mmarshall

By CL member request, a partial review of the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid.


http://www.fordvehicles.com/suvs/escapehybrid/?v=html



In a Nutshell: Thrifty, space-efficient, and reasonably pleasant to drive, but with sub-standard handling, brakes, and interior trim.














I got a couple of requests from CL members to review the new Ford Escape Hybrid (not surprising, with gas costs being what they are), and the company my brother works for (he supervises their mail room) is considering the purchase of an AWD Escape Hybrid to give them a more economical, all-weather vehicle for mail runs and cargo carrying. The big, full-size, rear-drive V10 Ford van they have now is not only a gas hog and a half, (on the company credit card, of course) but a handful in bad weather, though, admittedly, it can carry a lot of cargo. And, of course, it is aging, so, sooner or later, it will have to be replaced. So, for CL and my brother as well. I decided that now was the time to check one out.

That is easier said than done, however. Like most of today's hybrids, with $4.00 a gallon gas, the Escape Hybrid is currently in high demand and low supply. And unlike Toyota, Lexus, Honda, and Chevy/GMC dealers, which have a history of selling several different hybrid models and can order them in comparatively large numbers, Ford dealers currently have only the Escape as their lone hybrid model. And, unlike Toyota, Honda, and GM, who designed their own hybrid drivetrains in-house, Ford took the easy way out and simply attached a Toyota-designed electric motor and battery pack (produced under license) to their own 2.3L in-line four-cylinder engine. So, obviously, production of the Escape Hybrid (and its twin, rebadged Mercury Mariner Hybrid) is dependent on the number of electric motors and hardware they can get from Toyota....who, of course, is busy producing its own hybrids as well.

So, as a result, it is quite difficult to find unsold Escape/Mariner Hybrids in stock...or even demos, for that matter. Most area dealerships have an order backlog and get only a few each month. The one I was at, for example, apparantly one of the more honest ones, asks for a $500 deposit, takes your order for the model, color, and options you want, and puts your name on a list, with delivery hopefully in 2-3 months (They didn't mention an additional dealer mark-up, and I didn't ask). It was evident that I was going to have a real problem finding an available 2008 Hybrid to test-drive, so, instead of waiting who-knows-how-long for one to be available (I have other things to do and other vehicles to review in the meantime), I decided to improvise a little and fudge a few things. Fortunately, the dealership I was at DID have a slightly older, used Escape Hybrid in stock, and it had one new (2008) Escape gas 4-cylinder automatic in stock (most of the new unsold ones in stock, not surprisingly, are the gas-engine V6s, which get lower mileage). Since the Hybrid model is essentially the standard Escape 4-cylinder model with an electric motor/battery pack, a different CVT transmission and slightly different dash/instruments, I figured I could drive the used Hybrid in stock, evaluate its drivetrain for Hybrid purposes, and then review/drive the regular 4-cylinder Escape to evaluate the rest of the vehicle. It is, of course, an imperfect way of reviewing/evaluating a vehicle, but it was about the best I could do under the circumstances. And it wasn't that inaccurate either, because the hybrid powertrain in the new 2008 Escape Hybrid is essentially the same one as in past Escape Hybrid models....changes to the engine/transmission combo are minimal at best, although there are some differences in the old and new-generation Hybrid dash/instruments. I will note those below as needed.



Ford introduced the Escape, and the similiar Mazda Tribute, in 2000, as a domestic alternative to the then-rapidly-growing field of what were known as "Cute-Utes"...relatively small (by SUV standards), car-based, unibody, front or all-wheel drive vehicles. They were meant primarily for on-road or light off-road conditions, though some of the Suzuki competitors had ladder-frames, rear-drive/4WD with low range, and a tougher, off-road chassis. Cute-Utes exploded in popularity because they combined good snow/bad-weather ability with the ability to seat several people and yet still get reasonably good gas mileage and ride/handle reasonably well.....something that was sorely lacking in larger, heavier, truck-based SUVs. Unfortunately, the present-generation Escape, despite its car-based design, IMO, is not one of the better-handling cute-utes. Its handling, in my experience, is less responsive than in the older Escape/Mariner model it replaced....more on that below.


