2005 Ford Escape Hybrid

Automotive history reveals it took America a long time to realize Americans wanted small, economical cars. By the time this sunk in, the Japanese were well ahead of us. We are determined that’s not going to happen again with hybrids. Although Honda and Toyota jumped out in front with small hybrid sedans and Honda is about to unveil the mid-sized Hybrid Accord, America is already in the race with something neither Honda nor Toyota offers: a hybrid compact sport utility. Even better, the Ford Escape reigns America’s best-selling compact sport utility. We already love it for many reasons other than fuel economy and low emissions. The green factor just gives us one more. I drove a Ford Escape Hybrid for a week, a front-wheel-drive model. It’s terrific.

The good news
The Ford Escape Hybrid may be compact, but it’s a real SUV with all-wheel drive as an option and performance similar to its gas-powered, less efficient counterpart. It has all the comforts and conveniences of the standard Escape and enough horsepower to make the gas-guzzlers pay respect.

The Hybrid version keeps the original Escape’s assets intact. Its handsome exterior (slightly updated for ’05), comfortable leather interior, front and head air bags, 27 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second seat, nice extras and overall congeniality endure. You can tow up to 1,000 pounds and carry up to 100 pounds on the roof rack. The big battery pack fueling the electric powertrain stows nicely beneath the cargo floor. If not for the special gauges indicating charge levels and when operation hits the coveted “green zone,” you wouldn’t know this wasn’t a regular Escape.

That still leaves the more important question unanswered: How closely does the Hybrid resemble its gas-fueled brethren in performance? Ford claims the Escape Hybrid’s combination gas/electric power provides performance “similar to that of a V-6 engine.” Since the Escape’s 200-horse V6 is part of what made it popular, that’s saying a lot.

Actually, it’s saying too much. This isn’t a V-6. What it is, however, is a hybrid that accelerates briskly on its ultra-efficient system and gets 50 percent better gas mileage than a standard Escape. Electric motors provide added boost under hard acceleration, as well as manage various systems. One system acts as director, signaling when to run on pure electric for fuel savings and performance, when to run on gas for power and when to blend the two. Combining both gas (a 2.3-liter inline 4-cylinder engine) and electric produces peak 155 horsepower. Not bad at all.

The gas engine shuts down automatically when you coast or stop and restarts when you accelerate. Shifting is handled by an electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) that makes continuous gear adjustments to optimize the economy/power ratio. All this is handled so smoothly, it doesn’t alter normal driving habits. You feel just a slight flutter when you accelerate from a stop, and hesitation is only a split-second.

Whenever “electric” is mentioned, the question always arises, “Do you have to plug it in?” Like other hybrids on today’s market, the Escape’s batteries charge during braking, which turns the traction motor into a generator. No plugs necessary.

The bad news
Braking on my test vehicle was grabby. I don’t know whether that’s characteristic of the Escape Hybrid or can be attributed to my vehicle being a pre-production model in which quality issues are worked out.

Because the Escape Hybrid engine shuts down at idle, so does the air conditioning. If you put it on “Max A/C,” it keeps the car and A/C running. But you’re burning fuel. It’s a tradeoff.

Is it worth it?
From the consumer standpoint, the Escape Hybrid – and other hybrids – pose a dilemma. Hybrids are more expensive than comparable gas-powered vehicles. In this case, the Hybrid’s base price is about $3,800 more than a similarly equipped V-6 Escape XLT. You have to drive the Hybrid a long time before the money saved on gas represents an overall savings.

But for many, this is not a matter of economy so much as ecology. The Escape Hybrid produces “97 percent less hydrocarbon and oxides of nitrogen emissions than vehicles that meet today’s nationwide Tier 1 emissions standard …and produces as little as half the amount of carbon dioxide…” Hybrids are cleaner, better for the environment and people bow down before you when you pull up to the neighborhood recycling center. From that standpoint, the extra cost is well worth it.

As hybrids go, this Escape is a gem. It’s everything we treasure about the gas-powered model plus a clear conscience. An SUV for those who like everything about the concept but the fuel consumption.

Particulars
Hybrid gas/electric-powered 5-passenger, 4-door compact sport utility
Price
Manufacturer’s base, $26,380;
Price as tested, $30,825
Engine
Type: gasoline engine is 2.3 liter aluminum double overhead cam (DOHC) 16-valve Atkinson cycle inline 4-cylinder; electric motor is permanent magnet AC synchronous motor.
Total power: 155 horses; 129 ft. lbs. of torque @ 4500 rpm.
Drivetrain
Transmission: electronically controlled continuously variable Front-wheel-drive tested, all-wheel-drive also available
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 103.2 in.
Overall length: 174.9 in.
Curb weight: 3620 lbs.
Gas mileage
36 mpg city/31 highway. City mileage is actually better than highway mileage for hybrids because of transmission efficiencies and engine shutdown during stop-and-go driving.

Website: www.fordvehicles.com

During her 16 years reviewing new vehicles, Beth Stein has written for Nashville's dailies (circ. 185,000), national magazines and BestStuff.com. She appeared coast-to-coast on-air for Road Test Magazine, Car And Driver Television and Motor Trend Television.