2008 Ford Escape Bottom Line

By  Rex Roy, Detroit EditorRex Roy

In 2008, hybrid vehicles are still pretty rare. "Full" hybrids that can actually be driven on pure battery power alone--versus "mild" hybrids that just shut off the gas engine when the vehicle isn't moving--are rarer still. The much-improved 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid is one of them, and the tweaks made for 2008 help its gas-electric drivetrain run more efficiently.

Members of TheCarConnection.com team put thousands of miles on 2007 and 2008 Escape Hybrids over the past two years, and can vouch for Ford's claims that the newer models drive more smoothly, with virtually no transitional wavers in power delivery as the hybrid powertrain switches from electric-only to electric-plus-gasoline or gasoline-only.

The 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid's 2.3-liter gas engine (133 horsepower), 70-kilowatt AC electric motor, and 330-volt battery pack deliver power and performance comparable to the gas-powered 200-hp V-6 Escape in every area except max tow ratings. Here, the hybrid's only good for 1,000 pounds versus up to 3,500 pounds for the V-6 gas version, but the Escape Hybrid (34 mpg city/30 mpg highway) beats the EPA mileage of the V-6 Escape by about 14 mpg in city and 7 mpg on the highway (single-mode full hybrids like the Escape show huge gains in mpg in city cycles and smaller gains in highway cycles due to their design).

In addition to the new programming in the powertrain, the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid receives the same improvements in style, quality, and refinement bestowed upon the gasoline-powered 2008 Ford Escape compact SUVs: a new Expedition-like hood and grill, spiffy taillamps, thicker carpeting, an acoustically laminated windshield, and recessed channels molded into the roof to improve airflow over the vehicle at speed and further quiet things down. Ford claims a 12 percent reduction in cabin noise at 80 mph--but the economically minded would never drive that fast so as not to waste fuel. Inside the quieter cabin, there's a new dash layout that's similarly squared-off, with a more substantial-looking center stack off to the right that houses an information center/LCD screen on top and audio/optional GPS screen down below that. Between the seats, there's a much more useful "deep well," multitiered center console with removable storage trays and combo cup holders. All gauges and controls get "ice blue" LED-style backlighting, while the interior fabrics are made from recycled "post-industrial materials" that Ford says helps to conserve 600,000 gallons of water and 7 million kilowatts of electricity that would otherwise have been used to produce seat covers from "virgin" materials. You'll feel more virtuous just by sitting in one.

If you're shopping for a hybrid, finding a direct competitor to the 2008 Escape Hybrid is tough once you look beyond its Ford Motor Company stablemates, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid and the Mazda Tribute Hybrid (shhhhh, they're all the same except for trim).

The closest competitor currently available is the Saturn Vue Green Line, but its four-cylinder powertrain is far less complex than the Escape Hybrid, and doesn't offer nearly the mileage increase. However, it does cost less. When the 2009 Saturn 2-Mode Hybrid arrives, it will boast a V-6 full hybrid package that should deliver outstanding performance in its Opel-based platform. This may be a top pick for driving enthusiasts who want to go green. Other competitors are clearly out of the Ford Escape Hybrid's class (in both size and luxury features), but those listed do feature full-hybrid powertrains.

A bigger question to ask before which hybrid to buy is whether the hybrid powertrain is worth the price difference. The answer depends on how much driving you do annually, how long you plan to keep the vehicle, and ultimately, what the per-gallon cost of gas will be over that time period. Maybe you'll save some green; then again, maybe not. Do the math.