But here's a totally different take on this.
I drove a '79 Impala station wagon as far up BC logging roads as I could, about 30 times per year, for the 11 years I had it. It had a positraction rear differential, and I added air shocks to the rear end, so it didn't have that tail-dragging problem that made these cars the butt of ridicule. As long as it had clearance, people couldn't believe where it could go. If the roads weren't too rough, we could travel faster than 4x4's due to the soft suspension soaking things up. With a huge engine it never overheated and breezed up long dusty steep hills, on hot days with 6 people and their gear in air-conditioned comfort. With lousy engine braking, brake jobs were more frequent than usual, and sometimes we'd have to stop partway down a 4000' descent to cool the brakes. It crossed the Hurley many times, including the original road. Mt. Samson, Lizzie Lake, Silvertip, Black Tusk Microwave, - it would be interesting to add up the vertical that car did. But then they started digging really deep ditches in the logging roads, and a Pathfinder replaced the wagon.
However, although the car wasn't capable of stuff as rough as a 4x4 could handle, I'd say the challenges were the same - getting it as far as it could go with as little damage as possible. Every vehicle has its limits. In fact, "off-roading" is a misnomer since most vehicles wouldn't get 10 feet off a road in most parts of BC. It's possible that getting the wagon many of the places we took it was more satisfying than if we'd had a more rugged vehicle. On occasion, usually in snow, it would make it farther than supposedly better vehicles. Now, that was satisfying.
So what I'm saying is that as long as you don't expect to go everywhere a lifted Jeep can go, using the Escape on old logging roads could be just as rewarding. The challenge can be what we accomplish relative to what we have, rather than who can get farthest up which road. Plus you've got 'yer daily driver.
If you wanted to up the ante a bit, you could start by getting aftermarket or custom skid plates, perhaps air shocks for the back end, or some sort of a minor lift kit. If the clearance allows, which I doubt, you could get bigger tires. If you're taking an infant along, you'll want some way to call for help.
If anyone thinks a lift kit for an Escape is a joke, click on this:
http://www.autotrucktoys.com/escape/Ford-Escape-Lift-Kits-C352.aspxhttp://www.autotrucktoys.com/escape/Ford-Escape-Skid-Plates-C393.aspx
