Thinking about selling my 1995 Volvo 850 (130,000 miles plus, 22-25 mpg) and getting a hybrid. Year ago I owned a Ford Taurus and would call it a mediocre experience--not a terrible car, but nothing special, mediocre heater, rattles, etc. Sold it at 50,000 miles. When I browse the threads, a lot of people seem to be having trouble with the FEH (the Prius threads don't seem to reflect this). Does anyone have the big picture on reliability? And BTW, how well does the heater work? I like the idea of the FEH, I think it could end up being a more comfortable car than the Prius, but the last thing I want is something I can't rely on.

 

My opinion (based on my own experiences and what I've seen on other boards) is that the FEH is less reliable than the Prius or HCH. But it's possible that Ford fixed many of the issues for the 2006 models (it may be too soon too tell).

If I had the $30,000 I spent on my FEH to spend today - I wouldn't consider the FEH. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get above an average of 28 mpg. (And in the winter, it dropped to 26). There are so many other vehicles that will get that fuel economy and have the cargo capacity, features, and reliability for less (e.g. Toyota Rav4). Another big factor (I wish I knew this before I bought mine) is that the FEH isn't doing well holding it's value. Mine stickered for $32,400.....8 months and 18,000 miles later it was only worth about $22,000. You would never see a Civic Hybrid or Prius lose 30% of it's value in the first year. (Try looking up used Prius values.....it's shocking how well they hold their value!) In fact, when I was at the Toyota dealership test driving a Rav4, someone with a 2006 FEH with 5,000 miles was trying to trade his in......and the dealership was only willing to offer him $18,000 in trade in value. The sad thing is, this poor guy was seriously considering taking the offer - he must have been so desperate to get out of it.

I still love the hybrid concept (DH has a Civic Hybrid) and if I had to choose a Hybrid today - I would be torn between the Civic and the Prius. (I like Civic's sporty feel and lower price tag, but the Prius offers more room and cargo capacity).

I know there are so many loyal FEH fans here that are going to disagree with me. Just think things through before you buy one. Make sure you've checked out the other Hybrids and looked at other small fuel efficient SUV's before you buy. Unfortunately, if resale value means anything to you, you will be better off with a Honda or Toyota.

 

I don't have the link onhand, you could probably google it, but the FEH has fewer complaints than the regular Escape, and is either tied or the leader with the fewest complaints with an SUV.

Perhaps we're pickier, whinier, or because our model is newer, or perhaps the Prius just has fewer complaints. Who knows?

 

I'm a new owner (sub-3000 miles) of a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid and I couldn't be happier. I have no problems, my fuel economy is on the rise (37.2 mpg highest average during a trip, 34.1 mpg best tank mpg and I fully expect that to increase as I was refueling with 130+ Miles To Empty (MTE) and now know I can run it down below 50 MTE with no worries. Tips I've picked up here and on the Yahoo group dedicated to hybrid Ford Escapes have helped considerably and increased my mileage over those reported on my 6 total tank average currently reflected in my signature here.

I loved the Ford Escape Limited we had as a rental vehicle in October 2005 on a trip around Washington, D.C. and environs and having it in hybrid form is perfect for my family's needs.

I'm not concerned in the least about resale value. My FEH replaces a 1992 Toyota Corolla which we still own and which my husband now uses as his commuter vehicle instead of our Ford F-150. Our FEH will be in our family for at least 10 years, if not longer. I buy a new car so rarely trying to sell it isn't even a blip on the radar.

Reliability wise I have read the same threads everyone else have and I don't sense any worse incidence of issues in the FEH than in any other hybrid I've followed. Could be just a perception issue but I read a lot and see things about the Prius, Honda, as well and Ford Escape and all seems pretty much equal to me.

Just my 2 cents.

 

If you want reliability and high resale value, go with Asian cars (except KIA, I'm surprised Hyundai's resale value significantly improved).

If you just want high resale value don't care about reliability, go with German cars.

If you want neither, buy American cars.





It's sad but it's the truth.

 

The Ford Escape Hybrid is the best car I have ever owned or driven in my life.
20,000+ miles and not a hint of trouble.

I'm getting 35 MPG in winter and 45 MPG in spring.

You only need 1 oil change per year, and my tires look like new with 20,000 miles on them. The Ford Escape Hybrid tires may last 100,000 miles, and the brake pads may last the life of the vehicle.

The battery and a few other Hybrid parts have either an 8 year or 10 year warranty depending on the state you live in. The Ford Escape Hybrid Battery is the best built, best managed ( charge wise ) and has the longest estimated life expectancy of ANY hybrid model on the road today. Insiders at Ford expect most Escape Hybrid batteries to last 15 years... longer than most customers will keep the car.

