When it was released in 2004, Ford’s Escape Hybrid was America’s first hybrid, quite
fittingly an SUV. Back then, a hybrid SUV was practically an oxymoron, and Ford thought it would appeal only to a very specific type of person. The Escape Hybrid has always looked butch, but it didn’t pack the V8 punch SUV drivers had been used to. It has only 155 bhp, and can tow just 1000 pounds. Four wheel drive costs extra.

But in its first year, Ford sold 4 times as many Escape Hybrids as they had planned. It it easy to see why—it has all the benefits of a hybrid, but appeals to people who aren’t quite ready to let go of their SUV’s. It also appealed to those who have always wanted a butch little truck but couldn’t quite stand their thirst for fuel.

That’s what the numbers say, anyway. The truth is that hybrids are just really fun to drive, regardless of economy. They bring the simple joy of high-performance cars to people who don’t enjoy driving fast. Of course, if you really aren’t interested you can just plop it in “D”, and gas is gas, brakes are brakes. But once the gas engine warms up, the Escape Hybrid will switch into “electric only” mode when cruising along at under 30 mph—the gas engine only coming on when accelerating hard (and the electric motor will assist), or when the battery gets low (after 2-3 miles). In the suburbs, people only drive under 30 mph in subdivisions or parking lots, but in slow city driving the Escape Hybrid can be coaxed to stay in “electric mode” more than half the time.

And so driving the Escape Hybrid immediately becomes a game not just for high fuel economy (the car returned 32mpg both when cruising at 70mph and while crawling the streets of Manhattan) but for keeping it in electric mode as much as possible.

Electric mode is whimsical. The first time the gas engine cuts out at a stop, you instinctively reach for the key—before thinking “oh that’s right, it’s a hybrid.” If the air-conditioning is off, you can even hear the gas slosh when you stop—there really is no sound at all. But when you ease off the car eerily creeps forward as if it were pointed downhill. Press the accelerator and the Escape proceeds in near silence—it sounds like a muffled monorail. It’s addictive.

In fact, it’s so civilized that the gas motor’s eventual ignition seems intrusive. Compared to electric mode, even a Roll Royce would seem agricultural—after all, they do run on highly flammable liquid and make millions of explosions under the hood. The gas motor in the Escape is smooth, however, and provides acceleration that’s more than adequate.

The Escape Hybrid’s transmission is special too—Ford calls it an eCVT, and it drives like an automatic, with one crucial difference—it doesn’t have any “gears”. There’s no hunting for the perfect gear when accelerating from a rolling stop, and no unsettling kickdown to power over hills—just the uninterrupted rush of power that only variable gearing can provide. Compared to automatic transmissions and their complex adaptive shifting patterns, the eCVT almost seems simple. An electric motor controls a planetary gearset—setting the ratio between the gas motor, the generator, and the wheels. For more information, click here (the Prius drivetrain is identical conceptually).

The batteries are also charged by regenerative brakes. Their action is just barely detectable in normal braking, but it is possible to sense them click off after slowing to a stop. Careful braking becomes part of the game too—with practice it is possible to brake lightly and avoid the energy wasting friction brakes and get the maximum charge during deceleration.

Ford wisely configured the ride for comfort on the road, since most Hybrid owners are unlikely to venture too far offroad. Even so, the Escape has 8 inches of ground clearance, and a look on youtube shows the hybrid and its brothers can get out of some sticky situations.

The interior of the car looks modern and is well laid-out, and the seats are comfortable over long distances (They feature Ford’s new Soy based seat foam). Our tester came loaded with navigation, parking sensors, leather seats, and electric everything. Heck, our Escape Hybrid even came with a 110V socket that you can plug household stuff into (part of the $1200 Hybrid Premium Package). A hybrid-owning friend who said she uses her blowdrier in hers while her husband drives. Folding the 60/40 rear seats frees up enough room to carry about five twin mattresses, but we didn’t see any easily available tiedowns on the hatch. Free beds for all!

So it is fun to drive, is light on gas, and has a reasonable amount of storage space. Its “hybridness” even pleases the tax man. Most hybrids are still eligible for a tax credit. The 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid, for instance, can net you a $3000 credit. That’s a credit, not a deduction, so it’s a real $3000 in your pocket.

South Park may crack jokes about hybrids, but driving them is enlightening, and you realize that diesels may not take off the way many predict—even though they are efficient and proven—because they just don’t feel as relaxing, as green, or as advanced as hybrids do. I used to have mixed feelings about luxury cars with hybrid drives, but now I realize that the whole experience of driving has been taken to a higher level, and that the hybrid game can be about more than just fuel economy.

Escape Hybrids start at $25,075. We’d spec the great $1200 Hybrid Premium Package, which includes the leather package, 110V outlet, and power mirrors, heated seats, and a roof rack. The $2695 navigation system was uninspiring, so we’d likely just get a Tom Tom. The $195 chrome appearance package just made the car look self-conscious.

We love:

Smooth ride
Zippy performance
8 year/100k mile warranty on the hybrid drivetrain
$3000 tax credit
eCVT transmission
Fuel Economy
The silence
110V plug inside

We loathe:

The navigation system
Sensitive parking sensors
Kid proof interior