No more V6??!!

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Kevin Lang

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So I've been looking into what I can do with the underpowered 4-cylinder 2012 Escape I've acquired, and I believe I've found that the 2013 Escape and Fusion both share the same engine options, none of which include any sort of 6-cylinder engine.



Even if the 2.0L 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine is comparable to a V6, I'm not too keen on the EcoBoosted 4 cylinder engine in a SUV, even a small SUV. I remember reading that it was underpowered in the Edge.



I wouldn't mind it in the Fusion, surely its better than the 4-cylinder engines I've gotten used to in sedans (Nissan, Toyota, Ford, Subaru), but even there if I were getting a new ride I'd want the EcoBoosted V6 AWD.



I want "the power of a V8 with the thirst of a V6", not "almost the power of a V6 with slightly less thirst than a 4-cylinder" (to paraphrase the Ford EcoBoost commercials).
 
The one thing Im unsure about, on the eco-boost.

The tech that went into the engine. Is posibly another set back, for us home mechanics.

I like learning as much as I can. to do my own work. With the turbo's and direct injection. Comes new sensors and EPA issues. I suspect modding these motors will be much different. Not saying, it will be difficult. Just a new learning curve...



Even program writers will have to break the codes. For ECU flashers.
 
The horsepower of the 2.0 ECO is the same as the earlier v6 engines and puts out more torque so there is no reason that it shouldn't be better than previous v6 models. While it may have seemed underpowered in the Edge one has to take into consideration that the Edge starts life off as a heavier vehicle so it would stand to reason that it seems underpowered vs the V6 equipped Edges.



 
Everything I have read about the new turbocharged 4 cylinders indicates they are very strong engines, for their displacement. However, most reviews of the EcoBoost and similar engines from other manufacturers indicate that you can still tell it is a smaller engine. They are not as smooth and they do not accelerate as fast as a similiar HP V6. While the Turbo 4 cylinder may have similar HP as the V6 I think the gearing may be different based on where the RPM where the HP starts to kick in....and there may be a little turbo-lag that is contributing to the slower acceleration times?



There is an old saying from way back in the muscle car era that says" it's hard to beat "Cubic Inches". I think that still holds true if you only want the most raw power potential.



I think the new technology of small turbocharged 4 cylinder engines is probably a good compromise between fuel economy and still providing good power. The only draw back is that when they put the small engines in the heavier vehicles, they tend to have lackluster performance....I think most of that is simply transmission or final drive gearing for higher gas mileage which may not be ideal for the engine's power band.



Notice that these engines are always given great performance ratings when they are in small light economy vehicles that weight much less than vehicles like the Edge.



....Rich







 
Checking the specs I do see that these turbocharged 4-cylinder engines have at least the same HP and torque as Ford's aged V6.



I'm still wishing that there were a EcoBoosted V6 option for the Escape and the Fusion. There is something wrong with the highest-powered engine for a model year having less displacement than the lowest-powered engine for that year (2.5 NA vs 2.0 TC) in my perception.



I just don't know about AWD with an EcoBoosted 4-cylinder engine. It just doesn't "feel right" to me.



My Ford Escape and Ford Fusion use the same engine (4 cylinder NA 2.5). The Fusion is decently responsive, but the Escape can't get out of its own way. I can't help but think that even with the Ecoboost, the comparison will still be the same: the EcoBoost Fusion will be reasonably sporty, but the Escape will still struggle on the acceleration front.
 
Read an article. Most early eco-boost 4cyl. That explorer buyers got. Are very disapointed, with the power.
 
That doesn't sound good. As they say "there's no replacement for displacement".



The power has gotta be better than the 4-cylinder NA Escape engine I have now, but that's not an accomplishment. When you aim at the ground, as they say, it's hard to miss.



Currently my 2012 Escape is getting ~22 mpg. Though that's not really accurate as I've had to pass the car to another family member as his ride is out of commission, and he's always accelerating hard to make a point (and this is not sowing good will in my family for Ford). I managed to eke out 26 mpg from the Escape, which is disappointing as I've gotten 28 mpg from the family 2010 RAV4 when my ST was out, which is rated lower on MPG than the Escape (max rating is 27).



As far as I'm concerned, 4 cylinder engines belong in mid-size sedans and lower. NA or not, and Ford isn't showing me anything to change my opinion here.
 
Kevin,

I think I said,before. We got 27 to 28 mpg from our V6 escapes. At 75mph....Highway with cruise on.



Imo the 4 dont cut it.
 
You did mention that. In my frustration with the vehicle, I forgot.



...I'm not even sure that my Escape has made it to 75 mph. I wasn't sure that it could go that fast :bwahaha:



The funniest thing here is that my relatives who bought the 4-cylinder FWD Escape had previously had a 2011/2010 (I forget which) v6 4wd Escape. I'll never understand how they could drive this 4-cylinder one after that.



Has Ford shared their wisdom with us as to why they've decided that an EcoBoost V6 won't be an option for the Fusion or Escape (and I assume the rest of the "small" Fords)??
 
...I'm not even sure that my Escape has made it to 75 mph
Click to expand...



I pushed the '01 to little over 110mph. It was still pulling. Wife made me shut it down. I was going to se if it would at least peg the speedo.:bwahaha:
 
I don't think there's a road near me that is flat enough, straight enough, and has the mileage to get my Escape up that high :boohoo::bwahaha:



 
Not for sure. I think I hit 110 in about a mile or less. I had another couple of smooth level miles left. Wife got scared.

I think I shook her up one time when I pushed my 'stang to 147mph..:bwahaha:
 
I drove the Escape tonight, and plan to do so tomorrow (to play with the Sync).



The 4-cylinder engine seems fine for highway-speed cruising and gradual acceleration. It still fails for acceleration from a stop or merging.



I understand what Ford was trying to do, you don't need a lot of power to cruise, you just need it to get there, so the NA 6-cylinder was a waste of gas once you get rolling.



That said, the 1.6L 4-Cylinder EcoBoost that Ford is coming out with produces less than 5 more HP and ft/lb torque than the 2.5L NA engine. So it promises much better cruising MPG, but it'll still have an awful time getting to cruising speed.



Seeing that, IMO it seems that the 2.0L Ecoboost should be the base choice for the Escape. I'm not sure that 237 HP and 250 ft/lb of torque are enough for the AWD model, so they should bring in the EcoBoosted V6 as an upgrade :bwahaha:
 
so they should bring in the EcoBoosted V6 as an upgrade
Click to expand...



Now I would love to put that through its paces. If Ford makes it. I will make a point for a test drive..:bwahaha:



I wonder what the tire wheel combo's fo the 2013 will be. Our '01 had the 235/70-16. Our '08 had the 225/65-17 tires. Same suspension, but the 16" tires on the '01 would out manuver and corner better than the 17" wheels. The 17's were realy sloppy, despite the lower profile..Also the 225/65-17 is an orphan size tire. Not many choices for that size. Some larger tires were cheaper.
 
If the ecoboost 2.0 gives me more power with at least the same fuel economy as my na 2.5 fusion, then I would strongly consider trading up my fusion.



I want sync and awd, but 2012 just wasn't the year for it.
 

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