2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Review

by Andy Mikonis
2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Prices
2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Road Test
2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Competition
2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Car Quote

2009 Ford Escape Hybrid buying advice
The 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid is a member of a rare breed: a compact sport-utility vehicle powered by a combination of gas engine and an electric motor. It’s one of only a few such vehicles on sale in the U.S.

The 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid uses a four-cylinder gas engine in combination with an electric motor.
The 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid comes in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The all-wheel drive Ford Escape Hybrid is priced higher than the front-wheel-drive model. The AWD Escape Hybrid has worse fuel economy than the front-drive version, and qualifies for a smaller tax credit. So a front-drive Escape Hybrid is the smarter buy for most people. But either way, Escape Hybrids are in short supply. Ford sold out the 2008 models without filling all orders, so order early for a 2009.

There aren’t a whole lot of choices in terms of options or trim levels when it comes to a Ford Escape Hybrid, so aside from choosing front- or all-wheel-drive, there’s little to be saved in terms of equipment choices.

Something to consider is that all hybrid vehicles cost more than their non-hybrid counterparts. Hybrids have a gas engine and an electric motor, a battery pack, and lots of sophisticated technology.

However, buyers of new hybrid vehicles receive a tax credit to help offset the extra expense. That credit is $3,000 on a front-wheel drive Ford Escape Hybrid. A similarly equipped front-wheel drive gas-engine-only Ford Escape XLT lists for about $5,000 less, so that brings the price difference into the $2,000 range – and that’s before discounts on the gas-only version are taken into account. It’ll take a while to make up the extra cost of the hybrid, even with record oil prices.

What you’ve got to know about the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid
Among compact SUVs, the conventional Ford Escape offers adequate though unremarkable performance. This basic vehicle is among the oldest in its class, with a basic design dating from model-year 2000. It’s seen refinements over the years, but it is feeling dated compared to the competition.

The Ford Escape Hybrid version was introduced for the 2005 model year as the first hybrid compact SUV. It looks little different from the gas-powered Escape, the big difference being in its propulsion system.

The 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid is a “full” hybrid, meaning it can save fuel by driving on electric power alone, or it can operate in combination with gasoline-engine power, depending on how sensors perceive demand.

The Escape Hybrid’s engine is a modified version of the base Escape’s gas-only 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and is tuned for higher fuel efficiency. Combined with the electric motor, total output is equivalent to the base engine’s 170 horsepower, and is delivered through a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The Ford Escape Hybrid comes in a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
Instead of having a few fixed gears, or “speeds,” like a conventional transmission, a CVT uses a type of pulley system with nearly limitless combinations to transfer power and keep the engine running at peak efficiency. It has the added benefit of driving smoother than a normal transmission because you don’t feel gear shifts.

The Ford Escape Hybrid is available in only one trim level, though as with gas-only Escapes, it’s available with front- or all-wheel drive. The AWD system does not have low-range gearing.

The 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid release date is late August 2009.

What’s changed about the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid
Since it received an essentially cosmetic rehash in 2008, the 2009 Escape Hybrid will see only a few minor changes.

All 2009 Escapes get some aerodynamic tweaks on the front end and around the rear wheels. Base versions gain a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, a modified version of which appears in the Hybrid.

On the Hybrid, some computer revisions are designed to further refine what is already a barely perceptible transition between gasoline and electric power. A new regenerative braking system promises to feel more like normal brakes when charging the batteries by recapturing the energy used to slow the vehicle. And an antiskid system, designed to correct a skid by applying brakes to individual wheels, is standard on 2009 Escape Hybrids.

An antiskid system is a key safety feature previously unavailable on the Escape Hybrid. It’s especially important because Ford Escapes not equipped with an antiskid system did poorly in government tests of rollover resistance.

No change to the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid will significantly alter its performance or passenger accommodations from those of the 2008 model. Statements in this review about performance and accommodations are based on detailed test drives of the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid.