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Ford Escape Hybrid Prices Paid and Buying Experiences

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Comments

  • crysnstevecrysnsteve Member Posts: 17
    Hi,
    Don't know about putting on personal information. But I am from Estes Park, and I bought my FEH two weeks ago today, Thanks for trying. I hope that is enough info for them since they have record of me. Oh and I didn't pay the extra 3k mark up.
  • burnsvaburnsva Member Posts: 35
    The 2009 Next Generation NAV System is hard drive based - not DVD. I assume that updates will either be loaded via the USB port or you will buy an update DVD that will then upload the information into the hard drive (like my Garmin Nuvi).
  • mtbkmtbk Member Posts: 4
    We ordered our Escape Hybrid on May 21, 2008. My dealer was given notice on August first that it should arrive in ~4 weeks. A 100+/- day wait for the car. My dealer has special ordered 5-6 hybrids however only 2 are being delivered on the first shipment. Hopefully the news is correct. We are located in NC.
  • fmorrisofmorriso Member Posts: 52
    Excellent news.

    Fingers crossed that similar good news will drift to the North into the metro DC region for my April 21 order. :)
  • vdepuyvdepuy Member Posts: 8
    Mtbk -
    Would you mind sharing which dealership you're going through?

    I'm also in NC although ordered mine thru VA as couldn't find a dealer in NC to give me X-plan. After a couple of sketchy reasons for the delay from the dealer (There's a delay in building them... um, I know a guy at Ford who was AT THE PLANT and they started shipping last week, that's not a valid excuse, can you check your sources? et cetera) the reason I got last week was that "this are" - including Norfolk-area dealer - is only allocated 7% of the FEHs and she'd talk to the dealer rep on Monday when she was visiting about getting mine scheduled.
    In short, ordered June 3rd and no VIN, build date, et cetera.

    Thanks!
  • ursacatursacat Member Posts: 32
    FEH Limited - X plan (Black Pearl Slate - Grey Interior, 2WD, Nav Bars - although they forgot at the factory so are providing wholesale. No Navigation system ) Petaluma CA.
    Had a 2005 FE Conventional that we sold this weekend.
    So far after about 100 miles I love this thing. Proud of Ford also!

    First impressions.

    -As much (perhaps more) pickup than the 6 cyl 2005.
    -Handling/steering a little more sensetive (more like a sports car)
    Exterior color what I expected. Interior a little lighter than I expected - kinda medium grey.

    Some cool new features (like the back window pops open with the key fob, keyless entry, nice interior lighting, etc. - probably a lot more than I know about.

    USB works great with the IPOD (althought still trying to figure this out)

    Blackberry syncs addres book and also works great.

    Braking and cornering excellent.

    Haven't found a place to store a set up jumper cables or a tow rope yet.

    Shows 34 average for the day. My first Hybrid so I'm learning.
    I'm going to order the Escape rocker panel stainless steel stick on protectors from the Escape aftermarket place.
    My dealer told me they don't know their allocation but have to take 4(?) reqular escapes for every Hybrid.

    More later.
    Regards,
  • hdtechhdtech Member Posts: 11
    Can you share the web address of the aftermarket rocker panel vendor?
  • mtbkmtbk Member Posts: 4
    vdepuy,

    The dealership that I worked with was Pittsboro Ford, Pittsborro, NC.

    mtbk
  • pal44pal44 Member Posts: 6
    Just ordered my vehicle yesterday at Courtesy Ford in Littleton CO. Going for the Kiwi Green - loaded with everything. Was told it would take 10 weeks. Am driving a 1999 Ford Explorer Eddie Baurer, still getting 18.4 MPG but am looking forward to the smaller version and the better gas mileage. The Explorer is for sale if anyone is interested (probably in October when my Hybrid is delivered). Have never had a navigation system so that will be fun to experiment with. Also looking forward to the backup warning. We also have a F150 super crew cab that has that feature and it is great. It would be nice if all cars and trucks built got at least 20 MPG, it will take years for us spoiled Americans to get on that train. Was told I would have my VIN in two weeks. Have an order number of 103, does that mean anything to anyone?
  • crysnstevecrysnsteve Member Posts: 17
    I got my 09 FEH two weeks ago from Longmont Ford (CO). I love it, I didn't think I would care about the nav system but it is SO cool! It has so many features, when I show people I always forget a few cool things I am averaging around 31 -32 mpg so far. Hope you get yours soon.
  • ursacatursacat Member Posts: 32
    Hi,

    The Ford dealership just provided the OEM Step Bars at cost. They are easy to install. (This weekends project.)

