four banger performance and reliability

I'm looking at buying an Escape 2wd and would like some input from anyone who has owned the four cylinder Escape. Hopefully the gas mileage would be somewhat better than the six but I'm wondering about how the 4 handles that vehicle and how reliable it has been. Observations would be appreciated.

Wife bought a 2009 2wd auto 4 cyl new in May 2009. It performed so well I bought one in July 2009. My brother and his wife drove ours, and bought a 2010 version of same vehicle for themselves.

Our vehicles perform very well. If not careful, you can break traction on dry pavement leaving a stop.

I have driven both of ours on long trips. Both can get 32 mpg @ 65mph and 30 @ 70 mph. I'm 6'4" 210# and found it very comfortable on a recent 6400 mile trip out west.

I get 29 mpg combined driving in summer and 25 mpg in winter in SE Michigan. I do a lot of coasting and very little hard acceleration.

None of the 3 Escapes have had any warranty problems.

You WILL have to accept/get used to the 6 speed auto-trans. It shifts a lot! After a year of driving, I hardly notice it. Another thing- Ford seems to think you need to hear just a tiny bit of exhaust noise when accelerating. I think you need to hear none. Ford won this one.

One caveat: If you ever need to tow a light trailer, you need the factory trailer package if only for the wiring. You cannot add trailer wiring easily to an Escape without this package.

I'd buy another in a NY minute.