Which car??

[PollyannaMom]

Inspired by the rental car I had on a recent trip (a Ford Edge, not sure of the year) I'm finally thinking about replacing my 2009 RAV4. Best test drives so far were a 2022 Ford Edge and a 2023 Ford Escape. Prices are close enough accounting for milage that it's not the deciding factor.

If you have either of these models (any year) what do you love, and more importantly, what do you hate?

 

[barkley]

we've had 2 escapes. the '14 is still going strong and the '06 just hit the point of no return last fall. both were/are reliable-no major complaints. we considered replacing the '06 with a '24 escape and were surprised at how little they've changed in 10 years. we ended up going with a '24 bronco-in large part b/c I have bad knees and it's much easier to enter/exit (gotta say I LOVE the rear storage area for grocery shopping-much more user friendly).

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

My one sister has an Edge and my other sister and niece have an Escape.
I prefer the Escape.

 

[_19disnA]

Own a different brand of SUV and think they are great to haul stuff around and provide more flexibility in how you use it. One thing to watch out for is Ford puts those small turbo-charged engines in various cars to supposedly get better fuel economy, but many of them recommend/require premium gas which is a LOT more expensive. Be sure to consider the cost/mile driven to avoid surprises. The cost of premium gas could wipe out any supposed 'savings' related to fuel economy. Ford uses the marketing term 'econ-boost' in relation to their turbo engines. I know someone who bought a used car without realizing that about the turbo engine and then was surprised at how much extra it cost to fill up their gas tank (don't recall if it was a Ford product or not).

 

[ronandannette]

I'm not sure about the US, but here the Escape comes in a gas/electric hybrid (non-plug-in). If that's an option, seriously consider it. My DH drives a Toyota with similar technology and the gas mileage is almost double. My next vehicle is definitely going to be that type of hybrid.

 

[slo]

Polly - Have you considered another RAV4? Mine is a 2022 Hybrid and I it! I will never not have a RAV4 unless Toyota dramatically changes it and I hate it. I also will always have a hybrid now - it’s great in a world of $3+ for a gallon of gas. Definitely look into a Toyota certified one at a dealership.

 

[Travel60]

DH bought a Ford Escape in early 2000s when he got interested in better gas mileage. Gave it to DD for college in about 2005. She drove it until she graduated. It then went to son in grad school. When he graduated and got a new vehicle, a close friend's daughter got a job in our area and needed a car so we sold/gave it to her. She and her (now) husband still have it. He drives it to work every day. Good car from our experience. They say it's needed minimal big maintenance.

 

[_19disnA]

For any type of hybrid I would also be sure to look at the cost vs benefit. How much extra fuel economy would you likely get doing the type of driving you typically do vs the added cost? Behind it meaning there are 2 power sources (i.e. gas engine and some large battery (probably lithium)), there is no standard definition of what a 'hybrid' vehicle is and many companies use it as a marketing term to help sell their vehicles. The battery has to be large enough to actually make it more economical to drive. How large the battery is as well as the added electronics/controls determines who much added cost there would be to yield any benefit in terms of increased fuel economy. Some are worth it, others are not.

 

[irlandaise]

Inspired by the rental car I had on a recent trip (a Ford Edge, not sure of the year) I'm finally thinking about replacing my 2009 RAV4. Best test drives so far were a 2022 Ford Edge and a 2023 Ford Escape. Prices are close enough accounting for milage that it's not the deciding factor.

Would there be any advantage in the future in getting replacement parts for a car that's still made (Escape) vs. one that isn't (Edge)?

 

[PollyannaMom]

Would there be any advantage in the future in getting replacement parts for a car that's still made (Escape) vs. one that isn't (Edge)?

I asked that question, and they said it wouldn't be a problem.

 

[barkley]

it's not a bad idea if you have a regular trusted mechanic to inquire on any pros/cons they see to the particular models (and what standard maintainance runs on a yearly basis). a call to one's insurance company for an estimate on adding either model can be helpful (I was surprised that ours went DOWN with the removal of the older car and addition of the new ).

 

[Praying Colonel]

A former colleague had a Ford Edge. He said it started developing a series of expensive issues around 80K and he got rid of it.

 

[China Expat]

Inspired by the rental car I had on a recent trip (a Ford Edge, not sure of the year) I'm finally thinking about replacing my 2009 RAV4. Best test drives so far were a 2022 Ford Edge and a 2023 Ford Escape. Prices are close enough accounting for milage that it's not the deciding factor.

If you have either of these models (any year) what do you love, and more importantly, what do you hate?

I scored a 2024 Ford Platinum Escape in April with only 11 miles on it! I was set on the edge, but the newer Escapes have such cool colors and seem larger inside.

 

[irlandaise]

it's not a bad idea if you have a regular trusted mechanic to inquire on any pros/cons they see to the particular models (and what standard maintainance runs on a yearly basis). a call to one's insurance company for an estimate on adding either model can be helpful (I was surprised that ours went DOWN with the removal of the older car and addition of the new ).

Excellent idea about the insurance. For example, some cars that look like SUVs are actually classified by insurance companies as station wagons, with lower insurance premiums. I have no idea whether there's a premium difference between the Edge and the Escape, but it's certainly worth a phone call to find out.

 

[cabanafrau]

I'm currently driving a used Escape because it was the means to achieving an end for other purposes. It's fine for now, but I don't expect it's going to be the type of long-term prospect my previous two vehicles have been. When we were shopping for new vehicles our mechanic actually recommended against an Escape. He recommended RAV4 and Subaru. We were shopping during covid and couldn't even get on the waitlist for Subaru. DH ended up with a '22 RAV4, but couldn't get a hybrid because of lack of availability. He loves it anyway. Younger DD just got a '25 Forester after a frightening accident and that's an incredible car as well. When I'm ready to say goodbye to the Escape I plan to go ahead with the Forester or an Outback. The great reliability and the high safety rating really can't be beat.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I would go with the Edge if it were me, simply because I find it to be the more visually appealing vehicle. I do know more people with an Edge and most have been pretty pleased. I think they have more cargo capacity and are a bit more roomy. The only Escape I know of was a first car a former work friend got for their daughter. It literally self destructed in their driveway (something ignited under the hood after turned off and it exploded). It even damaged their home. So, I won't even look at it as a used option in my car shopping right now for DD18.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Just saw this thread. We’ve had two Edges, and IME, they are overall good reliable cars. We like the mid-size (between the Escape and Explorer); it has a spacious cargo area and comfortable back seats. As you may be aware, both of the models you tested are now discontinued by Ford; last year for the Edge was 2024, and for the Escape, it is 2025.

The first Edge we owned for 15 years, and it still ran well with high mileage, but we decided it was time to upgrade. Bought a new one off the lot last year; the dealers were offering a good price with free financing to clear out their inventory. So far, very happy with the new one also.

 

[elgerber]

Inspired by the rental car I had on a recent trip (a Ford Edge, not sure of the year) I'm finally thinking about replacing my 2009 RAV4. Best test drives so far were a 2022 Ford Edge and a 2023 Ford Escape. Prices are close enough accounting for milage that it's not the deciding factor.

If you have either of these models (any year) what do you love, and more importantly, what do you hate?

I have had 3 Edges, and an Escape. Dd has an Escape and dh also had one. Dh and I both agree, the Edges were the best cars we ever had. They drive like a dream, are so comfy, and we never had an issue with a single one, not even the one we bought that was one of the first ones to the dealerships when they came out. I miss my Edge so much, but since I work at home now, we couldn't justify the cost the last time we bought a car, when I only drive once a week, and we have to have a bigger vehicle for dh, to tow our camper.