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2006 Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD Road Test

An SUV That Everyone - Even Greenies - Can Love

At this point in time, it is now a well-known fact that when you buy a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, you wont necessarily make the extra cost of purchase back in fuel savings. You probably wont be getting mileage figures as good as what the EPA claims either, and you will have to bear new burdens such as replacement costs of batteries, generators and motors, components not normally present in standard cars. Being fed this kind of information, its no surprise that most hybrids, which are either high-end machines or quirky compacts, arent exactly flying off showroom floors. Now that weve made this point clear - everyone, would you please shut up already.

Dont buy one for the fuel savings, but rather for a less negative environmental impact. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

This brings us neatly to 2005s North American Truck of the Year, and, incidentally the worlds first hybrid SUV, the Ford Escape Hybrid. The Escape Hybrid is a bridge between the two things that people really want these days. As voiced with their wallets, people are still very much into sport utility vehicles, drawn in by their spaciousness, ride height, and ultimately the look of being

One of the very few giveaways that this is a very green vehicle. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

able to go anywhere and do anything. Then theres that other thing that people want, or more likely, want to get rid of. Its something subconsciously burrowed in the back of their minds; the issue of polluting and consuming. And if the granola-eating tree-hugger inside you doesnt seem to be crying out for attention, the reality of the price of fuel ought to be.

Instead of having direct injection or dual spark, the Hybrids gasoline half of the powertrain benefits from the same 2.3-liter

Together, the gas engine and electric motor put out 155 hp. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

Mazda engine found in the standard Escape, but its been converted to run on the Atkinson Cycle. The bottom line is that less air and less fuel are getting into each of those cylinders, so, surprise, surprise, you get fewer emissions, less fuel consumed, but less power. The difference between the modified engine in the Hybrid By comparison, the engine on its own makes a wheezy 133 horsepower. But thats okay, because what the engine lacks it gets back in rechargeable juice.

And while Toyota and Honda, the pioneers of hybrid technology, are still

Hybrid also comes in a nifty monotone color package. (Photo: Ford)

producing cars that look like upturned row-boats and spacecraft (OK, the Camry, Highlander, Civic, Accord and various Lexus models look fairly stock), Ford has thankfully left the Escapes charming cute looks be. Despite being very feminine, it looks quite good. And with that comment youve got to appreciate that Im not exactly a fan of SUVs at large, therefore when I say that Im a pretty big fan of the Escape, particularly with chunky, two-tone paint, and big, tires, it really means something. Aside from a more constricted palette with different options, the Escape Hybrid doesnt look particularly different, but for a narrow intake on one of the tailgate

One of my favorite compact SUVs in the looks department. The light colored underbody of the two-toned paint scheme is a nice contrast. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

windows in back. Miraculously, cargo space has gone by almost completely unaffected, as the battery pack is stored beneath the floor. This allows the cargo bay, which in itself is very reasonable, to remain large, square and useable.
Unlike any full-hybrid car Ive ever driven, when you twist the key the gasoline engine fires. Its supposed to do a diagnostics test of the battery and all other vital drivetrain components, and then shut off in idle-stop mode. But in the time I had it, the Escape Hybrid never did that, and would run on its four cylinders until you came to the first or second stop whereupon it would turn itself off.

Sensibly styled interior is easy to work with. Great big buttons can be operated with gloves on. (Photo: Ford)

This is an anomaly to this particular test vehicle, or so I am told. Its supposed to shut itself off more or less instantaneously. When it does start to work, however, it works with determination, doing everything it can to keep fuel in the tank. For kicks, I even made a trip to my corner store for groceries on pure electricity, not causing the gasoline engine to trip, although at the end of the journey the battery was nearly drained. When the electrical sources are depleted, the Escapes gasoline motor will fire up and recharge the batteries until theyre good to go again.

Its hard to fault the Escapes straightforward interior, particularly after the upgrade it received last year which saw a relocation of the shifter from the steering column to

Gauges are a bit hard to read: font size too big, dials too small. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

the floor. All controls have big, oversized buttons that could be operated with ease from someone sitting in the back seat with a large stick. Differences between the standard model and the Hybrid are surprisingly minimal; the gauges are different than on the standard model, with silver-faced dials backlit in green. Theyre a bit difficult to read at dawn and dusk though, and the speedometers division into 40 km/h intervals is really quite useless, given the chunky needles and miniscule dial size. A clever addition is a DC plug next to the shifter on the transmission tunnel, mind you, which you can charge things without having any cigarette-jack adapters; a feature that gets a huge thumbs-up from me. One thing Im not particularly fond of, however, is the seat trim. While the seats themselves are fine, offering good support

Available 115-watt inverter plug is incredibly useful. Every vehicle ought to have one of these. (Photo: Ford)

and comfort, you could strike a match off those thick, black woven nylon cords.

At low speeds, the Fords claim of the Hybrid having V6-like power is completely believable, mind you, the method of delivery doesnt feel like a V6. It feels electric, mostly because the boost youre getting is electric. Add this to the electric assist to the steering and suddenly the Escape, a two-ton utility vehicle, becomes one of the most agile vehicles with a view. It isnt prone to the side-to-side shimmy that you might get in a body-on-frame SUV, and with a rigid monocoque structure and multi-link rear axle, actually rides and corners well. Its no wonder that the Escape is North Americas most sought-after compact SUV; it drives at these speeds like a dream. Go fast - which is the complete opposite to the point of a hybrid - and the Escapes impressive nature

Looks-wise, the Escape Hybrid is still very much an Escape. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

starts to crumble. At around 140 km/h lane changes become an act of treachery, sweaty palms trying to make the most of the overly light, feel-free electric power steering.

Like bahn-storming, off-roading is something thats not on the Escapes short list. Yes, you can have an "intelligent" 4WD system, but while it may be intelligent, its not particularly clever. Normally, all power flows to the front wheels, but if they slip, power is diverted to the rear. The Escapes is flexible in that its able to send 99 percent of power to either axle, which is good if the front or rear wheels cant gain traction, but, because it has a lack of locking or limited slip differentials, it doesnt have the ability to shift power from side to side, or at the very least, lock its distribution permanently. Because of this, the Escape can get stuck embarrassingly quickly if you attempt to explore the scenery. Nevertheless, it should be noted that this is still the most capable

Interior trim is rough n tumble, which is good if youre an outdoorsy type. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

hybrid for going off the beaten path currently on sale.

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