Site search
sponsored by
Home
News
As the first truly practical (ie. Colorado mountain winter-ready) application of the new wave of automotive hybrid technology beginning to emerge for mass consumption, Ford's much-acclaimed Escape Hybrid has proven itself a popular experiment.
Integrated into what is already a reliable and comfortable small SUV package, the Escape's gas/electric mix meshes seamlessly with an optional full-time all-wheel-drive system, making the vehicle rough and rugged enough for regular duty on snowy passes.
The Hybrid shares all the standard proportions and passenger comforts of the regular Escape - a power driver's seat, air conditioning and plenty of cargo room with fold-flat rear seating - with the only visible difference being an electric motor/battery boost assist and charge gauge on the dash and a 110-volt electrical socket above the gear shifter, as well as a small vent for the battery system on the left-hand rear window.
Get behind the wheel, however, and you'll discover an experience quite removed from driving the Escape Hybrid's solely gasoline-powered sibling. Turn the key and the gasoline engine will whirr to life.
Integrated into what is already a reliable and comfortable small SUV package, the Escape's gas/electric mix meshes seamlessly with an optional full-time all-wheel-drive system, making the vehicle rough and rugged enough for regular duty on snowy passes.
The Hybrid shares all the standard proportions and passenger comforts of the regular Escape - a power driver's seat, air conditioning and plenty of cargo room with fold-flat rear seating - with the only visible difference being an electric motor/battery boost assist and charge gauge on the dash and a 110-volt electrical socket above the gear shifter, as well as a small vent for the battery system on the left-hand rear window.
Get behind the wheel, however, and you'll discover an experience quite removed from driving the Escape Hybrid's solely gasoline-powered sibling. Turn the key and the gasoline engine will whirr to life.
Depending on whether or not you've started the car on a cold day, the engine may continue to run for a few moments; if it's warm enough, the engine will then suddenly go dead (the tachometer dropping below zero and into the green "hybrid" zone) and the Escape's electric motor will begin to do all the work.
If the shock of the car turning itself off hasn't got to you, put it in gear and press on the pedal ... and away we go. You'll marvel to a whisper-quiet electric ride that stays in all-electric mode up to 25 miles per hour, yet still accelerates and handles with all the power of the gas model.
At low, steady speeds in an urban setting - Summit County's residential streets - you really can experience the 33 miles per gallon (in the city) rating the car has garnered, with the electric motor serving as the Escape's only source of propulsion.
Therein lies the secret of the hybrid's effectiveness, a lesson we might all adopt to help add a little extra efficiency to our own gas-powered driving.
If the shock of the car turning itself off hasn't got to you, put it in gear and press on the pedal ... and away we go. You'll marvel to a whisper-quiet electric ride that stays in all-electric mode up to 25 miles per hour, yet still accelerates and handles with all the power of the gas model.
At low, steady speeds in an urban setting - Summit County's residential streets - you really can experience the 33 miles per gallon (in the city) rating the car has garnered, with the electric motor serving as the Escape's only source of propulsion.
Therein lies the secret of the hybrid's effectiveness, a lesson we might all adopt to help add a little extra efficiency to our own gas-powered driving.
Making the hybrid earn its somewhat expensive fuel efficiency bonus (our test Escape Hybrid rang in at $31,825, several thousand dollars more than the regular internal combustion model) means holding back on the jackrabbit starts at lights, the full-power lunges up freeway entrance ramps and the standard gas-guzzling tactics most of us seem to employ, despite the painful price of filling the tank.
Should you throw caution to the wind and accelerate with a particularly heavy foot, the Hybrid's 2.3 liter inline four-cylinder engine will immediately kick in and generate extra power. Once the internal combustion mode begins, that already peppy powerplant gets an extra boost from the electric motor, producing 155 overall combined horsepower.
You'll get quick starts and handy response; you just won't get mileage figures that would make even alternate fuel enthusiasts such as Ed Begley Jr. envious.
Ultimately, the reality of life with the Hybrid is good but not Toyota Prius-style overall mileage, especially with the rigors of mountain and 75 mph speed limit freeway driving. I got about 30 miles a gallon driving the freeway up to Fort Collins from Denver and numbers in the upper 20s while traveling the mountain passes on I-70; in-town figures were never as high as I'd have hoped, but I did tend to stomp a bit too hard on the gas to reach hybrid efficiency heaven.
Generating the kind of speed you'll need to merge onto the interstate also produces the Escape Hybrid's most curious side effect. The Escape's regular transmission has been replaced with an electronic Continuously Variable Transmission; during heavy acceleration, the engine will rev like hell but the vehicle speed won't catch up for a moment, although the two will eventually equalize.
Should you throw caution to the wind and accelerate with a particularly heavy foot, the Hybrid's 2.3 liter inline four-cylinder engine will immediately kick in and generate extra power. Once the internal combustion mode begins, that already peppy powerplant gets an extra boost from the electric motor, producing 155 overall combined horsepower.
You'll get quick starts and handy response; you just won't get mileage figures that would make even alternate fuel enthusiasts such as Ed Begley Jr. envious.
