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June 15, 2007
 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Greg Wilson
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Photo Gallery: 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
Along with its new exterior styling, a redesigned interior, and a new lower base price, the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid offers slightly improved fuel consumption over the 2007 Hybrid model, according to official fuel consumption figures supplied by Ford of Canada. As well, new software upgrades to the electronic controller have made the transition between electric and gasoline engine operation much smoother than in the previous Hybrid.
Like the other 2008 Escape models, the 2008 Hybrid has new exterior styling that looks similar to its larger SUV stablemates, the Explorer and Expedition: a higher hood, larger headlamps, bigger chrome grille, a higher belt-line, and squarer taillights give it a chunkier appearance. Thankfully, Ford has done away with the cheap-looking lower plastic body cladding and replaced it with body-coloured bumpers and subtle side cladding. However, the optional chrome front bumper insert, like the one on my test vehicle, looks a bit flashy to my eyes.
 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Click image to enlarge |
There’s little to distinguish the Escape Hybrid from the non-hybrid Escape models – the Hybrid has a hybrid symbol (a green leaf and branch that resembles a winding road) and the word “Hybrid” on the rear tailgate; and a hybrid symbol on the right front fender; and there’s an air vent in the left rear quarter window that ventilates the large battery under the cargo area – but that’s it.
Inside, the Escape Hybrid features a similar, redesigned interior to the regular Escape with new instruments and a new centre stack design, but the Hybrid adds a Charge/Assist gauge to the instrument cluster, a green “EV” indicator in the tachometer to indicate when the vehicle is running on battery power alone; and in the optional Navigation system screen, a real-time display of power distribution between the gas engine, electric motor and battery; a real-time fuel consumption readout for the past 15 minutes; and an overall average fuel consumption readout.
  2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Click image to enlarge |
The price of the 2008 Escape Hybrid has come down, but it’s still considerably higher than other Escape models: the FWD Hybrid model now starts at $31,499, down from $33,799 for the 2007 model. The 2008 Escape Hybrid 4WD model is now $33,899, reduced from $36,599. My 4WD test vehicle had almost $7,000 worth of options, bringing the as-tested price to over $40,000. For comparison, a base four-cylinder Escape FWD is $23,999 and an XLT 4WD is $27,799; an Escape XLT 4WD V6 is $28,899 and a top-of-the-line Escape LTD 4WD V6 is $34,499.
However, government rebates can take the sting out of the Escape Hybrid’s price: the federal government’s eco-auto rebate program offers a $2,000 rebate for the Escape Hybrid FWD model and a $1,500 rebate for the Escape Hybrid 4WD model. As well, some provinces have PST rebates of between $1,000 and $3,000. See the Transport Canada Eco-auto web page for more info.
The Escape Hybrid is a so-called “full hybrid” which means that it can run only on its electric motor and battery, or on its gas engine alone, or both at the same time, depending on speed and power requirements. In slower city traffic (up to 48 km/h) the Escape Hybrid runs on electric power alone, thus saving gasoline; and while stopped at traffic lights, the gas engine can shut down automatically (if it’s running at the time). These two factors explain why its city fuel consumption is better than its highway consumption, the opposite of most vehicles. When accelerating hard, the Escape’s 330-volt battery assists the gas engine by providing extra power to the drive wheels; and while coasting or braking, the regenerative braking system charges the battery. Everything is controlled automatically by the electronic controller.
The 2008 Escape Hybrid’s powertrain is basically the same as the previous models, with some software upgrades: a 2.3-litre 16-valve four-cylinder engine connected to a continuously variable transmission and electric motor, and a 330-volt nickel metal hydride battery under the rear cargo floor. The 2.3-litre engine produces 133 hp at 6000 rpm and 124 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm, and the electric motor develops 70 kilowatts at 5000 rpm. The combined electric/gas horsepower and torque figures are 155 and 152 lb-ft respectively. Escape Hybrids are offered with front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, the latter an on-demand all-wheel drive system that runs in front-wheel drive most of the time, but transfers torque to the rear wheels automatically if there’s any slippage in the front wheels. With its high ground clearance, large 16-inch tires, and optional AWD, the Escape Hybrid is capable of light off-road use, but it doesn’t have a Low Range gear and isn’t intended for serious off-road use. Towing is not recommended with the Hybrid.
For those concerned about how long the Hybrid’s NiMH battery is going to last, Ford offers a 10-year/240,000 km warranty, longer than the 8-year warranty I’ve seen on other hybrid vehicles.
How the hybrid system works
2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Click image to enlarge
2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Click image to enlarge
Despite Ford’s quoted average fuel consumption figure of 7.1 L/100 km (40 mpg Imperial) for the 4WD Hybrid, after a week of combined city and highway driving, I could only manage 8.7 L/100 km (33 mpg Imperial), (according to the on-board average fuel consumption readout). That’s about the same fuel consumption Assistant Editor Jil McIntosh reported in her test of the 2006 Escape Hybrid last summer. So it is difficult to confirm whether there have been any improvements in fuel economy between the 2008 model and the 2007 model. Still, 8.7 L/100 km isn’t so bad when you consider that the Escape Hybrid accelerates almost as quickly as an Escape V6 (0 to 100 km/h in 10 or 11 seconds) while the V6 averages 10.8 L/100 km, according to NRCan’s Energuide Fuel Consumption Guide – a figure which is undoubtedly higher in real-world driving.
Other than the fuel savings, the Escape Hybrid also emits less carbon dioxide and pollutants into the atmosphere when compared to other Escape models. NRCan Energuide figures for annual C02 emissions for the 2008 Hybrid are not available yet, but the 2007 Escape Hybrid 4WD model emitted 3,552 kg/year vs the Escape V6 4WD’s 5,328 kg/year.
The experience of driving the Escape Hybrid is not a lot different from driving a regular Escape, especially now that Ford has improved the smoothness of the automatic engine start-up. The gas engine can start up automatically while at a stop light or while accelerating, and I was surprised at how much smoother this transition is than in earlier models. With the engine stopped at traffic lights, the Escape Hybrid is eerily quiet inside, but on gentle acceleration there is slight whine from the electric motor which, to me, sounded like a faint fire engine siren in the distance. As you accelerate hard, the gas engine kicks in and the needle on the Charge/Assist gauge veers over to the Assist side to show that the battery is helping the gas engine to accelerate – or is it vice-versa?. When you coast downhill or brake, the gas engine stops, and the needle leans towards the Charge side to show that the regenerative braking system is charging the battery.
The Hybrid can accelerate slowly up to about 48 km/h on the battery alone (previously 40 km/h). I found this worked well in bumper to bumper traffic, and I liked the fact that I wasn’t needlessly polluting the air while stopped at traffic lights. I also found the electric motivation isn’t affected by the incline of the road – I could accelerate slowly up a steep incline on battery power alone. However, I did notice that turning on the air conditioning while stopped caused the gasoline engine to start up automatically. I’m not sure if this happens all the time, though.
The continuously variable transmission has no discernable shift points, and causes the engine to rev higher during acceleration. Under hard acceleration onto the freeway for example, the engine can rev up to 6000 r.p.m. temporarily until you reach cruising speed. Under moderate acceleration, the engine will rev between 3000 and 4000 r.p.m. before it settles back to a comfortable speed below 2000 r.p.m. While cruising on the freeway, the Escape’s engine is relaxed and quiet. At 100 km/h, the engine does only 1,500 r.p.m., and at 120 km/h, revs are only about 2,000 r.p.m. When coasting on a downgrade, the gas engine will shut off completely, and the Escape Hybrid can run on battery power alone.
The Hybrid is about 120 kg (265 lb) heavier than the V6 Escape, and it does feel a bit heavier when cornering, but the ride is very comfortable (four-wheel independent suspension is standard) and braking performance is very good. I recall that the first Escape Hybrid in 2005 stopped from 100 km/h in under 40 metres (131 ft.) Still, pedal feel with the regenerative braking system is different from the regular Escape, though not as bad as earlier models.
One thing that impressed me was how quiet the cabin is on the freeway – with its low-revving engine, and new thicker glass and thicker carpeting, the cabin is very quiet – the loudest noise being the tires.
Driving impressions
2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Click image to enlarge
2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Click image to enlarge
2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Click image to enlarge
The 2008 Escape features new variable-assist electric power steering which I found light enough for parking chores, and firm enough for stable highway cruising. Its turning diameter of 11.2 metres (36.7 ft.) is a bit wide for a compact SUV, but manageable in the city. As the power steering and power (disc) brakes need to function while the gasoline engine is shut off, both are electronically operated.
