Bought a 2006 Escape Hybrid 4X4 on August 27. It is Titanium Green with Appearance Package.

After 500 miles, I am seeing MPG in the 30s average, and peaked at 44.3 the other night! I'm very happy because when I first got the vehicle, I could only get about 18-22 MPG.

Thanks to many tips here, I am a hypermiler in the making!

 

Way to go! Heck 44.3 is close to what some people are getting in the smaller hybrids. And when you only get 30s thats still better than most non compact cars.

 

Greenmachine,
Welcome to GreenHybrid. Congrats on the new purchase and great mileage numbers.

 

Sweet a new Ford Hybrid Escape. I like those but i tend to like small cars for some reason. This is why i am planning to buy a Honda Insight, which is the smallest and lightest car of all the hybrids.

 

You'll be getting some really GREAT MPGs with the Insight.

My wife actually got me started looking for a mini SUV. At first, she wanted a Honda CR-X. Then one day, I saw a For Escape and really liked the look. That night, my wife came home and said she saw a really nice Ford mini SUV. I was already on the web looking into the Ford Escape and told her "What a coincidence." But I was really getting into the idea of an SUV when I saw that the Escape came in a Hybrid! I wasn't thrilled with non-hybrid SUVs listing city EPA numbers like 16-18 MPG. My previous car could get 20 MPG on average and that sent me to the pump once per week which I did not like. My wife had a Honda Civic that got around 27 MPG and low milage runs, so it went to the pump every 3 weeks. I was very happy to find an SUV (my wife nd I both like sitting higher up and getting in and out is easier than a car) that can take us to all our places and see the pump every 2 to 3 weeks or so!

Still waiting to see my numbers on my next fill up and I'm anxious to see what I get after 1000 miles (as per the manual says to start checking) and after 2-3k (as per most owners suggest). Really happy to already be doing so well after only 500 miles!

Doing a few minor custom mods as well: I'm keeping my factory 6 disc head unit, but upgraded door speakers to 5X7 Memphis Power Reference with swivel tweeters. Added a pair of SoundStream tweeters in the side mirror pods to bring the soundstage up higher and added a 10" Memphis Power Reference Sub - all powered by two Memphis Power Reference amps, one being a 4-channel to the door speakers and tweets and one being a 2-channel bridged to the sub. Bummer is, the shop wired it up all wrong so that only the left front and rear channels go to all the door speakers and the right front and rear channels go to the sub!!! Plus the 4-channel amp was a floor model (last they had) and channel 3 is dead! How the shop guy had no clue... They are going to make it all right though as soon as a replacement amp comes in.

I have the retracting rear cargo cover, rear floor mats and the appearance package. Getting an alarm and Lo-Jack Early Warning installed next weekend and want to add the mud guards and a nice stainless steel tail pipe tip. Probably not much else after that, as I'm pleased with the rest of the features and looks.

 

Quick upgrade followup:


I just installed the exhaust tip: Pilot PM 582 (with 2 1/4" intake) from Walmart, $10.00. Bolts on easily, is stainless steel (NEVER use chrome plated, though the polished steel has a nice chrome look) and looks SWEET!!!

Will post pix tomorrow after I get some daylight photos.