Why does Ford get criticized for something that Toyota has been doing for years. Sure, the chassis hasn't changed from the previous gen but how much advancement has Toyota put in the Camry/ Corolla chassis in the past 15 years? People who buy into the segment generally do not care or notice that this is a 9 year old chassis design.
The motor and tranny are dated but have been proven reliable so what's the hurry to change it? If you are going to take a chance on a Ford this combo is your safest bet.
Buyers keep crossing over to crossovers
Analysts expect strong U.S. sales of the vehicles in July, a bright spot amid general market decline.
James Prichard / Associated Press
Ever since the debut of the Toyota RAV4 in 1996, U.S. car buyers have been crossing over to crossovers.
The success of crossover vehicles, which resemble sport utility vehicles but are smaller and built on car instead of truck frames, has been one of the few bright spots in recent years for the troubled domestic automotive industry.
The RAV4 was followed by other successful crossovers such as the Lexus RX300, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester and Ford Escape. Foreign and domestic automakers developed 14 crossover models by 2000 and now offer more than 50. About 70 will be on the market by 2009, said George Pipas, Ford's top sales analyst.
It is the fastest-growing category in the industry, Pipas said. Although high gasoline prices haven't hurt sales of crossovers, which generally are more fuel efficient than SUVs, they are not the sole reason for their success, Pipas said.
While Ford and GM dominated the SUV market during the 1990s, several automakers are competing for the top crossover title. In the first six months of 2007, crossover sales totaled 232,683 for Ford, 232,194 for GM, 230,012 for Honda and 201,114 for Toyota, according to data collected by Ward's Automotive Group.
http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070728/AUTO01/707280333/1148Does the Escape in its current state have what it takes to keep Ford ahead of the competition?