This is a fun to drive and economical vehicle to drive with a lot of utility. Quite spacious with or withouut the back seats down. It's most economical in city type traffic, but still exceeds 30 mpg on the highway. Don't waste your time on the 4WD unless you live or regularly drive in the real snow belt. Get the FWD with traction control - better mileage, less costly and you get the $3000 tax credit.
I only had the car for a year and half. In that time frame, there was a problem with the transmission (which was never solved), and it was in the shop 6 times for various other reasons. While it failed to fall under the Lemon Law, it sure felt like one to me. I only got 28-29 mpg regardless of how slowly I drove. I couldn't wait to get rid of that car. I traded it in for a Prius (which was hard because NO ONE wanted to accept it as a trade-in....Another clue as to its reliability.) and have been happy ever since! Run away from the Ford Escape Hybrid!
The Escape is surprisingly roomy inside. I had a Chevy TrailBlazer that was totalled. I wanted to replace it with something with better fuel economy, but didn't want to give up too much size. The Escape is much shorter, but is on a nice wide wheel base that makes it feel bigger. It is very smooth when it transitions between the motor and engine. I still get about 350 miles per tank of gas, but my gas tank is now half the size.
This price does not include tax, title, and tags. Additional fees may also apply depending on the state of purchase.