I've finally decided to check out the Ford Escape Hybrid. I've liked them for a couple years. When I bought a new vehicle at the end of 2005, I opted for a new Ford Ranger. This was mostly due to the fact that I didn't need any room for passengers, I had a short work commute and this was my first new vehicle. I was also adamant about having a manual transmission.

Things are rapidly changing. In the next year I will be buying a house, going downtown 4 days a weeks, doubling (or more) my work commute and will probably get a very large dog. I'm still not happy that the Escape doesn't have a manual offered but you can't always get everything you want. Couple all this with gas hitting $4 maybe even $5 in the next 12 months. I hadn't planned on buying another vehicle until I paid off my truck at the end of next year.

Now I'm thinking the cost benefits of buying the FEH now will make it worthwhile to buy one in the next three months. Using my truck as a down payment, factoring in gas costs and possible tax breaks, the Escape will be cheaper for me to have even though the purchase price is about $10k more.

I've utilized a few websites to check dealer inventory of both new and used. So far I have only found 2 FEH in the entire city. One is used, one new. Is this normal? I really don't want to be forced to order one since that puts me at a disadvantage during negotiations. There are a few trim options I would prefer (6 disc cd changer w/ Mp3 player, I've really grown to love it in my truck), the main point is that it is a hybrid, 2006 model year with less than 30k miles. Do dealers just not carry them in their regular inventory? They had tons of Escapes, just not hybrids. Even a quick glance on Carmax shows they only have 3 in the entire US, all of which are in California.

 

They are really hard to find new or used, but they are out there. I'd recommend doing a search on cars.com

There is another thread going here on the forum regarding availability. If you have a few minutes to read through the posts at this thread, it should answer a lot of your questions!

https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...-thread-15280/

 

Availability is hard to predict and "in stock" listings may not be reliable. However, last week Golf Mill Ford in the Chicago suburbs had an ad claiming they had 6 Escape Hybrids in stock. Who knows?

 

Try this its in my area
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...ce=&cardist=79

Or

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...ice=&cardist=7

or but might be sold

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...ce=&cardist=84

 

Thank you Mark. That one at Tommie Vaughn looks very promising. I'm probably going to test drive it today. It's pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. I've also heard really good things about Tommie Vaughn.

 

Be sure to call them be fore you drive because sometimes they dont clear them off the for sale site.