Was Ready to Buy Mariner...But I Have Issues

[Daryll40]

We were all hepped up to lease a 2008 Mariner Premier. But after taking an extended test drive, we are backing off bigtime. The issues are as follows:

 

1. DRUM rear brakes? The 2007 has disc brakes. I almost missed that. Why the heck would Ford do that?

 

2. The carpet is like an industrial runner-mat.

 

3. Lots of interior noise.

 

4. No handles inside the car. I like to "hang on" while driving or passengering.

 

And with the new EPA mileage ratings, it only gets 17. I suspect Explorer/Mountaineer are going to get 12 if the old system said 14. That will be the demise of that vehicle.

 

Guys listen, I honestly am not here just to bust your chops like many others. But there is just no way Ford can compete with vehicles like this. I was embarassed that I was all hepped up. Once my wife arrived later to test drive it she just looked at me and wondered what I was thinking.

[Edgy Girl]

Test drive an Edge.

 

I love mine.. and when I test drove it.. I loved it ... 2 weeks and counting.. and I love it even more.

[focalxplosion]

1. DRUM rear brakes? The 2007 has disc brakes. I almost missed that. Why the heck would Ford do that?

Cost is the reason, but please don't extol the virtues of disk brakes. Drum brakes don't sacrifice any performance for vehicle of this type.

2. The carpet is like an industrial runner-mat.

I thought it was pretty similar to the carpet in the RAV4.

3. Lots of interior noise.

Compared to what? It is just as quite as the CRV and RAV4 we test drove and the comparison tests seem to back that up.

4. No handles inside the car. I like to "hang on" while driving or passengering.

This bothered me too. I'll have to look again but I thought I had seen them on some trim levels.

And with the new EPA mileage ratings, it only gets 17. I suspect Explorer/Mountaineer are going to get 12 if the old system said 14. That will be the demise of that vehicle.

 

Guys listen, I honestly am not here just to bust your chops like many others. But there is just no way Ford can compete with vehicles like this. I was embarassed that I was all hepped up. Once my wife arrived later to test drive it she just looked at me and wondered what I was thinking.

EPA ratings are going to drop for every vehicle on the market, but I doubt that V-6 will ever be a fuel economy champ in its class.

I'm sorry you didn't like the Escape, but I think Ford is competing just fine. Sales for the new '08 are not highest in class, but they are pretty high up there. Good luck with your purchase.

Edited May 22, 2007 by focalxplosion

[Daryll40]

Cost is the reason, but please don't extol the virtues of disk brakes. Drum brakes don't sacrifice any performance for vehicle of this type.

 

I thought it was pretty similar to the carpet in the RAV4.

 

Compared to what? It is just as quite as the CRV and RAV4 we test drove and the comparison tests seem to back that up.

 

This bothered me too. I'll have to look again but I thought I had seen them on some trim levels.

 

EPA ratings are going to drop for every vehicle on the market, but I doubt that V-6 will ever be a fuel economy champ in its class.

I'm sorry you didn't like the Escape, but I think Ford is competing just fine. Sales for the new '08 are not highest in class, but they are pretty high up there. Good luck with your purchase.

 

 

I do like the new styling. Trust me there are no handles...we drove the Premier. I still am not sure you are right about drum brakes. Why did the world move to disc brakes if drums were as good but cheaper?

[focalxplosion]

I still am not sure you are right about drum brakes. Why did the world move to disc brakes if drums were as good but cheaper?

 

Customer perception. While it is true that on many applications disk brakes are better, it is not universally true but customers perceive it to be.

[Daryll40]

Customer perception. While it is true that on many applications disk brakes are better, it is not universally true but customers perceive it to be.

 

I am not an engineer, but I'm not buy' it. Anyway, EVEN IF TRUE, perception is reality. This reinforces that subliminal thing that the American companies cut corners more than the others.

[jpark]

I was also considering a 2008 Mariner Premier to replace our (my) 2005 Escape Limited.

