I drive a Jeep Liberty now that gets about 20 mpg and I drive about 20K miles a year - I'm a Realtor in Tampa, Florida. I run the A/C almost all the time, unless its that 2 weeks of winter we get. How does that effect the mileage in these trucks? Is it worth having a hybrid SUV if you are going to be running the A/C pretty much year-round?

Also - what if any, are the differences between the Mariner and the Escape? Does the Mariner only come in a 4WD? I don't really need 4WD, I'm fine with 2WD and those seem to get better mileage, in the Escape.

Thoughts/suggestions?

 

Hey there! I've owned a 2005 Escape Hybrid for about three months now, and both the wife and I absolutely love it!

The Mariner and the Escape are identical, except for some external and internal appearance differences. Mechanically they are the same car. The Mariner is available in Front Wheel Drive only.

The Air Conditioning on these has three settings: Normal, Recirc, and Max. On the Normal and Recirc positions, the A/C only blows cold while the engine is running (during Electric drive mode, the A/C doesn't function). On the MAX position, the engine stays running all of the time, which does have a mild impact on MPG.

Keep in mind, these achieve their economy using several methods.. not ONLY by shutting off the engine when not needed. These have a very fuel efficient Atkinson cycle engine, which sacrifices low end torque for fuel efficiency. They can get by with this because the electric drive provides most of the low end torque, even while the engine is running.

I've witnessed maybe a 1.5 to 2 MPG decrease in fuel economy while using the A/C. Don't let constant usage of the A/C discourage you from purchasing one.

In general the car feels more solid than its non-hybrid counterpart (I'm a mechanic and have driven many different years of both types), albeit a bit 'heavier' while cornering.. probably due to the added weight of the high voltage battery pack and the Electric Drive components, but still does not drive like a truck at all.

I only have two problems with mine... the brakes and the tires. Mine still has the original "Continental" tires on it, which while having plenty of tread left, have become very choppy and noisy. Ask just about anyone with these tires on their Escape and they'll agree... a good set of Michelins makes a world of difference.

The brakes work in conjunction with the regenerative braking system, which removes a lot of the direct connection between the brake pedal and the brake system. This uses an electronic braking system which give the pedal a bit of a heavy, spongy, 'fake' feel to it. Don't get me wrong, the brakes do work great.. it's just the feel of the pedal takes a little getting used to. I've head that the '09 models have made a lot of improvements in this area, but I haven't driven one yet, so I can't judge on that. Again, don't let this discourage you.

To be completely honest, if I hadn't gotten such a great deal on mine used, I'm not sure I would have paid the extra money for a new one (I'm not sure I would have bought a new Escape at all... probably would have opted for a car instead), but I do love it now that I have it. The fuel savings WILL pay for the price difference in little time, especially with all the driving that Realtors tend to do, and the beauty of these is the more you drive, the more you save.

This car is crazy though, it's completely retaught me how to drive again! You'll see what I mean once you drive one for any significant amount of time! You learn to drive much more economically, even when you get behind the wheel of a non-hybrid.

My advice? If you want an SUV, and you can afford it, go for it! If you don't need an SUV, then perhaps you should consider a Civic Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, or a Prius.

(Mine is 4WD and I'm averaging about 32MPG)

 

I also live in Tampa. If you you really need to run the AC as much as you indicate, either for client comfort or personal preference, be prepared for a MAJOR MPG hit. As indicated above, the AC compressor only runs when the ICE is on. This is fine for brief stops or EV runs as the condenser stays cold enough to keep the air being blown through the vent system cool (not cold). If the vehicle is parked in the sun or you are in major stop and go traffic during our summer months you will either be uncomfortable at times or need to rum the system at Max, which means the ICE engine runs continuously. This negates one of the major gas saving advantages of a hybrid, shutting down the gas engine when stopped. In my experience running the AC in recirculate results in a 1.5 MPG hit, in Max make that 5 MPG. Most of my driving is rush hour I-275 or Dale Mabry stuff.

 

That's not true - the MMH is available in 4WD also (I have one, a 2008).

Mine's averaging 27 mpg, in Marin County, CA.

The Mercury had a bit nicer internal fit and finish compared to the FEH, and I liked the grille better; other than that, they are indeed essentially identical. I understand for 2009 there's going to be even less difference between the interiors.

 

Hey, lets not forget that though she will take a hit on mpg with the hybrid, she will take a bigger hit with a non Hybrid car. Remember the mpg they post does not include running the a/c so if you are looking at a car that gets 20 city. Run the A/C and it will drop down quite a bit, but unlike a Hybrid, you don't have the option of improving the mpg by any means. You loose the CV Tranny. You loose the Atkins engine. You are no better off than with what you have now.

Hybrids Do Not need to be driven any different that non hybrid cars and you will realize major gas savings. Its easy enough to calculate the savings. You know how many miles you drive. You can see for either the sticker or our mileage posted here what you could be getting.

As mentioned already. You will completely change the way you drive with a hybrid. Not that you need to, You just will! You won't race to Red Lights anymore, you won't try to be the quickest off the line ant a green light. You will take roads that produce better mpg ratings. You will drive slower. Not one of these things are bad. You will use A Lot Less gas and you will drive much safer.

So what are the drawbacks? Price? Not at todays gas prices.

One question though. You live in Fla. Why the need for an SUV or 4X4? If you can get yourself into a Civic Hybrid or Prius, you will be amazed at the mpg.

I walk in the same shoes you wear. I drove a Yukon before I bought my Nissan Altima Hybrid. I am also a Realtor. Your Real Estate Signs will fit in a Prius and the Prius has more back seat leg room than the Ford Excape. Your signs will most likely not fit in the NAH. Not sure about the HCH.

 

Wow, 20k per year at 20/mpg? So at current prices your annual fuel bill with be just north of $4000. So even if you could only get 25mpg (which would be lousy for a FEH or MMH) you'd be saving $800 a year.

FEH is a great car and the back seats are very comfortable, even for my 6'2" father-in-law.

I saw your other post about considering a BMW 3-series. The EPA ratings would say that the FEH gets better gas mileage and I'd suspect that if he can get the his 3-series into the 30's, he could get a FEH even higher. You're also right to note that the premium fuel requirement of the BMW, FEH and MMH take regular.

Although personally, I feel that the BMW 3-series and the FEH are such different vehicles, that it isn't right to compare them in any way. If what you want is a 328i, a FEH is going to be a disappointment and vice versa.

 

I think they changed the three settings in the 2008 models. My '08 MMH has three settings, Normal, Recirc, and Econ. The difference being that if Econ is set, the engine can shut off. If Econ is not set, then the engine does not shut off.

I live in Houston so I use AC a lot. When I am driving alone, I set Econ almost all the time, if I have other passengers in the car, I don't set Econ or use it only when the stops will be brief. I've averaged about 32 MPG over 10K miles in the last year.

 

So let me get this straight...if you are in Econ or Recirc, does the A/C only blow when you stop, or when you are driving? I'd probably only keep it on MAX when clients are in the car or when its above 90 here, at least until the car cools down if it had been sitting in the sun for awhile...

Also, does the FEH or MM have air vents in the backseat? That's one feature I'd like to have that I'm not sure if they have or not - for clients of course.

 

In Econ mode the A/C will shut off if you are in electric-only mode (so stops and speeds <20 mph with gentle acceleration) IF the inside temperature is less than 10 degrees above where you set it. So set the temp to 70 and it'll never be warmer than 80 in the car.

 

The breeze still blows... the compressor just isn't on. Its one of the good reasons to use recirculate. Otherwise at every intersection the hot air from outside is drawn into the vehicle.

If you leave it on MAX you are going to find you loose a large amount of MPG savings because the engine will stay on all the time. Idling just to run an air conditioner is a killer to gas mileage. A better bet would be to leave it in A/C recirculate most of the time and if you are in a heatwave just reach over and flip it to MAX when necessary at an intersection, then flip it back to recirculate as soon as you get moving again.