i know that when the engine is off the power steering works off the electrics, what about the a/c? im asking becasue a ford dealer sold my mother a non hybrid by telling her that in a high temp climate she would see no benifits since the a/c would be running off the engine the whole time negating the hybrid benifits. i f this is bs i would very much like a linky to a page that can be printed and waved in someones face. Thanks

The A/C runs off a belt from the gas engine, thus, you only have A/C when the gas engine is running. However, there is a recirculation mode, where once the car is cool, the engine can go off and on as it wishes, and you'll see minimal changes in temperature for short periods like red lights. There is a control option to force the A/C to be on all the time, but then the gas engine is on all the time also.

Running the gas engine all the time, the special Atkinsen engine will still get you 7% to 10% better gas mileage with the A/C on full time.

Without the A/C, the gas mileage is 50% to 75% better than the regular Escape.
When I use A/C a lot, I get 33-34 MPG.
Without the A/C I get 40-45 MPG.

So, yes the A/C takes more gas, but the Hybrid still beats the pants off the regular Escape.

-John

There is no paper you can wave in anyone's face, and I suggest you research the operation of the Ford Escape Hybrid (FEH) A/C operation. If your mother went unarmed to a dealership and bought, it's her fault. Where do you put a car salesman on the food chain? There just above the used car salesman, don't you think? If you cared about your mother's vehicle, you should have been there for her! That said, the FEH may have been the better choice if she puts alot of miles on a car. My guess, she could have done ok with a prius!

GaryG

Now now, let's not be too harsh, she did find the site, register, and ask the question. Let's not feed the notion that hybrid owners are pompous freaks anymore than needed, shall we?

Unfortunately nekekami, there is some truth to his statement, it does seem to be a day late and a dollar short to be asking now, doesn't it? Doing research on a major product, (and outside of a house, what's a bigger purchase?) after you buy it rather than before does seem like a silly time to do any research at all on it. Furthermore, while you had no way of knowing, car salespeople have proven to be woefully ignorant of hybrids, any and all hybrids.

Gpsman1 is right, though how right varies by how much of each kind of driving you do, and what level of AC you can live with. At the "best" end, mostly expressway 65 miles per hour and above, with MAX AC, yes, the FEH is more fuel efficient, though not by much. When you get away from the red Max AC setting, where the engine and the AC run constantly, and you get away from the higher speeds, you find the FEH really shines. In city stop and go style traffic, where the FEH really shines, Max AC is a fuel economy killer, as the engine runs constantly, even when stopped (and you get 0 MPGs), dramatically lowering your overall fuel economy at lower speeds, but still slightly better than a conventional Escape (though this margin is rather small). Now, should you be able to live with AC or recirculated AC, where only when the engine is on is the AC on (essentially when the vehicle is in motion is the AC on), you have a dramatic improvement in FE, and the FEH blows the conventional Escape out of the water with nearly 150% of the Escapes fuel economy. Really, how much better a FEH is depends on the driving locale and the needs of the occupants. Stop and go city, and you can live with AC not being on constantly, FEH is drastically superior. Stop and go city, and you must have AC on all the time, it's harder to justify the FEHs higher price. Expressway driving, I'd go with the FEH. (Wait, I did. )

First 4WD Hypermiler

Have you read the FEH FAQ?

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I have driven a 2002 Escape for the last 4 years (still have it) and just purchased a 2006 Hybrid. I also live in Florida, a "high temp climate" state. I was concerned about the AC situation prior to my purchase and have found two situations in which it has become an issue One is afternoon rush hour traffic where the vehicle doesn't reach speeds where the ICE runs with enough consistency to effectively cool the interior compartment. This has only been an issue in the worst of traffic conditions. A similar type of situation involves driving in a downtown setting with traffic lights at every corner especially after the vehicle was parked in the sun. Other than these times, I have found the AC setup to be entirely "livable." My 2002 V-6 4WD was only averaging 16-17 MPG, the lowest tank average in my Hybrid 4WD has been 29.8, so I can happily deal with the fairly rare problem situations. Hopefully, I'll be of the same mind in July and August.

Hey now, that's not nice<JK>....(I'm a used car salesman) & I probably know more about Hybrids than most of the posters on these sites(I not only sell them, I can fix them also)

I drive an FEH & I sold my Mother a Prius....

~John

Congratulations, you are a rare breed. I like my car salesman, as a person, but he knew next to nothing about hybrids in general or the Escape Hybrid in particular... and before he realized I knew a bunch, everything he did say was in error in some way (including the MPG, which somehow he didn't even get right with the window sticker staring him in the face.)

- Shannon (Geeky, Wild Texan)

I was pretty much kidding with my reply, I am definitely NOT your average used car salesman. I spent 12 years making a living as an auto mechanic, I am now the IT Manager/Internet Sales Manager where I work.

I pretty much agree with your opinion of a lot of car salesmen, some of the ones I work with are total idiots.........

~John