Welcome back! For the fourth and final pairing of our search for an actually decent used car, we’ve got two compact crossover SUVs, which are probably now the most common vehicles on the road, and not at all hard to find in the classifieds. These two are a little less expensive than they might otherwise be, because they both have rebuilt titles from accidents years ago. Does that make them bargains? We’ll see.
Okay, yes, I fully admit that the Mazda 5 yesterday was a ringer. I knew it was going to chew up that Patriot like a dog chews up a squeaky toy. But manual Patriots are uncommon, and I felt like writing about one. Sometimes that’s all the reason I need.
But yeah, if it isn’t rusty underneath, that Mazda looks like a hell of a deal. It has a lot of miles on it, but condition matters a lot more than the number on the odometer. And a six-speed manual in a minivan is too cool of a combination to pass up.
You can’t throw a rock these days without hitting a small crossover SUV. (And you shouldn’t, because they’re easily scratched.) Love ’em or hate ’em, these wagons-in-platform-shoes are popular – because they’re practical. What that means for us cheap-car aficionados is that there are going to be more and more of them available in our price range as time goes by, so we might as well include them here. These are both strictly mall-spec: two-wheel-drive, with automatic transmissions. No off-road adventures here. But not everything has to be an adventure, nor should it; most of the time, what you need from a car is just to get to the damn grocery store and back. These will do that just fine. Let’s check them out.
2005 Ford Escape Hybrid – $3,500
Engine/drivetrain: 2.3-liter inline 4 plus electric motor, CVT automatic, FWD
Location: Hansville, WA
Odometer reading: 156,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
The Ford/Mazda relationship bore a lot of offspring over the years, everything from small pickup trucks to sports coupes. When Ford wanted a car-based SUV to fit into its lineup below the Explorer, it paired up with Mazda once again, and came up with this boxy little gem: the Escape. In 2004, Ford licensed designs and patents from Mazda’s rival Toyota to bring the first hybrid SUV to the market – using a Mazda-designed engine. Yes, for the third time this week, we have a Mazda MZR featured, only this time it’s labeled as a Ford Duratec.
The Ford hybrid system works in the same way as Toyota’s: an engine and an electric motor sit at opposite sides of a planetary gear set, and a computer decides how much of which one’s power the wheels receive. A generator recharges a battery pack to complete the package. It’s referred to as a continuously variable transmission, but it’s not that belt-driven nonsense you’re thinking of; these are actually reliable and durable. This one has 156,000 miles on it, but these things were used as taxis, and plenty of them have tripled that mileage or more.
The seller says this car has been reliable during the five years they’ve had it, and they’ve kept up on the maintenance. It was in an accident sometime prior to that, and has a rebuilt title to show for it – but if it has been going strong since then, I don’t see a reason to worry about it. It’s in good condition inside, except for a popped seam on the driver’s seat. A good upholstery shop could probably fix it if it’s that big of a deal.
I always liked the styling of these. I think it has aged well, and I definitely prefer it to the current Escape. Too bad it’s white, though; I’ll never understand why so many people want their cars to match their washing machines. At least it’s clean and rust-free, though the gray plastic bumpers are looking a little old.
2005 Toyota RAV4 – $3,700
Engine/drivetrain: 2.4-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Monroe, WA
Odometer reading: 122,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
The Toyota RAV4, along with its rival the Honda CR-V, is pretty much to blame for the whole crossover SUV thing in the first place. Introduced as a cute little two-door with a soft top, it quickly evolved (if that’s the right word) into a four-door wagon style. By the time this second-generation RAV4 was built, the formula was set in stone, and the two-door was no more. Seeing a two-door RAV4 these days is like seeing a photo of your fun college friend before they became a dentist and had kids.
This RAV4 is powered by a 2.4 liter four, the same 2AZ-FE found in that Camry from earlier in the week, with the same hit-or-miss reputation for oil consumption. It’s not Toyota’s biggest “boat anchor” – that would probably be the 3.0 liter V6 from the mid-90s trucks – but it doesn’t have the same carefree reputation for reliability as something like a 4A-FE. It has 122,000 miles on it, and runs just fine, according to the seller. It was purchased for their kid to drive, but the ungrateful little shi – I mean, discerning youth – turned it down, so it’s up for sale again.
Like the Escape, this RAV4 has a rebuilt title from some unknown damage in its past, but like the Escape, it doesn’t seem to matter much. It’s in good condition, with a little wear on the inside, but no real damage. We don’t get much information on its condition in the ad; I wish they had put more effort into presenting the car than telling us what behavior they will and won’t accept from a buyer. But that’s online classifieds these days, I guess.
On the outside, it’s a bit scratched-up, but otherwise clean. The steel wheels could use a coat of paint, including the spare, but that’s easy enough. And I have to say, I really like the color of this one.
These things aren’t exciting, I know, but they are incredibly practical, efficient, and reliable. That’s why they’re popular. And if you’re looking for a sensible used car, if you can’t beat ’em, why not just join ’em?
(Image credits: sellers)
Escape hybrid for me. That vehicle was one of the best vehicles Ford made in the 2000s from a reliability and durability perspective.
Funny how ahead of the curve Ford was with hybrid SUVs in the 2000s. The Ford used a Toyota designed system yet Toyota didn’t offer the RAV4 with a hybrid until 2 generations after this one.
I picked the Ford for that reason, and also for the better tail lights compared to this facelifted gen 2 RAV4 (can red turn signals please fuck off and die already)
Neither one moves me. My nephew had an Escape Hybrid and it was a miserable thing to drive. He also said the fuel mileage fell far short of expectations. A regular Escape would have gotten my vote. May I add, I would rather my car match the color of a washing machine than a lump of coal. Tinny Toyota this time.
No offense, but you/your nephew probably didn’t know how to drive that Escape Hybrid. You have to drive them like the Prius the transmission came from; in “L” gear, and with the go pedal always either to the floor or completely off. There’s no reason to treat the gas pedal with subtlety. It’s obviously not a hot-hatch, but if pushed you could have some fun with it while on daily errands.
I think the real question is which item is more economical to replace and could you or would you do it in your own garage? the Hybrid is out for me simply because I know the battery is probably about ready for replacement. I think they are quite small in 2005, but they are also around 2K Refurbished. The 2.4 Toytoa strangely has “tested” 2AZ motors on Alibabab for 1,180, that might make for an interesting story here, but I am not willing to invest the money for that. Looks like most reman 2AZ’s are 2K and up as well.
Me personally, I would not go for either of these vehicles. but if I knew I had to take one, I suppose I would much rather replace the gas motor and not have to worry about the Battery.
I’ve been driving an oil burning 2AZ for the last decade, and I can promise you that I’ll never repair or replace that engine. It takes about 1 to 1.5 liters every 1000km.
The engine runs like new and it will continue to do so until the end of time. It requires almost no other maintenance. Mine is an ’06 and all I’ve done is a serpentine belt (As a precaution) and a valve cover gasket ( I would have left that but it was leaking down the exhaust side). Even being Toyota’s worst engine, It’s still more dependable than most engines. It will outlive every original Subaru EJ on the planet.
I had two of these hybrids, and passed them on to others at 185k miles and 192k miles, with perfectly functional batteries. When taxi fleets were retiring them, I would regularly see them on craigslist with 300k and 400k miles. Thing to keep in mind is these batteries are NiMH, not the Lithium Ion that modern EVs use. Not saying they don’t age also, but they are much more robust.
These are both great reliable cars. Honestly, my vote came down to fuel economy. These are both boring reliable beigemobiles, as long as the hybrid battery is in decent shape you might as well get the more efficient beigemobile.