I drive an '01 Escape. I can drive a stick, but my Escape has an automatic.
It's been a pretty good vehicle - perfectly sized for my needs, very versatile, takes a lot of abuse from me. I carry all kinds of crap with it - bikes, kayaks, skis, bales of hay, whatever..... I have the V6 - I've heard bad things about the reliability 4-cylinder. I can't speak to the 4-cyl hybrid. With no roof rack and cruise control, I can get about 25 mpg on a long highway trip.

I hate the local Ford dealers (crooks!), my Ford dealers up in MA were better. Other than that...I just do regular maintenance - had a few unexpected repairs along the way - and it's been pluggin' along just fine. Great vehicle.

That said...I am looking to replace within a year or so (maybe), and a Forester is on the short-list. So, I'm curious to see what responses you get!