2025 Ford Escape Drops Rain Sensing Wipers

[akirby]

1 hour ago, rmc523 said:

 

So....a new model?  lol

Still a BS just less rugged.  Something in between the original escape and current BS.

[tbone]

8 hours ago, morgan20 said:

 

It means that Ford Escape will probably be killed soon. Not that anyone would miss it. Just another anonymous blob with no redeeming qualities. Bronco Sport does everything Escape does, but has character and looks cool. Ford could easily put the Escape hybrid system in Bronco Sport and call it a day.

This isn’t exactly true.  There’s a big difference between the second rows of these two vehicles.  There’s more leg room in an escape.  I gave my daughter a choice between an Escape and a BS after her first Escape was totaled and she picked the Escape because of that and she liked the interior better as well. 

[akirby]

1 hour ago, tbone said:

This isn’t exactly true.  There’s a big difference between the second rows of these two vehicles.  There’s more leg room in an escape.  I gave my daughter a choice between an Escape and a BS after her first Escape was totaled and she picked the Escape because of that and she liked the interior better as well. 

Yes it would definitely have to be longer for more legroom and cargo room.  Some people don’t understand just how short it is.

[AM222]

17 hours ago, morgan20 said:

 

It means that Ford Escape will probably be killed soon. Not that anyone would miss it. Just another anonymous blob with no redeeming qualities. Bronco Sport does everything Escape does, but has character and looks cool. Ford could easily put the Escape hybrid system in Bronco Sport and call it a day.

Although the Bronco Sport is based on the compact Escape, it is much shorter that some people consider it a subcompact.

Bronco Sport is 172.7 inches long and has a 105.1-inch wheelbase. Escape is 180.1 inches long (181.2 for the AWD version) and has a 106.7-inch wheelbase. 

Front legroom is the same between the Bronco Sport and Escape, but the rear legroom of the Bronco Sport is smaller, 36.9 inches vs 39.3 inches.

Cargo capacity for the Bronco Sport behind the second-row seats is 32.5 cu. ft. for the 1.5 EB and 29.4 cu. ft. for the 2.0EB. Cargo Capacity for the Escape is 37.5 cu. ft. and 34.4 cu. ft. for the Hybrid versions.

[Sherminator98]

Here is a thought:

 

Is adding additional equipment like automatic wipers even a good idea in lower end products? I'm not sure what the competition is offering in their products, but going off what Ford has done with the Escape for the past 10 years or so, it seems like options creep is hurting profitability on things like the Escape. My parents had a 2013 Escape Ti and my wife has a 2017 Escape SEL and the SEL is actually better equipped then the Ti was with dual power seats and full leather vs partial leather seats in the Ti. 

 

Some things I can see becoming standard just because its cheaper/less complex to do so, like Auto HVAC controls, electric windows/mirrors, etc. But at that point the cost is negligible. 

 

I "lost" a bunch of luxury options moving from my SHO to the Bronco, but in the grand scheme of things in drivability/safety its made zero difference in the driving experience.  

[Andrew L]

13 minutes ago, AM222 said:

Although the Bronco Sport is based on the compact Escape, it is much shorter that some people consider it a subcompact.

Bronco Sport is 172.7 inches long and has a 105.1-inch wheelbase. Escape is 180.1 inches long (181.2 for the AWD version) and has a 106.7-inch wheelbase. 

Front legroom is the same between the Bronco Sport and Escape, but the rear legroom of the Bronco Sport is smaller, 36.9 inches vs 39.3 inches.

Cargo capacity for the Bronco Sport behind the second-row seats is 32.5 cu. ft. for the 1.5 EB and 29.4 cu. ft. for the 2.0EB. Cargo Capacity for the Escape is 37.5 cu. ft. and 34.4 cu. ft. for the Hybrid versions.

 

I am surprised the cargo capacity on the BS is smaller than the Escape, I thought it's boxy shape would work to its advantage but I guess it really is that much smaller than the Escape where it doesn't matter. 

[rmc523]

13 hours ago, akirby said:

Still a BS just less rugged.  Something in between the original escape and current BS.

 

You said give it less rugged styling, and revamped interior, which means redesigning it....

 

19 minutes ago, silvrsvt said:

Here is a thought:

 

Is adding additional equipment like automatic wipers even a good idea in lower end products? I'm not sure what the competition is offering in their products, but going off what Ford has done with the Escape for the past 10 years or so, it seems like options creep is hurting profitability on things like the Escape. My parents had a 2013 Escape Ti and my wife has a 2017 Escape SEL and the SEL is actually better equipped then the Ti was with dual power seats and full leather vs partial leather seats in the Ti. 

 

Some things I can see becoming standard just because its cheaper/less complex to do so, like Auto HVAC controls, electric windows/mirrors, etc. But at that point the cost is negligible. 

 

I "lost" a bunch of luxury options moving from my SHO to the Bronco, but in the grand scheme of things in drivability/safety its made zero difference in the driving experience.  

 

This is a fair question.  But two thoughts for that...

 

1) I think it depends on the competition - you can't not offer things the competition does, just because

2) Ford under Mulally really pushed adding options to all their products back in the day which I think helped the brand.....backtracking on that while increasing prices doesn't help the value quotient for customers.

[Andrew L]

6 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

2) Ford under Mulally really pushed adding options to all their products back in the day which I think helped the brand.....backtracking on that while increasing prices doesn't help the value quotient for customers.

 

I agree with this last part, I remember when reading "American Icon" they pushed to add features to even I4 models of the Fusion/Milan and not force customers to get the V6 which helped sales.  Not everyone wanted a V6 but still wanted the nicer features.  I can attest to this somewhat I had a friend in college who picked up a Milan Premier I4 with a 5-speed manual.  It was extremely well equipped had leather, electronic climate control, 6 CD changer, wood trim, and a sunroof.  It was pretty cool to see an I4 Manual so well equipped.  Before that it was rare to see a combo like that.

[AM222]

52 minutes ago, Andrew L said:

 

I am surprised the cargo capacity on the BS is smaller than the Escape, I thought it's boxy shape would work to its advantage but I guess it really is that much smaller than the Escape where it doesn't matter. 

I guess the rear overhang is just that much shorter the extra height didn't help much in terms of cargo capacity.

The Escape will probably sell better if it didn't have that dated jellybean design.
Not unless they were paying tribute to the 3rd gen Taurus, the era when it lost its mid-size crown. Lol


The best-selling compact SUV in the USA is the Rav4, a model which hasn't changed much since it made its debut in late 2018.
2019MY RAV4 Adventure shown

I think more angular designs tend to age better than the jellybean designs.


The modern face is an improvement. I don't think it's enough to make it a best seller.

The design language of the Chinese Territory looks much more modern than the Escape.

Edited July 16, 2024 by AM222

[Andrew L]

2 minutes ago, AM222 said:

I guess the rear overhang is just that much shorter the extra height didn't help much in terms of cargo capacity.

The Escape will probably sell better if it didn't have that dated jellybean design.
Not unless they were paying tribute to the 3rd gen Taurus, the era when it lost its mid-size crown. Lol


 

 

Yeah but if you COMBINE the sales of the Taurus and Sable then it didn't lose it's crown till 2003.... 

 

I am pulling a GM fan right there with that comment lol 🤪

[Sherminator98]

33 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

1) I think it depends on the competition - you can't not offer things the competition does, just because

2) Ford under Mulally really pushed adding options to all their products back in the day which I think helped the brand.....backtracking on that while increasing prices doesn't help the value quotient for customers.

Right that is why I mentioned about the competition, plus some options become standard because they are just cheaper to do so then offering an alternative  

 

 

21 minutes ago, Andrew L said:

 

I agree with this last part, I remember when reading "American Icon" they pushed to add features to even I4 models of the Fusion/Milan and not force customers to get the V6 which helped sales.  Not everyone wanted a V6 but still wanted the nicer features.  I can attest to this somewhat I had a friend in college who picked up a Milan Premier I4 with a 5-speed manual.  It was extremely well equipped had leather, electronic climate control, 6 CD changer, wood trim, and a sunroof.  It was pretty cool to see an I4 Manual so well equipped.  Before that it was rare to see a combo like that.

 

 

Part of the problem with this is that it adds more build complexity which can impact quality, which has been hurting Ford for years now.  

[rmc523]

15 minutes ago, AM222 said:

I guess the rear overhang is just that much shorter the extra height didn't help much in terms of cargo capacity.

The Escape will probably sell better if it didn't have that dated jellybean design.
Not unless they were paying tribute to the 3rd gen Taurus, the era when it lost its mid-size crown. Lol


The best-selling compact SUV in the USA is the Rav4, a model which hasn't changed much since it made its debut in late 2018.
2019MY RAV4 Adventure shown

I think more angular designs tend to age better than the jellybean designs.


The modern face is an improvement. I don't think it's enough to make it a best seller.

The design language of the Chinese Territory looks much more modern than the Escape.

 

I feel the opposite - I think angular designs age poorly, and ones with softer features age better.

 

Obviously there are exceptions to everything, though.

 

That said, Escape's front end wasn't good from the get-go for this generation (the new face is a dramatic improvement, and the rear is fine), so something that never looked good won't necessarily age well lol.

[ANTAUS]

Ford Authority

 

They have a list towards the bottom of the article that is keeping tabs on all things removed...

 

 

[Andrew L]

1 hour ago, silvrsvt said:

Part of the problem with this is that it adds more build complexity which can impact quality, which has been hurting Ford for years now.  

 

Complexity is a problem but think about this too.  When I had my Lincoln LS it was a V6, the V6 models typically were base trim and that's how most were built.  Mine however was a pretty loaded V6 but one thing they did was the V8 models got a computer on the instrument cluster to display Fuel Economy, Oil Life, Distance to Empty, as well as adjusting vehicle settings.  Why get punished because you didn't get the bigger engine?  Was it really necessary to have 2 different instrument clusters from V6 to V8 models and different trim on the dash one with and one without buttons to control it?  I think it would have made sense just for all of them to have the message center computer regardless of engine.  I mean now it's not so much a big deal but just something I noticed Ford used to do and around 08 or so not pushing you based on what engine you had was a good move.  Just IMO.

[Sherminator98]

1 hour ago, Andrew L said:

 

Complexity is a problem but think about this too.  When I had my Lincoln LS it was a V6, the V6 models typically were base trim and that's how most were built.  Mine however was a pretty loaded V6 but one thing they did was the V8 models got a computer on the instrument cluster to display Fuel Economy, Oil Life, Distance to Empty, as well as adjusting vehicle settings.  Why get punished because you didn't get the bigger engine?  Was it really necessary to have 2 different instrument clusters from V6 to V8 models and different trim on the dash one with and one without buttons to control it?  I think it would have made sense just for all of them to have the message center computer regardless of engine.  I mean now it's not so much a big deal but just something I noticed Ford used to do and around 08 or so not pushing you based on what engine you had was a good move.  Just IMO.

 

See that is problem-I get what your saying, but Ford also wants to upcharge/make profit on a vehicle. 

 

Not sure how different the trims are on say Toyotas or Hondas in relation to Ford's trim levels, but from what I understand, at least with Toyota, you get what you get without the ability to special order what you want in options.

 

EVs going forward will experience this to a point-the biggest difference will be amount of motors (performance) and range (battery size) in a product, because something like heated seats will be needed to help with range impact in cold weather vs running the heat (which was "free" in an ICE) and other electronics will be standard that do things like auto braking etc. 

[Sherminator98]

So had sometime to kill in between meetings to see how Honda options out the CR-V vs the Escape. 

 

Major differences between the levels

 

larger display 7 inch vs 9 inch

Two powertrain options- hybrid and non hybrid

Sun roof not on the cheapest model

Leather seats

 

Standard safety options like you'd get with copilot360

 

Neither the CR-V or RAV4 offer automatic wipers either. 

[morgan20]

1 hour ago, silvrsvt said:

Neither the CR-V or RAV4 offer automatic wipers either. 

 

Yes they do, that feature is standard on CR-V Sport Touring and optional on all RAV4 models except the base LE

[Sherminator98]

15 hours ago, morgan20 said:

 

Yes they do, that feature is standard on CR-V Sport Touring and optional on all RAV4 models except the base LE

 

When I was looking at the Honda website it didn't specifically call it out in the specs

[rmc523]

18 hours ago, silvrsvt said:

So had sometime to kill in between meetings to see how Honda options out the CR-V vs the Escape. 

