Love the hybrid/SUV combination!

Ford has done a great job incorporating the hybrid technology and the SUV styling. I bought my 2006 Escape last August because we needed to scale down our full-sized van for something more economical. I thoroughly love my Escape!

The Hybrid technology takes a little getting used to. There are some unusual "ticks" and "clicks" that are characteristic of the hybrid vehicle that at first might be distracting, but you quickly adjust to them as "normal" and they do not stick out as annoying. To get the most out of this Hybrid, you have to choose carefully your a/c settings (of particular interest to those of us in hot climates). If you choose the "Max a/c setting" the a/c compressor will run continually generating nice cold air. However, if you choose the "Normal a/c" setting, this allows the compressor to cut off while at idle or very slow speeds. Yes, this does cause the air to warm up a bit, but it goes a long way to improving your gas mileage. I tested several tanks of gas in both settings, and found a 5 mpg improvement by using the "normal" setting. Around town I easily get 31 mpg and on the highway it drops to about 28 mpg. That drop is due to the fact you are using a constant speed and not taking advantage of the electric boost you can get each time you accelerate.

Things that might be considered negative would be the initial acceleration, and the braking. From a stopped position there is a slight delay when trying to accelerate quickly---so don't try to pull out in front of the MAC truck without plenty of leeway! Once you are going, the acceleration is fine---even on mountain terrain. Secondly, the braking has a different feel altogether. When you take your foot off the accelerator, the car does not slow down as quickly while it is coasting as a non-hybrid. As you depress the brake, it's a fairly typical feel, until the last few seconds when it "catches" and brings the car to a some what abrupt stop. Although this is a compact car, some might consider the leg room a little tight for tall people. The driver side is adequate, but the passenger side and rear seats are a bit tight for large adults. I traveled 2500 miles in it with 3 medium-sized children without much difficulty.

The hybrid SUVs are pricey. However, if you shop around, you can find a wide range of prices. We found some dealers tacking on $5000 to the posted sticker price just because the hybrid was in high demand. So, beware. I paid about $30K for my 2006 in August of 2005.

Overall, this is an excellent compact hybrid SUV. It has plenty of storage capacity for around town shopping or luggage for your trip. The rear seats easily fold down flat for even more storage. The controls are conveniently located and the built in 6 CD changer is great (no changer in the trunk, arm rest, or under a seat! Other storage is limited. The center console is nice, but the map pocket in the doors and the cup holders in the front are undersized for real benefit.

I highly recommend this car as a small car alternative. Don't forget, there are tax breaks (being phased out over the next couple of years) for hybrid vehicle purchases.