Ford Escape Hybrid

Benefits Of Owning The 2011 Ford Escape Hybrid

Ford has gone through some difficulties the past few years, but this year they have really made some major changes and come out with a couple fantastic vehicles.

If you are interested in keeping more money in your wallet than at the gas station, but still want the style of an SUV. Consider the 2011 Ford Escape hybrid.

This is the first of its kind to merge the capability of an SUV with low environmental impact and great gas mileage. You can drive 44 miles per hour just on the electric mode alone. When the engine is in use, it will still give you an outstanding 34 miles per gallon for town driving. Highway driving, since higher speeds will kick in the gas engine, will still produce an average of 31 miles per gallon.

There is seating for five people comfortably and a sizable cargo area. With all the seats intact, there is still nearly forty inches behind the second row seat for luggage. If the second row of seats is folded down, the cargo capacity is a very spacious sixty-six plus inches. They have incorporated a regenerative braking system that recharges the battery whenever the brakes are applied. The cloth seats are also eco-friendly by being made from recycled materials.

Included interior features for the standard Ford Escape hybrid include the AM/FM stereo and a single CD player with six speakers, satellite radio capabilities, dual-zone temperature control, interior lighting, tilt and leather-wrapped steering wheel that includes controls for cruise and audio. It also features power windows, message center, outside temperature and compass display, console in the front center and a power-adjustable driver’s seat.

Exterior features that are included are reflector headlights, auto light control, fog lights, power side mirrors, power door locks, back lift gate glass, tinted windows, intermittent windshield wipers, rear window defroster, and roof rack side rails. There are more options available to add to this already fantastic package. Some of the options are side step bars, roof rack crossbars, and a power moon roof.

Safety features that come standard are front and side airbags, seat belt reminder, head restraints, child safe door locks, monitoring tire pressure system, anti-theft system, keyless, secured and illuminated entry system.

Ford backs this vehicle so positively that they not only offer the usual three-year or 36,000-mile warranty, but also an extended eight-year or 100,000-mile additional limited warranty.

Comparing the 2011 Ford Escape hybrid against the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox, both with the basic packages, the cost is approximately $7,000 more for the hybrid. The Equinox gas mileage is only listed at 22 miles per gallon in town and 32 for highway driving, compared to 34 town and 31 highway for the hybrid.

Some of the standard features on the hybrid such as climate controlled air, Bluetooth capability, and an iPod hook up are listed as additional cost options on the Equinox. The Equinox however, does offer hands-free calling, an anti-theft system, and OnStar capabilities as standard features that the hybrid Escape does not. The measurements are pretty much equal within a couple inches on both vehicles.

Without any additions, the starting price is only $30,890. There is approximately $9,000 difference between the regular Escape and the hybrid. Consider if you only used this vehicle for town driving and you kept it for 100,000 miles. Most town speed limits are only 40 miles per hour, unless you are on freeways for part of the driving. If you live in a town without freeway driving and gas continues hovering at approximately $4.00 per gallon, compared to another vehicle that gets 34 miles per gallon you would be saving $11,765.

As compared with the mileage on the Chevrolet Equinox, that figure would be even higher. With those figures, the Ford Escape hybrid would easily pay for itself over the course of several years. You would not only be greatly helping the planet and saving its precious resources, but you would be driving a beautiful, very comfortable and versatile vehicle.

Ford Escape Hybrid Video

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Hybrid SUV

Image Source 1 By Ford Motor Company from USA (08 Ford Escape Hybrid) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image Source 2 By Plug In America [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons