of like riding around in a living room. I have a Honda now and never had any problems with it. I do like the looks of the Toyota minivan better though.

Here is a link that might be useful: SUV or MINIVAN test

We have had SUVâÂÂs and mini vans as the second vehicle and IâÂÂll take a minivan for comfort any day. Mini vans can be very luxurious inside and the new ones can at the flick of a switch fold the back seats down level, you can get a whole Craigslist sofa in there lol. They are about the same on gas I think as the smaller SUVâÂÂs but way better gas than large SUVâÂÂs. They are also great if you have guests as its so comfortable, sort of like riding around in a living room. I have a Honda now and never had any problems with it. I do like the looks of the Toyota minivan better though.

Here is a link that might be useful: SUV or MINIVAN test

Have a 2013 Ford Escape, Eco Boost (love it), actually love the entire vehicle. Formerly purchased a first year of the Ford Explorer model (was pregnant with DD), lived rurally and have always had labradors. Was a great SUV for loading lots of kids, dogs, luggage, etc. Good for running around town, long drives, or for vacation destinations that didn't require air travel. For OBX & other similar beach locations, 4WD is great since you can take your vehicle onto the beach. Taking small children to the beach takes alot of effort, along with many cumbersome necessities that are easier driven to the beach, than hauled over large dunes wilst walking with the little ones. I do not have the 4WD on my new Escape. Don't currently have the need for off road driving, although I considered continuing with the 4WD option for driving in the snow. Depends on your lifestyle.

I've had 2 Explorers, then went with the "mini van". HATED every minute of driving that, and returned to the Escape, purchased the hybrid model which I loved, and is currently driven by my college-aged DD.

When DD went off to college, I purchased the Ford Edge, Loved it, but DH hated it and never drove it because there were alot of blind spots. I adjusted to the blind spots, but not DH. It had a big (by today's standards) engine, but I liked the pick-up. I don't like 4 cylinder (the smallest?) engine vehicles since I just feel like they take too long to get from 0-60 mph.

FF to January, 2013, and I am back to an Escape. Looked around from October 2012 until January, and nothing else really thrilled me among my options. So, once again I am driving the Ford Escape. I would suggest purchasing the Eco Boost if your budge allows. An absolute pleasure to drive. Haven't calculated the mileage, but I believe it is on par with the Honda CRV (DH vehicle). Seems that all of the new model vehicles offer the computer screen which I thought would be hard for me to get used to, but in reality, it took all of a week to have it down pat. I opted for leather interior (dogs) and remote start (love getting into a warm car when it's cold outside). The model is a bit smaller than the other Escapes I've owned. Less cargo space, etc., but from what I looked at over a few months before deciding on the Escape, the cargo area isn't any smaller than the back of the CRV or other manufacturers' comps. I am completely satisfied. Until I buy my BMW 7 series, I will continue to be a loyal Ford customer, lol.

Happy shopping!

My last issue of Consumer Reports focused on automobiles. Even though I'm not looking, I checked the reviews on the Ford Escape, because I think the new ones are so cute. It didn't have a very good review. I already threw it away, so I can't look up the details. I bought a Kia Sportage last year, which has a similar look as the Ford Escape and it had good reviews. I believe the Hyundai did also. I don't think I checked any of the others.

DD2 purchased a Ford Edge after having a baby - did you know an infant carrier/seat is impossible to get in/out of a Lexus is250 unless you take the driver's seat all the way forward?! She hasn't had any issues in nearly 2 years. She does not have the full roof moon roof - that car had issues/bad report with its upgrades.

DH always has a truck as his 2nd vehicle. He had Ford's for years, switched to Toyota, but will switch back to Ford later this year.

I had Mercury vehicles for numerous years (3 vehicles) and never had issues with any of them, but haven't had one for at least 10 years now.

How interesting, Kelly.