At the risk of sounding like a broken record -- a very broken record -- I'm going to say it again: I have a hard time seeing the point of owning an SUV in the city of Chicago.
They guzzle gas. They take up too much space. And I usually only see one person, the driver, in them at any given time.
But, I believe I have finally found The One.
The 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid not only is compact but also gets gas mileage that bests most sedans. I did a few separate tests in this vehicle during the test week, and to say I was impressed would be an understatement.
On the very first day I got the front-wheel-drive test vehicle, I had to drive from O'Hare to the Sun-Times building at Wacker and Orleans. During rush hour. So, I reset the fuel estimate gauge, and settled in for the 20-mile 1-hour commute. I stayed in the electric motor much of the time, and I averaged 39.7 mpg.
During the next couple days, I did a lot of combined driving and a lot of sitting in place with the gasoline engine running. This time I averaged around 28 mpg.
Finally, I reset the fuel estimate gauge again, and I undertook a 3-hour completely highway drive from Indianapolis to Chicago. I didn't encounter any traffic, and I was traveling between 60 mph and 77 mph depending on the highway. Lest you think I was speeding profusely, I just want to point out that I-65 has a speed limit of 70 mph south of Merrillville.
EPA estimates that you should get 30 mpg in highway driving, but I doubt they took higher speed limits into consideration. At 55 mph, the rpms are in the 2,000 range, which means you'll get better mileage. At 75 mph, the rpms top 3,000, which means the engine is working harder and the fuel consumption will go up.
Since 2 hours of my trip was on I-65, I figured my average mpg would be around 25, which I thought would be decent for an SUV. However, as I was exiting the Kennedy to take surface streets for the rest of the trek home, I checked my estimate and it was a solid 28.4 mpg. That is really decent for an SUV.
Ford has entered a technology sharing agreement with Toyota on the hybrid powertrain, so the hybrid system in the Escape is very similar to that in the Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The Escape is a full hybrid, which means it can operate in the electric motor, the gasoline engine or a combination of the two. At a stop, the gasoline engine shuts off and the electric motor kicks in, helping you conserve fuel. If you accelerate gently, you can stay in the electric motor up to about 30 mph, which is how I managed 39.7 mpg on the way back from the airport. When you are driving on the highway, the electric motor and gasoline engine operate together, which helps you to conserve fuel even at cruising speeds.
The Escape Hybrid comes with a 133-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine. When you add in the power from the electric motor, the horsepower rating jumps to 155 and acceleration is comparable to a 200-horsepower V-6 engine.
The Escape Hybrid is available both as a front-wheel drive (FWD) and an all-wheel drive (AWD) model. If fuel economy is your priority, go with the FWD model as the EPA estimates for the two models are drastically different. The FWD has city/highway estimates of 34/30 mpg, and the AWD model has estimates of 29/27 mpg.
With the skyrocketing gas prices, all people seem to care about the fuel economy of a vehicle. But if you want more, the Escape Hybrid has it.
On Monday, the day before I had to turn the vehicle in, a friend called me and sheepishly asked: "So, what are you driving this week? Since most of my female friends don't care about cars, I figured there had to be an ulterior motive. There was. And it was in the shape of a 200-pound buffet table that her grandfather had built. It was big, and it was heavy, and it actually fit in the back of the Escape with the rear seats folded.
And there's more.
I was never particularly enamored with the body style of the Escape, but for 2008 it gets a makeover. The front grille is both chromey and aggressive, and the headlights and taillights get a beauty treatment. Inside the appointments are classy and look a little more solid than the previous incarnation of the Escape.
The test vehicle came with the Hybrid Premium Package ($1,195), which added a 110-volt electrical outlet, retractable cargo cover, heated front seats and leather seating surfaces among other things. The test vehicle also added a couple other packages that upped the final MSRP even more: the Chrome Appearance Package ($195) and the Audiophile and Navigation System ($2,695). The base price of the FWD Escape Hybrid is $25,740, and with all the options added in, the as-tested price rings in at $29,825.
When you consider that the base Escape starts at $19,245, you do have to realize you're paying a pretty penny for the Hybrid powertrain. But since the 2008 Escape is eligible for a federal income tax credit up to $3,000, the "real" price difference is a bit more manageable.
During the test week, I traveled 323 miles on a single tank of gas with mostly highway driving. Ford claims that you can drive up to 500 miles, but I was happy with 300 plus in an SUV. Plus, the vehicle was easy to parallel park, easy to drive and easy to back into my garage.
I enjoyed the Escape Hybrid, and I have finally found an SUV that I can whole-heartedly recommend for city dwellers.
DriveLive around Chicago in a VW Eos
