2005 Ford Escape User Reviews

Pros

Great car in the snow, perfect size for the city, good looking car

Cons

auto transmission is a bit shifty, low mileage in the city

I've had the car for about a month. Solidly built and strong engine. It has been to Tahoe and loves the snow. Got 25mpg driving all highway. City mileage driving around SF could be better, but the fact that the car is narrow and relatively short make it practical in town.

Pros

Roomy, love the look and styling

Cons

gas hog

I bought my first SUV in Nov. and love it. It's a 'o5 used XLT 4x4. I've always had small 4 cylendar sports cars and needed to get a family car with 2 teens now. It's comfortable in the back seat for the kids and friends. I went back & forth on what SUV to buy but loved the look of the Escape. I would definately trade in for another when the time comes....read morehide

Pros

Great take-off, roomy, beautiful exterior

Cons

Wish it got better gas mileage.......driving in city I get about 16mpg

Overall, I LOVE my '05 Escape. I bought the XLT Sport, very sporty, smooth ride, handles like a dream, love every feature about it,.....except the gas mileage.
No road noise that others have complained about. Would definently buy another!!

Pros

Looks and feels durable, strong engine, smooth ride, excellent power steering

Cons

annoying vibrations on doors when music bass is loud, not enough driver's leg room.

I just bought my Escape 2.3L 4x2 XLS a week ago and i bought it because i love its stance, and looks great. The ride is good and shocks responds well on pot holes. Steering is easy and generally fun to drive. I'm just annoyed by the vibrations on 3 of my doors when my audio music bass is high. I think the plastic made covering on doors has a lot to do with it. Not enough leg room on drivers seat that my leg sometimes hit the dash board underneath. Limited adjustments when lowering driver seats. Lastly, the manual climate control sucks. How can Ford combine the air intake vent and fan control into a single knob? You will only have an enclosed airconditioned cabin when setting the fan at speed 2 in which fan is noisy and gets too cold. Lowering it to speed 1 the vent will open and polluion from outside comes in, and is no way you cold close the vent from console. Its bad when smoke form other cars comes inside the cabin. I would appreciate if i can set the fan speed at 1, but sill has an enclosed airconditioned cabin. I wish I had thoroughly scrutinized it before I buy. The cons only shows when you get to drive one....read morehide

Pros

interior room, smooth ride of the V6, auto shift on the floor, sit so high up

Cons

could get better gas mileage

This V6 drives like a dream. I love it. Everyone that rides with me wants to know what kind of vehicle I am driving because it drives so smooth. I love the roominess inside, the auto shifter on the floor and the cargo room. It has a rugged look and looks stylish. It rides quiet and I do not hear road nose like many say they do. The only thing I would change is better MPG; I wish I would get 24 or so instead of 20 MPG. I didn't like the ride of the auto 4 cyl but would consider the manual 4 cyl next time for the better gas mileage. LOVE MY ESCAPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...read morehide

Pros

Very perky veicle

Cons

Just one little thing..

All cars I have owned have an AIR RECYCLE control which shuts out outside air. This not only shuts out dust from the road and exhaust from trucks and other cars but it also aids in helping the heater heat the vehicle quickly on a winter morning. The re-cycle control is lacking on the 2006 Escape XLT and is ony availabe under Maximum A/C. I minor oversite..but important when living in cold climates....read morehide

Pros

Great fuel econ for an SUV

Cons

Wind noise, and what's with that tiny "sunglasses holder" in the ceiling?

I did a ton of research in May of 2005 when looking for a new car and ended up picking this one. Not once have I regretted my decision. Great car; handles wonderfully. I had a 93 Sentra before this, so the transition to SUV made me a little nervous...but I was comfortable driving the Escape from the very beginning. The only thing I'd like to see is the park assist (bell ringing when something is behind your car in reverse) offered as an option (or even better, standard) on all models. I didn't want the Limited edition, but the park assist would have been great since parallel parking in NYC can sometimes be challenging when trying to fit into tight spaces. Oh, and the "sunglasses holder" in the ceiling may hold 1 lens, if that. I was looking forward to having one, but after discovering it wouldn't fit any adult-sized pair (except maybe the folding Ferrari's from the 80's), I use it for my cell phone headset instead. Oh, and the service is wonderful!...read morehide

Pros

Good handling, Great for long drives, remarkably roomy.

Cons

Noisy.

This is my second Escape and is my company car. I am in the construction business so its on job sites all the time. Great handling and no roll over tendencies. Incredibly roomy for its size. Easy mobility in heavy traffic and confined spaces. Built solid. only downside is that it is somewhat noisy.

Pros

fuel economy, roominess, smooth ride

Cons

plastic interior, shifting, wind noise

bought the 4cyl. blast pkg. which means upgrade cd player and upgrade tires.
peppy enough for a 4 cyl. and gets great fuel mileage. trans does shift awkward at times,
I am not to impressed with all the plastic inside the vehicle. Ford could of used less plastic. It is the major drawback to this vehicle.
I did get a really good deal and for the money I feel; this was my best option. I would reccomend....read morehide

Pros

Nice rims

Cons

Everything else

This is my last vehicle from Ford, and my father-in-law sells Fords! The interior materials are cheap. The doors are as thin as my Escort doors were. The seat has no lumbar support. I'm still trying to determine whether the "leather" is vinyl or leather. The heat in the seats turns off after 5 minutes; not adjustable. The six disc CD changer is useless; the speakers rattle and sound absolutely horrible with a normal amount of bass. I have to listen to news talk radio so I can turn off the bass. My gas mileage is 14.8mpg. Yes, I drive city miles, but my husband's full size truck gets the same mpg. My Escape is a 4X4 Limited and fully loaded (and almost $30,000); it is the cheapest expensive vehicle I have ever driven. I am done with Ford....read morehide