What motivated you to get a hybrid, and why a FEH in particular? In reading the posts to the other threads, I gather there are a variety of reasons.

To start things off, I'll report my decision-making process.

I do not consider myself a SUV type of person - not even after purchasing the FEH. (It is interesting that my insurance company calls it a truck and my state refers to it as a station wagon).

I have been a member of UCS (the Union of Concerned Scientists) for some time. One of the areas of its focus is environmental concerns. It has been one of the organizations criticizing automotive manufacturers for their gas-guzzling, dirty vehicles. Incidently, Ford was (and still is) at the bottom of the heap on this.

I feel that it is not sufficient just to sit on the sidelines and criticize. In our market-driven society, an individual's most powerful voting tool is the dollar bill. UCS claims that for an individual, choice of vehicle and driving style are the single most important environmental decisions. (Perhaps, but a lot can be done with residences, as well.)

Thus I looked seriously at hybrids when it was time to replace my 16-year-old Ranger. Honda stressed highway performance and I wanted a city car (although Honda's city performance isn't bad.) Toyota didn't have the cargo space I needed to haul stuff between my summer and winter residences. That left the FEH.

Since Ford is a hometown company, I was happy to be able to support it. Ford has contributed a lot to the Motown area in many ways and it was good to be able to reciprocate. It was very good to do it in a way which voted for technology which will not deteriorate the world for my children.
_______________________
FEH "Sainte Marie"

 

I have driven all the hybrids and most of the alt fuel vehicles out there.....

Other than the Pickup trucks running CNG, which won't work for me because we only have LPG at home the FEH was the only one I could fit in comfortably.

Chris Brown

 

This is a good question. Below are my reasons.

1. Have long been wanting a way to use less gas.
2. As a retired Military person I wanted to do my part to reduce the dependency on foreign fuel sources.
3. I was tired of driving a small car and only getting 20mpg.
4 I needed a vehicle that could carry all of the sailing gear and supplies for a weekend on the boat.
5. Wife owns a 05 Prius.. and we are sold on the Hybrid technology.
6. I wanted to support the US auto makers again..
7. The techno goodies on this vehicle. Simpy put I am a techno geek.

I have no regrets at all. I am getting 35mpg avg with only 500 miles on the FEH. I get lots of comments and it is a good looking vehicle.

Gene Mohr
Mohr Photography
Martinez, GA

 

Why not?

My 2001 Escape XLT had over 50 K miles. Bought it September 2000. It was about time.
In early 2004 I was at the NY Auto Show and saw Ford's presentation on the FEH. With Bill Ford Jr., even.
Took a test drive with a Ford PR person down the mean streets of NYC's west side. Told the PR person what's usually there near the Javits Center at off hours. He got it.
Anyhow ...
Liked the fact that it looked the same as a regular Escape; less potential for theft here in the big city. And it has all that I needed - it's smaller than an Explorer, but able to lug things around with the seats down. And, yes, it seems there's more room in the driver's seat in an Escape than in an Explorer!
Also liked the technology, all that first on the block with a new toy stuff.
And I certainly appreciate the "green" aspect.
Plus since I do lots of city driving, getting apx. 30 MPG in a vehicle where everyone else in SUV's of same power usually got less than 20, sometimes 15 MPG/city.
Put in an order with a local dealer, but through another web site heard of a deal at invoice about a year ago in a town 5 hrs away upstate. He had a choice of FEH's, due to a fleet deal gone south.
18K miles later and plenty of trips up and down the East Coast and to Michigan, haven't looked back since.

 

Well, my FEH is my second hybrid. I am also totally sold on the technology. However, my Prius was a bit too small for passengers. It would do it, just not comfortably. The FEH is also what I wanted two years ago, when my Saturn VUE started giving me problems for the 7th time in 30,000 miles. Unfortunately at the time, Ford had delayed the release of the FEH, so I bought the Prius. Since my Prius was at 60,700 miles, it was time to make the decision to keep it untill it dies, or do the upgrade now, while I still had the high resale working for me.

