The 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid system packages a four-cylinder gasoline engine with a powerful electric motor, powered by an efficient battery pack located under the rear cargo floor.

Posted: Sunday, August 28, 2005.

The Economical Mover and Shaker

Small SUVs have continued to be the Wheels favorite vehicles for Hawaii, and the Ford Escape was the winner of the 2002 Wheels award for the best vehicle for Hawaii.

By Ed Kemper
Honolulu, Hawaii
Courtesy of Honolulu Ford

For 2005 the regular Escape was upgraded primarily with a better and more economical 4-cylinder engine with the availability of an automatic transmission.

But the real highlight reel for the 2005 model is the Hybrid edition with its over 30-mpg rating. Unlike the first generation of hybrids where high mileage rates with less than sterling performance was the goal, the Escape attempts to give the power of its V-6 with the economy of a compact 4 cylinder sedan.

The large tachometer features a "green zone" below 0 rpm, indicating that the vehicle is in fuel saving electric mode.

In the crazy world of hybrids, you cannot simply add the gas engine’s horsepower to the electric motor’s to determine the total horsepower. With the Escape, the modified 4 cylinder (2.3 liter) motor generates 133 hp and the electric powerplant adds its 94 hp for a total of 155 real hp. (Do not ask me to explain this new math, but it has something to do with physics.)

As with latest Toyota hybrids, the electric motor moves the vehicle along up to about 20 mph and then the gas engine clicks on. At stops, the gas motor then turns off again. Above 20 mph or so the gas and elector motor, with the help of Mr. Computer, work together or not depending on the need for power or the highest possible economy which is all related to driver’s use of the "gas" pedal. Added to all of this high techism is a CVT transmission, which is mechanical without normal gears adding further to the economy/performance equation.

End result: a city EPA rating of 36 mpg and a highway rating of a lesser 31 with a 0-60 time of about 9.6 seconds. But all of this technology comes at a cost—about $3000 more than a V-6 equipped unit. At same point, assuming gas prices stay at the present level, the 16 plus mpg difference between the hybrid and V-6 will pay that difference. But the realty check here is that it well take a very, very long time. However, help is on its way to close the gap with the very recent passage of Federal tax credit legislation. (Consult your accountant or tax lawyer for details.)

Real Life
To try out this latest hybrid, a fairly well optioned Escape was put to the test. Starting from the base sticker of $26,810, this unit had the appearance group ($625), the navigation equipment ($1850), side airbags ($595), floor mats ($25), electric 120 volt outlet ($180), and the cargo cover ($75) for a grand total MSRP of $30,750.

Unlike the recently tested Toyota Highlander Hybrid, when the ignition key is turned in the Escape the gas engine comes on briefly and then turns off with the electric motor silently moving the SUV up to about 20 mph. On the other hand, the Highlander simply used the electric motor from the first moment.

The change from the electric to gas motor and back is largely transparent other than the slightly more noise from the gas powerplant.

To keep the exotic batteries charged, the use of the brakes recharges those units (and you can actually feel the slight increase in resistance in the brake pedal).

There is fair amount of power when the gas and electric motors are both working a full tilt, but the power is not at the same level as the very spirited performance of the Escape V-6. Further, when going up the Pali or Likelike, the four cylinder becomes considerably nosier than its V-6 cousin because the CVT transmission pushes the rpm much further up the scale.

Handling and cornering are much like the normal Escape, which is one best in the small SUV business. In a word, the Escape is very maneuverable with quick reactions to corners and a ride that is soft enough without being mushy. Overtime Ford has also worked to quiet the interior over the somewhat noisy initial models, and the current Escape reflects that.

Unlike the regular Escape, which has the best steering control and feel in the SUV business, the Hybrid has an electric power steering type which loses something in the translation. At low speeds, the steering is light to the feel and pretty direct, but as the pace increases some of the sense of direction and control is lost.

Another difference is the A/C set up. If it is very warm out and there is a long stop, the cool air begins to heat up with the normal A/C setting. In order to overcome this, the max setting must be chosen which causes the gas engine to turn on, thereby partially defeating the obtaining of high city gas mileage.

Nevertheless the gas mileage in various scenarios was impressive. Here is the rundown: heavy Honolulu street traffic: 34.8 mpg, highway/H-3: 28.1, town/Kailua heavy traffic: 26.5, Kailua to town morning traffic: 30.2, town to Kailua commute: 30.2.

Appearances Are Not Everything
If you are looking some flashy advertisement that you are driving a green machine SUV, it is going to be difficult for most to notice.

Outside, this Escape has the mandatory hybrid badges but not much else to tell it apart from the normal ones. Inside, there are couple clues, other than the total silence at stops. First, on the navigation screen in the center of the dash, one of the pictures shows the interplay in graph form of the gas and electric engines. Second, one of the gauges in the dash pod indicate when the batteries are being recharged (using the brakes) or when the electric motor is adding juice to the drivetrain.

But the most entertaining screen shows in graph form the mileage for the last 15 minutes as well as the instant mileage and the average mileage. Thus, you can tell immediately the best or worst way to manipulate the gas consummation.

Still One Of Best
The rest of the Escape remains one of the best in SUV land with a good combo of a small outside package with lots of interior room and versatility.

Up front, the dash has been brightened up from the earlier model with metal looking plastic. A large and useable armrest/storage center sits between the two front seats. The cloth upholstery has an interesting and entertaining pattern to it.

Three real people can sit in the back seat without having to deal with a hump either in the seat or the floor. Knee room is very good. With a pull of a handle and the removable of the headrests, the 60/40 seats can be easily dropped for additional storage. Moreover, the seat backs can be adjusted for rake. Cupholders can be folded out of the back of the center console.

The back cargo area is quite large. Unlike many others, the rear window can be opened separately from the lift gate. Both a wiper and washer set up is available to clean the rear window.

No Escaping It
With the Hybrid edition, Ford has added another hit to its dance card. With the 4-cylinder engine with the help of the electric motor performance is good (but not great), but for many gas mileage is great. In addition, the Escape still remains one of the true hits in the small SUV genre, and there are good reasons for that. Surely the Hybrid version will help Ford continue with this best seller.

Q&A
Q: When your stupid reporter initially saw the average gas mileage figures in the 8 to 9 range on the screen in the center of the dash, he thought the Escape was being completely misrepresented. What was he thinking?

A: Not much as it turned out. Soon he realized those readings were metric numbers for liter usage. By making the appropriate change, the average miles per gallon jumped into the 30 range. Duh.

High Beams
• Expect over 30 mpg in the city, the worse the traffic the better mpg.
• Reasonable performance at all speeds.
• Still one the best of the small SUVs.

Low Beams
• Noisy engine when going up hills and when pressed.

– Ed Kemper is the auto columnist for the Honolulu Star Bulletin and MidWeek, the Weekend. He also hosts Wheels Hawaii TV on Oceanic Cable-Channel 16 in Hawaii, which is shown on Wednesday at 12:30 PM, Thursday at 1:00 PM and 5 PM, Friday at 10:30 PM and 9:30 PM, and Saturday at 9:30 AM and 4:00 PM.

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