HYBRID OMG HYBRID!!! Did you say H$BR$D?
Let me first admit that I would like my next car to be a hybrid, and that I’m all for altering the gas-guzzling paradigm persistent among U.S. auto makers, but I have a hard time taking Ford serious. I drove the 2005 Escape Hybrid a few years ago and remember it being a most disappointing drive, so I was anxious to test out the 2007 and see what improvements were made, and how “earth-friendly” this car turned out to be.
My first impressions were that I really like this size of SUV, so I gave it a huge bonus right out of the blocks. I think it’s a very livable car that provides reasonable space inside, while still maintaining an urban driving experience that doesn’t make you want to just go home. I like the subtle styling upgrades over the past two years, and say with confidence that it is a very attractive SUV for $26,000, especially for a hybrid. But sliding into a Ford almost always provides the exact same response: a moment of disappointment. I always hope that Ford will finally fix the many things that are wrong with their interior design, and finally produce an environment that I want to spend time in. With the Escape, I was again disappointed. I think the controls are too blocky and awkward, the tactile response is muted and dull, the accents look cheap and made of plastic, and it always takes me several minutes of playing with the driver’s seat before I feel comfortable. However, that’s the same with most Fords I’ve driven, so I won’t spend any more time on it.
As for driving the car, I immediately noticed one of the most annoying issues I’ve ever encountered in a car. It also took me about 5 minutes to realize that it was coming from the Escape. When moving at slow speeds, and accelerating or decelerating, the engine/hybrid emits a very faint whine that either grows and gets louder, or fades and disappears. It’s so subtle that I didn’t immediately recognize where it was coming from, and immediately thought it was a police siren in the background. After three days, I finally got to the point where I wasn’t constantly checking my mirrors to see where the siren was coming from, and just accepted the noise. Definitely a major problem and something I would honestly attempt to return the car over if I had purchased it. I realize that’s a pretty strong statement, but it was terrible. I haven’t read any other reviews mentioning it, so it might have been an isolated instance.
However, many reviews I did read mentioned an unhappiness with the Escape to get anywhere near its stated milage. One reader, after consistently getting 23 mpg even after 5000 miles put it “I know you never get the rated mpg, but 30%+ less is fraud!” I can imagine this is very frustrating, paying the extra fees for a hybrid, and hoping to be doing something for the environment, while also helping out your wallet at the gas pumps, and finding it no where near as efficient as advertised. Another review stated, “I average 21 mpg with a best of 24.3. I brought the SUV into Ford and they claim it gets 31.3mpg. I had an independent garage test it and it was 21 mpg. I checked it manually, and the on board PC fuel is on the money, 21 mpg. I have the AWD model and no matter what I do or how much I baby it I cannot get better than 24.3.” This would be another deal breaker for me, and it definitely makes me cautious as a buyer. (quotes from edmonds.com consumer reviews).
It’s too bad this car has the problems it does, because it definitely has the potential to be a fantastic offering by Ford. If they can find a way to silence the hybrid motor, be transparent about the milage, and continue to refine the interior to the level of other $30,000 vehicles, they might actually really win some hearts. 2 stars.