 

We've always driven small (indeed, "micro" compared to what's out there now) SUVs (Geo/Chevy trackers for many years), because we need 4WD for snowy, steep driveways in winter, for occasional off-roading, and just for the peace of mind of knowing that we can get into and out of most anywhere. (Also (don firefighting gear), I must admit, I feel like I can see better and have better control in a vehicle where I'm sitting up a bit higher from the road than the typical sedan - but see below, I'm going to get used to being lower soon. ) The Trackers were economical, and my husband felt he "fit" better in them than in the other small 4WD options (e.g., Subaru Outback/Forester). We liked the convertible option of the 2-door Trackers for enjoying the little bit of sun we DO get up here in "greysville" in the summer. Overall, it was just a great vehicle for us as a couple, and then a small family (1 kid). The split rear seat allowed us to haul some stuff, along with our kid, or more stuff without him (including the standing basses my husband repairs); it was flexible.

However, I was just awed by the hybrid concept when my brother-in-law brought home one of the very first Prii for an "overnight test drive". Man, I wanted it, it was just "so cool"! I LOVED the visual energy display, the gas engine shutting off when not needed, the incredible mileage, the whole thing. BUT we just couldn't bring ourselves to give up 4WD.

Then we heard that Ford was making a hybrid SUV - the Escape. Wow, it was finally here - the first 4WD hybrid! We planned to get one as soon as they were available. We waited. and waited. and they put off the launch date AGAIN, so we waited some more. sigh. Now our latest Tracker was on its last legs, and still no FEH. So when we went on vacation, we rented a V-6 Escape, just to see if we liked the vehicle in general, could we fit in it, was it TOO big to park, to drive, to deal with. Did it steer like a boat - like my friend's isuzu Trooper? Did it have decent pick up (something missing in the Trackers, we had to admit)? Could we give up our Trackers for this - IF it ever materialized in a hybrid form? And we LOVED it! As soon as we got back home, we realized that our old car just wasn't going to make it to FEH launch (this was, I think, at the end of 2002), so we traded it in on a V-6 Escape (the '02 "Banana Boat" - thanks to its lovely bright yellow color! - in my sig). And waited some more. And loved the vehicle even more. As our son grew, the added space was convenient for hauling him, his friends, their bikes, our skis, camping gear, and all the other stuff you garner in as a family grows.

And then, when the FEH (finally!!) arrived, well, it was a no-brainer. Gas prices had gone up even more, and our environmental concerns had deepened. So THAT'S why (and how) we came to the FEH. I bought one in April '05, as soon as I could afford it.

NOW, thanks to this site, still higher gas prices, the new tax credit, and my increasing obsession with hypermiling (and doing right by this ol' world of ours), we are seriously considering selling the beloved Banana Boat , and getting a (gasp! 2WD! THIS is a leap for us...) Prius, in January. I have decided that it will be worth it to use it for my (40 mile RT) commute most of the year, with my hubby using the FEH to haul things, climb hills, and putter about town, and on those days when I need 4WD to get over the unplowed roads between home and the main road to work, I will take the FEH and he will either stay home (he works mostly there, so that'll be OK), or use the Prius to make the (much less dicey, unless there's a true blizzard) trip to town. So the mileage, decreased emissions, and the coolness/ technology factors combined to first cause us to get the FEH, and now to consider moving from two 4WD SUVs to one. 18 mpg, and standard emissions, are just no longer acceptable.

Hope this was at least entertaining, if not informative. I guess it makes up for me never posting an "introduction".

 

I have a hybrid?

Why that rat of a dealer! He told me it was a magic SUV!