 

Major differences between the levels

 

larger display 7 inch vs 9 inch

Two powertrain options- hybrid and non hybrid

Sun roof not on the cheapest model

Leather seats

 

Standard safety options like you'd get with copilot360

 

Neither the CR-V or RAV4 offer automatic wipers either. 

 

I/we have mentioned it in other threads, but limit stock units to an "ok" equipped base model, a decently equipped mid model, and a loaded high series, and that's it.  And dealers choose their mix between those depending on their market (i.e., a more affluent area may order a higher percentage of mid/upper models, whereas a less affluent area may skew more base/mid models).  And then maybe you could have a broader/more customizable option list (but still more limited than currently) only if you special order.

[MrCurvedLimos]

I first experienced rain sensing wipers when I bought my C-Max, and it was a top-line feature when I was hunting for a replacement.  I would not have bought my Escape if it didn't have rain sensing wipers. Best feature ever in the Seattle area, works great, and I certainly don't miss fiddling with the intermittent wiper speed all. the. time.  Rain sensing wipers are practically set and forget, love 'em. 

[morgan20]

1 hour ago, silvrsvt said:

 

When I was looking at the Honda website it didn't specifically call it out in the specs

 

It's hidden in this site, expand the section titled Exterior Features

 

[AM222]

18 hours ago, silvrsvt said:

So had sometime to kill in between meetings to see how Honda options out the CR-V vs the Escape. 

 

Major differences between the levels

 

larger display 7 inch vs 9 inch

Two powertrain options- hybrid and non hybrid

Sun roof not on the cheapest model

Leather seats

 

Standard safety options like you'd get with copilot360

 

Neither the CR-V or RAV4 offer automatic wipers either. 

The CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid has "Variable Intermittent Windshield Wipers - Rain Sensing". It's listed under "Exterior Features".
2025 Honda CR-V – Safe & Sporty Compact SUV Crossover

The RAV4 has "Rain-sensing variable intermittent windshield wipers with de-icer function and intermittent rear window wiper" available as part of an option package starting from the XLE trim and up. It's listed under "Exterior".
2024 Toyota RAV4 Specifications | Toyota.com

[morgan20]

On 7/16/2024 at 8:32 AM, silvrsvt said:

Is adding additional equipment like automatic wipers even a good idea in lower end products? I'm not sure what the competition is offering in their products

 

RAV4, CR-V, Rogue, Compass, Hornet, CX-5, CX-50, Forester, Tucson, Sportage, Tiguan, Outlander all offer rain sensing automatic wipers

Edited July 17, 2024 by morgan20

[tbone]

On 7/16/2024 at 9:39 AM, ANTAUS said:

Ford Authority

 

They have a list towards the bottom of the article that is keeping tabs on all things removed...

 

 

The comments from the Ford Authority articles are pretty entertaining.

 

Several great decisions here to compel your customers to go to a different brand.  Somebody at Ford must want to cut the escape so they want to make sure it doesn’t sell well to justify their actions.

 

Same old, same old Ford. Appearing to be afraid to compete in a “commodity” category, working on burning down another good nameplate.

 

I’ve seen articles about the new tundra making headway in the truck market. Ford better look out as it could turn into a commodity, and then what?! I am being somewhat facetious, but damn, grow some fucking balls and be a competitor! This shit is getting a really old.

[Andrew L]

28 minutes ago, tbone said:

The comments from the Ford Authority articles are pretty entertaining.

 

Several great decisions here to compel your customers to go to a different brand.  Somebody at Ford must want to cut the escape so they want to make sure it doesn’t sell well to justify their actions.

 

Same old, same old Ford. Appearing to be afraid to compete in a “commodity” category, working on burning down another good nameplate.

 

I’ve seen articles about the new tundra making headway in the truck market. Ford better look out as it could turn into a commodity, and then what?! I am being somewhat facetious, but damn, grow some fucking balls and be a competitor! This shit is getting a really old.

 

I am convinced the commentors on FA are nothing but trolls.  I think there was an article about a low milage Contour or Tempo or something that wasn't great and the comments were all like BACK WHEN FORD BUILT REAL CARS NOW THEY ONLY BUILD CRAP BLAME JIM FARLEY HES AN IDIOT