I have an older friend who wants to buy a small SUV. They really like the CRV but about $33000.00 .They can get a new 2010 Ford Escape for about $19000.00. So would like your comments on the Escape. good, bad, or whatever,and any particular weak spots.Thanks in advance.By the way this is in Canada.
The CRV new, has a starting price of $21,695 USD. The Ford Escape has a starting price of $21,215 USD. Is there really that big of a price gap in Canada for some reason? A Toyota RAV4 starts at $21,925. All about the same. I would buy Honda or Toyota over Ford without question, every time, even if it were a couple thousand more.
I can’t speak for the newer CRV’s, but I have a '99 CRV and the reliability is great. Tom & Ray list the new CRV on their “10 Best” list for reliability.
Go to www.edmunds.com for reviews and consumer ratings; it’s a great resource for evaluating both new and older cars.
I have a 2002 Escape with 155,555 miles on it and it is still getting be from point A to point B with no problem… can’t say for the new ones
It could be the CRV is decked out and the Escape is not, and deeply discounted. The powertrain options can also affect price and desirability (many people want the extra power of the V6). From what I have seen and heard, the Escape is not a bad vehicle and is in fact quite reliable. If they like the Escape, they may also look at a Mazda Tribute, which is nothing more than a rebadged Escape (I find it funny when people and publications recommend the Tribute as a good buy, but not the Escape). I’ve heard Mazda is fixing to drop the Tribute since many consumers want the gadgets and gizmos the Escape offers that are not found in the Tribute, like Ford’s Sync system. You might be able to find one of those at a bargain basement price.
The 2010 Escape probably has a rebate of at least $1000. It will be 2 years old as soon as they drive it off the lot. This is only a problem if they plan to resell it in a couple of years. If they keep it for upwards of 10 years, then it is not rally an issue. The US dollar and Canadian dollar are almost the same value now. I think that you must have slipped a finger and you really mean $23,000 for the CRV.
I neglected to say that at $33,000, the CRV is $7000 over the maximum MSRP for a CRV.