2013 Ford Escape

2013 Ford Escape Titanium 4wd

When I first saw this vehcle at the auto show almost a year ago, I knew it was special. The old Escape had lost it's appeal and this was a noteworthy replacement. The Escape still had big shoes to fill as it was taking over from a a former leader in its class. Others had stepped up their game with refinement and driving experience, this was Ford's turn at bat, and they knocked it out of the park!

What they have done is redesigned the Escape from the ground up. They have made a very attractive, and also intuitive SUV that the market will eat up. After attending the Escape with Us For The Day put on by Ford of Canada I learned so much more about the inner workings, turns out beauty isn't only skin deep.

I saw first hand the how well this vehicle can think. AdvanceTrac with RSC (Roll Stability Control) keep this thing stable at all speeds -if it's accident avoidance or emergency braking it will assist when you need it most. They introduced what is called Curve control which will slow the vehicle when you are going into a corner too hot, and Torque Vectoring Control for when you want to be accelerating out of a corner, it can make you look like a professional race car driver! If that seems like an extreme way to show your friends your skills then just hit the Park Assist button and let them watch you slide into that stall virtually hands free.

Also, they took into account how one might use the hatch and made it so you can open it while your hands are full, just a quick swipe of the foot under the bumper and up it goes....well done! With safety firmly in mind Ford has included the latest version of  MY Ford Touch so your hands and eyes can do what they are suppose to while all it takes is your voice to activate most functions.

The Escape rides and handles more like a car, something I think most buyers look for. It has the space of an SUV and the comfort and drivabilty of a car....Boom Baby...this has both! Get this with the available 2.0 litre EcoBoost and you will enjoy many a road trip. It provides ample power at 240hp and can get some very respectable gas mileage with the 6 speed auto backing it up, you will be looking at a reported 9.8 L/100km city or 6.9 L/100km. What I found was 11.0 L/100km but it is winter, cold and snow will do that. Now that winter driving has been brought up, this SUV was very confident and well behaved even on ice....put another feather in it's cap.

All of that sounds great, but it still gets better. The interior feels so spacious and the cargo room is phenomenal for an SUV this size. With easy-fold rear seats, I was going to slide by the zoo and bring a baby elephant home for my kids birthday, but turns out they don't rent them there. The seats were quite comfortable as I did both short and long hauls in it and was not fatigued at all.

The children enjoyed the back, and when I pulled back the cover for the sunroof and it went all the way back joy filled the whole vehicle.

It was not without it's downfalls though very minor. I could not find a place to set my phone when I plugged it in. I could leave the phone in the console compartment but I would be sure to forget it when I step out.

Something that caught me off guard was when I was in my driveway and put the Escape in reverse it didn't matter what was behind me, it almost always screamed at me, The Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) would let me know someone had driven behind me. I think I sullied myself slightly the first time it happened, it got easier as I heard it more often. But the BLIS system has so many benefits that far outweigh my little issues. I love that you can just look in a side mirror and tell if someone is in that lane, I highly recommend you get one with the BLIS option.

The Escape I had sported Ruby Red Metallic painted Titanium series and it was plenty attractive. They start off at a base price of 22,470 and this one with all of it's extra equipment chimed in at $43,349 almost perfect for the compact SUV class it is in. If you chose to buy one, I know you will enjoy it, it might even get you wanting to Escape for a mountain getaway.

Thanks to Ford Canada for providing the Escape

                                                                                                                                                                   

2012 Regal eAssist & Regal GS

2012 Regal eAssist & Regal GS

I have been an admirer of Regals for decades, but many of the last platform models made me feel slightly cheated. I base my judgement on having owned a couple of amazing Buick Grand Nationals but as with any make of vehicle you can't be at the top of your game all the time. But at last the Buick Regal is right back where it was and more, now not only do they have a performance version the GS, but they are catering to those who look for more of an economical version with the eAssist. That's right, they are playing both ends of the rink, and might I add doing a fine job of it.

First they developed a great defence line with the Regal eAssist. That's right this is the car that is designed to keep the team alive and shut out the competitors from scoring, and in this class they are doing it up right with a 2.4l engine and backed it up with a mild hybrid system. A 15 kW motor-generator is connected to the engine instead of an alternator, with a 0.5 kWh battery all tucked neatly behind the back seat. Start stop technology is added so this car seems like it is running silent when you stop, and technically, it is! Add to that a silky smooth 6 speed automatic transmission and the ability to generate its own power to recharge the battery while braking, you have the makings of what seems like a real winning combination.

The fuel consumption for this full size car rang in at an average of 6.5l/110km and made me do a double take, that's something you do not expect from it when you get in.

When you get in is another story. This is what I have always loved about Buick's, they make you feel like royalty when you climb inside, I guess that is why they call it a Regal! You enter into a very well appointed  cockpit surrounded by all the bells and whistles you would expect, and wrapped in a comfy leather lounger...this was fit for a king. With the Harmon Kardon 9 speaker Intellilink system in here, it makes you want to take the long way home every day.

To look at this vehicle on the exterior is very pleasing to the eyes, not extreme, and yet not understated, it all seems so practical and it is. Designed to deliver everything Buick customers have enjoyed for years, easy entry to both front and rear seats, great visibility for the driver, and enough cargo room to haul groceries or luggage around.

Now that we know Buick has a great defensive player, they are going to need a hard hitting fast moving forward to get them some goals...In comes the Buick Regal GS...the offense they needed. This car was built for speed right from it's 270hp 2.0l engine, that's right 270 hp, that equals 135 hp/ l quite a feat. And for doing this the engine was awarded one of the top ten engines of the year from Ward's Auto.

With all that nastiness going on under the hood, they needed to back it up and they chose to do so with an incredibly smooth six speed manual transmission, and althugh they have added the option of an automatic transmission, the real fun is in the manual. Add in a great suspension and a cool set of  Brembo brakes and you have the makings of a real street fighter. This car was purpose built to compete with some of the heavy weights that have been playing the game for many years...mission accomplished.

For this predator, they have fitted the cockpit with all of the usual amenities, and then a few extras. There is a cute little button on the dash that says GS...press that to make the magic happen. Throw the car into some corners and feel what an incredible hold the car has on the road, and how well you are held into the slightly bolstered seats. Feel free to grab the gears with the nicely appointed leather shifter and the aluminium racing pedals to make you feel like a true race car driver. The brushed aluminium trim inside completes that look and you may just want to find a track to show off. After all this car is as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside, Right from the 20inch wheels to the hood portholes to the tastefully done rear spoiler...this says drivers car all over it
.
The sum of these two talented and different players on the same team equals a narrowing of any preexisting short comings. This team now has it all, and leaves the choice up to you as to what position you want to play, quite smart in my opinion. I did find a couple shortcomings in both but it was mostly because I like to hover my arm over the console resting on the shifter, when I did this sometimes the stereo would change stations, after I figured out that I just needed to keep my arm away from the console mounted stereo control all was fine. My love for Regals has been reignited, I can't see how you can make a wrong choice here...in the end it is up to you!




 Both of these vehicles were provided thanks to GM Canada