I'm looking at a 2006 Ford escape hybrid. It has 123,000 miles and is fully loaded with (I think every option) Nav, sunroof, AWD, leather, heated seats, etc. What are your thoughts? The price is $7,995. What's the real world MPG's on these things? Has anyone done a plug-in conversion kit on them? Is there one available?

This thing has everything I want and I'd like to get some ideas from owners who have experience with these vehicles. I hope I have this in the right section. I currently drive a saturn and I love the great gas mileage but I'm too dang tall for a coupe. I get anywhere from 33-40 mpg highway with that. It would be nice to see numbers similar to that with this escape. Thank you!

 

I have an 06 FEH myself, that I've owned for about a year. I'm very pleased with it. Mine is just now reaching the 110K point, and I bought it with 87K, so I put a good amount of mileage on it. One thing I would recommend checking on before you buy it is to see if it has had the HV battery harness recall taken care of. I posted a thread a few weeks ago regarding that (Stop Safely Now Insight). If it hasn't been done already, you'll have to pay for it. It's a $200-$450 expense if it wasn't done during the recall window (long since expired, 2009). Other than that, it has been a great vehicle. I average, even in the winter, about 34-35MPG around town and on the freeway at 70, I still get about 31-32. Pure synthetic oils throughout, K&N air filter, and tires set at about 46psi. Gary and some others get far better than that, but I deal with a good bit more variety in terrain and conditions, so I'm pretty happy with what I get. But the efforts to get even more out of it never cease.

Overall, the price doesn't seem bad, particularly with the options you specified. However, as always, money talks. If it's a dealer, I would take their offer of $7995, but let them know you want a one year, unlimited mileage warranty, to include the hybrid components. If not, make their price the "out the door" price with a full tank of gas and fresh filters throughout, to include the battery and cabin filter. Keep the money saved on taxes in reserve in case the HV battery harness craps out on you. Private party: offer the trade-in price in cash, particularly since you won't have a warranty option. If they have the service records, check to ensure they've used pure synthetic oils. If not, that's a haggle point for pricing. Also double check the condition of the brakes, particularly if the rotors haven't been changed out.

The only thing I wonder about is height. You mentioned being too tall for a coupe. I'm right at 6'. With the seat full down, I still bump my head (just barely) as I get in the FEH. Don't know if that'll be an issue for you or not.

There are others on the site with far more experience than I have who will be willing to provide you thoughts on the vehicles they've had. Gary and John are two with a vast amount of background knowledge and practical experience. If there was a downside to the FEH, it would be that it takes a while to get to spped and it isn't a firebreather on the road. Of course, if that's all I was concerned about, I wouldn't be driving an FEH. With gas prices climbing again, the hybrid will become even more cost-effective in the next few years. Good luck!

 

Thanks for the informative and quick reply! I'm 6'3" and I currently drive a 2001 Saturn SC2 and I fit okay, but I'd like something with a little more room. I had a focus and fit fine in that; I can't imagine the escape being much smaller than that. I was really hoping to go take a look at it today but I need to get rid of the vehicles I have before I get another one. I'm sure I'll find another good deal in the future. I'll definitely keep my eyes open. This thing is everything I'm looking for in one package and I miss driving a ford. With those numbers for the gas mileage this is something I'd really like to consider getting in the near future. Does anybody have any insight on how the newer generation escapes are? If anyone is interested in buying a pt cruiser or Saturn let me know!

 

If you can squeeze an '09 FEH in, I think that is the best model for power and fuel economy. Also handles ethanol far better than the older models. The newer FEH's have an electric A/C compressor that uses to much energy and the Aux HV battery A/C was eliminated. In weather above 78 degrees F, the battery gets less efficient as it gets hotter.

GaryG

 

1. What's the real world MPG's on these things?---Your mileage will vary depending upon a variety of factors. The hypermiling champ had a lifetime average of "around" 43 mpg but....figure less for your world.

2. Has anyone done a plug-in conversion kit on them? Is there one available? Until recently, you would be looking at a $32,000 bill to convert the FEH to a PHEV. A recent thread on this site revealed a "Enginer bttery kit" exists but very limited real world data has been seen.

3. I get anywhere from 33-40 mpg highway with that---How fast are you driving that Saturn on the highway to obtain those figures? It is unlikely you will obtain this mileage during the cold winter months driving the speed limit on the interstate highways.

Two well known issues with the 2006 FEH--blend door, MECS pump replacement. Search this site for threads on these issues. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the reply BillyK,

I drive my saturn anywhere between 65-70 mph highway. I'm usually right in between. I run the tire pressure a little high on it. It's epa rating for highway is around 35 mpg so it's not really hard to get the numbers I do. With my car it's possible to get 50 mpg if you keep it around 50 mph. But I can't drive that slow all the time. I love the car- not the space.

I know they have conversion kits for the prius' that run around $4,000 for it so I figured it was available for the escape.

I know that the millage will vary for each driver, I was just curious to see what most people were averaging. I'll look around the forum to find more information.

I'd like to take an escape out for a test drive to see if it's actually something I could use as a daily driver.

Thanks again everyone for your insight. I hope to be able to get my hands on one of these in the next couple of years. Preferably sooner!

Was that price I had listed for that escape a good price?

 

For reference a FWD FEH can get about 48 mpg at 48 mph. That's not EV mode tho b/c that's not available with any current model at that speed.

 

If you're looking to see how comfortable you would be, any Escape of the same year model should work as there are no size differences in the regular Escape vs. the FEH/MMH.

As for acceleration, the FEH will easily out accelerate the 4cyl Escape of the same year model (assuming you're getting any battery assist, read threads to see what factors can reduce/limit/prevent battery assist). When the battery is warmed up and fully charged, acceleration will rival the 6cyl equipped Escapes.

As far as handling, the FEH/MMH is a bit heavier in the rear due to the added battery pack weight, although that weight is as low in the rear cargo area as possible. I guess you could simulate this by putting a few hundred pounds in the rear cargo area of a regular Escape. Other than that, there's no real way to simulate the eCVT transmission vs. the standard or Auto transmission in the regular Escapes.

It's also worth mentioning that the body style changed for the 2008 model year so that's why I said "same year model" above. I believe all 2005-2007 models are pretty close in size, capacity and performance. The 2008, 2009, and 2010 models all had changes (engine size, programming, AdvaceTrac with RSC, rear anti-sway bar, etc.) that appear to make them worth reviewing individually even though they have a very similar exterior.