escape

Our brothers-in-green have already covered the fact that Ford saw fit to provide new rides to the two American Idol finalists. This isn't a shocker; Ford is a major sponsor of the hit talent show on Fox. The chosen rides?

Click above for a high-res gallery of the lifeguard Escapes

For 2009, the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner (as well as the Mazda Tribute) are getting the powertrain updates that they missed out on when their exteriors were revamped last year. While the 2008 models had all-new looks and interiors, the engines and transmissions were carried over from 2007, including the four-speed automatic transmissions. We'll have more info on their new 2.5L four-cylinder and 3.0L V6 engines after we drive them next week, but Ford released some information on their new six-speed transmissions when we visited its Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights, MI.