The original Escape, however, like most of its competitors (Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, etc....) was a huge success in the marketplace. Though it had several embarassing and well publicized factory recalls in its first year, and a so-so reliability record in its first two years, its reliability since then, tough not quite up to Toyota/Honda standards, has generally been above average (the Toyota-supplied components, of course, sure don't hurt). Back then, in 2000, when the Escape was first introduced, it was common for domestic (American) designed vehicles to be troublesome in their first year, but that now seems to be a thing of the past. New Ford products are much more reliable now than before, even in their first year, although, according to Consumer Reports, the the Explorer and Expedition show a sharp fall-off with age.

A Mazda verion of the Escape (the Tribute) was introduced with it (Ford, of course, owning Mazda), with different trim and a sportier steering/suspension combination, but never sold in anywhere near the same numbers the Escape did. An almost identical Mercury version (the Mariner) was added a few years later, with a slightly upgraded interior. The Escape became the first of the three to get the partially Toyota-supplied Hybrid drivetrain, with the Mariner following a couple of years later. The Tribute never got a Hybrid version, partially because Ford marketers deemed its low sales not worthy of another separate model, and partially, of course, from supply limitations of the Toyota-produced components.

Second-generation Escape, Tribute, and Mariner models were introduced last year, with the Escape/Mariner retaining the gas 4-cylinder, gas V6, and Hybrid models, and the Tribute once again doing without a hybrid. Four trim models of the regular Escape (XLS manual, XLS, XLT, and Limited) are offered, with 4 or V6 engines depending on trim model. Since the review request was for the Hybrid, that, of course is what I will concentrate on, though I have already explained how I had to graft the test of a regular 4-cylinder model with that of a used Hybrid to get a good idea of what the new Hybrid is like. For that reason, I did not put the list price or options of the tested model down like I usually do.....in this case, it was irrelevent.

But, I think, it worked. By test-driving and reviewing both vehicles, I got a pretty good idea of what the new Escape Hybrid is like....enough, IMO, to do a credible review. Otherwise, of course, I wouldn't be wasting my time writing this....or your time reading it.


So........let's get on with it.










Model Reviewed: 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid (indirectly)


Base Price, including freight: (FWD) $26,945 (AWD) $28,710

Major Options: N/A

Destination/Freight: $695

List price as reviewed: N/A



Drivetrain: FWD/AWD, transversely-mounted 2.3L transversely-mounted in-line 4, 133 HP @ 6000 RPM, 124 ft-lbs. torque @ 4250 RPM, Permanent-magnet
AC electric motor, 94 HP (70 KW) @ 5000 RPM, 330 volt Nickel-Metal-Hydride battery pack, dual-range Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).


EPA Mileage Ratings: FWD 34 city /30 highway, AWD 29 City, 27 highway



Exterior Color of vehicle Reviewed (gas 4-cylinder): Tungsten Gray Clearcoat Metallic

Interior: Stone (light gray)





PLUSSES:



Excellent interior space efficiency.

Good headroom and legroom, front and rear.

Hybrid powertrain has the same flexibility as Toyota systems.

High ground clearance for deep snow/mud/mild off-road conditions.

Generally good reliability record.

Reasonably nice paint job and exterior colors.

Good exterior steet metal.

Rock-solid rear hatch/tailgate.

Attractive ice-blue dash/instrument-panel lighting.

Pleasant-to-hold steering wheel.

Nice interior seat fabric and headliner (leather seats available in Premium option).

Relatively simple, easy-to-use stereo and climate controls.

A real spare tire and wheel.

Simple, well-done power-mirror control.

Solid, slick, pleasant-to-use turn signal lever.

Plenty of room underhood.

Handsome alloy wheels.

Good interior hardware.

Plush headliner material.

Straight forward/back transmission shifter has no zig-zags.

Reasonably comfortable ride by SUV standards.







MINUSES:


Restricted dealer availability from high demand.

Gas cap/filler door has no lock.

Limited exterior paint color choice.

Sub-standard, cheap plastic interior trim.

Relatively flat, unsupportive seats.

Pint-sized glove box.

Old-fashioned, relatively hidden ignition switch.

No interior wood trim available.

Flimsy exterior side mirrors.

Prop-rod for the hood instead of struts.

Excessively spongy brakes (gas version).

Slow steering response.

