Originally Posted by
badger1
Still does; with the exception of the very highest-grade carbon frames (road and mountain), all Treks are made either by Giant (mid/upper-mid level) or other off-shore (Taiwan; China; Vietnam) factories. In the case of Specialized ... everything. Their high-end facility (in Taiwan) is Merida. Cannondale, the same (off-shore production).
Further, the similarity should not be surprising; the Escape, like the FX, or the new (2012) Specialized Sirrus, for example, are all basically flat-bar versions of 'light touring' frames; the geometry/overall 'look' will necessarily be pretty much-of-a-muchness.
I like SRAM 4X better than Shimano Altus and I like a 32C or even a 28C tire better for commuting than a 35C. So that nails it. At $450 the Escape is a better buy IMO than the 7.2 FX.