IMHO, CR is the best resource to start you search for potentially good used buys. Good maintenance records are important but only if the car make has a good reliability history. Good maintenance means little if the manufactured car is unreliable to begin with.
The Freestyle was a car-based crossover that Ford couldn’t give away. In its last year or two they renamed it the Taurus X. It didn’t offer much style and its performance was modest, but it was reasonably roomy and comfortable. It sat a lot lower than typical SUVs at a time when truck-like styling was still the general rule. It’s successor is the Ford Flex, also lower than average, but more attractive. It’s the closest thing made to the traditional full-size station wagon of my youth.
As for the first generation Escape, I believe the four-cylinder version had OK reliability, but the six had some problems. I didn’t love it, but it’s honest, simple transportation and was reasonably priced. It can’t have been too awful as it remained a strong seller even after close to a decade on the market. Its consistently strong sales presented a problem for Ford. Most cars start to have sales drop off three or four years after a redesign, so by the time the new model is ready (typically five or six years) sales are pretty bad. Escape sales refused to decline even after six or seven years. It was hard for Ford to sign off on a redesign when there was a good chance sales of the replacement would be worse. Ford finally decided they were going to sell the same cars in the US as Europe, and they were already selling the comparable Kuga crossover in Europe. That’s what our current Escape is. It was on sale in Europe for a couple of years before selling it here, so I’ll be interested to see whether they replace it ‘early’ here in a few years or let the European and American versions stay out of synch.
Went to a dealer yesterday with the intent of test driving a previous generation Escape. Couldn’t find anything in our price range, so wound up testing a '08 Grand Cherokee with reasonably low miles. Liked the pickup, handling, roomy cargo space and the styling. Only thing that it lacks is the mpg.
Probaly you should forget about worrying about mileage in a Jeep anything and avoid those used cars you mentioned(they are mechanics delights around here because people are not fastidious in their maintenance-however if you can find one that was properly maintained and the right price consider it) maybe set your sights a little higher and go with a Toyota or Honda with 80K or so on it(I know the price on used Hondas are ridiculous-told a sales lady I wouldn’t pay a new price on a 2-3 yr vehicle)-Kevin
I have a cousin who liked the Jeeps for quite a while. Well he liked the name. It was crazy the repairs he had to do on those cars, just to own the styling of a Jeep. He gave up after a while when he sold his business and retired. He couldn’t afford to do the repairs anymore. He always maintained his cars well…it didn’t help a lot with his Grand Cherokees. Your wife is driving these cars too ? Women tend to like the Honda CRV and most Honda products because of the excellent ergonomics.
@dagosa @kmccune - We debated it this morning and are going to pass on the Jeep. Kind of scared off by the reliability history and the fact the price is about the same as a 2010 or 2011 CRV with half the miles. That’s the next test drive…
One thing about the Cherokee, my wife liked being high up in the driver’s seat, which we won’t get with any of the smaller SUVs. Also need to consider insurance costs. Something tells me the Cherokee would be a bit higher than a CRV…
FYI
http://cars.findthebest.com/compare/89-937/2011-Honda-CR-V-LX-vs-2012-Jeep-Grand-Cherokee-Laredo-X
A comparison between the two finds the CRV though appreciably smaller on the outside, has more cargo room both before and after the seats are folded. More safety features, better economy, reliability and handling which all may make up for the slightly lower stance.
In the 7 years since my dad bought his Honda Crv (a 2007 in November 2006) he has only had to put on a set of new tires, replace the battery, and do the other routine oil changes and other scheduled services. The seat can be too high for some and too low for others.
The CRV seats can be pumped up or down & adjusted to desired height-provided you have enough headroom. I am 6’ tall and would fit in the 2007-2011 models but just barely. My problem was shoulder and armrest. The armrest is on the seat and was very close for me. I tend to rest my arm on the consul. During the short test drives before purchase, I didn’t notice much about the armrest, it was only when we took the car on long road trips or I would get stuck in traffic.
Now, every time we go car shopping, my wife’s last question before pulling the trigger is “is the armrest okay”. Believe it or not, the lowest trim of Ford Focus did not have the armrest, so I had to move one trim up. Adding the armrest was not worth the hassle and the other goodies that came with the higher trim was useful.
Before you go to test drive a CRV go online to Honda and use the build your own feature to see just what you can have. At least you can tell if a used one is actually lower in price to suit you.