 

But when I saw the first of the '08s, I found myself making a list of the pros and cons, and the cons bothered me:

 

* No rear disc brakes

* No five- or six-speed automatic, which the Duratec 30 could really use

* No VVT Duratec 30, which would add 20HP and 10ft-lbs of torque, IIRC

* No 4-cylinder 5-speed drivetrains on any but the cheapest Escape models

* No amber rear turn signals (there's an empty clear lens and reflector that would look great as an amber signal)

* No interior grab handles

* No dual-note horns

* No possibility of adding a remote fuel door (I did this on my '05 using the European/Asian Escape fuel door and pre-'06 Tribute parts)

* Pathetic color selection (a member in another forum said this was the first car he ever ordered with the color he hated least rather than the color he liked most)

 

I'll give Ford a lot of credit for replacing the interior with one that's just about perfect, but the cost-cutting cons may cost Ford more sales than they think. And, with fuel prices rising, the typical omission of a remote fuel door on Ford, GM, and Chrysler cars now stands out as a very obvious cost-cutting measure, especially when the cheapest Korean cars have one.

 

Now I'm looking at the Edge and the Mazda CX-9. The Edge has a lot of improvements for 2008, but the 2008 models won't be available for order until a month after I wanted to replace my Escape.

 

So, it looks like Ford may have cost-cut their way out of a fourth-straight sale to me. At least it may be a Ford-related product.

 

[sigh]

[focalxplosion]

I am not an engineer, but I'm not buy' it. Anyway, EVEN IF TRUE, perception is reality. This reinforces that subliminal thing that the American companies cut corners more than the others.

 

I am an engineer, a mechanical engineer working for an OEM truck company. Disk brakes are fantastic and have many advantages over drum. However every OEM makes trade-offs on every component in the vehicle. My point is that it is unnecessary to have rear disk brakes in this class vehicle.

[theoldwizard]

3. Lots of interior noise.

Its an SUV, not a car

 

4. No handles inside the car. I like to "hang on" while driving or passengering.

Its a car, not an SUV

 

 

Someday they will decide !

[Transpower]

So, consider purchasing the Hybrid model rather than the Premier. The Hybrid will give you much better fuel economy and have much lower depreciation. The CVT beats any 4-5-6-7-8 speed transmission for smoothness. While I agree that the color choices are limited, I found the white to be attractive--it's definitely the brightest white I've ever seen!

[jpark]

Just a note about the Mariner Hybrid versus the Premier---you lose Roll Stability Control on the Hybrid.

[kenwowski]

I have been driving an 08 escape limited with nav, upgraded sound, chrome wheels and a moonroof for about a week now as a company car and it has really grown on me. It is very nimble in traffic, the sound system is great, the seats are comfortable and its smooth and quiet unless I go above 85mph then I hear some wind noise the HVAC is fantastic and very user friendly, I like the 3.0v-6 very much but it does strain a little when passing with the AC on, I think its a great package for a good price give them a shot guys

[loki]

We were all hepped up to lease a 2008 Mariner Premier. But after taking an extended test drive, we are backing off bigtime. The issues are as follows:

 

1. DRUM rear brakes? The 2007 has disc brakes. I almost missed that. Why the heck would Ford do that?

 

2. The carpet is like an industrial runner-mat.

 

3. Lots of interior noise.

 

4. No handles inside the car. I like to "hang on" while driving or passengering.

 

And with the new EPA mileage ratings, it only gets 17. I suspect Explorer/Mountaineer are going to get 12 if the old system said 14. That will be the demise of that vehicle.

 

Guys listen, I honestly am not here just to bust your chops like many others. But there is just no way Ford can compete with vehicles like this. I was embarassed that I was all hepped up. Once my wife arrived later to test drive it she just looked at me and wondered what I was thinking.

 

 

Just out of curiousity. What other compact SUV's are you considering?

[FordBuyer]

Just out of curiousity. What other compact SUV's are you considering?