Well, once again, I'll tell my tale that ended up with me having my FEH. Actually, unlike most folks who have a hybrid, mine was rather unintentional. Literally. My '95 Ford Explorer had started to show it's age, especially in April, when I had to take it in for service three times in as many weeks. (Air bag sensor, EGR tube, Coolant Leak) While waiting the last time to pick it up from the service center, I was milling about in the New Car area, looking at new cars. (And not being helped, I'll add. Really, at the time every story about car sales were about how bad they were, and here I am looking at price tags and cars, and no one helps me!) Anyway, I had the money, and decided that perhaps it was time to get a new car. I'm A plan, and frankly, the Escape seemed like a very nice option to replace from, as the Explorer had gotten bigger over the years and mine was a 2 door sport (before that became the pickup/SUV mix), which was enough to meet all my transport needs (I'm a fencing teacher, so there are times when I have to transport fencing equipment for 30 people; that eats up space fast [Imagine 30 Golf bags, all full]), and had 4WD (Michigan winters. Ugh).

So, after being unhelped, I went online, and compared Escapes, including Escape Hybrids. Doing a LOT of research on Hybrids, FEHs, and Escapes; including reading up here, I made up a spreadsheet to calculate gas, prices and other info, to see if owning a Hybrid was a waste of money for me. Well, the calculator showed that I was going to come out ahead over a decade with it, so after reading up on it's pro and cons, decided to see for myself, and went to a dealer much closer to me. They had brochures out, and people wanting to help me, so I went for a test drive. Loved it. Talked things over, did some more numbers crunching, and went ahead and ordered one, since no one had what I wanted. (Well, there were a few that did, but they all had the appearance package, which I didn't want.) I was told that my '05 would come in late June/early July. On June 1st, I picked up my '06. So, essentially, I went to buy an Escape, and ended up with the FEH.

Now, that may not entirely answer the question, so I'll break it down: (Not in order)

Fuel Economy. (12 MPG in the Explorer, figured about 16 with an Escape, and the last 2 months I'm averaging 33.8 or so.)
View. A great view of the area around, very open compared to the Explorer.
Ride. Very smooth, like a big car rather than a small truck.
Looks. Very sharp, IMHO. And the Hybrid is tastefully different, not an alien looking thing; enough to start a conversation, but not enough to draw attention from everyone on the road. (What the heck is he driving?)
CD Player. Had a broken tape deck on the Explorer for five years.
The A/N system and the Hybrid drive, love the tech.
4WD. In Michigan winters, it's dangerous at times, and 4WD is a must in some areas.
Space. As I've joked, it's like a TARDIS; a larger interior than exterior. Compared to the Explorer, I'm several inches smaller in every direction, yet I have more cargo/interior space!
Price. I managed to get A plan on it, so I can't complain there. In fact, there was a little under 4K price difference between my FEH and the Conventional Escape I would've gotten; pretty easy to make up that difference over a decade.
4 Doors. Once in a while, I need to transport 3 or 4 people, so having the four doors is nice, and for taking stuff that's a little large, but not too large. (Just last weekend, I was transporting a 3 foot tall vase. Too small to put in the trunk and let it roll around, but just right for the rear floor area, and would've been too wide to fit well in the Explorer between the lowered front seat and the outer frame.)
To be different. An SUV/CUV that gets better MPGs than most cars. Nyah Nyah!
Oh yeah, and that green goodie goodie stuff. Environmental stuff.

Now, there's also been some unexpected bonus'

Insurance. Went down $300 a year.
Gas price spikes. I would've been at their mercy. Now, not so much. I figure that at current gas prices, it would be costing me $100 every two weeks, instead I'm paying $25 every two weeks. This has cut my break even point down rather greatly as well. If gas prices hold, I'll be saving nearly 2K a year.
Fill-ups. My best tank ever was 280 miles between fill-ups in the Explorer. Now it's close to 500 miles. Less visits at the stations.
It's one hell of a conversation piece. At stop lights, gas stations, school, or regular conversations.

And that, as Paul Harvey would say, is, the rest of the story.

 

In my naivete, I thought a hybrid would be in electric mode as soon as you turned it on until you reached 30/35 mph when the gas would kick in. My then commute was 1 mile and I thought I'd go months without filling up. Ha ha, joke's on me about that one.

