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Vehicle Min Max 2003 Ford Escape N/A N/A 2012 GMC Terrain N/A N/A 2012 Subaru Forester N/A N/A 2012 Jeep Wrangler N/A N/A Average Not Available 
Used Car Price RangeCurrently Unavailable
Vehicle Min Max 2003 Ford Escape N/A N/A 2012 GMC Terrain N/A N/A 2012 Subaru Forester N/A N/A 2012 Jeep Wrangler N/A N/A Average Not Available Based On: 10% down, 5% APR, 60 months
Estimated Monthly PaymentCurrently Unavailable
MPG city hwy 2003 Ford Escape 19 25 2012 GMC Terrain 21 31 2012 Subaru Forester 20 26 2012 Jeep Wrangler 17 21 Average 19 26 MPG19 City | 25 Highway
$3,500 Rebate Expires 03/05/2012
2003 Ford Escape Review Summary
What reviewers liked most about the 2003 Ford Escape:
I found the Escape's handling to be stable, predictable, and the driving experience to be enjoyable.
- Canadian DriverEscape is two inches shorter than the [Ford] Focus sedan, but inside has... nearly as much interior room as an [Ford] Explorer.
- AutoWeekBeing able to see the leading edge of the hood from the driver's seat makes the Escape easier to maneuver in tight places, whether you're deep in the woods or (more likely) in a tight big-city garage.
- New Car Test DriveThere's a rear liftgate with flip-up glass so you can quickly access the cargo area.
- Woman MotoristThe Ford Escape offers agile handling on both paved and unpaved roads. It rides smoothly and gets strong acceleration performance from an optional V6.
- New Car Test DriveThe Escape handles incredibly well, with none of the steering vagueness and ride tippiness that characterize so many SUVs, and its brakes are unusually strong.
- Automobile...the easy-to-fold rear seatbacks, which can be lowered and raised one-handed...
- Popular Mechanics
What reviewers liked least about the 2003 Ford Escape:
...snow traction was disappointing.
- Car and Driver...consumers who want the base four cylinder, front-wheel-drive model with an automatic transmission are out of luck.
- Canadian DriverBurdened with people and gear, a four-cylinder Escape is bound to be rather weedy.
- Edmunds.com...diminutive gas tank, which requires refilling every couple of days.
- Popular Mechanics
2003 Ford Escape Comparisons:
...faster [0-60 mph] than... the Honda Civic EX coupe, Kia Sportage, Nissan Xterra, Saab 9-5 wagon and Lexus RX 300.
- AutoWeekFirst place (tie) [with the Mazda Tribute in 11-vehicle comparison].
- Car and DriverCR-V has only a four-cylinder engine." [Jeep] Cherokee has an optional six-cylinder with less horsepower but more torque.
- USA TodayNeither the Toyota [RAV4] nor the Honda [CR-V] offers an optional V-6, and the Escape's V-6, mated exclusively to an automatic transmission, is much livelier than the [Nissan] Xterra's.
- AutomobileFord Escape and the nearly identical Mazda Tribute may be the best small sport-utility vehicles sold today.
- New Car Test Drive...the Honda CR-V... looks dainty and dated by comparison.
- New Car Test Drive
Best one-liners about the 2003 Ford Escape:
If you want boxy, buy an Escape or a Mazda Tribute.
- The Detroit NewsPerversely, but typically for Ford, expensive leather upholstery was less comfortable than cloth.
- USA Today...if we just had to have one more SUV, this is the one to welcome with open arms.
- Cars Everything...likely to be the equal of the Chrysler P/T Cruiser as the darling of journalists and buyers alike.
- Cars Everything
2003 Ford Escape Introduction
The Ford Escape is one of the best of the small, affordable SUVs, assuming that off-road travel isn't a priority. The Escape offers agile handling on paved and unpaved roads. It accelerates briskly when equipped with the optional V6 engine. It rides smoothly and its refined interior seats four people comfortably. Folding down the rear seats reveals a flat, moderately sized cargo area. Best of all, its price is relatively low.
The Escape was an all-new vehicle in 2001. For 2003, all models have upgraded interior materials for better appearance and feel. The seat fabrics, floor mats and door trim are of higher quality and are available in new patterns and hues. The center stack, door bezels and window switches are painted for a two-tone interior effect, and the window switches are illuminated for nighttime convenience.
For 2003, Ford has added an up-market Limited trim level, and a limited-edition option package called Midnight.
2003 Ford Escape Walkaround
The Ford Escape is wider than other compact SUVs, and this gives it a look that is both aggressive and well planted. Ford designers worked to balance the confidence and ruggedness of a big SUV with a sportier image of agility and fun. The Escape's forward-poised stance, large wheel lips, wide body cladding and integrated bumper guard lend a functional appearance, while its short front and rear overhangs add to its sporting appeal. The Escape looks bolder and more aggressive than the Honda CR-V, with a strong family resemblance to Ford's larger Explorer and Expedition.