We were all hepped up to lease a 2008 Mariner Premier. But after taking an extended test drive, we are backing off bigtime. The issues are as follows:

 

1. DRUM rear brakes? The 2007 has disc brakes. I almost missed that. Why the heck would Ford do that?

 

2. The carpet is like an industrial runner-mat.

 

3. Lots of interior noise.

 

4. No handles inside the car. I like to "hang on" while driving or passengering.

 

And with the new EPA mileage ratings, it only gets 17. I suspect Explorer/Mountaineer are going to get 12 if the old system said 14. That will be the demise of that vehicle.

 

Guys listen, I honestly am not here just to bust your chops like many others. But there is just no way Ford can compete with vehicles like this. I was embarassed that I was all hepped up. Once my wife arrived later to test drive it she just looked at me and wondered what I was thinking.

 

 

 

Sounds to me like this guy has an agenda whiich is no surprise on any forum. First off, Ford worked hard on reducing interior noise and just about every review comments upon this fact. Another is the carpet. Checked new Escape/Mariner other day and carpet was like any other car I've been in. Only two valid criticisms he has were rear drums and no grab handles. Since Ford actually reduced price of new Escape and added content like side air bags, Ford I'm sure did look for ways to reduce costs and looks like they chose rear brakes and grab handles to keep price within reason. As for gas mileage, the new Escape/Mariner gets better gas mileage than previous model if you consider 2008 EPA reading are more realistic and thus lower. Btw, the new 2008 Taurus will have reduced interior noise like Escape/Mariner with hydrofoaming and acoustic glass. All in all, I find the new Escape/Mariner greatly improved in need of new drivetrain. Too bad Ford couldn't have completed the job fully, but still a good effort in many ways.

[loki]

I really don't mind the older drivetrain.

 

The way I see it, that drivetrain is tried and true. It has been running for 6 years in the Escapes, with above average reliability. I will take reliability over power any day. And I gave one of these a test drive, and it wasn't lacking at all.

 

I do mostly city driving and some weekend highway driving. So the power is more than enough for what I need.

[Daryll40]

Just out of curiousity. What other compact SUV's are you considering?

 

 

None. We'll keep our 2003 Mountaineer. I thought maybe I'd trade in the Mteer on the Mariner for the wife. But after she drove it she prefers to keep fixin' the Mteer. That being said, we also have a 2007 Honda CR-V EX-L with everything except Nav. The fit, feel and finish is miles ahead of Mariner. They did a nice job on the 2008 Mariner/Escape styling. But once you get beyond that it seems cheap in all respects. PARTICULARLY as compared to the CR-V that we have for comparison.

 

I do wish the CR-V had a power seat and the Mariner was a bit peppier with the V6 versus the CR-V 4. You pay for that with decreased mileage, however so it's a tradeoff. But even if you ignore those difference, just the fit, feel and finish makes me understand why CR-V is now the best selling SUV (CUV really) in America.

[Daryll40]

We were all hepped up to lease a 2008 Mariner Premier. But after taking an extended test drive, we are backing off bigtime. The issues are as follows:

 

1. DRUM rear brakes? The 2007 has disc brakes. I almost missed that. Why the heck would Ford do that?

 

2. The carpet is like an industrial runner-mat.

 

3. Lots of interior noise.

 

4. No handles inside the car. I like to "hang on" while driving or passengering.

 

And with the new EPA mileage ratings, it only gets 17. I suspect Explorer/Mountaineer are going to get 12 if the old system said 14. That will be the demise of that vehicle.

 

Guys listen, I honestly am not here just to bust your chops like many others. But there is just no way Ford can compete with vehicles like this. I was embarassed that I was all hepped up. Once my wife arrived later to test drive it she just looked at me and wondered what I was thinking.

