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Some Initial 2013 Impressions (good, bad, and debatable)


pillboy

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I have now spent some time in the garage with the new Escape and have a few observations to share and I am looking for opinions from others. In no particular order, things that please me, puzzle me, or disgruntle me...

 

 

 

Even though the US versions don't get daytime running lights, there is a row of LEDs at the bottom of the main lamp cluster on the Titaniums with HIDs. These are illuminated whenever the engine is running regardless of the headlight switch position. According to the owner's guide, the fog lamps are illuminated as DRLs when equipped with HIDs. I was going to try and figure out how to activate the DRLs, but not any more.

 

The fog lamps will illuminate when the parking lamp position is chosen.

 

The main console compartment is very deep. This will make it hard to find things that will naturally work their way to these deep, dark depths. There is a round depression molded into the bottom of this compartment which makes it appear that some designer decided we could use the console as a beverage holder...or maybe a champagne bucket. I have yet to find a drain if I decide to fill it with ice.

 

It appears that the 2.0 EcoBoost has a timing chain rather than a belt. I spent some time Googling, but have yet to find absolute verification of this. I don't remember any of the magazine articles I have read mentioning this, but perhaps it is old news as the 2.0 has been around for a few years in other Fords. The Escape owner's guide mentions no service interval for a timing belt change for any of the engines.

 

The bright trim on the dash air vents reflect in the side windows and annoy me when I look in the outside mirrors. Maybe this will just take some getting used to, I don't know, but I find it very distracting and may have to do something about it. It looks like the vents snap in and out of the dash, and I may have to check into covering the trim with some dark colored, self-adhesive vinyl.

 

The pen clip on the glove box door is a neat feature.

 

Why the difference in material for the rear wheel fender liners? The fronts are smooth hard plastic as I am accustomed to, but the rears are made of a fibrous material that to me look more like trunk liner. This same material makes up the majority of the engine undertray (please don't call this aero aid a "skid plate")...more on this POS later.

 

The front edge of the headliner is just rough cut with no finishing to it. I can see the passenger side corner when sitting in the driver's seat and vice versa. Really? This in a $36,000 vehicle? Shame on the interior designers and whoever signed off on this.

 

I really hate the way the cowl intrudes on the engine compartment and how I have to use two hands to pull the dipstick out of it's hidey-hole to keep the end from flinging oil as you have to pull the stick out in a curving arc to clear the cowl.

 

Why do all the lights feel the need to come on when I open a door with no intention of getting in and driving the car? Is this really good for the two dash displays?

 

No gas cap and no remote release for the gas door. Hope none of you have any enemies or revenge seeking ex-spouses or ex-significant others. Every time I have to use a finger tip to dig open the gas door, I am scratching the surrounding clear coat. If you don't think so, look around the door handles of any car a few years old...especially if driven by a female with long nails. I am getting "clear bra" material in the door handle indents to protect the paint there, and I will have to ask about something by the gas door too, I guess.

 

Now, the biggest disappointment for me since I like to do some car maintenance myself, is the engine undertray. It looks like the whole thing has to come completely off to do an oil change. WTF Ford? No access door either. It is made of that same fibrous crap the rear wheel liners are made of. I was going to take it off and put it in the garage attic with the one off my Legacy, but as I started removing screws the plot thickened. The fiber mat part appears to be bonded to the hard plastic part at the front of the car at the lower edge of the front bumper cover. This part has a small air dam that extends down for some aerodynamic function - reduce air flow under the car, help remove engine bay heat...I'm not sure what it is supposed to do, but I started to have second thoughts about its removal. Also, to the right of center is what appears to be an air duct that directs air flow somewhere into the engine compartment...to the turbo area maybe? By now I started putting the screws back into place. It is one thing to remove and replace this part when the car is on a lift and you can stand directly under it and it is another to wrestle with it while lying on the garage floor with limited accessibility. The other thing I dislike is the fact that this cover delays leaking fluid discovery. I routinely look at the garage floor for tell tale drips. How much fluid will this tray hold or absorb before I will eventually discover the issue?

 

 

 

I am hoping besides do-it-yourselfers, that this Escape sub-forum will eventually attract some Ford service technicians and assembly workers and maybe even designers that own the new generation Escape or care enough about us owners to contribute. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts on these and additional topics.

Edited by pillboy
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Great write up. I ordered a 2013 2.0 awd escape and I've been researching the crap out of it. It's difficult to find people that have reviewed it without being paid to do so.