Roly-Poly handling from high center of gravity.

Torque-limited at low speeds and part-throttle.

Spare tire difficult to reach under the vehicle.

Small fuel and hybrid/charge gauges (redesigned from former models).

Garish, Prius-like video/hybrid screen on new-generation Escape Hybrids.







EXTERIOR:

Both the Hybrid and non-Hybrid models, of course, share the same body...and that of its Mercury Mariner twin, differing only in grille trim. They also share the rather limited exterior paint color choice.....the attractive red on other Escape models is not offered on the Hybrid, and I liked only the light, subdued Lime Green (Kiwi), Vista Blue, and the Ice Blue from this year's colors. The paint job was good by domestic-car standards, with reasonable gloss, evenness, and freedom from orange peel (and much better than the typical Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler product), but clearly not in the Lexus/Acura league. The general exterior styling is your traditional SUV/wagon "two-box" design (a smaller box for the hood/front end and a larger one for the cabin and cargo area) that is great for interior space efficiency...more on that below. All of the exterior sheet metal was solid and well-done, and the fairly heavy doors shut solidly. The twin side mirrors had the typical Ford flimsy, thin-plastic housing, and did not swivel and lock smoothly......this is an ongoing problem with many American-designed vehicles that Ford and Chrysler have not addressed, and GM is only beginning to. The high ground clearance gives a lot of room underneath for deep snow, mud, or mild off-roading, though, of course, a vehicle like this is not meant to be a hard-core off-roader like a Jeep Wrangler or Toyota 4Runner. The chrome trim outside looks well-done, but, like most vehicles these days, is simply thin, plated plastic. The rest of the exterior trim and hardware, except for the aforementioned flimsy mirror housings, is well-done and of reasonably good quality. I thought that the 5-spoke alloy wheels, like those on the more expensive Pontiac G8 GT and the much more expensive Mercedes E63 AMG I reviewed recently, were quite handsome. Hybrid models get a special Hybrid trim logo on the front fenders and liftgate, and a small green-plant symbol on them....I guess to show the tree-huggers at Code Pink and MoveOn.org that this is considered an environmentally conscious vehicle. The gas cap/filler door, typical of Ford products and many American-designed vehicles, has no lock on it, though there is an odd sticker on the gas cap stating that Ford recommends BP gas, with its green/yellow company logo.......why, I have no idea, especially since Chevron is the brand most auto manufacturers agree has the best detergent package (Techroline) for its fuel, with Shell right behind it. BP fuel is also, for reasons I don't know, more expensive than most other name-brands.




UNDERHOOD:

Open and brace the heavy steel hood, with its manual prop-rod, and the boxy front-end styling pays dividends with plenty of underhood space. The standard, transversely-mounted 2.3L four-cylinder engine in the non-Hybrid model fits in nicely, with plenty of room to access upper parts of the engine and associated hardware, dipsticks, and reservoirs, and....wonder of wonders....no big plastic engine cover to get in the way. The Hybrid powertrain, with the gas engine, electric motor, and CVT transmission, is, of course, a more snug fit, and, unlike the non-Hybrid model, has a big plastic engine cover that covers up the entire top of the gas engine. Dipsticks and reservoirs, however, are still easily accessable. As the heavy hood catches and slams shut, it tends to vibrate and doesn't close with a particularly solid sound.



INTERIOR:

Open the doors and get in, and the interior is a mixture of great, mediocre, and cheap. The boxy exterior styling and high roofline translates into lots of headroom and leg/footroom both front and rear. I thought that, in general, the beige/ivory interior looked better than the stone (grey) one......but the beige is only offered on upper-trim, non-Hybrid models; all of the rest get gray as the only choice. Grey Leather is offered on the Hybrid as part of a premium package option......non-premium models get cloth, but it seems to be a fairly nice, high-quality cloth. The seats themselves, however, while not necessarily uncomfortable, remind you that this is no sports car.....they have fairly short cushions and low side bolsters that give little side support. Most of the interior hardware (switches, *****, locks, vents, etc....) is all quite solid and well-done, the turn-signal stalk on the left side of the steering column being especially solid, smooth, and slick in its operation. The Mickey-Mouse-sized glove box, though with nice solid lock hardware, will barely hold the Owner's Manual, much less the rest of the things most people stick in, though there are the usual pockets in the doors and center console to stick things in. Most of the plastic interior and door-panel trim (I missed the lack of a wood-trim option) is budget-grade Wal-Mart stuff, especially the awful painted-silver plastic on the center of the dash.