Sounds to me like this guy has an agenda whiich is no surprise on any forum. First off, Ford worked hard on reducing interior noise and just about every review comments upon this fact. Another is the carpet. Checked new Escape/Mariner other day and carpet was like any other car I've been in. Only two valid criticisms he has were rear drums and no grab handles. Since Ford actually reduced price of new Escape and added content like side air bags, Ford I'm sure did look for ways to reduce costs and looks like they chose rear brakes and grab handles to keep price within reason. As for gas mileage, the new Escape/Mariner gets better gas mileage than previous model if you consider 2008 EPA reading are more realistic and thus lower. Btw, the new 2008 Taurus will have reduced interior noise like Escape/Mariner with hydrofoaming and acoustic glass. All in all, I find the new Escape/Mariner greatly improved in need of new drivetrain. Too bad Ford couldn't have completed the job fully, but still a good effort in many ways.

 

 

Honest guys, I have no agenda. We've always had at least ONE Ford product in the family. And Mariner really looks GREAT. But after coming out of our bigger Mountaineer and also owning a 2007 Honda CR-V, Mariner just doesn't stack up. I will grant you that CR-V goes out the door for close to $26K-$27K sticker whereas Mariner will/does get gimmicked down to a much lower price. So maybe we're comparing apples and oranges. But they are both similar sized vehicles.

 

Chintzy. That's my take. Sorry.

[Roadrunner]

Btw, the new 2008 Taurus will have reduced interior noise like Escape/Mariner with hydrofoaming and acoustic glass.

 

Wow - because the Five Hundred already is very quiet inside.

[smok]

None. We'll keep our 2003 Mountaineer. I thought maybe I'd trade in the Mteer on the Mariner for the wife. But after she drove it she prefers to keep fixin' the Mteer. That being said, we also have a 2007 Honda CR-V EX-L with everything except Nav. The fit, feel and finish is miles ahead of Mariner. They did a nice job on the 2008 Mariner/Escape styling. But once you get beyond that it seems cheap in all respects. PARTICULARLY as compared to the CR-V that we have for comparison.

 

I do wish the CR-V had a power seat and the Mariner was a bit peppier with the V6 versus the CR-V 4. You pay for that with decreased mileage, however so it's a tradeoff. But even if you ignore those difference, just the fit, feel and finish makes me understand why CR-V is now the best selling SUV (CUV really) in America.

 

My wife has a 4 yr old crv. We didn't buy an Escape at that time because it was loud, had bad gas milage and did not have standard side airbags. + reliability/resale concerns. The new escape is essentially the same vehicle, but it;s MUCH quieter. It bugs me why they can't refine the 4 cyl in the escape, since I don't need the V6. I'd love to drive 2 fords, and replace my wive's crv, but if they came out with a 6 speed auto, 28mpg highway. Ford, are you listening...

 

Anyways, the crv is still solid as the day we bought it, but we had some minor issues with it. Still no squeks/rattles. I't's ok vehicle, I like driving my Fusion better. The new crv is just the old one with new skin. The crv's ride is ok on nicley paved roads, but if you get a few bumpy roads, it rides like a skateboard. MPG is about 22, with 50-50 city-highway...It's quite responsive though..

 

ANyways, I understand your dilemma.

[loki]

But even if you ignore those difference, just the fit, feel and finish makes me understand why CR-V is now the best selling SUV (CUV really) in America.

 

I have heard the opposite, that the CR-V has been cheaped down on the interior this year, along with it's awful redesign. Looks like they are turning it into a station wagon. I would be surprised if it was the top selling compact SUV this year. Public reaction to it has been negative at best.

[smok]

I have heard the opposite, that the CR-V has been cheaped down on the interior this year, along with it's awful redesign. Looks like they are turning it into a station wagon. I would be surprised if it was the top selling compact SUV this year. Public reaction to it has been negative at best.

 

Public reaction is 'negative'? I wish that was true. Loks like they are voting with their $$$ and the crv is winning....

[loki]

Public reaction is 'negative'? I wish that was true. Loks like they are voting with their $$$ and the crv is winning....