Ultimately, the reality of life with the Hybrid is good but not Toyota Prius-style overall mileage, especially with the rigors of mountain and 75 mph speed limit freeway driving. I got about 30 miles a gallon driving the freeway up to Fort Collins from Denver and numbers in the upper 20s while traveling the mountain passes on I-70; in-town figures were never as high as I'd have hoped, but I did tend to stomp a bit too hard on the gas to reach hybrid efficiency heaven.
Generating the kind of speed you'll need to merge onto the interstate also produces the Escape Hybrid's most curious side effect. The Escape's regular transmission has been replaced with an electronic Continuously Variable Transmission; during heavy acceleration, the engine will rev like hell but the vehicle speed won't catch up for a moment, although the two will eventually equalize.
2005 Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD
Best features
- Great power and performance for hybrid engine system - Seamless 4WD operation - Mileage is definitely impressive Worst features - High-revving engine/transmission combo requires mental adjustment - Price premium for new technology - Information system a little too hands-on for safe driving Price as tested: $31,825 Includes: 2.3 liter Atkinson Cycle four-cylinder engine and electric motor with 330 volt battery, regenerative braking system, 16 inch wheels, power six-way driver seat, air conditioning, fog lamps, fulltime 4WD system, Energy Audiophile audio and navigation system, 110V power outlet Stated mileage: 33 mpg city, 29 highway |
The first couple of times you'll do it you'll swear you've shot the clutch or blown the transmission - I've done both in cars and know that terrible feeling of gunning an engine seemingly disconnected to the car - but you'll gradually get used to the Hybrid's peculiarly high bursts of RPM, followed by quiet-running regular highway speeds.
Running the passes means a whole lot of the revving cycle, over and over again, so keep that in mind if you'd like to use the Hybrid as a Denver commuter vehicle: this car might drive you crazy after a while, unless you're very conservative with uphill speeds.
Peculiar noises are a fact of life with the Escape Hybrid - the gigantic 330-volt battery, which consumes all of the space under the rear deck, has its own cooling fan and air conditioning system and tends to cycle at whim, even after you've turned off the vehicle.
The car uses regenerative braking to help recharge that massive battery, with the front brakes doing most of the work; the result is heavy, sometimes overly sensitive braking power that takes a bit of getting used to - the brakes' hydraulic system also blurts and gurgles a bit after you've turned off the key.
Running the passes means a whole lot of the revving cycle, over and over again, so keep that in mind if you'd like to use the Hybrid as a Denver commuter vehicle: this car might drive you crazy after a while, unless you're very conservative with uphill speeds.
Peculiar noises are a fact of life with the Escape Hybrid - the gigantic 330-volt battery, which consumes all of the space under the rear deck, has its own cooling fan and air conditioning system and tends to cycle at whim, even after you've turned off the vehicle.
The car uses regenerative braking to help recharge that massive battery, with the front brakes doing most of the work; the result is heavy, sometimes overly sensitive braking power that takes a bit of getting used to - the brakes' hydraulic system also blurts and gurgles a bit after you've turned off the key.
Those who want to attentively monitor their fuel efficiency can do so through the Escape's combination audio, navigation and information screen in the center stack, although it certainly will distract your attention from the road.
A 3-inch-wide color screen offers an active fuel economy graph (both instant mileage and an average over the last 15 minutes of travel) and a power consumption schematic that, in a very obscure reference, reminded me a lot of "SCRAM," the old Atari nuclear plant simulation game (you'll see when the engine and electric motor are helping each other out and can track the flow of energy back from the regenerative brakes).
There's also an adequate but not especially visually attractive GPS-linked navigation system Š maps are small and hard to read, and the navigation screen is separate from the map screen - with synthesized voice reading out the directions. The sound system also links to a six-CD changer hidden under the passenger seat.
Unfortunately, you'll spend a whole lot of time reaching over and toggling between the mileage monitor, fuel graph, navigation and stereo/radio screens, something that might be best left to your passengers. We'd suggest some steering-wheel mounted controls and a head-up display for the system as a safety-minded future development.
As a first-generation attempt at bridging the worlds of gas and electric power, the Escape Hybrid does a pretty good job and ran just fine in cold weather. It will be interesting to see how the technology develops over the next few years; in the meantime, the Escape's a pretty cool ride, even if there's a bit of culture shock involved when you hit the road.
A 3-inch-wide color screen offers an active fuel economy graph (both instant mileage and an average over the last 15 minutes of travel) and a power consumption schematic that, in a very obscure reference, reminded me a lot of "SCRAM," the old Atari nuclear plant simulation game (you'll see when the engine and electric motor are helping each other out and can track the flow of energy back from the regenerative brakes).
There's also an adequate but not especially visually attractive GPS-linked navigation system Š maps are small and hard to read, and the navigation screen is separate from the map screen - with synthesized voice reading out the directions. The sound system also links to a six-CD changer hidden under the passenger seat.
Unfortunately, you'll spend a whole lot of time reaching over and toggling between the mileage monitor, fuel graph, navigation and stereo/radio screens, something that might be best left to your passengers. We'd suggest some steering-wheel mounted controls and a head-up display for the system as a safety-minded future development.
As a first-generation attempt at bridging the worlds of gas and electric power, the Escape Hybrid does a pretty good job and ran just fine in cold weather. It will be interesting to see how the technology develops over the next few years; in the meantime, the Escape's a pretty cool ride, even if there's a bit of culture shock involved when you hit the road.