I'm also a DIY'er and that really is a disapointment about the engine under tray. I'm fortunate to have a hoist, but I still don't like the fact that it's not a simple task to change the oil.

What were they thinking?

 

I can't wait to get it up and have a look at the underside.

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Great write up. I ordered a 2013 2.0 awd escape and I've been researching the crap out of it. It's difficult to find people that have reviewed it without being paid to do so.

I'm also a DIY'er and that really is a disapointment about the engine under tray. I'm fortunate to have a hoist, but I still don't like the fact that it's not a simple task to change the oil.

What were they thinking?

 

I can't wait to get it up and have a look at the underside.

 

My daughter's focus has one. It's a little annoying but very easy to take off and put back on even with the front wheels on ramps in the driveway.

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The front edge of the headliner is just rough cut with no finishing to it. I can see the passenger side corner when sitting in the driver's seat and vice versa. Really? This in a $36,000 vehicle? Shame on the interior designers and whoever signed off on this.

 

Why do all the lights feel the need to come on when I open a door with no intention of getting in and driving the car? Is this really good for the two dash displays?

 

 

I noticed the headliner as well.I actually went back to the dealer to look at other escapes,I thought they might have forgotten a piece of trim.Nope, they all are roughly cut and unfinished.I looked at other ford models and they have the same issue.

 

All the lights coming on when enetring the car is also a bit annoying.

Edited by boppergee
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I like to do some car maintenance myself, is the engine undertray

 

Same with my older 03 Passatt. It was a pain in the butt to removed the numerous screws and doing it without a lift was almost impossible. Losing it was a expensive replacement. It did keep the engine and surrounding area cleaner though. So much easier in the 08 and 10 Escape.

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The bright trim on the dash air vents reflect in the side windows and annoy me when I look in the outside mirrors. Maybe this will just take some getting used to, I don't know, but I find it very distracting and may have to do something about it. It looks like the vents snap in and out of the dash, and I may have to check into covering the trim with some dark colored, self-adhesive vinyl.

 

The trim is similar on my Edge. It's a bit intrusive, but I'm used to it, and it certainly is more appealing to look at than more gray plastic.

 

The pen clip on the glove box door is a neat feature.

 

I keep my tire pressure gauge in one of mine. :)

 

No gas cap and no remote release for the gas door. Hope none of you have any enemies or revenge seeking ex-spouses or ex-significant others. Every time I have to use a finger tip to dig open the gas door, I am scratching the surrounding clear coat. If you don't think so, look around the door handles of any car a few years old...especially if driven by a female with long nails. I am getting "clear bra" material in the door handle indents to protect the paint there, and I will have to ask about something by the gas door too, I guess.

 

Hmmm. Don't really see the beef here and I've never once seen what you describe on an older car. My Mustang has a manual gas door and the paint after 14 years still looks just fine. :shrug:

 

And the tank has any anti-siphon device in it. Good luck to any enemy or "revenge seeking ex-spouses" trying to put anything in your tank. And really now. If they are okay with putting something in your tank to destroy your fuel system in the first place, why would they not be also okay with prying open a locking fuel door to get to it?

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A spirited conversation with differing views...I like that.

 

I'm looking forward to some pictures from digijay of the under tray. I don't have any real car ramps as I have had no need for them over the years. I do use some short homemade ones (two 2 X 10s is the total height) to get the front of the Legacy off the ground enough to get a floor jack under it and I also use them to change the oil. I'm not through yet, I just need to make sure I can get the sucker back on if I take it off. Some of the fasteners go through holes in that fiber material and I suspect these will be easy to accidentally rip out...I could be (and hope I am) wrong.

 

I just see no need for about two dozen sources of illumination (I haven't counted them, but I am not exaggerating) to go on every time I open a door to retrieve something. One day a relay will stick and leave all of these lights on.

 

The wifey likes the bling around the air vents and says it doesn't bother her. One of the pieces of literature lists this as an added feature over the next lower trim level, so I suspect these snap in vents withOUT said bling exist in Ford's parts catalog. I do agree, they do look much nicer...when I look at the vent and not the mirror.

 

I'm not too worried about vandalism with the gas filler, it's just that I prefer an inside release...it pops the door open far enough to get a couple fingers in and keeps out the curious that do not regularly walk around with a pry tool. You'd be amazed what small children might decide to put down that filler neck.

 

Those of you that have taken delivery surely have some likes and dislikes to share.

 

Moderator...please add "2013" to the thread title. I fail to remember that there are older Escapes and this sub-forum is not just about the new generation. My apologies.

