By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
As regards the AC, the salesman is full of it. Regular AC mode runs only when the engine is running, unless the computer decides the battery is too hot. Then it will fire up the gas engine to power the AC. MAX A/C runs the engine full-time (as do the defroster settings).
Yes. The temperature control has an extreme setting for both heat and AC. For settings in the normal ranges, the heat or AC goes off when the engine stops. If an extreme (MAX) setting is chosen, the engine does not turn off. Choosing any defrost setting also keeps the engine on.
So far, this has worked well for me. I've seldom needed to use a MAX setting more than briefly--such as to clear the windshield when setting out. The engine is cold then and won't turn off until it warms up, anyway.
Jim
That's not right. There's a MAX setting for the AC that keeps the engine running. But the heat is more complex. As another poster just pointed out, when the heater is turned on, the coolant pump (and blower) will keep running when the engine shuts off. I'll add that apparently the car also will keep the engine running if the cabin temp falls below some programmed level.
Choosing any defrost mode keeps the engine on.
Jim
26.8 mpg overall, 28-29 highway.
With the cruise control set at 60, I got 33 on a 100 mile trip from Napa to San Jose. Some hills, some slow traffic, but pretty much 60mph.
Hmmm, I've gotten 30.5 with my I4 CR-V at those speeds. Too bad it isn't a hybrid...
or an SUV, or AWD, etc.
In awful stop-and-go commutes in Washington, DC, I get as high as 36 mpg.
In awful stop-and-go commutes in Washington, DC, I get as high as 36 mpg."
Huh? The CR-V is an SUV, and the last time I checked (snow in Yosemite - Mar 2005), my RT4WD was kicking power to all four wheels. The escape is not a full time 4wd either- like the CR-V, it provides power to the rear wheels only when required.
The Escape hybrid would get considerably higher mileage if it were the size of a CR-V. But it fills a different niche.
The Escape hybrid would get considerably higher mileage if it were the size of a CR-V. But it fills a different niche."
The CR-V is a little bit larger than the Escape (about an inch, but who's counting), and about the same weight. The difference is that the CR-V has only an I4 engine offered, 160 HP/162 torque. Edmunds lists the CR-V as a midsize SUV, while the Escape is listed as compact (because the CR-V has more interior and cargo space).
The two vehicles are direct competitors...
CR-V curb weight 3310 (LX FWD) to 3490 (SE AWD)
Normal Escape: 3304 lbs. (XLT FWD) to 3464 lbs (XLT AWD)
Hybrid Escape: 3792 (What a PIG! Batteries and components add 330 pounds!)
The CR-V (automatic) has EPA mileage of 22 in town and 27 hiway. The Escape has 33 in town and 29 hiway. The in-town comes closer to my usage pattern. The emissions are more different than indicated by the EPA mileage numbers.
Now, 22 vs 33 is a big difference, so I never looked at the CR-V. I'm sure it's a good car, but not what I want.
I do apologize for my ignorance about the Honda. But then this is an Escape Hybrid group.
No big, just wanted to get everything straight. I get around 21 in town, but I drive carefully. I have gotten as low as 19 driving all out around town. I do get between 26 and 27 on the highway at 80 MPH.
My big concern with the Escape hybrid is the high cost, and the fact that it is the first year that Ford has attempted the HSD (or it's equivilent). So reliability is an issue for me. That is, if I was in the market, which I am not now - I'm still paying for my current SUV...
I am a bit surprised about the low towing weight of the hybrid. The CR-V has a 1500 pound max trailer weight (though export models (2.0L engine) list 3000 lbs, if the trailer has it's own brakes). Why doesn't that thing at least tow the same as the 2.4L in the CR-V?
This was a design decision...Ford could have gone with a larger gas engine for better towing capacity at the expense of fuel economy and emissions when not towing. RX440h and Highlander Hybrid have higher towing capacity.
I'm at 6200 miles with zero problems, getting a solid 28 MPG average. Very satisfied owner. I have a 900 pound tent trailer we'll be pulling with it in the near future.
Gasoline went to $2.29 here today (small-town Virginia).
I would rather have my Escape, thanks. They are quite different vehicles.
PF Flyer
Host
News & Views, Wagons, & Hybrid Vehicles
The Mazda Mania Chat is on tonight. The chat room opens at 8:45PM ET Hope to see YOU there! Check out the schedule
I would rather have my Escape, thanks. They are quite different vehicles."
