2014 Ford Escape vs.. something "bigger" from other brand
 

Hi Guys, I'm totally new to this forum and the Ford community and.. I need your professional help (of course ;) ).

I have to buy a new car which must be strong (can tow around 2,500 - 3,000 lbs few times a month but seasonally), be smart (can drive some twisties but also handle daily city commute - work, shopping etc.), be comfortable (enough room for seating, luggage, not too loud inside, handle long hwy drive), be kids friendly (that's for the future :) ). I've checked some options (believe me I was trying to do my homework well) and.. only two vehicles have stayed on the list:

- 2014 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0 Ecoboost l4 AWD (AWD is nothing but my dream, I don't know if I will use it in the future but it's something that I just really want to have and check how it works - I just need something which could drive even on the snow or sand and to be honest I just want it for fun :) ) and.. please don't laugh now..
- 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 3.6L V6 4x4

Ok, now you can laugh :) .. but.. first please, let me explain.. I've checked many cars in Ford price segment (i.e. Ford Explorer - I don't need third row, Chevy Equinox, Mazda CX9 - too loud!!, Honda CRV - too small and can't handle more than 1500 lbs in towing, Toyota RAV4 - I'm just not a fan of Toyotas ;) , Dodge Journey - too.. slow and still don't need 3rd row, Subaru Outback - I felt almost no handling on twisties!!) and then I went up a little bit and checked that the Grand Cherokee could be the right car for me.. but it comes with the costs and it doesn't have such kind of equipment like Ford does. In my opinion Escape has everything I need but.. there are some cons that could stop me from buying it and I need to find out if they are true. Can you please tell me something about your maintenance costs and your true mpg (city/hwy) and.. what can you say about its l4 turbocharged engine (how you compare it to the Jeep v6?) and what about its towing capacity - the numbers say that it can handle up to 3,500 lbs but.. I've heard that Escape lacks low-end torque and towing something over 1,000 lbs will be miserable, is it true??

I did the test drive on both of them and both were great - honestly Escape was better for me (it's just more sporty as I like) and its equipment is better as well, but.. the comfort and interior quality of the G.Cherokee feels just.. much better ;)

I will be glad to hear any opinion and suggestion from you so, please do not hesitate to tell me more about it!!

I had the same exact dilemma as you did. I finally bought my new Escape last week and made the right decision.

You can get a loaded 2014 Escape Titanium AWD (the only thing I didn't get was the parking tech package, I can park it myself) cheaper than a Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4. The Jeep with the same options (sunroof, nav, premium sound, nicer wheels, etc) would probably be around $42K or more....the Escape is around $36K sticker. I think the Grand Cherokee is more comparable to the Explorer in price.

I also need to think about having kids in the near future -- we are in the same boat. Either car has enough room for that.

I tested the Grand Cherokee with the Pentastar V6 -- my Escape's 2.0L I4 is much faster, it almost feels like a small sports car compared to the Jeep and handles much nicer.

The Grand Cherokee completely loaded with options might feel more luxurious, but its really a higher level type of SUV that should be compared to the Limited Explorer.

I hope this helps. Either car can handle towing -- with the Escape you don't get the "open sesame" feature if you get the trailer/tow package...but I don't think thats a big deal. I went with the tow package

Good luck

Thank you sooo much for sharing this with me!! I'm glad that you are happy with your new car!! For me it's really hard decision as well because I do like Escape for it's sporty soul, handling the road (I took it to the twisties during my test drive and I was surprised how it keeps the road, even with my "hard foot" :) ), features which come with the trim (for example BLIS is something which you have to pay extra in Limited version - it comes with the Luxury and Technology package together for additional $5k!!), light weight, overall look and.. the price of course :)
But.. there are few things that I don't like: poor plastic everywhere, space inside (ok maybe I was thinking that there is not enough room because 30min earlier I was seating in Jeep ;) ), noise - I owe Mazda3 sedan and believe me longer trips always become a nightmare, so I would like to avoid this in my new car. Suspension in Escape is much harder than in Jeep, so you can feel almost every bump and hole on the road, but.. I know that this is a part of his sproty style!!

So.. I'm asking myself if I really need a "bigger" car which is more comfortable but "slower", it's stronger but eats a lot of fuel, looks better inside but doesn't have many features?? Will this additional $6k (as you mentioned around $36k for Escape and $42 for Grand Cherokee) make me more happy?? I still don't know yet :(
With my brain I'm closer to Ford, but with my hart to Jeep ;)

And you know, if this car would be only for me I would definitely go with Escape!!