 

I will have to look into the sales figures. But from the user reviews and forums that I have been trolling, A lot of people are disappointed with the direction the CR-V has taken.

 

Also, I would like to add that I really didn't even want to consider the Escape, because I had 2 Ford vehicles previously and was hoping to move to a different brand. So I looked at a LOT of small SUVs and for the money, the Escape was the best package - Reliability, Comfort and Styling. Ford owns the SUV and truck market, and the Escape is a good example of why they do.

Edited May 29, 2007 by loki

[loki]

Just thought I would post this

 

Ford Escape 4.5 stars from User Reviews on Yahoo Auto

http://autos.yahoo.com/ford_escape-reviews_user/

 

Honda CRV 3.5 stars

http://autos.yahoo.com/honda_cr_v-reviews_user/

 

 

Granted the CRV has a lot more reviews than the Escape, but the Escape has only been out for a short time. I think a lot of people just buy Honda or Toyota without looking at the market or even the vehicle and assume that because it is Japanese it is good quality/value... and the opposite with Ford, with the assumption of poor quality.

[FordBuyer]

Just thought I would post this

 

Ford Escape 4.5 stars from User Reviews on Yahoo Auto

http://autos.yahoo.com/ford_escape-reviews_user/

 

Honda CRV 3.5 stars

http://autos.yahoo.com/honda_cr_v-reviews_user/

Granted the CRV has a lot more reviews than the Escape, but the Escape has only been out for a short time. I think a lot of people just buy Honda or Toyota without looking at the market or even the vehicle and assume that because it is Japanese it is good quality/value... and the opposite with Ford, with the assumption of poor quality.

 

 

Good post with great info to back it up. I remember the Lienerts when they were with Detroit News reviewed the new CR-V when it came out months ago. He loves imports and never gives the domestics much of a shake and she usually differs with him and tries to give domestics a fair shake. Anyway, they both agreed that new Honda CR-V was mediocre at best and gave it 3 out of 5 stars mainly because it was a Honda. They both didn't like the exterior styling as it looks more like sedan than small ute, and hated the interior and wanted more than one engine choice which is 4 cylinder..take it or leave it. To be fair, I believe Escape is much better looking small ute than CR-V which is downright weird. Looks worse everytime I see it. Interior I couldn't really say. And I do like all the engine choices Escape has all the way to hybrid form. Most of the personal reviews put v6 gas mileage in 18-20 range in mixed driving. The media reviews put it in 15-16 mixed use range. I tend to go with the posters on here who probably drive their Escape a little more sedately and don't do all kinds of acceleration and passing tests on it. I have heard that awd v6 Escape is much better in snow than Honda ute with its 4 cylinde engine. And it certainly looks more rugged for adventuring off main roads.

[smok]

Good post with great info to back it up. I remember the Lienerts when they were with Detroit News reviewed the new CR-V when it came out months ago. He loves imports and never gives the domestics much of a shake and she usually differs with him and tries to give domestics a fair shake. Anyway, they both agreed that new Honda CR-V was mediocre at best and gave it 3 out of 5 stars mainly because it was a Honda. They both didn't like the exterior styling as it looks more like sedan than small ute, and hated the interior and wanted more than one engine choice which is 4 cylinder..take it or leave it. To be fair, I believe Escape is much better looking small ute than CR-V which is downright weird. Looks worse everytime I see it. Interior I couldn't really say. And I do like all the engine choices Escape has all the way to hybrid form. Most of the personal reviews put v6 gas mileage in 18-20 range in mixed driving. The media reviews put it in 15-16 mixed use range. I tend to go with the posters on here who probably drive their Escape a little more sedately and don't do all kinds of acceleration and passing tests on it. I have heard that awd v6 Escape is much better in snow than Honda ute with its 4 cylinde engine. And it certainly looks more rugged for adventuring off main roads.

 

The front of the new CRV is f'n butt ugly!!!! The escape defenitely wins on exterior styling...