Ford Escape News...
Ford's Escape Hybrid Takes The
Lead In Changing SUV Environment
The Ford Escape Hybrid going on
sale this month isn't the first gasoline/ electric vehicle on the U.S. market;
that was the Honda Insight. It wasn't designed from the ground up to be a hybrid
like the Insight and Toyota Prius. It travels fewer miles per gallon than the
other hybrids.
And in the end, for many buyers, the Escape Hybrid might not make economic
sense.
Still, let's give Ford credit where it's due; this newest hybrid available in
America is a sport utiltiy vehicle, the type of vehicle growing numbers of
Americans want to drive. The Prius, Insight and Honda Civic are fine, but
they're cars -- little ones in the case of the latter two -- something Americans
have been buying fewer and fewer of for more than a decade.
And Ford's hybrid SUV was first, beating the upcoming Lexus and Toyota hybrid
SUVs by at least five months and the Saturn Vue hybrid by at least a year and a
half. DaimlerChrysler hasn't committed to building a hybrid SUV yet. Nissan
hasn't promised anything more than a hybrid version of its Altima sedan, in late
2006, and Honda has announced plans for a hybrid Accord, due later this year.
So, although the Escape isn't quite a home run, its existence
raises hope that there might be a way of reconciling Americans' love of big,
powerful vehicles with the realities of a tightening world oil supply and
environmental concerns.
The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group not often inclined
to praise any carmaker, called the Escape Hybrid "the right solution at the
right time." (Another group, the Rainforest Action Network, said Ford still
wasn't doing enough to improve its vehicles' fuel economy.)
Like other hybrids, the Escape has a small gasoline engine, displacing 2.3
liters in four cylinders in this case, augmented by an electric motor. The
gasoline engine shuts off when the vehicle stops at a light or in heavy traffic.
The electric motor can help propel the gasoline engine vehicle at any speed and
can launch and propel the vehicle by itself up to 25 mph. That's why this and
other hybrids get their best fuel economy creeping along in jammed traffic.
At 25 mph -- or if the driver calls for a quick start -- the gasoline engine
starts up with a slight shudder. It takes some practice to press the accelerator
pedal gently enough to get the vehicle to 25 mph without the gas engine kicking
in.
When the gasoline engine is off, the special nickel metal hydride battery pack
keeps sending power to the electric steering and power brakes so the driver
feels no difference in either. Unfortunately, the engine-belt-driven
air-conditioning compressor does stop turning when the engine shuts down, so the
cabin can begin to get uncomfortable on a hot day. To keep the engine and
compressor running, the driver can simply choose the "max AC" setting.
Naturally, that will reduce fuel economy. (The Prius' AC compressor is electric
and stays on even when the gasoline engine shuts off.)
The battery pack is recharged both by the gasoline engine and by "regenerative
braking," which occurs as the car slows and the motor becomes a generator. So,
like other hybrids, the Escape never has to be plugged into a household outlet
for refreshment.
The Escape Hybrid is rated by the feds at 36 mpg in city driving and 31 mpg on
the highway without all-wheel drive -- slightly less with it.
By comparison, a conventional four-cylinder Escape with an automatic
transmission and no all-wheel drive is estimated to get 22 mpg in the city and
25 mpg on the highway.
The same vehicle with a 200-hp. conventional six-cylinder engine is rated at 20
mpg and 25 mpg.
Although EPA numbers tend to be high -- and hybrids tend to get their best fuel
economy in city driving, where the gasoline engine runs less -- the difference
is impressive. The gauge in my tester indicated fuel economy in the high 20s in
the mostly highway driving I did.
Ford claims the hybrid setup delivers acceleration similar to the V-6s, even
though the hybrid's combined 155 hp. is significantly lower. It does indeed feel
peppy from a standing start and in passing.
The hybrid's 1,000-pound trailer towing capacity, however, is equal only to that
of the conventional four-cylinder Escape's, falling short of the six-cylinder
model's 3,500-pound rating.
