2002 Ford Escape Review
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By Mitch McCullough, Editor-in-Chief

Overview

Ford Escape offers agile handling on both paved and unpaved roads. It rides smoothly and gets strong acceleration performance from an optional V6 engine. The Escape seats four people comfortably, and folding down the rear seats reveals a flat, moderately sized cargo area. Best of all, its price is relatively low.

A completely new vehicle a year ago, the Ford Escape is among the best small sport-utilities vehicle on sale today, especially if you spend little time off road.

Model Lineup

Two trim levels are available, XLS, XTL.

For 2002, the basic XLS version starts at $18,415 with front-wheel drive (2WD) and at $20,040 with four-wheel drive. The upgraded XLT begins at $21,950 with 2WD and at $23,575 with 4WD.

XLS comes with a 2.0-liter Zetec four-cylinder engine that provides 127 horsepower and a high level of standard equipment that includes air conditioning, illuminated remote entry, power windows and mirrors, a tilt steering column and an audio system with a CD player. For 2002 the audio system includes AM/FM/CD/cassette and a clock.

XLT adds a 201-horsepower 3.0-liter Duratec V6 engine, automatic transmission, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, cargo cover and convenience net, premium center console, fog lights, white-letter tires, premium cloth upholstery, power driver's seat, privacy glass, five-spoke aluminum wheels and an in-dash six-CD changer. The upgraded engine, in-dash CD, power driver's seat and privacy glass are new standard features for the XLT for the 2002 model year.

A large number of option packages is available for each trim level. For example, the XLT premium package ($1230) includes leather seating surfaces, leather-wrapped steering wheel, front buckets with 60/40 split rear bench, front door map pockets, overhead console with dual storage bins, front passenger under-seat storage tray, power moonroof with sunshade.