Being able to see the leading edge of the hood from the driver's seat makes the Escape easier to maneuver in tight places, whether you're deep in the woods or (more likely) in a tight big-city garage. If you are deep in the woods, its 7.8 inches of ground clearance may help clear some obstacles. Outside door handles are easy to grab and feel like they're going to last.
Accessories from Ford Outfitters include a snap-in pet barrier and a system to haul two mountain bikes in the cargo area. Bike racks can also be mounted on the roof; the standard roof rack with crossbars holds up to 100 pounds. We don't like the idea of compromising an SUV's ground clearance with running boards, but Ford claims that the running boards on the Escape do not reduce ground clearance. They are designed to make it easier to lift kayaks, snowboards and other toys onto the roof rack. The rear bumper is also designed to aid roof access.
New for 2003 is an industry-first, dual-loading rack, which Ford calls the No Boundaries Rack System. The No Boundaries Rack System offers a unique sliding rail from the roof that can pull down vertically across the rear of the vehicle and lock into the bumper. This provides two separate loading surfaces: a more traditional one on the roof and an additional one across the rear. When not in use, the sliding rails can be stored within the conventional roof portion of the rack system.
2003 Ford Escape Interior Features
With 133.9 cubic feet of total interior volume, the Escape is among the most spacious of the small SUVs. The rear cargo area offers 69.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down, just the thing for a day of antiquing. Even with the split 60/40 rear seats set up to accommodate up to five passengers, Escape still provides 33 cubic feet of cargo space.
Escaping into or out of the front seats is made easier by low door sills and wide door openings. In the front-seat area, the Escape is almost as roomy as Ford's mid-size Explorer. The rear seats offer good knee room.
Ford has significantly upgraded the Escape's interior for 2003. Both XLS and XLT benefit from new interior fabrics and materials with improved quality and feel. There's also a new finish for center stack, and now the front-door power window and lock switches light up to make them easier to find. Side-impact airbags are standard on Limited and Midnight, optional ($345) on XLS and XLT.
White-faced instruments, in vogue these days, are set in a straightforward instrument panel. The audio system and heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls in the center stack are angled slightly toward the driver to ease reach while driving. Ford engineers say they tested the placement of the controls by using blindfolded occupants, but don't try that while driving.
2003 Ford Escape Driving Impressions
Sport-utility vehicles are not sports cars. In spite of that, California's twisting Highway 1 is an enjoyable drive in the Ford Escape. Handling is relatively taut, without the mushiness that characterizes larger SUVs with big off-road tires and long-travel suspensions. On muddy fire roads pocked with puddles and potholes, the Escape is a blast. It's one of the best-handling SUVs in this class, much better than a Jeep Liberty, better than a Toyota RAV4, quicker than a Honda CR-V, but not as agile as a Subaru Forester.
Steering is responsive. It feels direct and accurate with no dead spot in the center. There's enough feeling in the steering to impart a sense of control. Though this is not a sports car, the tires grip respectably in paved corners. When pushed beyond their limit, the front tires start slipping before the rear tires, just as with most front-wheel-drive sedans. This is called understeer, and it is intuitive and predictable. The Escape provides surprisingly good transient response in a series of left-right-left corners. This permits quick, yet smooth, driving that will not upset passengers.
The V6 engine delivers good acceleration. While there's no such thing as too much power, it never feels lacking in the Escape. The engine and four-speed automatic transmission communicate and work well together. The transmission shifts smoothly up and down, and chooses gears appropriately for the situation. The engine's broad power band never lugs or strains. This isn't the smoothest V6 on the market, nor is it the roughest. But it is smoother and more satisfying than the four-cylinder engines found in most small sport-utilities. (We have not tested the four-cylinder Escape.)
Escape's brakes are smooth and responsive. ABS comes into play just when expected and is detectable by the familiar pulsating sensation.
As mentioned, the Escape handles well on gravel roads, but it is lacking in serious off-road situations. Its front-drive platform leaves it spinning its wheels on rough, loose, steep trails. The suspension does not have the articulation and travel needed for rugged terrain and there is no low-range set of gears. For serious off-road capability, look to the larger Jeep Liberty, the extreme Jeep Wrangler, or the luxurious and versatile Land Rover Freelander. For everyday road travel, however, the Ford Escape is an excellent choice.
2003 Ford Escape Final Word
The Ford Escape is one of the best of the small, on-road SUVs. The available V6 engine provides the Escape with the most power in its class. A four-wheel independent suspension and unit-body construction make it handle almost as well as a car. A car-like ride makes it easy to live with. It isn't designed for serious off-road driving, nor are its direct competitors. Overall, we feel the Escape is the best SUV in its class.
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