Yup, they have totally different design philosophies and road characteristics. I don't mind the Escape, but obviously I personally prefer the CR-V (I own one)...
That is why I encourage every one to go out and drive every model they are considering. Bring the kids and the carseat! Check them out and pick the one that you prefer.
Dealer says he can have leather installed and that it will be better than the factory leather, softer, etc., etc. You know the drill to get a sale.
Anyone had this done to their hybrid? For those who have the factory leather are you satisfied and would you opt for installing after market leather if your car had everything else you wanted factory installed except the leather?
Not sure what aftermarket leather would cost. I would express one concern if messing with the seats, and that's the Occupant Classification Sensor in the front passenger seat. It decides how much force the passenger-side airbag deploys with (or whether it deploys at all) in a frontal crash. Not sure I'd be comfortable with any changes to the seat that might mess that up (and that goes for adding heated seats, too).
If you really want premium leather and all the goodies the 2006 is supposed to have a luxury option with upgraded, heated leather seats. They start building in May, allegedly.
As the weather gets warmer I'm expecting it to climb even higher. I think the EPA rating is well within reach on the Escape.
I averaged 36.2 mpg. Speeds are up to around 50-55, lots of stops. I did some electric-only travel. Coming home, 70mph was 30mpg, as soon as I got off the freeway and into hilly areas north of Napa, I was around 28mpg.
The only thing bugging us now is that we have noticed while following the Escape that there are two suspension pieces that angle down toward the inside bottom of the rear wheels which look very vulnerable to me. I have since been looking at every other SUV brand I am following and have not seen this on any other make or model.
We don't want 4WD or to go offroading but I can't help but wonder if a rock or something could take out one of those rear suspension pieces especially after having a metal bar that fell off a truck in front of us several years back come up through the floorboard behind my seat!
Thanks for the reply stevewa. My wife and I decided to wait for a 2006 model after finding a thread on another site that also mentioned what was referred to as a Premium Package that includes monochromatic appearance (we want silver anyway), heated side-view mirrors, reverse sensing system, audio & nav., 110AC, cargo cover and floor mats as well as what you mentioned. Also a moonroof option is to be available with the Premium Package ( we don't want one). Black clearcoat metallic to be available. If the thread is correct it looks as thought white will no longer be available usless that color was omitted by mistake in the post.
The only thing bugging us now is that we have noticed while following the Escape that there are two suspension pieces that angle down toward the inside bottom of the rear wheels which look very vulnerable to me. I have since been looking at every other SUV brand I am following and have not seen this on any other make or model.
We don't want 4WD or to go offroading but I can't help but wonder if a rock or something could take out one of those rear suspension pieces especially after having a metal bar that fell off a truck in front of us several years back come up through the floorboard behind my seat!
From the press release I read, the only differences between 2005 and 2006 and the Premium Package are:
1. Monochromatic appearance package (like the current "Limited" V6 model)
2. Heated mirrors/seats (this is the one item I'd be most interested in)
3. Upgraded leather seating
4. Moonroof (it's unclear from the release if this is part of the premium package or a seperate option)
5. Reverse sensing system (again from the Limited, also available aftermarket).
Everything else you mention is already available in the 2005 either standard or as an option (ours had the Navigation system, the 110v inverter, the rear floor mats, and the cargo shade).
It appears from what I've read that dealers should be able to take orders for the 2006 model at this time. Good luck!
kirstie_h
Roving Host
Host, Future Vehicles & Smart Shopper discussions
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
They tracked it back to a mistake by THEM, not the newspaper, and when my boss pressed them about it, they did the right thing and honored the price.
If that dealership has any integrity (a few do, most do not) they would honor the price. Great test of their mettle.....If they do not honor it, move on to someone else, because you know they are not good people....
troy
IIRC, the member was referring to an e-mail quote - I doubt that's set in stone.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
The fact that the general sales manager would not do this shows the business to be of questionable integrity.
-C...
