2005 Ford Escape Hybrid

We looked at the Civic & Prius hybrids prior to the Ford Escape Hybrid (FEH) arriving and decided to wait. Finally got the chance to place our order at the start of July 2004 at Coastal Ford in Vancouver, B.C. -- selected an AWD in Titanium Green with the Safety Option (side air curtain) + Leather Option (leather seats & steering wheel) + 110V power outlet + rear floor mats (why are these optional?) + cargo cover. We did not go for the stereo/navigation upgrade (stock stereo is 6-CD in-dash) nor the Appearance Option (painted body cladding & bumpers... decided the rubber look is preferred and less chance of cosmetic damage).

Final cost was $40,000 CDN + taxes (P.S.T. is refunded up to $1,000 in B.C.; now changed to $2,000). Our Escape Hybrid arrived the third week of October 2004 and we have been enjoying the experience since...

Now with 6,000 kilometres on the odometer (mostly city miles as my wife is a health inspector who drives around the city every day...) we have noticed steady improvement in the performance and mileage as the ICE (internal combustion engine) and other systems get broken in.

Initial city mileage was in the mid-to-high 20 mpg (US gallon), but we now do even better. My driving style is more conducive to hybrid driving (less jack rabbit starts and slower, longer braking) and I typically get 30-31 mpg city, while my wife (who is more aggressive) now achieves 27-28 mpg city.

When first purchased the ICE would start right at 40 kph (25 mph) as advertised, with little chance to exceed that speed on electric-only power even in slow rush-hour traffic. Over time this has improved, and we can now get up to 50 kph (30 mph) without too much difficulty on electric-only operation. On even mild downhill sections electric-only operation will increase up to 60 kph!

The Escape Hybrid shares all of the positives of it's non-hybrid cousin, but with the added thrill of "stealth mode" (electric-only) operation. Driving the last 5-6 blocks home through the neighbourhood in silence is a wonderful experience.

Unique systems include electric power steering (as it has to still function when the ICE is no running) which feels fine to us. Regenerative brakes (electric motor goes into generator mode to recharge the battery pack) promises to reduce front brake pad wear as the hydraulic system/pads are not required/used under light brake application.

We had our 3-month service in mid-January and everything checked out well except for a leaking rear shock (on-line forums indicate that this is not uncommon on Escapes). We extended the 3-year bumper-to-bumper warranty to 4-years (with all fluids/pads/wiper blades included) at time of purchase, and the Hybrid systems are covered for 8-years.

Since buying we have added Ford rubber floor mats (for during the west coast rainy season) and a DLO TransPod FM recharger/transmitter for our 60GB iPod photo (but plan to install a PIE or Blitzsafe unit off the stereo's rear CD changer jack for direct connection of the iPod). A Kawasaki portable DVD system (two 6.2-inch LCD screens attach to the front seat headrests) rounds out our current "mods."

A final note: the eCVT (continuously variable transmission) is a joy! No gear shifts and smooth operation (though sometimes high engine revs) is a marked departure from "rowing" the manual transmission in a 1993 twin-turbo RX-7 that I sometimes drive. The use of a planetary gear set-up for the CVT (a "sun" gear surrounded by a ring gear with smaller "planet" gears) should prove more durable than the belt/pulley set-up used in some CVTs.

There is always concern when buying the first model of any vehicle, but the reputation of the Escape coupled with what appears to be a well-considered/engineered Hybrid development programme by Ford (with systems similar to Toyota) and 4+ months of excellent driving experience has us feeling good so far! :)

The one disappointment -- because the Escape Hybrid air-conditioner compressor is powered by the 2.3 litre 4-cylinder Atkinson gas engine, you cannot drive the vehicle on electric-only power when selecting any of the window defrost settings on the climate control (a problem during the rainy winter season). It would have been nice to have the option to individually select A/C on-off when using defrost (or having an electric-powered A/Ç system like the Prius). When using straight A/C settings, the air conditioner will shut off with the ICE as the vehicle goes to electric-only operation unless you select "maximum A/C" (which prevents the ICE from shutting down). This could be a concern in warmer/more humid climates.

** Update in response to comments:

Ford advertises the Escape Hybrid as being equivalent to the 3.0 litre V6 model with better mileage than the 2.3 litre I4 model.

Having never owned either the "conventional" I4 or V6 models, I cannot make a definitive statement in this regard. However I have test driven a 2005 V6 Escape and did find the Hybrid to be quite comparable in apparent power and handling. Highway trips are handled with ease -- we travel through high mountain passes to visit my family in the interior of British Columbia on a semi-regular basis.

