[tomgeist]

We need a used "mule" in our garage...I don't want to run my new)er) car into the gound with all the miles I drive to and from work (60 r/t every day) but I would like something with a little room in the back for hauling the occasional bags of water softener salt, grass clippings, bulky items, etc. I sold a '91 Dodge Dakota truck (unused most of the time, got 15 mpg, tops) with the intention of getting an early 2000s Ford Focus Wagon. Unfortunately those little rigs are few and far between. What was more common those years was the Ford Escape; but from what I've been reading the Escape is disaster when it comes to fuel economy, not getting much better than the Dakota did.

Am I stuck with having to get something else for a daily driver or can an Escape be massaged in some way to deliver a consistent 25+ mpg? Thanks!