There are some nice things inside, however, besides just the good space efficiency. I've already mentioned the hardware and the super-slick turn-signal lever. The twin sun visors and headliner are covered in a nice, plush, high-quality-feel material worthy of a luxury car. The twin round speedometer/tach gauges are nice, clear, and have attractive light ice-blue lighting, a growing Ford/Mercury trademark. The steering wheel is not particularly attractive with its four spokes, but is pleasant and comfortable to hold. The power-mirror control is well-designed, convieniently placed, and easy to use. The shift lever has none of that annoying zig-zag stuff.....shifts are an easy back and forth motion (some wise guy in car design, years ago, decided that we morons needed a zig-zag pattern to keep from inadvertantly selecting the wrong gear). The stereo, while no Lexus Mark Levinson, is fine for most people, and its controls are relatively easy to use. Here is where there are some significant differences from the last-generation model, though. The new 2008 Escape Hybrid has the stereo controls integrated around a new, Prius-type, center-dash video screen that shows you which motor (gas or electric) is in use at any given moment, which set of wheels is getting power, the direction of power flow, and regenerative braking. The old Hybrid lacked that screen, and had only a small combination hybrid battery charge meter/electric assist gauge to the left of the speedometer. On the new Hybrid, that gauge has been redesigned and moved, along with the fuel gauge, up over and between the speeometer and tach.....and both the new fuel and hybrid assist gauges are a little small and hard to read at a glance.




CARGO AREA/TRUNK:

Open the solid rear liftgate (the rear window will go up and down separately if desired), and you are greeted with an OK but not lavishly finished cargo/trunk area. The floor carpet is typical of Ford products in this class range, adequate but not plush. Lift it, and the thick plastic cover underneath, and you will find a large cargo tray in the non-Hybrid models, and the large sealed battery pack in the Hybrid. The real (yes, a REAL) spare tire and wheel is attached to the underside of the vehicle, just forward of the bumper.....don't expect to easily reach it without either getting your clothes dirty or contorting yourself into the shape of a Bachman pretzel.

As in the cabin, the boxy styling/roofline of the Escape pays good dividends here as well. There is plenty of room for getting tall, bulky items in, with good space efficiency, and room for the rear door to close without hitting the cargo. The standard cargo pull-cover can be removed, headrests removed, and the split-rear seats lowered for additional cargo room as well, though the cargo floor of the Hybrid model, with the big battery pack underneath, appeared to be slightly higher than the cargo floor of the non-Hybrid (I didn't actually measure them from floor to roof). I wish more SUV's today (and more vehicles, period) were shaped like this in the back...even the Escape's own brother SUV, the Ford Edge, and its corporate Mazda cousins CX-7 and CX-9, have the currently trendy and stylish slope-down to the rear roofline that significantly impacts cargo room. Fortunately, the Mazda Tribute, as the Escape's brother, still has the Escape's space efficiency inside. Close the Rock-of-Gibraltar solid liftgate, and it catches with a distinct "Thunk", much more so than the hood up front.





ON THE ROAD:

Start up the 2.3L four-cylinder gas engine with a conventional key and an old-style, rather hard-to-see ignition switch on the right side of the steering column. The engine settles into a reasonably smooth idle for a large domestic four...and, of course, has to warm up a little before the electric motor kicks in. Engine noise is also lower than average for a large American-designed four, and once the engine is warm enough, it shuts completely off when you come to a stop and the tach needle goes to zero (fortunately, an electric A/C compressor keeps you comfortable on a hot day when the gas engine shuts off....the power steering system, of course, is also electric). Without the A/C or stereo on, however, there is complete silence....you hear every insult that your mother-in-law is flinging at you from the back seat.