A navigation system is available, and so is a 110-volt AC power outlet on the
dash. The nav system brings with it a color graphic that shows power flow among
the engine, motor and hybrid battery. Pressing another button brings up a graph
showing fuel economy for the previous 15 minutes.
Escape Hybrids with front-wheel drive begin at $26,970 with freight. That
includes a continuously variable automatic transmission, air conditioning,
antilock brakes, and power locks and windows.
As do other such variable transmissions, this one operates more smoothly than a
conventional one that has fixed gear ratios, but in the Escape even a relatively
gentle pressing of the accelerator caused an immediate shift downward in ratio
and set the engine to roaring and buzzing. It was annoying.
All-wheel-drive versions of the Escape Hybrid start at $28,595.
Conventionally powered Escapes with automatic transmission and front-wheel drive
start at $20,295 with freight. That's for a version with a 2.3-liter gasoline
engine similar to that in the hybrid and delivering 153 hp.
Since the hybrid performs more like the V-6 Escape, it seems fairer to compare
their respective prices: $23,795 for the conventional V-6 versus $26,970 for the
hybrid. So, based on list prices, the hybrid costs about $3,000 more. But Ford
is offering a $1,000 rebate on conventional 2005 Escapes. So, the spread really
is more than $4,000.
Either amount, obviously, buys a lot of gas and brings up the issue of whether
this hybrid makes economic sense for everyone. It might not for low-mileage
drivers.
But the Escape Hybrid owner will be doing something more than other Escape
owners to reduce air pollution. How does one place a dollar value on that?
And the Escape Hybrid owner will give up little in performance and nothing in
comfort and utility.
Like other Escapes, which have been upgraded and freshened for '05, this one is
light on its feet, easy to drive, confidence-inspiring at high speeds and
equipped with easy-to-read gauges and easy-to-use controls. The rear seat folds
down in a 60-40 split to increase cargo room. Antilock brakes are standard.
Ford says the changes for '05 improve its frontal crashworthiness, but the
vehicle still couldn't earn a perfect five-star rating from the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration. It got four. But the '05 Escape did get five
stars for its side-impact protection and scored about mid-pack among SUVs in a
recently released rating by the safety agency of vehicles' resistance to
rollovers.
No objective information about reliability is available yet for the Escape
Hybrid, but the conventional model is rated average by Consumer Reports and is
on the magazine's recommended list.
Ford warranties hybrid-specific parts, such as the nickel metal hydride battery,
for eight years or 100,000 miles.
2005 Ford Escape Hybrid
Engine/motor: 2.3-liter, four- cylinder gasoline, 133 hp./70 kw.
electric, 94 hp.
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic, front-wheel drive
Safety: Dual front, side and curtain-type air bags; four-wheel disc
brakes with antilock; three-point belts in all seating positions; fog lamps
Place of assembly: Kansas City, Mo.
Weight: 3,620 pounds
Cargo room: rear seatback up/down, cu. ft: 27.6/65.5
EPA fuel economy rating: 36 mpg city, 31 mpg highway
Price as driven: $30,825 including destination charge
-
Tom Incantalupo, Newsday, Friday, August 20, 2004
New
Ford Escape Gets a Tune-Up Inside and Out
Ford has freshened the
Escape sport utility vehicle for 2005 with a more powerful standard engine and a
new fully-automatic four-wheel drive system, set to reach showrooms in early
2005.
The new 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine delivers 153 hp., and increase of
26 hp. over the current model. It will come standard with a new five-speed
manual gearbox, available with an automatic transmission.
The Escape will be
available with curtain-type air bags that deploy if rollover is sensed and
remain inflated for several seconds to protect against head injuries and partial
or full ejection. Brakes will feature automatic emergency assist.
Ford says the new structure is more crashworthy and its cabin is quieter.
-
Tom Incantalupo, Newsday, Friday, December 5, 2003
This page was last updated on
03/28/05
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