Hey everyone -

I’m looking at possibly getting into a escape hybrid. Don’t really know where to start I know been inundated with all the info out there. Figured I’d come here and chat among the enthusiasts which is always the best place in my opinion.

I think my first question would be where should I start as far as which model year to go for. So far I’ve read that the 2010-2012 are the ones to go with for most reliability. Is that accurate?

Also I’m concerned about the actual hybrid battery. All the talk about how expensive they are to replace and all. The mileage range that I can afford seems to be in the 130’s and up. How do you know the condition of a battery and how long it may last? Are they common for dying out and needing replacement?

Lastly, another concern is finding a place that will work on it if it needs to be repaired. I live in northern New Hampshire so we don’t have a whole lot of options. I do have a small Ford dealer close by but I doubt that they have a trained hybrid technician although I haven’t checked yet. The closest one that I did verify is about an hour and 45 minutes away. Do any of you have any trouble finding a shop that will work on your car, and is there anybody here that lives in New Hampshire who works on escape hybrids?

I think those questions are my most pressing ones. Of course, also wondering if I should just go with the gasser for more reliability but you guys would know better than I do. Seems like the shops that don’t have experience working on them other ones that try to steer me away from them LOL

Thanks in advance.

 

Ok so I made cardinal mistake number one by not reading the FAQ lol. But I still want your feedback!

 

In my opinion it would be best to look for something like a Toyota/Lexus hybrid SUV or Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV that are still in production and are widely supported by the manufacturers and their dealers. Toyota hybrids also have more aftermarket support for hybrid specific parts. As you correctly guessed, it's going to be pretty random hit or miss if you find a good previous generation Escape hybrid and/or if you are able to find a qualified tech who can work out any issues you may come across.
If you prefer Fords, of course there are brand new Escape hybrids coming out soon. Another issue in NH is that I assume it gets cold in the winter. Many of those in colder climates get disappointed in the FEH's performance, as the batteries need to get near room temperature to operate correctly, and MPG is not better than a conventional Escape under those winter conditions. Older Escapes' bodies/chassis can be rust prone, you will probably want one from a sunny/dry climate.
Good luck with your search!

 

Well my budget is not high enough for the other vehicles you mentioned and I need the highest mpg’s possible. I sometimes travel up 500 or so miles a week mostly in town, back roads and state routes.

you make a good point about the cold, which it is 6 month out of the year.

Thanks for throwing a wrench in everything 😂

 

Depending on how much in-town driving you do, the best bang for the buck may be a small 4 cylinder gas only car (civic, corolla, etc.) as all of them will handily beat the FEH in highway mileage by a good measure.

I've encountered approximately 150 Prius owners that had a MAJOR maintenance event within the first 12 months of ownership (some as few as a weekend) which completely negated 2-3 years worth of gas savings over a comparably sized four cylinder.

Essentially, if you're not okay with spending another $2-3K in unscheduled repairs within the first 30-90 days of ownership, a used hybrid represents too much risk for you.

The folks that put the first 150K of miles on hybrids get the lion's share of the benefit. At 150K miles (or 100K), your maintenance risk vs. benefit ratio skyrockets (that's bad).

And ALL hybrids suffer from decreased mileage in extreme cold. The only source of heat is the gas engine. Use of heat, especially defrost, ensures that the gas engine stays running most if not all the time.

 

Thanks for the info. Sounds like a hybrid won’t be as efficient for me as I thought. I do need an AWD however for the mountain region I live in so a Civic or Corolla won’t work for me here.

Time to move on to other options. Thanks for everyone’s input!

 

https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/powerSearch.jsp

 

Looking at that fueleconomy.gov site, If you want a AWD vehicle from the last 10 years that gets more than 30mpg combined and isn't all electric or a hybrid, you have some choices like a bunch of 4 cylinder non-turbo Subarus, a Nissan Altima AWD, and 4 cylinder RAV4, Then there are a couple of high MPG diesel SUVs/sedans/wagons from German manufacturers, Jaguar, and GM. Most of those diesels aren't sold any more in the US.
I had forgotten that there is an AWD Prius now that gets over 50MPG, that should be the champion of AWD MPG for a while, unless you count the newer Subaru Crosstrek PHEV in EV mode. If someone like the OP puts in really high miles or high gas costs, the price premium for the Prius AWD may pay off since it will probably get 2x the MPG of a non-hybrid AWD car or SUV.

 

I had a 2005 4WD FEH for 199,000 miles. Never had an issue with the engine, transmission or HVB. Changed the oil every 10,000 miles and used Mobil 1 0W20. I did suffer (in the last year) from a loss of HVB charge if it did not run for a few days. As for mileage; 32+ mpg on the highway (Wisconsin to Pennsylvania and return) last January when the temperatures were in the upper 20s and low to mid 30's. The MPG dropped with colder weather. In July, repeated the trip and had a just under 34 mpg. Yes, I also used E85 ( about 2/3 of the time) with an add on E85 kit. Rust ended my relationship with this vehicle as it flunked a state inspection in October. Needed a vehicle that could go into 4wd as I have a home in Wisconsin. Ford's newest Escape hybrid was not available and I didn't feel like waiting several months. Found a 2016 RAV4 hybrid that uses a third motor generator to propel the rear wheels for 4 wheel drive. But the rear wheel engagement on this generation (2013-2018) is lame as it engages every time from 0-10mph and quickly disengages by 15mph. Rear wheels will engage again if one "floors" the gas pedal at any higher speed or it one gets stuck and the wheels spin. The 2019 and newer RAV4 hybrid have an updated and enhanced 4wheel drive system that works more frequently, for longer durations and at higher speeds. Mileage is significantly better than what I had in the 2005 FEH even in cold weather and that is partially related to the useful SOC which ranges from 40 (like the Escape) to over 70 (I have seen 72 and reports exist it can go to 80). The mpg is better than what the gas version folks are reporting in the Toyota forum, unlike what you might have read here. I would not purchase a gas only vehicle (assuming you have the budget) in part to a fear of what those elected officials might do to the "fuel tax" or "other".

 

This statement does not stand a logic test. A single large maintenance event on a 10+ year old hybrid would destroy 5+ years of gas savings. Even if a drastic change (doubling) of the federal gas tax were to occur, which hasn't changed since 1993, it would raise the price of a gallon of gas by $0.18. The average STATE tax is $0.23/gal. Add local/county taxes, and it pushes the AVERAGE tax to $0.52/gallon.

WHERE you live has more to do with gas taxation than the Feds.

This is an example of an irrational conclusion based on an improbable "what-if" and is a silly way to make purchasing decisions.