So, when the light turns green, tap the gas pedal, and the electric motor silently starts the vehicle rolling, golf-cart style, while the video screen starts its antics. Start-up power is so slick that it has (what else?) electric-motor smoothness, although, with only 94 HP and not a huge amount of torque on start-up, initial acceleration is a little sluggish, but picks up a little if you lead-foot it and cut the gas engine back in. Gas mileage in the city, typical of parallel-driven hybrid systems like the Toyota-designed one in the Escape, is higher in the city than in rural areas because the electric motor, using no gas at all, does more of the work in stop-and-go driving. In highway driving, the gas engine cuts in and out more often to keep the hybrid battery pack charged, so it uses a little more gas as a result...and of course, the gas engine has to operate enough to keep the oil and coolant warm and the heater going on a cold day. The CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) responds and accelerates with a minimum of "rubber-banding" or "motorboating" effects common to some CVT's, but sometimes with a low hum of a whining noise.

The ride comfort is not bad by small SUV standards (plenty of suspension travel and tall, high-profile tires help). Most bumps and heaves in the road are felt and transmitted into the cabin, so the car is not limo-smooth, but it does lack the typical fore/aft porpoising motions m any SUV's have. There is a small amount of road/tire and wind noise (this, after all, is not a luxury car), but it is generally muted and is not objectionable.

What IS objectionable, however, is the higher-speed handling, which, by modern standards, and compared to most vehicles these days, borders on ludicrous. Low-speed manuvering around parking lots and city corners is fine, and not much different from any other vehicle, but abrupt steering moves at higher speeds (say, 50 MPH and up) produce very slow steering response and prodigious body roll. In some cases, you can actually see the horizon tilt in front of you as the car rolls (as an ex-airplane pilot, I am familiar with that). Only the car's advanced roll-control electronics (from safety-minded Volvo, another company Ford owns) and the stabilizing effect of all-wheel-drive keep you from getting into some real trouble with understeer if you aren't careful. The handling is not necessarily dangerous, but it is quite sluggish, and you simply cannot drive this vehicle aggressively. And a shame, too.....the handling and response on the first-generation Escape was noticeably better, yet it still had reasonably good ride comfort, and won several small-SUV comparisons in auto magazines.

Braking, on the non-hybrid model, is equally sluggish, with excessively soft, spongy brakes (the hybrid, with its electronic power-brake booster and regenerative braking for battery recharging, has a slightly different, though still somewhat spongy, feel and response). There were no problems with the brake/gas pedal placement or big-shoe hangups from one pedal to the next.




THE VERDICT:

Like with the first Escape in 2000, Ford has generally done a good job with the second-generation Escape. Space efficiency, with the boxy design, is superb underhood, in the cabin, and in the cargo area. Instruments, particularly in the non-hybrid version, are clear and easy to read. The drivetrain in both hybrid and non-hybrid versions is smooth, but not torquey. Hardware inside and out, except for the El Cheapo mirrors, is excellent. The vehicle enjoys a better-than-average reliability rating from Consumer Reports, and generally good resale value, though V6 models in today's expensive gas market may be difficult to resell or not worth much at trade-in. The headliner is nicer than in some luxury cars. And, unlike many other vehicles these days, it has a real spare tire/wheel, though hard to reach.

But several things need work. First and foremost is the suspension and steering. The interior needs some better-quality trim on the dash and doors. The new hybrid could do without the distracting video screen........the previous hybrid didn't have it, and got along fine. The hybrid should also have the same paint and interior choices that other Escape models have. The gas cap should have a lock....not to provide one is a cost-cutting insult. The hood should have struts instead of a prop-rod. And the glove box should be about twice the size of the current one.

SLegacy99

Thanks.

I look forward to seeing how the Escape and Escape hybrid are improved by Ford's new 2.5L.

It sounds to me like the Escape hybrid could also benefit from an alluminum hood. Seems like it would be worth the extra cost to offset the extra weight of the battery pack.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Good review Mike.

I noticed that the major downsides of the Escape have to deal with performance and braking. And although most hybrid consumers do not have performance specs in their minds, does it really lack compared to other crossovers?

It sounds odd that Ford, which is pretty superior with creating great trucks, can't pull this one right. Perhaps it needs more work with its car-based chassis?

mmarshall

Thanks.

While SUV's, even the more docile car-based ones, are not sports cars, and are not supposed to be, the handling on some of the Escape's competition impresses me more than that of the Escape itself. It is a noticeable drop from the ride/handling combination of the first-generation Escape.....why, I don't know; apparantly just the way the steering and suspension were done this time.