Last December, a local commuter van business bought a FEH and news media picked up on it. Being personally acquainted with the owner, I spoke with him about the FEH as I was looking to possibly replace my Saturn LW200.

Then when my step-daughters came north for a holiday visit, we went to the local dealer to see how we fit. I'm 5'10" and girls are 5'7" and 5'5" (early teens and still growing, now 5'8" and 5'6"). We girls loved the room in the pax compartment of the FEH, so when hubby returned home from sea 2 months later, I brought him to see the FEH. Hubby's 6'2" is has plenty of leg room, even when riding in the back seat. We bought ours right off the lot this past February.

There's always been plenty of space for the entire family and our gear. (Family includes a standard poodle who rides in the back seat also.) We added a hitch for bikes or skis (seasonal) and a roller bar on the roof rack to help load and unload a Snark sailboat.

 

Well, I DIDN'T get a FEH. My decisions were based on overall cost. In May '04, my wife and I started looking for an Escape for her. Something she really wanted. We were going to hold out until the hybrids were released, but when we saw a great deal on a V6, we took it. We got an XLT with 4WD for $20K. If we waited until the fall to get the FEH, we would have ended up paying about $7K more. At that price, it would have taken us over 10 years to recoup the cost of the hybrid engine versus getting the V6 at such a great price.

 

My buying the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid in September last year the same day I started a website was the culmination of a search.

My wife and I had shopped and looked into the Insight and Prius over the previous three years twice when we were replacing cars. Those times the sales-people were not anxious to sell to us emphasizing that we would be on a six month waiting list, there was no mark-down, and I must sell my old car because they did not want to mess with a trade-in.

I have always had Fords and my last ones were two Mustangs, a sporty Escort, and a 1989 Bronco II which lasted without many problems for 16 years and 300,000 miles. I believe in this company.

In June 2005 I heard about a Ford SUV that might be on sale in the Fall. I search for every word I could on the web and began lurking on hybrid sites. My Ford dealer did not know when they were coming nor how much they would cost nor were they much help.

In August my beloved Bronco II gave up after my wife ran it out of oil. Understand that my home environment is a special case. I live in the high altitude desert in a remote area at the end of a mile-long dirt road I helped build 50 years ago as a boy, and now must maintain. It is hot in summer (120+) and cold with snow in winter (10-30 degrees). I had to have something to replace my Bronco II and being a Green-shade most of my life I felt the time was right to put my money where my heart was.

In somewhat coherent order of importance, this is why I bought my FEH:

I needed an all-weather, 4WD vehicle with the capacity to tow a 1,000 drag to maintain my road.

Since I drive 1000 miles to and from my school-teacher job I needed 30 MPG+.

I needed a roomy SUV to haul my family and the assorted other chores like camping equipment, a 1/4 cord of hardwood, and my animal cages.

I needed a 4FW which could turn in a tight radius since my driveway basically deadends.

I wanted to support a US product and I bet the Escape Hybrid would be the first of a long line of American-produced efficient cars.

I liked that I was able to get a $2,000 deduction on my Fed. taxes, although my tax bracket did not get me any benefit on sales taxes.

After test driving a regular Escape my 4' 10" wife felt this was as good or better a fit for her than our Bronco II, and I also fit with my 6' 3".

All of these reasons were before I ordered. I was able to contact my dealer's internet dealer and found instant understanding. He has been great and we remain friends. I bought the second FEH he got. Ford has been great after the fact and even better to me because I have chosen to continue to try to help the company at the highest levels. I do this because I believe.

I want to also include some reasons Not to buy:

If you will not at least change your driving habits to accomodate a hybrid you will not achieve the maximum value.

If you compute the payback based on current gas prices you will probably not keep your car long enough to break even. The used FEH market has not been properly established as yet.

There are other great hybrid improvements coming so if you wait you will probably be happy then. But did you wait to buy the best computer or TV or Stereo of the day. I don't.

The Ford Escape Hybrid is not perfect. But it fits into my life very nicely and I am glad I have it.