Roadhawk

1973 Torino wagon....serious workhorse 1991 Probe...outstanding car in every way 1985 Bronco...rusty but never quit 1991 Taurus SHO...great car but pricey to maintain 2012 Focus...Huge fun to drive but DC transmission was a problem child 2013 Taurus...awesome machine save for leaky sunroof and that huge dead pedal on long trips 2013 Escape 2.0T AWD....super machine, useful, fun...I wish mpg was a bit better but oh well. Still love it! 16-18 Edge Titanium 3.5....(next to come) as soon as my convertible is paid for! :)

I was curious myself if it had to be MKX cluster or would the MKZ work as well?

I agree that if you just slap a cone filter on with out the heat shield or just delete a muffler you will probably see very little gain but a lot more noise. Taking the time and a little extra effort and expense makes a big difference. The cost of tuning a turbo engine vs N/A is no different and exhaust expense can actually be more if you invest in a downpipe. Intercoolers are pricey anywhere you get them but intake/tune/exhaust on N/A can easily yield more like 30 hp/trq and that's worthwhile. Both of my current vehicles are 2013 so I don't consider them past technology.

Its funny but I read these threads all the time where people say intake, throttle body, porting and exhaust do nothing. Sorry but I beg to differ. A tune alone can often add 20hp and thats nothing to sneeze at. Better flow via intake and TB can add another 5-10hp in upper range WOT power. Exhaust does nothing? If you just chop off a muffler, yes, probably not much, but larger tubing, hi-flo cats, free-flow mufflers/resonators, swapping "T" joint for "Y" pipes can all make a difference. If none of this stuff works, why does the factory do exactly the same things when they offer higher HP models? I've done most of the above mods to my convertible and it went from a sedate cruiser to a hair-trigger, growling animal that peels rubber from a stoplight (it never did that before) No, mods for a N/A engine will not yield 80-100hp like cranking the boost on a turbo, but it will make it more fun to drive and wont destroy the MPG like a turbo does. My EcoBoost Escape is rated for 28 hi-way and its NEVER hit that number in the almost 4 years I've owned it. But I dont drive it 55mph either. Maybe it would get that number falling off a cliff. I have a good friend with a heavy-modded Focus ST and he freely admits the car is a monster (it IS) but the mpg went to hell in a handbag. DO a better intake, TB (optional) a tune and better exhaust. Any competent exhaust shop can fab up a system to your specs for a fraction of the cost of an out-of-the-box stainless cat-back system. Yes, stainless will last but its mighty pricey. You'll enjoy the noise and the better performance without killing you at the gas pump.

A cone filter intake will definitely give you some good sound from your 3.7 As far as exhaust goes, I've always had good results with Magnaflow products. I keep the factory resonator or replace it with a round straight thru unit, then a pair of shorty 9 inch ovals out back...or depending on the set-up, a crossflow/dual exit unit. I've used this on several vehicles including my EcoBoost Escape and my V6 convertible. Check out the clips

Has anyone added a front spoiler/ splitter to their SEL or Titanium without swapping to the entire Sport front fascia? Most just attach to the bumper cover with screws so it seems like it could easily be done.

B-58 Hustler Pima ASM B-36 Peacemaker Pima ASM CH-53 Pave-Lo Pima ASM C-130s lined up in The Boneyard, Monahan-Davis AFB

I've always had good success with Magnaflow. I keep a straight-thru resonator/muffler after the cat to kill the highway drone and then small ovals out back for a mellow sound. If the pipe comes to a "T" at the rear axle, I generally have that swapped out for a true "Y" joint. After going thru 5 different systems on my old Pontiac GP, this is the formula that works best for me. The 2.0T EcoBoost on my Escape follows that except out back it has one crossflow-dual exit muffler as opposed to twin ovals. No sputter, no popping or back-rapping. I'm sure the 2.7 in the ST will sound better than the 2.0

I actually liked the "bird beak" face the Lincolns used to have. The new front fascia is more understated, I agree but I did like the boldness of the older design

Started flight lessons in my youth but never finished...life happens. But, since I was a kid I've always loved to visit the aircraft museums and go to the air shows...that has never changed. I cannot begin to list my fave aircraft but US Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson, Pima Air and Space in Arizona, US Naval Aviation at Pensacola and Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles in VA are some of the best places I've been. F-14 Tomcat, deck of the USS Midway Floating Museum, San Diego CA

I currently have the 2.0T in my 2013 Escape and while it is an over-achiever for its size, the mpg isnt stellar for a 4cyl. I've also read in other places that if you have heavy foot (and I kinda do) then the EcoBoost will not be kind at the pump. That aside, there are two other downsides. One is the perpetually sooty exhaust outlet. I know it sounds petty but the filthy black tips on the Escape do annoy me a tad. I've been told its the nature of the beast with any DI engine. Fair enough. Number Two, and this also is a quirk, but I do love the sound the intake generates on a N/A engine. The turbo whoosh on my Escape sounds like the most badazz Dyson to ever hit the carpet but it doesnt tickle my fancy for driving. Granted, I do like the idea of the better suspension the Edge Sport rides on but I figure between wider wheel/tire combo, poly bushings and lowering springs, I should be able to mod a Titanium to be almost as good. The 3.5 is a good engine and I'll be happy to be sitting behind another one as good as the Taurus.

I'm with you @IcyFridge The factory driving lights on my Escape aren't crazy bright but I do like the wider view at night. I swapped to LEDs in both head and fog lights on my convertible and I love the difference. I honestly think the color being a more white light vs the more orange you get from halogen helps with clarity. I've been looking online at kits for the 15-18 Edge but I'd like to retain the DRLs. I added LED DRLs to my 13 Taurus and while not as effective as a fog light, it still added some wider view at night. Are the factory fog lights LEDs? If not, I'd get some factory style housings and add the good LED bulbs

I've used the sets of puzzle lock lugs that come with their own wrench from Autozone. The red anodized finish has faded on one set but the condition of the lug nuts themselves is unchanged. I have another set on my convertible and they are holding up great. I also like that they fit into the deep holes on aftermarket wheels easier without the puzzle socket scraping up the wells.

Super sharp looking and nicely done....good info too! Thanks! I swapped from rubber to poly bushings on the sway bar on my car....not a huge difference but the harder you corner the more it seems to help.

How many different levels of suspension are offered on the 15-up Edge? Are they all the same except for the Sport? Does the Sport get lower springs and bigger sway bars? If you have the SEL or Titanium is it better to just go with lowering springs? My 13 Escape Titanium handles well with a larger wheel/tire combo but the Escape doesn’t offer a Sport pkg. Thoughts?