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Ford Escape Hybrid MPG-Real World Numbers

201 messages,  Last post on Jun 24, 2009 at 11:16 AM

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What is this discussion about? Ford Escape Hybrid, Fuel Efficiency (MPG)


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#122 of 201
Replacing the batteries by mschmal
Nov 12, 2007 (4:37 am)
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This has been gone over before so please feel free to search for posts about this.
 
The short story is this. Escape Hybrid is a AT-PZEV rated vehicle. Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle. To achieve this rating, the following warranty is required:
 
Unique Hybrid Componets - 8 years or 100,000 miles. AND on CA emission vehicles, (all those sold in New York) 10 years or 150,000 miles with full replacement cost on the high voltage battery pack.
 
I was surprised to discover that there are actually people dumb enough to lease a hybrid. No hybrid currently on the market will get you back the extra cost of a hybrid vs a comparable sized gas vehicle with in the time frame of a lease.
 
What you should really do is take some time at www.fueleconomy.gov with the side by side comparison tool. The site uses the new test numbers even for prior model year vehicles.
 
Put in your current vehicle then the vehicle you are looking to buy. This site will give you a percentage of difference and dollar figures based on the average price of gas in the US.
 
AND LETS FACE IT, there is no way you are going to get around paying a significant penalty for AWD vs. FWD.
 
Mark
#123 of 201
Ivor by ifreeman
Nov 12, 2007 (8:31 am)
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As no Escape Hybrids are available in NE, it follows that I will not buy one! What is Ford thinking about? When there are real customers ready and willing to pony up, they send unsold vehicles to CA. It does not seem sensible business to me.
#124 of 201
Re: Looking for the correct Hybrid-if there is one [bobbobbob1] by dean58
Nov 12, 2007 (3:03 pm)
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Replying to: bobbobbob1 (Nov 11, 2007 7:04 pm)

Why doesn't the tax credit for hybrids get more mention here? I had an '05 AWD Escape V6 and after driving it on the mountain roads,including gravel, for 3 years I never saw the 4WD light come on. When I bought my '08 I decided I didn't need an AWD. I'm thinking the saving was about $1,200.00. The difference in the tax credit is $800.00 ($3,000.00 for FWD and $2,200.00 for AWD). In addition the fuel mileage is better with a FWD. So when you subtract the $3,000.00 credit from the vehicle cost it makes the premium for the hybrid only a few hundred dollars. I get about 9 to 10 miles to the gallon better mileage on the highway with the '08 than I did with the '05 and I don't drive to get the maximum mileage. I know things like the AMT and your tax bracket enter into this but the credit for Ford Hybrid's is a factor not to forget!
Dean
#125 of 201
Re: Looking for the correct Hybrid-if there is one [dean58] by mecheng1
Nov 13, 2007 (7:42 am)
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Replying to: dean58 (Nov 12, 2007 3:03 pm)

dean58 -
I agree. Once someone owns a hybrid, more and more savings "come out of the woodwork". (fewer oil changes, lower personal property taxes in some states). And the focus on battery replacements costs are ridiculus. The HVBattery is warranteed for 100,000 or 8 years minimum and the 8 year history of the Prius indicates they will last much longer -- once the batteries need to be replaced en mass...the price will come down and there will be plugin options available. Moreover, does anyone out there think gas prices will go down in the next 5 - 8 years ??? So the return on investment calculations are way off. Before I bought mine in 2006, I calculated 6 years before I saved enough to make up the extra price.....20 months later I figure it will actually be a little over 3 years....
 
[What other option on an automobile gets scrutinized with ROI calculations?, navigation systems?, fancy tires/wheels?, dvd systems?.....none. Buy a car with the hybrid drive train because you want it]
#126 of 201
Re: Looking for the correct Hybrid-if there is one [mecheng1] by ekiehn
Nov 19, 2007 (5:33 am)
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Replying to: mecheng1 (Nov 13, 2007 7:42 am)

Another item to consider is the design of the battery pack. Ford's design is to use row upon row of D Cell sized battery cells. If a cell or cells go bad all you have to do is replace the individual cells, not the entire battery pack.
 
Sure batteries cells will degrade over time, and at some point it may be more practical t replace all the cells (or most of them) with new fresh cells for optimum performance, but the point is it's your choice and you don't have to if you don't want to.
 
Time will tell, as I have over 41,000 miles on my '06 which I got in May of 05' I'm going to hit the 100,000 mark long before I hit the 8 year mark I'll let you know.
#127 of 201
Re: Looking for the correct Hybrid-if there is one [mecheng1] by stevedebi
Nov 28, 2007 (1:23 pm)
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Replying to: mecheng1 (Nov 13, 2007 7:42 am)

"he HVBattery is warranteed for 100,000 or 8 years minimum and the 8 year history of the Prius indicates they will last much longer"
 
I think the jury is still out on that one. There have been reports of high repair costs on some of the Gen 1 hybrids. The Gen 2s have only been out since 2004.
#128 of 201
Re: Looking for the correct Hybrid-if there is one [stevedebi] by mecheng1
Nov 29, 2007 (10:57 am)
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Replying to: stevedebi (Nov 28, 2007 1:23 pm)

yes, everyone agrees that repairing/replacing the traction battery component is expensive.....(at this moment in time)
......the point is, what has been the failure rate?, how many batteries have failed and why? did the design really change substantially between Gen1(2) and Gen2(3)?
 
If the basic NiMH concept was flawed.....we would have seen a much higher rate of failure as the Prius design reaches 8, 9, 10 years old. I think a jury verdict doesn't need to wait until the design is 15 years old to decide if the NiMH HV Traction battery has a useful life that is comparable to other automobile components.
#129 of 201
Re: Looking for the correct Hybrid-if there is one [mecheng1] by stevedebi
Nov 29, 2007 (1:00 pm)
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Replying to: mecheng1 (Nov 29, 2007 10:57 am)

"yes, everyone agrees that repairing/replacing the traction battery component is expensive.....(at this moment in time)
......the point is, what has been the failure rate?, how many batteries have failed and why? did the design really change substantially between Gen1(2) and Gen2(3)? "
 
I wasn't speaking of just the batteries, but rather of all repairs associated with the hybrid propulsion system. In particular, the multifunction displays have had some issues. The hybrids are very complex vehicles, even compared with today's more complicated ICE only vehicles.
#130 of 201
Re: Looking for the correct Hybrid-if there is one [stevedebi] by jeyhoe
Dec 01, 2007 (8:47 am)
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Replying to: stevedebi (Nov 28, 2007 1:23 pm)

Yeah, I spoke to a friend last weekend who had a first gen Prius. 2 years ago it broke down (he didn't explain what happened). To fix it would have been $9000. So he just bought a new Prius. Not sure how 'economical' this was.
#131 of 201
COLD weather mileage by mperski
Dec 13, 2007 (6:40 am)
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Its now December here in Michigan and my mileage has droped from around 35-36 to 30-31 city and on the highway from 31 down to 28, what effects has the cold weather had on your FEH!

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