Bought a Ford Kuga 2l diesel manual 4wd in 2011. I believe this is called
the Escape in US.

Have now towed asw27 (and a nimbus 4dt) a total of 8,000 miles since then
on fields, minor roads, motoways, and autobahns, in good and bad weather,
wet, dry, snow, and ice. Typically Ford (bits fall off) but otherwise I
can't fault it.

My only tip is to make sure the hitch load is heavy ~ 60kgs ~ then it will
go up to 80mph without snaking. This may also have something to do with the
hitch being very close to the rear axle.

Jim