Escape plans for the future

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by Ice-breaker

Not quite a myth! I have towed my Escape 19' with an FJ Cruiser since 2013 over prairies and high mountain passes.

I’ve towed the 19 and the 21 up and over the Rocky Mountains with the 2012 and 2018 Highlanders. Not a Problem. And not once but roughly 20 times. All you have to know is what you’re doing.
Iowa Dave

[Osos1]

Uh huh, keep sippin' Gen2 Escape 19 is 400#'s heavier than the Gen 1. I towed a 17 with Highlander and knew it wouldn't be fun with a Gen1 21 that weighs 4300#'s on an average day. No regrets trading in for a Yukon then even better recently an Expedition with 3.5 EcoBoost. Same or better mileage as Highlander and no struggle whatsoever. To each their own- yet the fact is many, if not most owners of a 19 or 21 upgrade their TV's as they don't like the stress of their "Mid-Size" TV.

[Defenestrator]

Highlander worked pretty well as a tow vehicle for a gen2 19, except climbing up to Eisenhower tunnel, but even then it just required a little patience in the right lane with the semis. Nothing wrong with 4KRPM on the 2GR-FE to get up a steep pass, either. It's not like the old muscle car and truck V8s that'd start throwing rods if you held them at high RPM for too long.

[Osos1]

Works pretty well is operative phrase. I've seen so many starry-eyed folks waiting for their Escape 21's so sure that their 4 Runner or Acura MDX 4WD are going to be so great- only to either sell the trailer or move to an F-150 or equivalent.

Whaddya towing that B-foot with?

[Defenestrator]

For the Bigfoot, I upsized (can't really call it an upgrade except in tow capacity) to a Silverado 1500 with the 6.2 and Max Trailering. I probably would have gone for an F150 with the Heavy Duty Payload Package, but those things are just about impossible to find. I got the truck before I got the Bigfoot, so I pulled the Escape around with it for a bit. Harder to park, but hilarious overkill for towing. I could squeak the rear tires on an uphill onramp even with the Escape behind it. That might have been partly the awful Goodyear Eagle LS2 tires that came on it, though.

For the Bigfoot, it's roughly equivalent to the Highlander with the Escape I'd say. A bit of extra power, but overall sized about right - not overkill, but definitely not inadequate either.

[Iowa Dave]

Haven’t seen people getting off the Highlander train personally. I have seen folks
Run them in excess of 200,000 kilometers, and replace with another Highlander.
4K RPM is nothing either uphill or downhill. Let her sing. Drive the west, see how many Highlanders are setting along the road with a fiberglass trailer behind that are broke down. Hondas either. Don’t stop too long for a cup of coffee, I’ll be along directly. Osoyoos, keep the beer cold and the ribs hot.
Iowa
Dave

[Osos1]

6.2 motor much mo' betta for towing than 5.3; good choice! Not really an upgrade for towing vs. 3.5 Toyota...seriously? Lots of people complain about parking, yet wonder if that is cover for their fear of "Fat Car Shaming" from friends & family who are mostly just jealous of those able to obtain their RV & TV that makes the most sense for themselves.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Osos1

wonder if that is cover for their fear of "Fat Car Shaming" from friends & family who are mostly just jealous of those able to obtain their RV & TV that makes the most sense for themselves.

You seem to have run out of good arguments.

[Defenestrator]

It's an upgrade in towing capacity, for sure. Just not for things like ride comfort, handling, and non-towing fuel mileage. It's definitely more of a pain to park as well - with the crew cab and "long" (6.5') bed it's longer than a lot of parking spots, so you have to find one along the edge with room for some rear overhang. I'd have gotten a shorter bed and/or cab, but the 6.2 with Max Trailering was hard to find lightly used and I couldn't be picky about the rest. U-turns are a bit iffier too, and every now and then it's cutting it really close for height on parking garages.

I don't hate the handling quite as much as I originally did, though. The crappy tires plus gobs of torque and an all-or-nothing rear diff lockup made for some schizophrenic handling under acceleration and terrible braking, but with good tires it's at least up to tolerable.

The 6.2 is by far the best part of it. Makes me wonder what it could do in something that doesn't weigh 3 tons. Kinda want to get a C8 corvette, but that doesn't really work with full-time travel.

[1500]

Escape has some photos on their facebook page of the new 21NE, and the new boat.