Hi -
I'm investigating hybrid SUV's - my fiance and I have a corolla that we will soon be replacing with a Prius for regular highway driving.

But for my ecological field work, as well as trips up to Tahoe and camping trips that take us deep down rough dirt roads for which we sometimes need even low range 4WD, we need an SUV or truck.

I'm mostly interested in boosting my mileage and reducing emissions, but for 4WD, it's clear the best option is an Escape, made by Ford, whose reliability I have had horrible experiences with.

As a current Toyota owner - having had a Tacoma that has 200,000 miles on it and has needed little more than oil changes and other routine maintenance, I'm terrified of going back to Ford (my last Ford - an Explorer - required much more frequent and costly maintenance than the Toyota).

If Toyota made more Escape-type hybrid SUV with a 4 cylander that gets better mileage than the Highlander, the choice would be a no-brainer. Also 5-speed (I much prefer stick to automatic - much better control).

What is your experience with RELIABILITY of the Escape vs. the Highlander hybrids?

FYI given the state of hybrid technologies and offerings, I have to consider this upcoming purchase to be a bridge car to have for a couple of years until better mileage, and optimally plug-in hybrid or even hybrid diesel SUVs and trucks are released. I can't wait until they combine the higher efficiency and fuel flexibility of diesels (they can run on regular diesel, biodiesel, vegetable oil, or recycled veg oil) with hybrid and plug=in hybrid technology!

Hmm, if you need low range, then a regular truck will suit your needs better. 4WD-i (on the HiHy and RXh) can't do deep muddy trails. Light offroad is about as good as it can handle.

Now the FEH's 4WD system is mechanical (i.e. traditional) so it might suit you better. In Canada, they've dropped the price and increased the hybrid warranty.

The other option is wait for the Tundra Hybrid but it might be costly.

Mods: EV mod, VVT-i emblem, sport pedals, OEM cargo mat, JDM Prius interior footwell lighting, Sylvania Silverstars 9003ST, DICE iPod kit, OEM all-weather mats, TomTom ONE v2, LED licence plate lights.

Thanks!

The Tundra is well beyond what I need - a hybrid Tacoma or even better - a Hybrid 4-Runner would be perfect!

If only they'd get hybrid versions of the diesel Hi-Lux they sell around the world, I'd buy instantly!

With the world oil situation not very stable, I'd prefer to have a car that I can run on fuels other than gasoline if the shazzit hits the fan, for example with Iran (and more efficient than ethanol - which reduces a car's mileage by 27%, and in the case of corn, isn't very efficient to produce).

My dream is a plug in hybrid that I can run in large part on electricity provided by my home solar system.

The Ford Escape Hybrid AWD system is not mechanical. I own a 2005 version that is fully computerized and requires no user input. As for gas mileage, I got almost 40 mpg going 60 miles per hour on the American Interstate Expressway System--402 miles using 10.3 gallons of gas. As for reliability, no problems to speak of.

2005 AWD Escape Hybrid
Best tank trip MPG 39.02 (scangauge II) for 402 miles on I-70, 10.3 gallons used over mostly flat terrain.

[quote=Billyk;140592] Mechanical has nothing to do if it's automatically (computerised as you've said) or manually activated.

By mechanical, I mean it's the "normal" 4WD system that we know and not the electric 4WD found on the HiHy and RXh among other cars.

Mods: EV mod, VVT-i emblem, sport pedals, OEM cargo mat, JDM Prius interior footwell lighting, Sylvania Silverstars 9003ST, DICE iPod kit, OEM all-weather mats, TomTom ONE v2, LED licence plate lights.

I don't have any experience in the Escape, but I am completely satisfied with our Highlander to date. We are coming up on 2 years and 20K miles and have had no major issues. We did have a master brake silinoid that had to be replaced under warranty which was about $1600 dollar item, but nothing else to date (knock on wood).

All that said, for the type of functionality you are looking for I don't believe the Highlander is the vehicle for you. The 4wdi system is not a very robust 4wd system, and I personally would not run the risk of doing any trail riding where you could potential get stuck in some deep mud with the Highlander.

In this case the Ford option is probably best for you.

We have had our FEH over 2 years now without any problems. New York has been using 18 FEH in Taxi service since 2005, and I've not heard anything but good reports on reliability (now over 375 are in service). Ford says its Escape Hybrid Cabs in New York have logged more than 175,000 miles with no major mechanical problems.

There have been a few threads on off roading the FEH and rock crawling. Fun reading!

Claims of problems can be deceptive.

There are people with year old Corolla's who've driven their car into the ground, as welll as Ford Pickup owners who run the same truck for 15 years. Cars don't come as "bad" or "good", its how you drive them.

Land Rovers arn't that popular (judging from Ford's quotes on lack of profits) most Rovers's are likely owned by young to middle aged proffesionals who probably drive their cars fairly fast and push them hard. No susprise they run into problems. On the other hand Buick has a large "of age" customer base, and chances are they don't push their cars to hard. So no surprise Buick scores better.

Consider a NYC senario. You have say 10,000 Toyota's registered in one zip code and 4 Maybach's. 4,000 of those Toyota's could have serious problems while only one Maybach does. But on a % scale it look like the Toyota's are more reliable.

I don't buy any of the "superior" car company BS. Any car will last with care. The wife has had the same minivan since 1996 and despite its Ford nameplate it hasn't offered any major issues. We had a Chevy suburban fullsize from 1994-2005. Didn't have any blunders either over 180,000 miles of use. Just drive steady, brake easy, and don't blast the AC and you'll have years of enjoyment!

I pretty much agree with you to a point. But explaine why a used camry or corolla sells for twice as much as say a Ford And the big money people on wall street have toyoya stock market cap at about 15 times higher than fords-Why is this sort of thing true?

I think the quesiton you should be asking yourself is which is more important to you: Reliability or fuel economy? Sometimes you can get both at the same time, but the choices you're presenting -- the Highlander vs. the Escape -- don't qualify. So, which is it?

The problem with too much idealism towards fuel economy, or in choosing a statement vehicle in general, is that you can compromise some of your other good judgements and end up getting burnt. For example, Ford is improving their reliability but they're still not up to Toyota's standards. Biodiesel sounds good in principle, but will you find it wherever you drive, and will the auto manufacturer endorse a quality standard that won't ruin your engine? Good luck getting a statement from any of them that will qualify anything above B5 (5% bio to 95% diesel), and if you're found using higher levels you may be refused warranty service.

I can't speak for your vehicle choices, but I have been burnt by idealism, which is why my second vehicle choice (Honda Civic Hybrid, 2nd gen.) was a much more sober one.

2007 Honda Civic Hybrid -> sparkle grey pearl