The Good Good in snow, comfort, cheaper than other hybrid SUVs
The Bad Doubts about quality and reliability, price premium over conventional models
The Bottom Line The best bargain among hybrid SUVs
I figured out that I was going to be giving the 2006 Ford (F) Escape Hybrid SUV a pretty rigorous winter driving test about 9 p.m. one recent evening as I headed west out of New York City on Interstate 80. Not far from the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border, a sign indicated that 1-80's three lanes curved off to the left, and I realized that the third lane was missing, having mysteriously disappeared in a maelstrom of swirling snow.
I also gradually concluded that the cars I was following at 30 miles per hour in what was supposed to be the right lane were actually driving on the shoulder of the road. It was snowing so hard that no one had any idea where the edge of the highway was.
There I was, caught on the Interstate in a nasty snowstorm -- ideal conditions for testing the Escape hybrid. That's because many people buy SUVs so they'll feel protected in an accident, and there was a definite chance of running off into a ditch or into the back of another car if the Escape didn't handle well in snow.
LESS COSTLY WHEELS. These days, however, SUV shoppers also want a vehicle that not only has four-wheel drive, modest off-road capabilities, and a reasonable amount of hauling space but also sips, rather than guzzles, gas. In theory, the compact, four-wheel-drive version of the Escape Hybrid is one of the best vehicles on the market for fulfilling all those demands.
I say "in theory" because I've always had doubts about hybrid SUVs. Hybrids gain fuel efficiency by recovering energy normally lost in braking and using it to help power an electric motor that augments the vehicle's gasoline engine. They're most efficient during city driving if you come to gradual stops and don't accelerate quickly. That's hardly the kind of driving SUVs were designed for, and I always figured that if you really need an SUV -- like if you live in the country or regularly head off to a weekend house -- you won't get sufficient gas savings to offset the price premium on a hybrid.
That said, the Escape hybrid (and its sister model, the hybrid version of the Mercury Mariner) is by far the cheapest hybrid SUV on the market. The four-wheel-drive versions of the Escape and Mariner start out at $29,140 and $29,840, respectively. Their only direct rivals are made by Toyota (TM): The Highlander, which is larger than the Escape, and the considerably more luxurious, and speedy Lexus RX 400. They start out at $35,035 and $46,755, respectively, in the all-wheel-drive versions.
The Escape is also the only one of the three that's U.S.-made, and it has the best mileage rating: 36 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway, vs. 31 and 27 mpg for both Lexus and Highlander.
MODEST CAPABILITIES. On top of that, you get a tax break for buying one. Congress has authorized a tax credit of up to $3,400 for buying a hybrid -- a considerable increase over the $2,000 tax deduction previously allowed. Ford figures the credit will come to $1,950 for the four-wheel-drive Escape and Mariner, vs. $2,600 for the two-wheel-drive versions. Keep in mind, though, that the company is offering a $1,500 discount on nonhybrid versions of the Escape right now.
How did the Escape do in real-life driving? Predictably, mileage plunged during the big snowstorm because I was running the heater, defroster, and front and rear windshield wipers full blast, and was plowing through heavy snow. In 189 miles of driving, I got only 24.3 miles per gallon.
Otherwise, the Escape hybrid performed about as well as any other small SUV. The four-wheel drive kicks in automatically as needed, and the Escape held the road reasonably well on snow and ice. The only difference I could sense between it and other SUVs I've driven is that that the hybrid's tires seemed to slip a bit more on ice during acceleration. The antilock brakes brought the Escape hybrid to quick stops, even on ice. They didn't seem affected at all by the regenerative braking system that helps power the electric engine.
The Escape hybrid's off-road capabilities are modest, but adequate for most drivers. I took my test vehicle down a steep, icy incline into a snowy river bottom several times and got in and out without incident.
BOXY LOOKS. In less severe conditions, the Escape hybrid has the comfortable ride of a sedan. Its electric and gasoline engines generate a combined 155 horsepower. It's hardly a speed demon -- Car & Driver calculates that it takes more than 10 seconds for it to go from 0 to 60 -- but it feels about as quick as a compact SUV with a small six-cylinder conventional engine. Steering is crisp, and the suspension is comfortable. I got 30 miles per gallon in mixed highway and backroad driving, and between 32 and 33 mpg in the city.
The Escape's styling is functional at best. The exterior is boxy and plain-looking. Inside, it's like a scaled-down version of the Explorer -- which is to say thoughtfully designed but not very exciting. The front seats have plenty of head, shoulder, and leg room but -- as with other compact SUVs -- leg room in the rear seat is pretty cramped for adults. Cargo space behind the rear seats is 27.6 cubic feet and expands to a maximum 65 cubic feet with the seats down. But if you regularly carry a lot of passengers, you probably need to pay up for the Highlander hybrid, which has room for a third row of seats.
As with other hybrids these days, you can load the Escape with options if you want to. A $3,995 premium package includes leather trim, side and side-curtain airbags, plus a power moonroof, six-CD audio, navigation, and heated seats and outside mirrors. Purchased à la carte, the navigation and upgraded sound systems cost a combined $1,995, leather trim $595, side and side-curtain airbags $595, and the power moonroof $585.
DRIVING RANGE. Finding an Escape hybrid with the options you want may not be easy, however. Overall Escape sales fell 10% last year, to 165,122, but Ford easily sold most of the 20,000 Escape hybrids it produced. It says only about one hybrid Escape per dealer remained on the lots at the beginning of the year.
Is this hybrid a good deal? Well, Escapes don't have the reputation for quality and reliability of Toyotas. The Highlander hybrid earns a four-star overall quality rating from J.D. Power, vs. just two stars for the hybrid Escape.
The answer also depends on what type of driving you do. If you need four-wheel drive but also do a fair amount of in-town driving, the hybrid Escape could pay off. But the cheapest four-wheel-drive Escape with a conventional four-cylinder engine and manual transmission starts at just $20,245 (taking into account the $1,500 discount) and is rated to get 22 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. Of course, it's slower, and doesn't have the ultralow emissions and the smugness factor of a hybrid, but saving seven grand (even after the tax credit for buying a hyrbrid) is nothing to sneeze at. I would definitely test-drive a conventional Escape before paying up for the hybrid.
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