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I'm not too worried about vandalism with the gas filler, it's just that I prefer an inside release...it pops the door open far enough to get a couple fingers in and keeps out the curious that do not regularly walk around with a pry tool. You'd be amazed what small children might decide to put down that filler neck.

 

Eh, I guess I just don't worry about it. I had a locking remote lid on my Mazda6 and the capless system on my Edge. I prefer the simplicity of the Edge. Personal preference I guess. :shrug:

 

Moderator...please add "2013" to the thread title. I fail to remember that there are older Escapes and this sub-forum is not just about the new generation. My apologies.

 

done.

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Unusual beef with the entrance lighting, but can you not turn these lights off

EG: roof lamps have an off/on switch yes?

And the floor lighting can it not be turned off in the menu?

 

The fabric material used in the rear wheel wells are used to help with NVH noise reduction

And the 2.0L EB has Camshaft drive Single chain

Edited by MKII
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Unusual beef with the entrance lighting, but can you not turn these lights off

EG: roof lamps have an off/on switch yes?

And the floor lighting can it not be turned off in the menu?

 

I don't think the courtesy lights can be disabled. They always illuminate white when opening the doors as far as I know. All you can disable is the ambient lighting once you are already in the vehicle.

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Just got back from the clear bra installer and the wife insisted I drive the Escape home (a whopping 40 miles on it now).

 

I love the virtual lack of turbo lag (as compared to my Legacy). I don't feel quite as "vulnerable" when making a left turn with oncoming traffic. Great job on the 2.0 Ford, it is a really sweet little engine (and a far cry from the 2.3 disaster in my '75 Mustang II).

 

The fold down rear headrests are appreciated and do wonders for visibility straight to the rear.

 

The ride is fairly decent for 45 series tires.

 

See, I can be positive.

 

I figured the fibrous material used for wheel liners was to reduce noise, I am just curious as to what it will look like with a trip down a wet gravel road (not that ours will ever see gravel). And thanks MKII for verifying the timing chain...much preferred over a belt with a tensioner and idler pulleys in my opinion.

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I figured the fibrous material used for wheel liners was to reduce noise, I am just curious as to what it will look like with a trip down a wet gravel road (not that ours will ever see gravel). And thanks MKII for verifying the timing chain...much preferred over a belt with a tensioner and idler pulleys in my opinion.

 

Fibrous material? Interesting.. I'll certainly have this up in the air in the next week to get some good photos.

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I don't think the courtesy lights can be disabled. They always illuminate white when opening the doors as far as I know. All you can disable is the ambient lighting once you are already in the vehicle.

 

There's a button on the light "stack" that has a picture of a door. Press it and it illuminates yellow, and the interior lights do not come on with the doors. On the models with the vista roof, the door button is on the driver's side.

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There's a button on the light "stack" that has a picture of a door. Press it and it illuminates yellow, and the interior lights do not come on with the doors. On the models with the vista roof, the door button is on the driver's side.

 

Is that what that does? :lol: I've never had any reason to want to turn them off. Good to know.

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There's a button on the light "stack" that has a picture of a door. Press it and it illuminates yellow, and the interior lights do not come on with the doors. On the models with the vista roof, the door button is on the driver's side.

 

I know the button of which you speak. I just don't know how many of the lights it kills...maybe just the overhead and cargo lights? It would surprise me if it has any effect on the exterior lights or the LCD screens that light up with the doors.

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I know the button of which you speak. I just don't know how many of the lights it kills...maybe just the overhead and cargo lights? It would surprise me if it has any effect on the exterior lights or the LCD screens that light up with the doors.

 

Just the overhead and cargo lights, and you may be able to turn the ambient lighing off using the dial. You can't turn off the "welcome" screens.

 

Great write up. I ordered a 2013 2.0 awd escape and I've been researching the crap out of it. It's difficult to find people that have reviewed it without being paid to do so.

I'm also a DIY'er and that really is a disapointment about the engine under tray. I'm fortunate to have a hoist, but I still don't like the fact that it's not a simple task to change the oil.

What were they thinking?

 

I can't wait to get it up and have a look at the underside.

 

I just changed the oil on my 2.0 EB escape and it wasn't that big of deal. I did it on my garage floor, sightly jacked up the front, pulled out 6 star and 2 small hex screws to get the whole underliner down. Small oil filter points down, which is easy to get to, and I like that I can pre-fill the filter with oil. Oil drain is easy also at the bottom edge of the oil pan facing the rear of the vehicle. Put a full 6 quarts that brought it to the top of the hatched area on the dipstick, manual calls for 5.7qt I believe. Done.