It really does perform like a V6 and at speeds 0-50 MPH it will out perform a V6.
In winter you have hot air to the cabin in 30-60 seconds after start up ( faster than any car I've ever been in ) but the A/C takes a while longer to cool down.

The Ford Hybrid will shut the engine off at every stop, regardless of battery state of charge. This saves gas. The Toyotas ( not sure about Hondas ) must run the gas engine at stoplights if the battery pack is too low. This wastes more gas.

With proper technique and practice ( ok, a lot of practice ) the Ford Escape Hybrid can match the gas mileage of the average Prius driver, and this is an SUV that is larger, 30% heavier, has the wind drag of a brick, and can be 4x4. This tells me Ford has a more efficient design.

The Kelly Blue Book Value of my 2005 FEH with 20,000 miles and one year old is $1000 less than what I paid for it. Now a dealer trade-in won't yeild KBB for you, but no car will. A private person to person sale may come close.

I've been reading Escape Hybrid web sites and 1000's of postings for over 1 year now, and all the complaints / problems have been very minor, with 2 or 3 major problems. 3 major break downs out of 30,000 cars sold sounds pretty darn reliable to me... more reliable than most traditional cars I would say.
Hope that helps!
-John
Oh, the Escape Hybrid has one of the larger tax breaks out there also!

 

Dear Diver-
I would definately recommend a hybrid to replace your '95 Volvo. I had owned a Ford Escort years back, and it was recalled several times. I was wary about buying another Ford, but the Escape HEV fit my needs, and I really wanted to purchase a car made in America, by union workers. The Escape is the first American hybrid...so I took the plunge. I had early problems with brake rotors (discussed on other threads) but my dealership took care of the problem, and I'm at 20,000 miles with no other issues. The SUV is roomy, comfortable, handles well, and I'm getting 32 mpg and 450 miles on a tank of gas.

My husband traded in his Infiniti and now drives the Honda Civic hybrid- and loves the handling and feel of the car. He especially enjoys getting 45-50 mpg. He also loves Japanese engineering....

I would say- first assess what you need in a car/SUV. There are many hybrid options out there now, and will be even more in the next year. The hybrid technology works and you will be thrilled with the savings on gas (we're paying $3.20 in LA) Good luck on your decision-

 

I always love the if you want high reliability go with asian cars belief. American cars have come a long way in quality. Several GM cars are in the top rankings.

People always quote Consumer Reports saying that they show better quality from Asian vehicles, but here is the funny thing. I heard on the radio talking about it and he was laughing about the Asian mystique because the Toyota Matrix rates HIGH for quality in CR and the GM equivalent (I forget its name) that is the same model, made in the same plant, by the same workers, rates POOR. Clearly there is an Asian favoritism in those rankings these days.

There is a perception that isn't entirely held up by the facts anymore. The American automakers did stink in the eighties... they've gotten better.

However... because of the perception of lower quality... they still don't hold their value as well. That part is unfortunately true.
Heck... I just got rid of a Ford Escort ZX2 when I got my FEH, the Escort had 130,000 miles on it.... and not a single repair, just oil changes and routine maintenance. Still had the orginal clutch in it! Now mind you it wasn't worth a dime for re-sale value.

 

Diver,
Out of all the advice in this string, I believe the best advice given to you is the advice given about knowing what you need in a vehicle (hybrid or not.) I have an '05 FEH 4wd. The only problem I have had so far (knock on wood) was with a hydraulic part that works with the brakes. I purchased my FEH last August and I have 22,000 + miles on mine. I traded in a '99 Durango with a 5.2L V-8 when I purchased my FEH. So the biggest issue I had to get over was the fact the FEH didn't have the power I was used to (then again, a conventional Escape didn't have the same power either - 4cyl or 6 cyl) Once I got over that issue, I fell in love with it.
I also have a family member that drives an '05 Prius. Bumper to bumper, the Prius is actually a little longer than the FEH. I've also driven the '06 Highlander Hybrid. Though it has the comperable power to what I was used to, I didn't like the gauges. However, my wife loves the HiHy (shortened verison found in this web site) Though I did like the fact it seated 7 compared to the FEH's 5 passenger capacity. But since I refuse to tow anything with my vehicle, towing capacity means nothing to me.

 

When recommending a fuel efficient conventional gas powered vehicle over a hybrid, you should first read this article I found yesterday from www.hybridcars.com . It is called "Get You a Hybrid" written by Eric Folkerth (short version is found here: http://www.hybridcars.com/news/news.php?news_id=1124 ; with the whole article found at http://houseoflabor.tpmcafe.com/node/29621 )

I believe in giving credit where credit it due