  2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Click image to enlarge |
As with the previous Escape, the cabin is quite roomy with plenty of legroom and headroom for front and rear passengers. The driver has a power seat and a tilt steering wheel to help find a comfortable seating position – the Escape’s upright, chair-like seating position requires the driver to move closer to the steering wheel, but the proximity to controls and instruments is convenient and outward visibility is unobstructed.
The look and quality of the new dashboard materials is quite good – my vehicle had a cream-coloured upper dash with beige panel inserts, and a dimpled plastic material – and a smoother contrasting plastic surrounding the centre controls. New for 2008 are standard cloth seats made of 100% ‘post industrial’ recycled materials rather than virgin materials, however my test vehicle had the optional recycled cow skin (leather). The dark beige carpets were a welcome sight as they hide the dirt and are easier to keep clean. The Escape’s newly designed dashboard includes new blue backlighting for the dash and controls, and a new centre stack design. At the top of the dash is an illuminated display with driver/passenger temperature settings, outside temperature, compass, fan speed indicator, date and time. Just below that are two adjustable air vents, and the radio/CD player/optional navigation and information display. The touch-screen shows various functions including a colour map for navigation purposes, radio and CD functions, an information display with such features as a calendar and vehicle location in latitude and longitude; and hybrid system operation. You can choose between a visual graphic showing the direction of power distribution between the gas engine, electric motor and battery; or a real-time fuel consumption bar graph that constantly updates fuel consumption levels over a 15-minute period. As well, there’s an average fuel consumption readout.
I wasn’t able to operate the navigation system as the DVD for the map hadn’t arrived before my test. Below the screen is the automatic climate control system with large, separate dials for driver and passenger temperature selection, and a single fan speed control. Ventilation options are by push-buttons. Optional seat heater buttons are just below that, but the single temperature choice gets rather hot after five minutes of bun-warming. On the lower centre console is a 12-volt powerpoint, an auxiliary audio input jack, and an optional 110-volt outlet – the latter a feature made possible by the Hybrid’s powerful battery. The 110-volt outlet opens a world of possibilities, notably for campers. You could run an extension cord from the vehicle to an electric outdoor light, heater or stove. Optional rear parking sensors can be turned off with a button near the audio jack, but they are so useful when parking that I left them on all the time.
Just to the left of the steering wheel is a button for “Info” which operates a digital display in the instrument cluster showing odometer readings and ‘distance to empty’ in kilometres. It also displays functions such as oil life, electric energy status, automatic lock/unlock, and language.
Between the front seats is a large storage bin with removable trays, coinholder, CD slots, and a tissue holder – and a nicely positioned armrest. Ford says a laptop will fit inside this bin.
At the rear are three height-adjustable head restraints – the centre one is lower so as not to obstruct the driver’s rearview vision. A rear wiper and washer also keep the vertical rear window clear of rain, dirt, snow or ice – I was always using it.
At the rear of the centre console, the rear passengers have two cupholders and a 12-volt powerpoint next to a small open storage bin, plus door map pockets. The split folding rear seatbacks fold down in a three step process: first the seat cushions are lifted up against the back of the front seats, then the rear head restraints are removed, and then the seatbacks are folded down. It’s not the best system, but it works.
The rear liftgate lifts up easily and includes a separate opening rear window – another useful feature. The cargo opening is tall and wide and there’s a black, plastic scuff guard on top of the rear bumper to protect it when loading items in the cargo area. The cargo area in the Hybrid is a smaller (by 1.4 cu. ft.) than in the regular Escape because of the battery under the floor, but it’s still quite large.
The rear cargo area is roomy but the side walls are made of bare plastic which can be scratched by heavy objects. The floor carpet can be removed revealing a steel cover for the nickel-metal hydride battery underneath the floor. A red and black label warns of high voltage and to avoid spills, so I couldn’t help wondering what would happen if a water jug accidentally tipped over in the cargo area. Hybrid cars like the Civic Hybrid position the battery behind the rear seat where it’s less accessible.
Standard safety equipment in the Escape Hybrid includes dual front airbags, front seat side airbags, and dual side curtain airbags for both rows of passengers. However, the Advance Trac stability control and RSC Roll Stability Control features available in other Escape models are not available in the Hybrid.
Interior impressions
2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Click image to enlarge
2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Click image to enlarge
2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Click image to enlarge
A smoother hybrid drivetrain and a price reduction are welcome changes on the 2008 Escape Hybrid, but fuel consumption is thirstier than expected, and the retail price is quite a bit higher than other Escape models.
Verdict
Pricing: 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD
Specifications
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