Like I said, the handling is not dangerous by any means unless driven by an idiot, especially with the Volvo-supplied Roll Stability Control (RSC) that goes into all Ford-product trucks and SUV's now. But a Miata or Honda S2000 it is not.......care and common sense must be taken with sharp curves and higher speeds to make up for the vehicle's lack of agility. Aggressive driving with this vehicle COULD bite.

And my opinion is not alone. Several auto testing organizations have also noticed a drop in agility from the first to second-generation Escape/Mariner, but this may or may not affect the twin brother Mazda Tribute, since it is a sportier chassis and steering to start with. I can't comment on that, since I haven't driven a new Tribute.

Spongy brakes are a long-standing problem with many Ford and GM SUV's...the older-generation GM Tahoes, Suburbans, Denalis, Yukons, etc..... and even some Silverado pickups were the worst. They were slightly improved for the new-generation 2007 models.

mmarshall

Some manufacturers (Subaru being one of them) have dropped aluminum hoods for the usual reason, as you note........money. Aluminum has gone way up in cost in the last several years.

In fact, it will be interesting to see what replacement parts and bodywork for all-aluminum cars like the Acura NSX, Jaguar XJ, and Audi A8 will soon cost.

UberNoob

Ford is so messed up
why do they not bother with a latch system or a lock for the gas door?
not even for this hybrid SUV that sells for $25+k
stupid bean counters...

mmarshall

This has been the case with many American-designed vehicles, though GM is now starting to use them. Locking caps and filler doors will become more important, with gas at record high prices, to prevent siphoning.

In some cases, you can get aftermarket locking gas caps with small keys at auto-parts stores, but they aren't custom-designed for specific vehicles, often don't fit tightly, and can trigger the "Check Engine" light from a vaccum leak at the seal.

SLegacy99

Yes, but I do know that Subaru came up with a lightweight substitute. I don't recall what.

bagwell

nice!

thanks for reviewing the "highest MPG SUV on the planet" as Ford says.

my comments [and some very important points]:

all hybrid components have an 8 year 100,000 mile warranty!

I really like the new body style - and as you stated the the hybrid drive revised....tweaked a little for 2008....

The Escape Hybrid gets some notable functional tweaks this year, and the tweaks make its gas-electric drivetrain run more efficiently. The biggest change comes with revised software that governs the operation of the gas-electric powertrain. With the new programming, the transition from all-battery operation to gas-electric operation is smoother than before. The previous Escape hybrid was not terrible in this respect, but the '08 model is noticeably better because you hardly notice the hybrid powertrain at all. Steering is now electric-assist, too, eliminating both the noise and the efficiency losses of an engine-driven hydraulic power steering pump.

The 2008 Escape is believed to be the first U.S. automotive application of seating surfaces made from 100 percent post-industrial materials, supplied by InterfaceFABRIC, Inc.

"That means less waste in our landfills and an estimated savings of an equivalent 7 million kilowatt hours of electricity and 600,000 gallons of water each year," said Raghavachari

SLegacy99

Yeah, I heard about those seats. Assuming they're comfortable, its something that should be adopted by other automakers.

mmarshall

Not on the Legacy/Outback. The 2005-2006 hoods were aluminum...with a prop-rod. The 2008 hoods are steel...still wth a prop-rod. The new 2008 Impreza/Forester, though, ditched the prop-rod and got hood struts....but were cheapened in other ways.

mmarshall

Thanks for your comments.

I did forget to mention the hybrid 8/100 warranty...but that warranty, by Federal law, is true of all gas-electric hybrids, not just the Escape. Other Escape models have either 3/36 or 5/60, depending on components. Ford, like GM and Honda, has finally come out of the Dark Ages on its warranties.

bagwell

keep up the good work

I guess your wrist is feeling better?

mmarshall

It was my elbow and lower back, not the wrist, and yes, both are much better. I'm back to swimming, walking, and normal computer use.

rdgdawg

This was on my list as well, and can say that for all the "chest thumping" going on in Detroit, what do they have to show for it? Quality, cutting-edge design, production savings back to the customer, et al.... not seeing any of it...

Happier each day with my Sonata

Full review w/ pics soooooooooooooooon....