I just hit 2000 miles on my 2006 AWD FEH. Its been 26 days since I brought it home.

Without paying attention to my driving (and the visual MPG screen), I stay in the 30-30.5 range. Once I start looking at the screen, and using hills and coasting to stop lights to my advantage, I generally maintain between 31-31.5. I have never been able to get any higher than 31.5 on the display and maintain it while driving. I drove from Greensboro NC to Cary NC last night on the highway, about a 80 mile stretch, and averaged 31 even with no AC. I filled the tank back up when I got home to test to see just how much I used (I had also topped it off back in Greensboro). The tank took 2.4 gallons, and my gas gauge was about 3/4 of the way to the 3/4 tank mark.

I also just came back from Carolina Beach last Wednesday. Its a 150 mile trip there, straight stretch of highway down Highway 40 until you reach Wilmington, from there its mostly stop and go traffic. With the AC blasting (not MAX AC), and a load of 2 people & maybe 150 lbs of fishing gear/coolers/chairs...etc, I was able to easily maintain 30.8 MPG according to the visual fuel screen. I also did about a hour of beach driving while there. Despite a lack of ground clearance when compared to my Jeep Wrangler, It performed flawless. I took it everywhere I normally take my Wrangler. I never once felt any of the tires digging down in a attempt to bury themselves (I never aired them down). After seeing the usual amount of people getting stuck, and me being able to go anywhere I wanted, I was very pleased. The gasoline motor did run more than I expected, even with the 15 mph speed limit on the beach. I did about 1/4 of my driving time in electric mode out there. I figure the torque needed to maneuver over the sands was more than the electric motor could offer me most of the time.

My beach trip comes out to be 348 miles total, from my driveway, down there, and back. This included all my driving while there. I left with a full tank (the miles until empty gauge read 432 miles), and my MPG reset. As stated earlier, I maintained 30.8 MPG, dropping to about 30.2 on occasion when I had to climb various hills. That # did inch toward 31 some, but never got past 30.9. This was with the AC blasting on the highway. When back home my gas gauge was almost touching the 1/4 of a tank mark. My Jeep Wrangler has a 19 gallon tank, and the same trip only left me with about 1/4 of a tank of gas by the time I got there (no AC). All my driving there would then consume the other 1/4 and I would have to refill on the island before heading home. I figure this to be about a tank and a half of gas total trip (about 28-30 gallons of gas for the day). My Escape did the exact same thing on about 11 gallons of gas total for the day, and that was with the AC going. Next time I'm going to test it with the moon roof open, and the back windows cracked to prevent that ear jarring vibration, to see if it really makes a difference with the AC off.

I am VERY happy with the FEH, I can still do the same things I liked to do in my Wrangler, and it literally slashed my gas bill by more than 50%. The only downside I have found so far is I am forced to leave the navigation CD in the dash unit to use it, and I can't take the top off the Escape

 

It would be nice if Chrysler could hybridize Jeeps, I think they would be very popular.

Actually what's going on at low speed is pure electric motor action. Your engine fires up to generate the electricity the big electric motor needs, as well as replenish the battery. At very low speeds the ICE provides very little torque to the wheels, somewhere in the range of 1-10%, most of the power coming from the ICE goes into the generator to be used in the electric motor.

 

So? You've got a 6 CD changer under the passenger seat. It's not like it's some labor to leave the nav CD in the console and use the 6 CD changer instead. Or do you mean that you have to change navigation CDs?

But yes, I've passed 3000 miles, and I'm pleased as punch with it, so I know where you're coming from.

 

It is a bit hard to pull a CD from the sleeve on your visor, and reach over and under the seat to change a CD when your driving isn't it?

It just would be nice to be able to use the Navigation, without the CD constantly being in the unit.

Chad

 

I must be a bit daft, as I still don't understand.

Or you're wanting to listen to more than 6 CDs on a trip. With 6 music CD's under the seat, and the nav CD in the console, whatever CD(s) I want to listen to, I just hit the button(s) on the console to load that CD and listen to it(them), allowing me to use the Nav system and listen to a CD at the same time, or several should I desire it.

 

Tell me a little more about the nav system. Does it get down to street level, How do I type in an address that I want to get to? Does it give proper directions, in your experience? Are you in an urban or rural area. I'm in Maine, near Bangor, and the dealer here says he's never sold an Escape with the nav system. He can't tell me anything about the specifics of it, and the Ford web site isn't very helpful either. Do you have a web site for the manufactorer? My wife is running for statewide office and while we know how to get to any town in Maine, finding the street address can sometimes be a problem. If I can type in a street addres and this thing will find it, great, otherwise we'll still use Yahoo before we head out the door.

And as I understand it, the nav CD has to be in the indash unit all the time, but while it's working you can also play music from any of the underseat CDs, so the thing can actually be reading the indash and underseat units at the same tiem?

 

David, you can zoom in to see street names on the screen if you want. The system is very easy to use and you can type in the City, street, State and street number. If your going to a point of interest like a mall, City Hall, Park, named store etc, etc., you don't even need an address. Its great, I never ask for dirrection, just the address or point of interest. You change CD's as you leave that zone but it just gives you more detail in the other zone CD. It you leave the first CD in, It will give the major roads in the second and following zones. It also shows lakes, ponds, rivers so you can determine how to get across or around. The reason for so many CD's (11 I think) is the detail in that area like even a gas station. I just leave the FL, GA. AL CD in the dash all the time and play up to 6 music CD's under the pass. seat while traveling. You can use both at the same time. The voice driving instructions over ride the music briefly to give you instructions.

If your considering the Escape Hybrid with the Nav system, the radio, energy screen and mileage screen are fantastic. I would not buy the hybrid without it myself.

Gary

 

yes, but it's a little easier when you're stopped at a red light

haha...actually, i ordered my car with the nav system thinking i was opting out of the 6cd changer (i would have been content with the single cd player). my husband noticed it under the seat the second day we had the car. it was quite a nice treat to find stashed away.

 

Glad your happy Chad!
Rode in an Escape Hybrid last week and was impressed.
I still have my Wrangler, might still see you over on the Jeep Forums.
DBird