    Regards,
  • dewooddewood Member Posts: 2
    I ordered my FEH FWD on May 19, 2008 and am still clean/unscheduled. My dealer in Huntington, NY has no info even after talking with the Ford Rep last week. Are we going to be left in the dark? Doesn't Ford realize what they're doing in the PR dept? Is there any rhyme or reason to their automobile production scheduling? Perhaps someone who is a Ford employee can answer this. Help!!
  • fmorrisofmorriso Member Posts: 52
    My April 21 order is also Clean/Unsched.

    There is nothing logical to the order fulfillment process. It never will be so long as there is no transparency to the process. If and when customers can log on to a secure web site and track their individual orders the same way they can track a UPS or FedEx package, Ford will continue to "game the system" to suit their needs, not the customer's needs.
  • burnsvaburnsva Member Posts: 35
    I ordered mine on May 8th and received my VIN on July 21st - one week before the KC plant shut down. As far as I can tell, no scheduling has moved forward since the plant shut down. Hopefully - when the plant reopens next week the scheduling process will resume (mine has made it to the sequence stage on 7/22 but not moved forward since).
  • alfredckalfredck Member Posts: 9
    By "Grey Interior"... did you mean Stone? I thought that the Hybrid only comes in 1 interior color? Or does it not? I would love to have a grey color interior... not a big fan of the beige but I thought we didn't have a choice.
  • baraboodadbaraboodad Member Posts: 20
    While in town on business, I went to the dealer, and test-drove a 2009 I-4 gas Merc Mariner (same as FEH except shocks and exterior bling, as far as I can tell). Sweet little truck! Braking is great, pickup great (though a little reving). Road bumps not bad for a small truck, though not as good as the Subaru Forester I drove next. Seats considerably more comfortable than the Forester, and better pull out into traffic. All in all, I can't wait to get an FEH or MMH!

    As to ordering hybrids: after test-driving the Forester, I went back and sat in the 09 again, and asked questions about the ordering process, and brought up the questions with order fulfillment that people have aired here. The dealer showed me their order sheet, with progress on orders. They sell more hybrids than any other Merc Dealer in the area. Some June orders still awaiting VINs, but several in production with VINS and ship dates assigned.

    He stated, that per his contact, Mercury is ONLY doing retail ("already sold") orders right now on hybrids, because they have so many. Stated that many dealers have therefore made phony orders trying to get dealer stock. Said that the factory actually calls the customer to be sure it's not a dealer's phony order, and if they don't get an answer that matches, they don't commit that VIN; they go on to the next order. Advises therefore giving your cell # to them for this reason. States that basically, it's a 2 month wait for the VIN right now, and then another 1-2 months to be built and delivered.

    He said that this is the Mercury process, and could not speak for Ford Escape Hybrids, as that could be different.

    As to the e-mail that was floated on the internet about Ford not taking any more orders, he said that just wasn't true. He is making retail orders for them still which are being accepted. Just no dealer stock orders being accepted.

    It was a very pleasant experience - no pressure at all. Just a good test drive and even more info and plenty of patience with my questions (and showing me the printout of his orders list, VINs and ship dates and all) when I went back there after test-driving a Subaru Forester. For those interested, it was Gordie Boucher Lincoln Mercury on Odana Rd.
  • ganggreenganggreen Member Posts: 4
    I finally received a VIN# for my FEH AWD ordered on 4/18. Does anyone know how long it typically takes from VIN assignment to delivery to the northeast?
  • jlcomstockjlcomstock Member Posts: 14
    Ganggreen, out of curiosity, when you say Northeast, what area area you talking about. I'm in the Greater Pittsburgh area and am keeping on the lookout for anyone else who's been waiting on a VIN.
  • therock515therock515 Member Posts: 6
    I just took delivery of a 2009 FEH FWD last night (08/07) in Columbia, MD. I had ordered it June 6. Here are my initial impressions. First off, the car rides and looks great. Brakes and handles very well and acceleration is very adequate. When I got in the car, the info center said 440 miles to empty. I am downsizing from a 2003 F-150 and I would barely get 270 miles to a 25 gallon tank. Another point of interest is that I am 6' 3" and have plenty of head and leg room. I found it somewhat hard to keep in electric mode going from a deadstop. Like someone said in earlier posts you will make people behind you very angry if you try and keep it in electric mode. However, that being said almost as soon I started hitting the brakes to come to a stop it went into electric mode and stayed there until I went to go again. It is crazy how quiet it is when it is in electric mode - it literally sounds like the car shuts off totally. The SYNC system is sweet - pairing my phone and ipod was easy and the voice recognition is very accurate. Hope this helps people out a little bit...please feel free to ask any questions.
  • troberts1troberts1 Member Posts: 3
    Hello Michael
    I also have a white suede escape hybrid Limited ordered since 5-16-08. After contacting the dealer (Omaha) he tells me at this time I probably will not see the car until last of Sept or mid Oct. Would it be possible to have you send me some pictures of your car? I am interested in seeing the car in the white suede color exterior as well as the interior of the new escape.
    Thank you
    troberts1
  • troberts1troberts1 Member Posts: 3
    What color of Escape did you recieve? and would it be possible to get some pictures of it??
    troberts1
  • ganggreenganggreen Member Posts: 4
    I ordered it on April 18 from Rhinebeck Ford, which is in Rhinebeck, NY. About 100 miles north of NYC, 50 miles south of Albany.
  • markspmarksp Member Posts: 3
    Just picked up our '09 FEHL 4WD in Kiwi. So far, so good with only 10 delivery miles. SYNC with "Next Gen Nav" is very cool! Cheers
  • pal44pal44 Member Posts: 6
    The phone number to call for tracking your vehicle is 1-800-392-3673. The number prompts are 1 - 5 - 2 - 2

    You can't get anywhere without your VIN number. You will also need:

    Body style (U59 for the 2009 Ford Escaped Hybrid Limited - loaded)
    Dealer Number (usually a letter followed by 5 numbers)
    Your order number given to you by your dealer

    A good web site for this vehicle is www.genuineservice.com

    This is a free service. You can download your manual (333 pages) or save it to your favorites, a much better idea. :D
  • therock515therock515 Member Posts: 6
    I got the Black Pearl Slate and I will try to get some pics up soon.
  • michaelwehomichaelweho Member Posts: 12
    Trobert1 - I will try to get some pics uploaded this weekend.
  • baraboodadbaraboodad Member Posts: 20
    Nice dealers, but the big Ford dealer here says that they only get to make retail orders (no dealer stock orders) and their allotment is only one hybrid every other month! They are taking orders now to expect delivery in March or April at the earliest....

    So I gave up and bought a really pretty Sport Blue 09 Escape AWD I4 instead, which is the color we wanted anyway, just not hybrid. Kind of sad, but I needed something new for winter roads, and with gas already less than $4 a gallon again and going down, the hybrid just wasn't worth the wait, and didn't want to sink any more money into the '97 we were trading in. 5 or 6 years from now when it would have started paying for itself I may regret the decision - or when someone else hums by me in a Kiwi Green AWD Escape Hybrid in Wisconsin Dells!

    Here's hoping the rest of you have better luck than I did!
  • gmilonas76gmilonas76 Member Posts: 2
    I went through a similar experience (long wait for VIN on 09 hybrid limited...ordered the non hybrid 2.5L AWD limited instead 2 weeks ago did you get a VIN yet?
  • markspmarksp Member Posts: 3
    Sort of surprised a "Limited" trim level, $35K MSRP 2009 vehicle does not include Home Link garage door opener integration or back-up camera in the $2,395 Navigation system. In fact, there are exposed bolts, wire looms and visible brackets which seem out of place for a '09 vehicle in this price category.

    Having said that, the hybrid drive system is super sophisticated, SYNC is awesome and it's great to be driving USA made, lower impact vehicle!
  • michaelwehomichaelweho Member Posts: 12
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    Enjoy!!!

    We did not get the navigation system - we thought the vehicle was expensive enough without. Getting about 33 mpg combined driving.

    Just need to get rid of the temptation not to restart the car when coming to a stop (feels like it stalls since the gas engine cuts out).
  • markspmarksp Member Posts: 3
    We picked up our new 2009 FEH Limited this week. Sort of surprised a "Limited" trim level, $35K MSRP 2009 vehicle does not include Home Link garage door opener integration or back-up camera in the $2,395 Navigation system. The included back-up sensors are nice, but camera is more functional and expected. In fact, there are exposed bolts, wire looms and visible brackets which seem out of place for a '09 vehicle in this price category.

    That being said, the hybrid drive system is super sophisticated, SYNC + Navigation + Sirius Travel Link is awesome and it's great to be driving USA made, lower impact vehicle!
  • baraboodadbaraboodad Member Posts: 20
    I had actually made a deal on a Escape at a different lot, at the end of the day yesterday. This AM when the salesman called to do a dealer trade, it turned out that the one I wanted had already sold last night, too. These 2009 Escapes are going fast! So now I'm back into ordering mode, with my original dealer. He says 4-6 weeks for a non-hybrid, and if the hybrid comes in first, then I can have that one instead. (Seems unlikely).
  • mtbkmtbk Member Posts: 4
    My dealer called today to let me know that I had a vin number, a build date and a delivery date. If all goes well we will have a new Escape on 9-1-08. The excitement builds.

