I bought the '08 Escape in the summer of '07 and it's still running strong almost 6 years later. In that time the maintenance and repair costs have been less than $5000.... that's including 4 new tires, all the minor maintenance upkeep costs, as well as new front brakes (pads & rotors). On average I can get 8-9L/100Km on the highway and around 12L/100Km in the city. Gets even better when towing, which it does comfortably on a regular basis. Plenty of cargo room even with a child seat installed. I'd recommend the Escape to anyone looking for a light SUV.

Cheers!