![]() Editors loved the V-6 power, commodious cabin and genuine tall SUV stance and view in a compact package. In a major magazine road test of 11 compact SUVs in 2001, the Escape/Tribute twins shared a first-place win. Properly equipped, the Escape V-6 could tow 1587 kg (3,500 pounds). ![]() A new six-speed automatic transmission optimized performance, as well as fuel economy. The ageing drive-trains got addressed in 2009, with the base four-cylinder up-sized to 2.5 litres to make 170 hp, while massages to the 3.0-litre V-6 yielded a welcome 240 hp. The old mechanical underpinnings remained, including the archaic four-speed automatic transmission. Ford made headlines by mating the hybrid power-train to an all-wheel-drive system, creating the world’s first hybrid SUV.Īll Escapes earned an extensive facelift for 2008, including new-but-familiar sheet-metal and a renovated interior to address the previous low-budget, plastic appointments. The electric motor drew its power from a 330-volt battery pack that lived under the cargo floor, charged through regenerative braking or via the gas engine. The engine was supplemented by a 70 kW electric motor and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that allowed the Escape to be driven solely on electric power at low speeds. Modified to run on the Atkinson cycle (with late valve closing to reduce pumping losses), the Escape Hybrid inhaled less air and fuel, dropping output to 133 hp. The four-banger got an optional automatic for the first time, and the engine was stout enough to handle a hybrid conversion. The Escape received a thorough update for 2005, with a larger Mazda-sourced 153-hp 2.3-litre four cylinder as the base engine, along with styling tweaks and additional safety features. ![]() Headroom was generous, and the floor was minivan-flat to enhance legroom. Seating was comfortable and accommodating, especially the folding rear bench, which was broad enough for three adults. These twins really shone inside, thanks to an early decision to make the Escape/Tribute wider than the rival Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. The Mazda Tribute had different styling cues, transmission shift points, steering gear and suspension settings to deliver a slightly zoomier driving experience. On loose surfaces, the drivetrain could be locked in a 50/50 split via an instrument panel switch, but there was no low range as in a true 4X4 system. As in many car-based SUVs, power was dispatched automatically to the rear wheels when the computer detected slip. Ford used two familiar engines: the 125-hp 2.0-litre Zetec four-cylinder out of the Contour, and the 3.0-litre Duratec V-6 from the Taurus, making 200 hp.įront-wheel-drive was standard, with all-wheel drive optional. The Escape employed a unibody structure lifted from the Mazda 626 sedan, along with its fully independent suspension all around. These compact five-door sport utilities found favour with literally millions of buyers. Two of their most successful joint products were the Ford Escape and corporate twin Mazda Tribute, which arrived in mid-2000 as 2001 models. recession, which prompted Ford to sell assets to avoid bankruptcy, parting ways with Mazda after four decades of cooperation. The symbiotic relationship endured until the 2008-09 U.S. The two automakers swapped technology and models over the years to fill gaps in their lineups. When Mazda faltered after betting the farm on its Wankel rotary engine in the 1970s, Ford took on an equity stake in the Japanese company, then bought a majority share in 1996. Soon after, Ford imported Mazda’s wee pickup truck and renamed it the Courier to get a toe-hold in the compact truck segment. ![]() It’s hard to find a partnership that was better synchromeshed – to borrow an automotive term – than the corporate tie-up between Ford and Mazda, which began with a joint venture to make automatic transmissions back in 1969. Less popular but identical in most key respects, was the Mazda Tribute. The 2001-2012 Ford Escape was one of the most popular compact SUVs when it was new.
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