As far as deals, don't expect too much of a break. Hybrids for the most part sell at or near (or in some cases above) MSRP.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
In all reality, much of the gas saving technology really has nothing to do with the "hybrid" aspect at all. Cylinder deactivation and automatic shutoff can be applied to ALL vehicles, as can skinnier tires, the Atkinson cycle, running the air conditioner off the batteries at a reduced setting, etc. The real world gains, when this is taken into consideration, are pretty abysmal, which is why I think Honda is heading is probably the more intellingent approach. In the future, ALL vehicles will employ these technologies to some degree, but I ultimately hope diesel takes hold, if our government will finally decide to get behind it the way the Europeans have.
I expect mpg to drop back down nearer 30 mpg now that I am back to my usual mix of driving, but I do a lot of back roads and some off-roading (the reason for a 4WD SUV to start with) and I expect to stay at just about exactly double the overall mileage my 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee can manage.
The cost is also offset by various tax incentives. These incentives are designed to help consumers make greener choices even when the financial side doesn't pencil out as well as it might.
The battery technology, Nickel Metal Hydride, is probably the most environmentally friendly of all battery technologies. The electrolyte is a strong alkaline which can be diluted with water, and is fully absorbed in the battery making a spill unlikely. Unlike LiIion, NiCd, and lead acid, there are no toxic metals used.
The Escape does not use skinny tires. It's really not at all different from the standard Escape models, coming in at a trim level somewhere between the XLT and the Limited.
You claim Atkinson cycle could be applied to a conventional car. Not true. There is not enough low-end torque to make an Atkinson cycle engine driveable with a conventional transmission. Cylinder deactivation can and has been used in conventional autos before (remember the Caddy 4/6/8 debacle). Idle-stop can be done but without the electric launch capability it'd result in a noticable delay in starting from a stop.
If the "real world gains" are so abysmal then where are the conventional cars that deliver this same utility along with the economy and the environmental "greenness"? They don't exist. There is not another midsized 5-door car that can get the kind of performance and economy the current generation Prius is capable of while polluting so little.
"The speed at which you make up the price is also tied to how many miles you drive, not just the price of fuel."
It doesn't matter about the speed, you'll NEVER make up the cost of fuel with a hybrid vehicle. You could drive any vehicle 40-50 MPH, and you'd be surprised what your mileage is. People driving hybrids are just generally more aware of their driving habits than the average driver, which is the reason they bought the vehicle in the first place. Regardless, just when you are getting close to making up the cost, if you ever do, you'll have to replace the batteries.
"The cost is also offset by various tax incentives. These incentives are designed to help consumers make greener choices even when the financial side doesn't pencil out as well as it might."
The tax incentives are a joke. I'm not positive, but I believe they range is somewhere in the $1,500 bracket now (although a couple states have incentives above and beyond that, such as Oregon). Depending on your income bracket, this will save you between $200-$400. The price to buy a hybrid vehicle over a similiarly equipped vehicle, however, is about $7,000: $3000-$4000 for the technology, and additional couple thousand because they are the "top of the line", if there is a line, and a couple thousand more because dealers are loath to budge off the MSRP.
"The battery technology, Nickel Metal Hydride, is probably the most environmentally friendly of all battery technologies. The electrolyte is a strong alkaline which can be diluted with water, and is fully absorbed in the battery making a spill unlikely. Unlike LiIion, NiCd, and lead acid, there are no toxic metals used."
This is a relative statement. You still have to rape the earth to mine these materials, then you have to refine them, manufacture them, and replace them. Simple physics says energy is neither created nor destroyed. To make a battery, you need energy, just as you would to pump oil, run around the block, etc.
"The Escape does not use skinny tires. It's really not at all different from the standard Escape models, coming in at a trim level somewhere between the XLT and the Limited.
...
"There is not another midsized 5-door car that can get the kind of performance and economy the current generation Prius is capable of while polluting so little."
You're switching vehicles on me now.
"If the "real world gains" are so abysmal then where are the conventional cars that deliver this same utility along with the economy and the environmental "greenness"?"
It's called diesel. Diesel is actually BETTER for the earth (worse for humans, but that usually isn't a concern), gets similiar mileage, and the performance is comparable, or even better. Diesel, diesel, diesel.
The diesel fuel standard will soon be modified (in 2006?) and we in the US may have to take a look at clean diesels when that happens. There is, of course, nothing to preclude combining a parallel hybrid design and a diesel. My guess is that that will be exactly what is done for larger vehicles. Whether that sort of approach will make economic sense for small vehicles will depend upon the price of gasoline. It already would make economic sense in much of the world, but not in the US at current prices.