I recently bought a used FEH. This one is 4WD, and although I really wanted a 2WD, the deal I got was just too good to pass up.

Why do I need a SUV? Well here's the deal... we have two LARGE dogs we take all over the place. This car replaced our 1989 Mercury Topaz, and even one of them didn't fit comfortably in the backseat. Also we plan on having kids in the future.

Plus I've always loved the Escapes, and we were actually looking for a normal Escape when we ran into the Hybrid.

Now when the FEH first came out, I thought it was some kind of a joke. At that point all I knew of the hybrids were the Prius and Insight (60-80MPG) and I literally laughed at the idea of a 30MPG hybrid with the salespeople at the Ford dealer I worked for at the time.

BUT if you think about it... a normal V6 Escape gets what... 15-20MPG? In the whole scheme of things we're looking at a 50% increase of fuel economy (with no sacrifice in power or space). Now that's significant.

It's also a whole lot of fun to show off.

One gallon of gas - $3.49

One used four wheel drive SUV that gets 30+ Miles Per Gallon - $15,999

Purchasing it used for $5000 UNDER bluebook because the dealership did not realize it was a hybrid - PRICELESS