When gas mileage, not just size, matters

The Ford Escape hybrid features a 70-kilowatt electric motor along with a 2.3 litre, four cylinder gas engine ,and is 174-inches long. That’s more than 4 feet shorter than the old Ford Excursion, which has been discontinued. It can carry five people and when the rear seat is folded down, it can haul 66 cubic feet worth of things. In comparison, the Ford Explorer, which is close to 2 feet longer than the Escape, can carry 85 cubic feet of stuff in the same space.

But then there is the advantage of better gas mileage than the Excursion or conventional SUV: EPA figures estimate 26 miles per gallon on the highway and 31 in the city. According to Yellow Cab Cooperative president Nathan Dwiri, he noted that his drivers are very pleased with the mileage. He claimed that gassing up the Escape is one-third the cost of doing the same with the Crown Victoria.

The 2008 Escape comes with a front engine, front wheel drive or all wheel drive and the front wheel drive version prices out at $25,740.

Our take? Buyers who want to satisfy the environmentalist inside them could probably settle for the smaller Escape which still carries more than a conventional car or stationwagon and is more stylish than a minivan.

Via SF Gate