Web Spin: Ford Escape 3.0 V6 XLT

Overland Escape

Words and Pics by Roderick Eime

With medium priced 4WD leisure vehicles making up an increasing number of new vehicle sales, one is drawn to wonder what the attraction is. Are these shiny, go-anywhere steads the key to adventure as they are so often portrayed, or merely fancy “show ponies” for delivering little Johnny to footy and collecting the groceries?

Keen to put one such mount to the test, we devised a 15,000 kilometre round trip from Sydney to Adelaide, Alice Springs, Townsville and back, traversing the recently christened Overlanders Highway spanning outback Queensland.

Our candidate for this shameless frolic was Ford’s 3.0 V6 Escape XLT, a well-mannered, high-spec, off-roader, boasting exactly the range of tempting features needed to make a mark in this hotly contested segment. With a little bit of change from $40k, you’ll get 4 speed auto, anti-lock brakes, fulltime 4WD with auto torque proportioning, twin airbags, independent rear suspension, a super CD stacker and quad cup holders.

We start off with a straight forward drive across the Hay Plain to meet The Gahn in Adelaide. So we’re cheating, but if you’ve never experienced the indulgence of a luxury train journey into the outback – you’ve never lived! After unloading the Escape and thoroughly rested, we set a northerly course to Tennant Creek and our overnight stop at the comfy Desert Sands Motel.

The unlimited NT roads gave us a chance to cruise at our own pace (read: quickly) and we made good time into the oasis town of Tennant Creek, allowing for some local exploring. The Escape is a delight on the open road and offers all the ride and comfort of a high-end sedan. Smooth, responsive and bags of go, but our joy was dented somewhat when the cost of our thrills was revealed at the next bowser. The claimed 8 litres/100km highway cycle is blown out somewhat over 130km/h.

Crossing the border into Queensland reveals a marked decline in road surface quality and we find ourselves bouncing around on the old WWII supply route that still serves as the Barkly Highway. After poking around the quaint outpost of Camooweal, the narrow, undulating concrete guides us into Mount Isa. Overdue roadwork is evident, so we hope this ‘nostalgic’ jaunt is the last time we must relive the days of a wartime convoy. Fortunately the Escape is a lot more tolerant of varying highway conditions than I am.

By necessity, the modern suburban 4WD is a compromise between the needs of the average family and the fantasies of the adventurous would-be outdoorsman. But why buy a Camel Trophy contender when all you need is a surefooted runabout? The Ford Escape leans toward the archetypical “Toorak Taxi”, but stylishly so. We managed to scale some modest rocky outcrops without drama – and get down again! Loose surfaces were no problem and the ALBs worked a treat. On the down-side, underbody clearance and an exposed sump will prevent you from tackling the really ugly stuff and the suspension is a bit too soft to go nuts in the moguls – but that’s the compromise.

We completed our return leg with another indulgent train journey, this time on Queensland Rail’s sumptuous “Queenslander” service which plies the track between Cairns and Brisbane. Again our Escape was treated to an effortless, sheltered wagon into Roma Street station while we kicked back and relived the dustier sections over a cold beer, or two.

In summary, we determined that a rudimentary outback adventure was more than possible in showroom-trim 4WD with only basic, off-the-shelf safety equipment in tow. The Escape, we surmised, was built with majority suburban duties in mind, but nevertheless was capable, within limits, of delivering a rewarding off-road experience.

Link: Ford Escape at Ford.com.au

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