Ford Escape Hybrid

The Ford Escape Hybrid, launched in 2004, is a gas-electric hybrid powered version of the Ford Escape sport utility vehicle developed by the Ford Motor Company. Built in Kansas City, Missouri, it is the first hybrid SUV to hit the market. A similar vehicle, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid is sold by Ford's Mercury marque, and a third variation, the Mazda Tribute Hybrid, will be sold by Mazda starting in 2006.

As of 2006, the Escape hybrid system is among the most advanced available on the market. It is a "full" hybrid electric system — meaning the system can switch automatically between pure electric power, pure gasoline engine power, or a combination of electric battery and gasoline engine operating together, for maximum performance and efficiency at all speeds and loads. When braking or decelerating, the Escape's hybrid system uses regenerative braking — where the electric drive motor becomes a generator, converting the vehicle's momentum back to electricity for storage in the batteries. The Hybrid Escape with 155 total horsepower has nearly the same acceleration performance as the conventional 200 hp V6 Escape.

Ford built 17,000 Escape Hybrids in the second half of 2004, four times as many as the company had originally planned to build. Consumer demand has been strong, as it was with the Toyota Prius. Ford plans to produce 4,000 Mariner Hybrids and 20,000 Escape Hybrids for 2006. A number of Mazda Tribute Hybrids will also be produced.

The Hybrid Escape will also be the first to market with alternative flexible fuel capability - running on E85 (85% ethanol / 15% gasoline). [1]

See WikiCars' comprehensive Ford Escape Review Page

Styles and Major Options

The Ford Escape Hybrid has one four-door body style and offers front wheel or all-wheel drive variants.

Standard Equipment

• 6-way power adjustable driver's seat
• Air Conditioning
• AM/FM/CD player with 6-disc in-dash changer
• Leather wrapped steering wheel
• Rearview mirror with automatic dimming
• Keyless entry keypad on driver's door
• 16" 5 spoke aluminum wheels

Safety Package - $595

• Safety Canopy™ System with side-curtain airbags and rollover sensor
• Front-seat side-impact airbags

Appearance Package - $695

• Silver Metallic finished fascias, side cladding and wheel lip moldings
• Body color painted door handles and lift-gate surround

Leather Comfort Package - $695

• Driver and passenger leather trimmed map pockets (front & rear)
• Leather wrapped steering wheel
• 6-way power driver's seat

Premium Package - $3,995

• Heated leather seating surfaces with perforated leather inserts
• Navigation system with Hybrid energy flow display, 7-speakers & MP3 capability
• Safety Canopy™ System with side-curtain airbags and rollover sensor
• Front-seat side-impact airbags
• Reverse sensing system

Optional Equipment

• Power Moonroof (requires Premium Package) - $585
• Audiophile 6-disc in-dash CD changer with 7-speakers & MP3 capability - $595
• Navigation system with Hybrid energy flow display, 7-speakers & MP3 capability - $1,995

Pricing

2006 Base MSRP Pricing (excludes delivery charge of $615). The U.S. Federal Income Tax Credit is $2,600 for FWD models & $1,950 for 4WD models purchased prior to December 31, 2010.

Trim
Base FWD	Base FWD w/Safety Package	Base FWD w/Appearance Package	FWD w/Premium Package	Base 4WD	Base 4WD w/Safety Package	Base 4WD w/Appearance Package	4WD w/Premium Package
Price
MSRP
$26,900	$27,495	$27,595	$30,895	$28,525	$29,120	$29,220	$32,520
Invoice
$25,049	$25,555	$25,640	$28,445	$26,528	$27,034	$27,119	$29,924

Gas Mileage

Trim
FWD CVT	4WD CVT
Engine
2.3L I-4	2.3L I-4
MPG (City/Highway)
36/31	33/29

Safety

• Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
• Dual front air-bags (SRS)(Dual-stage driver and single-stage front passenger)
• Front and rear crumple zones
• Front passenger occupancy sensor
• Front 3-Point safety belts with automatic tensioning system
• SecuriLock® passive anti-theft system with ignition immobilizer
• Remote keyless-entry system with illuminating feature
• Optional side-impact airbags (Premium Package)
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• 3-point safety belts for all seat positions
• Lower Anchors, tether anchors for children (LATCH) on rear outboard seat
• Optional overhead side-curtain airbags (Ford's Safety Canopy™ System)
• 4 Star front/5 Star side National Highway Traffic Safety Agency NHTSA crash test rating

Photos

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Colors

Exterior

• Titanium Green Clearcoat Metallic
• Redfire Clearcoat Metallic
• Vista Blue Clearcoat
• Dune Pearl Clearcoat
• Tungston Grey Clearcoat
• Black Clearcoat Metallic
• Silver Metallic Clearcoat
• Oxford White Clearcoat

Interior

• Medium/Dark Flint

Unique Attributes

The Mariner Hybrid, along with it's sister model Ford Escape Hybrid and cousin Mazda Tribute Hybrid, are known as full hybrids. They can run purely on electric power in many urban driving conditions. This is reflected in their higher city MPG rating (compared to highway). The Ford Escape Hybrid version of this trio debuted in 2004 (as a 2005 model), the first Hybrid compact SUV available for sale in North America.

Resale Values

Trim
2006 Escape Hybrid	2006 Escape Limited 4WD	2005 Escape Limited 4WD
Price
MSRP
$28,525	$26,680	$26,630
Invoice
$26,528	$24,763	$24,653
Resale Value
N/A	N/A	N/A
Engine
2.3L I-4, electric motor 155HP	3.0L V-6 200HP	3.0L V-6 200HP

Criticisms

Buyers who purchase the Hybrid Energy Audio & Navigation System, either by selecting the Premium Package or ordering it as a stand alone option, will likely find the navigation screen a little too small to use easily.

Design quirks and oddities

Visually, the Escape Hybrid is barely different from the standard Escape. Most people won't even notice the differences at all. There are Hybrid badges flanking the front doors and rear hatch. The Escape Hybrid has a vent built into its left rear quarter-panel glass which helps to cool the battery pack. The tachometer in the Escape Hybrid, has a sub-zero setting that it uses to indicate that the car is running only on electric power, such as while sitting at a stop or even while traveling down the road in certain urban driving conditions.

An optional Hybrid Energy Audio & Navigation system provides instant fuel economy on a display screen that resembles a thermometer. Average economy is indicated by a stock market-style chart of fuel use for the past 15 minutes, which happens to fill most of the screen.

The Escape Hybrid's gasoline engine is a 2.3-liter, inline four-cylinder that operates under what is known as the Atkinson cycle, a technology designed to enhance the quality of fuel combustion. The Atkinson cycle sacrifices a small amount of outright power, for the sake of keeping intake valves open longer and operating under a higher compression ratio, to aid in the economy effort.

Awards

North American Truck of the Year 2005

External Links

Hybrid Cars.com

Ford Escape Hybrid - Official Site