The Hybrid has the same 2.3L in-line 4 cylinder engine as is available for the non-hybrid Escapes except that it uses the Atkinson Cycle which alters the timing of the opening/closing of the intake valves to effectively increase the volume of the combustion chamber. This results in more efficient burning of the air/fuel mixture but robs the engine of horsepower & low-end torque -- the Hybrid's I4 has approximately 20hp less than the 152 hp I4 in a conventional Escape but this "loss" is restored by the 70 kilowatt (94 horsepower) electric motor which provides plenty of torque at low speed, The motor is powered by a bank of 330-volt nickel-metal-hydride batteries under the rear cargo floor. (I have read that the V6 Escape provides just under 200 ft-lbs of torque while the Hybrid gas-electric set-up provides just under 300 ft-lbs). The combined horsepower of both the I4 and electric motor is actually ~155 hp (you cannot simply add the maximum output from both power sources together as they reach their peak power/torque at different engine speeds). While this is substantially less than the 200hp provided by the V6, the performance feels comparable from what I have experienced with lively acceleration & ample thrust (without the increased fuel consumption).

Cargo space is advertised as being slightly less than a non-hybrid Escape though the area looks the same -- the non-hybrid models have additional storage below the rear cargo area in the space occupied by the battery pack (and where the spare tire used to be in pre-2005 Escape models; the spare tire is now underneath the rear of the vehicle and is winched down when needed). Except for a battery vent in the left rear window and subtle Hybrid batching on the exterior, the vehicle is very similar in appearance, ride and comfort to the non-hybrid models.

One caveat is with regard to towing. If you need to frequenty tow, the Hybrid is most likely not for you as it is limited to under 500kg (1,000 pounds) compared to 1,500 lbs for the I4 and 3,500 lbs for the V6. Ford currently does not sell a hitch package for the Hybrid, though I have seen photos on-line from other owners of after-market hitches which have been installed with some modifications (see www.escape-central.com)

Some have complained about all-electric power steering in hybrid-specific forums, but I find the steering to be smooth and precise, with no problems. Acceleration can lag slightly as pressing on the accelerator pedal does not control a throttle linkage, but rather sends instructions to the computer which determines from where and how the power is derived/delivered. The eCVT can also produce higher revs/louder engine noise at times as it adjusts the gear ratio for optimum performance/mileage.

Our four-months of ownership/daily driving experience has resulted in a 5-star rating at this time. The vehicle has meet/exceeded all of our expectations so far, and the EPA mileage numbers are have certainly been attainable without dramatically altered driving style. Ford is to be congratulated for a job well done!

(Note: this is the first Ford I've ever owned -- previous vehicles have been from Plymouth and Nissan & the company car is an RX-7).

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P.S. -- some photographs of our vehicle taken shortly after pick-up are published on-line at:
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/716880

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5-MONTH UPDATE -- 29th March 2005:

With 8,500 kilometres on the odometer of our Escape Hybrid, we've just returned from our first significant highway trip over a 5-day Easter long weekend -- here is our review of the FEH performance (all metric measurements converted into miles/US gallons/feet for readers).

Travelling from Vancouver (sea level) to the Okanagan (approximately 500km/300 miles each way) and back through the interior mountain passes -- first climbing to the Coquihalla summit at 4,082 feet above sea level, then descending into the Nicola Valley (1,950 feet above sea level) before climbing up and over the Pennask Summit at 5,670 feet above sea level before a final descent into the Okanagan Valley (1,130 feet above sea level).

We were a family of four in the Hybrid with the cargo area behind the rear seats filled half-way up the rear window with luggage including one set of golf clubs and ski equipment on the roof rack. The dash mileage calculator readings went from a high of 33.7 mpg (the relatively flat drive through the Fraser Valley out to Hope) to a low of 25.9 mpg (during prolonged climbing, particularly after the Great Bear snowshed/avalanche shelter).

Not wanting to rely on the dash read-out, I also kept track of the actual kilometres driven from the odometer and fuel consumed (start/finish trip with a full tank):
Total distance travelled = 696 miles
Total fuel consumed = 25.2 US gallons
Average mileage = 27.6 miles per U.S. gallon

Not bad given the amount of climbing and the weather conditions (cold with blowing snow at higher elevations). The trip also included a drive up to the Apex Ski Resort near Penticton, and there were a couple of highway passes completed with the pedal to the floor -- the Ford Escape Hybrid was quite peppy (if a bit loud re: engine noise) during these maneuvers!

Highway speed varied -- I initially set the cruise control at 120km/hr (75 mph) but this created undesireable cabin noise as the eCVT increased engine RPMs to over 5,000 on the climbs in an effort to maintain speed (I couldn't hear my iPod!).

A reduction to 110km/hr (68 mph) was much better noise (and probably mileage) wise. On particularly steep/long climbs I would usually revert to "manual" control to moderate the workload on the drivetrain.

Overall impression -- the Escape Hybrid performance was excellent and the mileage, while lower than that published by Ford, was also very good given the terrain. My 5-star rating remains intact!

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Ford Motor Company has recently announced options for the 2006 Escape Hybrid -- adding heated leather seats, heated outside mirrors, and the often-requested sunroof/moonroof to the list of available add-ons.