Max Tow Capacity: 3,500 lbs. Wheelbase: 103.1" Standard Brakes: front ventilated disc, rear drum Fuel Economy: 23/28 mpg I4; 20/24 mpg V6 Max Payload: 987 lbs. Final Gear Ratio: 4.588:1 Price Range: $18,160-$21,335 Powertrain Warranty: 5 years/50,000 miles Engine: 130-hp, 2.0L Zetec I4; 200-hp, 3.0L V6 Special Features: Optional anti-lock brakes, standard dual front air bags, optional side impact air bags, EPA low emissions status, engine immobilizer system, unibody chassis, rack-and-pinion power steering.

Ford knows how to keep you guessing. First they introduce the Excursion, the largest SUV on the market. It's so big that it has trouble fitting in some garages. Then Ford announces that maybe this SUV thing is getting out of hand, so they double back on themselves and everybody else and announce that 2001 is going to see the introduction of - a new Ford SUV. Only this one, the Ford Escape, is compact, and it's targeted at the market being commanded by Nissan's Xterra and Toyota's RAV4.

The excitement is deserved. Ford has built the Escape on a new platform featuring unibody construction for reduced weight and improved handling and has even lowered the stance for more stability and easier entry and exiting. The Escape offers a choice of engines, a standard 2.0L Zetec I4 or a 3.0L Duratec V6 that produces 200 hp that brings the Escape's rated towing capacity up to a full 3,500 pounds.

Either engine is promised to be fuel-efficient and have low emissions, and Ford vows that the increased economy and efficiency won't come at the expense of comfort and capacity.