Ford Escape or Toyota Highlander
100- Whitney05
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I'm getting a small SUV, and I've pretty much narrowed it down to the 2010 Escape or the 2009 Highlander. Both fully loaded. The only difference is the Escape doesn't come with heated seats. The difference if $5,000 in the favor of the Escape.
I'm going to check out the Escape today, but as of now the Highland is the only small SUV I've been able to see the road clearly in.
(I drive a mustang now.)
So.. Any other suggestions? As to anything you're heard for either one? Pros or cons?
92- Jeffrey Neal
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I don't know much about the specifics of the new models, but I used to sell Ford. The Escape is a real nice little SUV, but I couldn't talk the wife into getting the Tribute (Mazda's doppelganger).
The Toyota is probably a little nicer, and should hold on to resale value quite a bit better, but I've never been in one. The new ones don't look as good as I thought the previous body-style did, but most Toyotas don't appeal to me in styling.
If you end up liking both equally, then decide if lower payments now or better resale down the road matter most.
84- tksensei
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Both good vehicles, IMO.
86- Justine76
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Whitney05 wrote:
I'm getting a small SUV, and I've pretty much narrowed it down to the 2010 Escape or the 2009 Highlander. Both fully loaded. The only difference is the Escape doesn't come with heated seats. The difference if $5,000 in the favor of the Escape.
I'm going to check out the Escape today, but as of now the Highland is the only small SUV I've been able to see the road clearly in.
(I drive a mustang now.)
So.. Any other suggestions? As to anything you're heard for either one? Pros or cons?i would pick ford as they didnt take any stimulis, I havent heard anything negative about either.
- 86
- Justine76
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for other suggestions suzuki. they have really low interest financing
84- Madame X
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I looked at the Highlander and the 4Runner, and then went with the Acura MDX (yes, it has heated seats!). Japanese cars have fantastic resale value, but you're probably not exactly thinking along those lines at the moment.
I had an Acura Integra that I bought new in '89. I still have it - with 350,000 miles on it - and it still runs beautifully (the engine, that is - the rest of the car is falling apart around it
So that's my take on Japanese vs. American - I'm really sorry to say.
Oh, and one more thing - Toyota will "certify" a car mechanically if you want to buy it used, which means they not only give you a warranty, they go over the car and fix anything that might be wrong with it.
Good luck with your purchase.- 84
- Madame X
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Justine76 wrote:
i would pick ford as they didnt take any stimulis, I havent heard anything negative about either.
- 100
- Whitney05
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Madame X, I looked at the Acura MDX 2007 model, and I couldn't see over the dash, so I had to cross that one off the list on that note, which sucks because it is a good looking SUV.
Basically, here's what I've found:
Highlander has more power but you'll take a few more trips to the gas station bc of a bigger tang (but I'm a little confused on that bc the Escape and Highlander both have same mileage). Also has a little more cargo space in the back, and gives off a little less emissions per 15,000 miles
Escape has more head space in the front but a tad less in the back. Escape is lighter and is a little lower, which gives it a better center of gravity and easier access.
Overall, no BIG differences in head space or leg space. No big differences in turning radii. No difference in parking. No big difference in size. No BIG differences anywhere.
I guess it's going to come down to whether I can see out of the Escape as good as the Highlander.
*
All I know is my bf is starting to get irritating. He already shudders at cloth seats bc "leather is better." He wants the Highlander because he wants to be able to tell his friends that I bought a 40k SUV for like 26k after down payment and trade-in, which is better than one of his friends got on a used 4runner. He's down to scrapping the barrel at Ford's leather seats aren't as comfortable as Toyota.
Oh, and saying I'd use the heated seats if I had them; which isn't the point. The point is, I won't miss them if I don't have them, but I'd sure miss 5,000 plus interest on that 5k when it's out of pocket, not his. - 92
- Jeffrey Neal
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Whitney05 wrote:
All I know is my bf is starting to get irritating. He already shudders at cloth seats bc "leather is better." He wants the Highlander because he wants to be able to tell his friends that I bought a 40k SUV for like 26k after down payment and trade-in, which is better than one of his friends got on a used 4runner. He's down to scrapping the barrel at Ford's leather seats aren't as comfortable as Toyota.
Oh, and saying I'd use the heated seats if I had them; which isn't the point. The point is, I won't miss them if I don't have them, but I'd sure miss 5,000 plus interest on that 5k when it's out of pocket, not his.Leather is easier to keep clean, so it's better in that respect, but it's cold in winter, hot in summer unlike cloth. I have leather in my Explorer, and prefer it to the cloth seats in my previous car.
Yeah, your vehicle, your decision. Japanese cars > American cars, go with Japanese car spend that extra $5000 on not having to take your car for a new transmission in the next 5 years. If you are interested in finding out cost of ownership of these two vehicles i recommend you check out edmunds.com and they have a Cost to Own section.
93- Flightkeeper
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Any difference in fuel usage?
No matter what Ford claims about their Quality over the long haul the Toyota will hold it's resale value and the Ford will not.
The Ford Explorer is a perfect example of a vehicle which did not hold it's value.
Whitney05 wrote:
I'm getting a small SUV, and I've pretty much narrowed it down to the 2010 Escape or the 2009 Highlander. Both fully loaded. The only difference is the Escape doesn't come with heated seats. The difference if $5,000 in the favor of the Escape.
I'm going to check out the Escape today, but as of now the Highland is the only small SUV I've been able to see the road clearly in.
(I drive a mustang now.)
So.. Any other suggestions? As to anything you're heard for either one? Pros or cons?