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I just changed the oil on my 2.0 EB escape and it wasn't that big of deal. I did it on my garage floor, sightly jacked up the front, pulled out 6 star and 2 small hex screws to get the whole underliner down. Small oil filter points down, which is easy to get to, and I like that I can pre-fill the filter with oil. Oil drain is easy also at the bottom edge of the oil pan facing the rear of the vehicle. Put a full 6 quarts that brought it to the top of the hatched area on the dipstick, manual calls for 5.7qt I believe. Done.

 

My guess was that removing the under engine air dam wouldn't be any more difficult than on my Focus, just a few more screws. Is it a Torx 30? I'm glad to hear it takes 6 qts. without going beyond the hatch marks and well below the overfill hole. I like to be at or a fraction below the top of the cross hatched area. I ciphered this to have the proper fill.

5.7 qts

.5=16oz

.25=8oz

.75=24oz

Fill with 5qt, 20oz

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I just changed the oil on my 2.0 EB escape and it wasn't that big of deal. I did it on my garage floor, sightly jacked up the front, pulled out 6 star and 2 small hex screws to get the whole underliner down. Small oil filter points down, which is easy to get to, and I like that I can pre-fill the filter with oil. Oil drain is easy also at the bottom edge of the oil pan facing the rear of the vehicle. Put a full 6 quarts that brought it to the top of the hatched area on the dipstick, manual calls for 5.7qt I believe. Done.

 

Where did you lift the front of the vehicle? Lower control arms work great for lifting the rear corners. Is that what you used in the front too? Guess I am going to pull the under tray off this weekend and look around. I would really like to leave it off. Any thoughts on that?

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Had the engine undertray off yesterday. Just as I thought, a fiddly POS that I wish didn't exist and a pain to get back on without using something to hold up the rear of it whilst putting in the front screws (my little helper was an old plastic Rubbermaid kitchen trash can that was relegated to the garage long ago). I suggest installing the front screws and working rearward when installing the fasteners since the front is made of more substantial material than the rear portion of the undertray. And how long are those plastic inserts that the screws turn into going to last before they are stripped out? This thing is begging for the Quicky-Lube guys to wreck it in short order. Looks like I won't be able to install an Aeroquip or Fumoto drain device to the oil pan as the drain plug hides in a recess in the pan and I don't think there is enough clearance to screw in a larger diameter device.

 

The front does lift well by the lower control arms like the rear.

 

Windshield wipers are interesting as you can move the arms independently when the car is shut off (I haven't tried while it is running) through their entire arcs and I don't mean flipping them up either like wipers have done for a long time. I wonder what kind of system drives these?

 

I don't particularly like where the battery is located (hidden most of the way under the cowl) as I like to remove it once a year to clean it and the battery cable terminals. A five second look-see didn't reveal how the cover comes off of it, so does anyone know what kind of battery is OEM...regular vented, sealed or an AGM (I doubt it) style? If it is a traditional, vented top-post, I might just have to swap in an Optima or DieHard Platinum. I have had an Optima in my Legacy for 6 years and have not had to remove it to clean anything.

 

Drove it a little more this weekend and am impressed by the lack or rattles, squeaks and groans.

 

HIDs didn't impress me as much as I had hoped. They look very similar to the halogen projectors in my Legacy. I may need to put them side by side some night for comparison. I was a little disappointed to see H1 high beam bulbs paired with the HIDs as I have yet to find a long lasting H1, but I guess that is not real important for high beams since they don't get as much run time as the lows do. Our Outback uses H1s for low beams and I am lucky to get a year out of them, but it uses them for DRLs, so they are on essentially all the time.

 

What are manufacturers distributing for factory service manuals these days...paper or digital? I suspect not paper as this one would be like the Encyclopedia Britannica in size.

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The fabric rear wheel wells are super durable, and easily washed if you do some gravel, muddy type roads. The lower engine cover has two purposes, aerodynamics and the big bonus I have come to really appreciate is this lower cover keeps the engine spic and span. I have this cover on our Focus Titanium wagon which sees alot of gravel, muddy and sandy roads and lanes and do not miss having to clean up the engine bay every week.

Also I have a feeling this lower engine cover works in conjunction with the Kysor active radiator grille shutters, which I believe the new Escape 2.0EB are equipped with.

Edited by MKII
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