My sister has a 2002 Escape, a V6 with pretty much everything. I never thought I'd say this, but it's a pretty decent vehicle. There haven't been many problems with it (roughly 45k, starter went dead 8k in but hasn't been a persistent problem or anything). It performs well and the interior is nothing repulsive (like in an 05 Focus). I can't say it's any better than the Tribute, since I've never spent much time with one, but it is pretty respectable in my book.