    Does anyone know the weight allowances for roof top carriers, bikes etc or does Ford not recommend it?
  • baraboodadbaraboodad Member Posts: 20
    Congratulations! Hopefully with 3 shifts working, they'll crank through orders a little quicker, too.
  • jlcomstockjlcomstock Member Posts: 14
    Hey mtbk, curious when you ordered and what part of the country your in. I'm hangin' tight in Pittsburgh waiting the VIN for about 2 months. Not too long considering other people's waits, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get it before December because it looks like the tax break will phase to 50% come January.
  • troberts1troberts1 Member Posts: 3
    This is what I have gotten from the IRS web page http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=185050,00.html
  • burnsvaburnsva Member Posts: 35
    Per the Ford Motor Company memo (distributed to all dealers) dtd July 17, 2008: "As of June 30, 2008, combined sales of the FEH and MMH eligible for the US Federal Tax Credit are 55,990. Based on sales patterns it appears the 60,000 unit threshold will be reached within the third quarter of 2008. If this is the case, purchasers of the FEH or MMH would be eligible for the full federal tax credit until December 31, 2008. Purchasers after that would be eligible for a reduced credit equal to 50% of the full amount until June 30, 2009."
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "Does anyone know the weight allowances for roof top carriers, bikes etc or does Ford not recommend it? "

    I believe I have read 145 lbs. But if you want MPG, don't do it. I think a rear bike carrier would be more efficient.
  • dvdkirtleydvdkirtley Member Posts: 4
  • dvdkirtleydvdkirtley Member Posts: 4
    oops,
    sorry about that blank post.
    I ordered our new 09 FEH 2WD without the nav system, kiwi green. Placed the order on 7/25/08 but I don't think the dealer put it in until the next monday: 7/28/08. Dealer said it would probably be about 4-6 weeks wait for the vin#. Said it might be delivered as late as Dec or Jan. I sure hope it gets here by Dec so I can take the full tax credit.
    We live in St Louis, MO.

    dvdkirtley
  • mtbkmtbk Member Posts: 4
    jlcomstock,

    I ordered the escape on 5-21-08. I live in Chapel Hill, NC.

    mtbk
  • cwgmlscwgmls Member Posts: 5
    I ordered my Light Ice Blue 4WD on May 9th with Z Plan. Through blueoval.com, I found out that it was manufactured on June 23rd and supposedly shipped on June 25th. Blueoval said the delay was "weather related" and then my saleman said something about a mass "quality control" check. My dealer (central NJ) received it some time last week while I was on vacation. There was a sticker on the window that stated it was driven for a quality control check. Hopefully this was normal and not due to some issue. Good luck to all those who are waiting. According to my salesman, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to which orders get built and when.
  • burnsvaburnsva Member Posts: 35
    Thanks! Found out mine is scheduled to be built on Monday!! (August 18th)... :)
  • ursacatursacat Member Posts: 32
    All,

    Just love this new ride.

    Highlights:

    -Torque
    -Brakes
    -Sync
    -Handling
    -Mileage (avg about 30 so far around town and highway)

    Ford did a great job.

    Now if I can find the Garage Door openner I'll be a happy camper.

    Off to the other boards.

    Regards,

  • baraboodadbaraboodad Member Posts: 20
    Seen in Wisconsin Dells, WI this weekend. Was bought at Capital Ford, in Madison. Seen at dusk this time. Lots brighter when it's light out. Definitely an '09, by the grill and gas cap. Fit and finish looked good from the outside. Exactly what we ordered, except that the dealership will add a tow hitch for the bike rack.... if we even get confirmation of a VIN/build date in the next month. Otherwise, a non-hybrid 09 Escape is on order. :confuse:

    Haven't been able to figure out how to get pics to show here. Link is:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdwbjarvis/2769360487/
  • ursacatursacat Member Posts: 32
    Quick update:

    I was also surprised to find that my 09 FEH (w/o Nav) did not include a simple homelink garage door feature and the little compartment up by the sunroof now is for sunglasses so you have to velcro your garage door opener somewhere. Wierd.

    I love the MS Sync system - works great with the ipod - who would have thought that MS and Apple worked it out.

    I hear from the service guys at Ford that that when the "plugable" model comes out they might issue a retrofit kit for our models. That would be cool. He also mentioned some chip that one could buy (and void the warranty) that extends the electric mode.

    more later.
  • baraboodadbaraboodad Member Posts: 20
    I was hoping I would have a VIN etc to track soon. Tried the website - denied. Hope it's not a bad sign....
  • burnsvaburnsva Member Posts: 35
    That happens periodically when too many people are on it at once - retry (and refresh your web browser).
  • munknastymunknasty Member Posts: 2
    Ursacat, I would love to see a photo of the radio setup - I also ordered mine without the nav, but every picture I've seen has the nav system installed.

    Word from my dealer is that I'm next in line to go from order to production schedule, so I'm (hopefully) looking at mid to late October for delivery. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
  • revminrevmin Member Posts: 4
    I order my FEHL May 10th. The dealer is still stating that he has heard nothing from Ford through the rep. I'm beginning to get worried- very worried. No Vin, no scheduling of any sort. Are there other early May orderers out there and what are you being told about the process?
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