CX-5 versus my old Ford Escape

[Even Steven]

Interesting comparison.....back in 2001 I purchased a brand new Ford Escape. Now almost 13 years later, the Escape is long gone, but I'm looking at purchasing a new 2.5L CX-5. Check out this comparison between the AWD versions of both vehicles:

The vehicles are very close in size. The CX-5 is actually a bit bigger overall.

Length: CX-5 178.7"....Escape 173.0"
Width: CX-5 72.4"....Escape 71.1"
Height: CX-5 67.3"....Escape 67.0"
Curb Weight: CX-5 3507 lbs....Escape 3550 lbs.

Now lets look at the engine & HP/torque ratings:

CX-5 2.5L 4-cylinder...Escape 3.0L V6
CX-5 HP/Torque 184/185...Escape HP/Torque 200/200

Now lets look at the performance & fuel economy

0-60 mph: CX-5 7.6 seconds...Escape 8.8 seconds
1/4 mile: CX-5 15.8 @ 87 mph...Escape 16.8 @ 83 mph
Skidpad: CX-5 81g....Escape 72g
Fuel economy rating: CX-5 24 city & 30 highway...Escape 20 city & 24 highway

It's amazing to me that the CX-5 can weigh about the same as my old Escape, and make less HP & torque, yet it will still out-accelerate the Escape big time, while returning much better fuel economy. Sure, there are two more gears in the transmission, so that's one big difference right there, but still, the CX-5 is quite a bit quicker and so much more economical at the gas pump.

 

[Even Steven]

BTW, I forgot to say--- all the data above was found on the Car and Driver website.

 

[MikeM.]

It's amazing to me that the CX-5 can weigh about the same as my old Escape, and make less HP & torque, yet it will still out-accelerate the Escape big time, while returning much better fuel economy. Sure, there are two more gears in the transmission, so that's one big difference right there, but still, the CX-5 is quite a bit quicker and so much more economical at the gas pump.

You are seeing the effect of the Skyactive engineering in action. Typically, cars are engineered with an attitude that a little mass here, a little friction there doesn't amount to a hill of beans in the big picture. But Mazda understood that eliminating many small inefficiencies was equivalent to one major efficiency gain.

So we have more performance with less HP and more economy.

My 2010 F-150 4x4 makes almost 300 hp but it feels relatively gutless compared to the CX-5 with almost half the power.

This is why we have other automakers running scared (they are behind the curve). You will see their agents bashing the Skyactiv models in every Internet car forum, trying to create the impression there is something wrong with the technology.

 

[Nodnerb]

I traded in an 05 escape for my 2.0 cx-5. The cx-5 is probably on par with the escape in acceleration and power in normal driving. Where I really feel its lack of power is on hill climbs, merging and deep snow. But, it also gets way better fuel economy. I still dislike the cx-5 transmission programming though which is why I almost exclusively drive in manual mode. Just wish I didn't have to.

 

[TreyP]

I had an Escape hybrid for a few years. Although it seemed much larger and was definitely not as aerodynamic, the gas mileage was nearly identical due to the hybrid technology.

Since this will be my first winter with the CX-5, I'll have to see how it does in New England snow, but I'm fairly certain the Escape would have the advantage there.

The Escape was also a very attractive vehicle inside and out. I actually passed one in a parking lot this morning and was fondly remembering mine. Really the only disadvantage of the Escape was the looming possibility of a hybrid battery failure, which would have been expensive indeed to replace if it was out of warranty.

 

[RG_Flyer]

I currently drive an '06 Escape 5-speed manual and the CX-5 Sport MT-6 is closest match I have found to replace the Escape with when I am ready. I really want a manual transmission, but I am holding off purchase as long as possible to see if the 2.5L or other options will be available on the CX-5 manual.

 

[CX-SV]

Yes, the 2 SUVs being compared are like night and day, old and new gens. (I've driven the V6 Escape awd for several hundred miles and while it was a capable vehicle in its time with good usable power, fuel efficiency was mediocre).

 

[piotrek91]

Somewhat related to this thread... but in a completely different "class" than the two vehicles being discussed.

Jeep Compass (with CVT)

We had the displeasure of renting a brand new Jeep Compass (26mi on the ODO when we picked it up) while on Kauai a month of so ago.
At first my wife drove the car for a while.. she's usually a good driver and drives safely and with confidence. But in the "jeep" she would take corners at ridiculously low speeds while complaining about the handling of the car. I thought to myself.. how bad can it be?

I drove the next day and I was shocked by the terrible handling. It was impossible to go through a simple corner without multiple steering corrections and over bumps the car would not want to drive very straight.

Additionally, the CVT in the car was TERRIBLE and robbed us of any enjoyment from the awesome windy roads we were driving. After flooring the the accelerator, the RPM would shoot up to 6k and a whole second later the car would leisurely start accelerating. The worst part of the CVT however was that letting off the accelerator would result in a surge in acceleration! The RPM would drop more quickly than the throttle would close, and as a result the car would accelerate faster than it did while the pedal was floored.

So, to sum things up.. I really hope that all of the people I see driving jeep compasses around got their cars for many thousands under MSRP.

btw.. we also rented a ford mustang during our trip and that car changed my perception of American cars. It was very fast, handled corners well and felt very solid despite 26,000mi of rental car abuse. The only "problems" with that car was the 14mpg we got (v6 convertible.. I don't want to think what the V8 would have gotten) and the surprisingly small cargo space.

 

[V8toilet]

Man, Jeep is going to have a tuff sell with the new model if that is the kind of experience they offer. I'm glad Mazda stayed with 6 forward speeds.

 

[Seminole]

By far the worst rental I've ever had is the Jeep Liberty. Terrible steering, seats, interior, engine, etc. and I swore if I turned the wheel full lock in a parking lot that the camber was so much it felt as if it was turning on the sidewall of the tires. I'd have to give it tons of gas just to get it to move when I had the wheel turned in a parking lot.