This car, or the Maverick Hybrid, would've been very easy purchases for me and my wife to consider if they were offered with AWD. It's completely mind boggling to me that Ford gatekeeps such incredible engine choices/PHEV/efficiency behind front wheel drive exclusivity. Hopefully they recognize the demand and figure out a hybrid/PHEV AWD drivetrain for the Bronco Sport, as well. In the meantime, we're going to keep going back to Subaru because we simply have no choices in the segment for soft-road capable, AWD, fuel-efficient vehicles.
The Ford escape hybrid does come in all-wheel drive?? Only the plug-in version doesn't. For that, Ford went with the Lincoln Corsair instead. Next year's Maverick will have an all-wheel drive hybrid.
My mother still has a MY18 Fusion Titanium PHEV and that car has been rock solid. Ford has done a great job with their PHEVs and this is a pragmatic option if you don't really hold AWD as necessity. Toyota will GOUGE you for a Rav4 Prime and Hyundai's Tucson PHEV is nowhere near as smooth in the real world.
Mine has been good so far. A little more than half of our miles have been electric. I wanted to wait for the refresh which has made it look better but my Focus had been waiting for parts for 6 months with no end in sight and I wanted the tax credit before the rules changed and they got rid of the stone blue color.
I just purchased 2024 Escape PHEV, with Atkinson Cycle Combustion Engine, and after one month I absolutely love it. I am able to charge at work Level#2, and I charge for Free. I also Charge at Home, have not gotten Electric bill yet, not worried either. To Address the lack of AWD, this will be my first non AWD vehicle while living in Michigan. The Rebates and savings were that Good, yes I gave up AWD for This PHEV Hybrid, the rebates, Ford X Plan Interest Rate, and EV tax Credits, Yes You Dont Really Need AWD, and it is very heavy vehicle, wlll do fine in Winter ❄️. So Again I gave Up my Beloved AWD, and zero regrets. This PHEV basically Is the Best of Both Worlds. It literally gets 67.9 MPG with zero Battery And over 100MPG with Full Charge or 37Miles of Full EV Driving. It has Regenerative Charging ⚡ Via Regenerative Coasting Braking, so you do gain some range when you have zero EV Range The EV Architecture is next level. This will be my last Vehicle with a Internnal Combustion Engine vehicle. Get Over the Lack of AWD, Heck I use the be obsessed with AWD, until I test drove this and now Saving on NOT buying as Much Gas. No AWD only 37 Miles Full EV range. It is still a Deal you would be surprised at how much 37 miles is Full EV, and this Hybrid reverts to Full EV 99.8 % yes when acceleration the hybrid kicks in but only with Minimal help. Even zero range it reverts to EV as much as possible.I didn't care once about not having AWD, once i test drove and added up all rhe savings especially not buying as much gas ⛽. I added up the cost savings, bye bye AWD. Unless it is the PHEV it is not considered an Electric Vehicle, so the Hybrid AWD with no Plug in gets no EV Rebates. You want AWD by the NON PHEV Hybrid and get zero Tax benefits. Note no matter the EV Battery level this vehicle starts out in EV, it naturally reverts to EV all the time. About Done with gas ⛽ since this purchase
C-Max Energi owner here. I love my current car, but Ford's dilly-dallying about what direction they're taking their product line means I wouldn't seriously consider one until they actually commmit to a long-term vehicle strategy. also, their telematics design is crap, they've retired the MyFordMobile app and web site, steering users to a significantly diluted experience, and they just can't seen to find a consistent infotainment interface that doesn't suck. I paid only $14k for my car CPO w/ 24k miles, less than half of the sticker price. maybe (maybe) if a similar bargain on an Escape PHEV shows up in 2-3 years I'll give it a look, but not now.
I wish more manufacturers made this type of hybrid. The planetary gearset hybrid in Fords and Toyotas have been incredibly reliable. But at least for Fords, interior quality seems to be questionable. I had one as an Uber once, and the plastics are probably the worst I've seen in a long while.
I bought an Alfa Romeo Tonale Sprint model PHEV ( the base model, not the dolled up, expensive Veloce model, which is more readily available, as for every Sprint model Alfa imported, they imported 9 Veloces ) almost a year ago. I was the first one to buy one in Canada, and basically bought it off the truck. I paid less then MSRP, and got it less then what a Ford Escape PHEV ( which at the time had a dealer mark up of $3,500, and add ons like $3,500 for Ford's Blue Cruise ) was going for, and where a RAV4 Prime ( basically the same price without add ons or dealer mark up ) was ( and still is ) unavailable, and a 2 year old used Prime was selling for $14,000 more then my out the door price. Other then 9 recalls ( 2 for decals that did not have metric or French on them, that I did myself, 3 for checking high voltage connections were tight, no parts needed, 1 to replace a switch, and 3 for software updates, because where I live the vehicle would not update itself ) I have had zero problems with it, everything is operating above my expectations, and I am getting better electrical range and gas mileage then stated on the Vehicle MSRP sheet. It handles great, looks much nicer then its competition ( I compared the Sprint model against the Escape and Prime, where most reviewers, etc., compare the Veloce model that they are given by the dealers against the BMW X1 or Mercedes GLA, etc. which to me is not a fair comparison, especially a PHEV to a non PVEV ). It is not perfect, just like every vehicle in certain aspects, but I love it, love driving it, glad I bought it rather then any of the half dozen or so other PHEVS I test drove, and I would buy it again. And, it fits nicely in my garage. All new vehicles have there problems, and mine did too, but the dealership I bought mine from, bent over backwards to accommodate me with the recalls, offered me a loaner while my vehicle was being serviced, and Alfa has resolved every issue with my vehicle, some well documented. I cannot say I would have gotten the same treatment from any other manufacturer. Maybe I am lucky with my vehicle, but my whole experience, from buying it through to service, driving, etc., could not have been simpler, easier, stress free, and satisfying.
Isn’t the Escape being discontinued? Kia Niro PHEV might be the best alternative out there. I have one and love it. 4.4 l/100 kms avg - rarely plug it in.
I just can't get on board with putting the drive modes and A/C controls in the touchscreen display. These new infotainment screens are making me hope my 2020 Escape can last a very long time; it's a great balance between touchscreen display and tactile buttons/knobs. Also regarding the rear legroom, don't the rear seats slide back in the Escape? They do in mine, and I swore you (Alex) mentioned it in older Escape reviews.
I'd spend the $2K-$3K more for the RAV4 Prime to get AWD and faster acceleration, though I like a lot about the Escape PHEV, especially since it doesn't have an Ecoboost engine.
Here in SoCal, I HARDLY ever encounter Ford Escapes in the wild; let alone Escape Hybrid or Plug-In Hybrid. Last year, when I was shopping for a RAV4 hybrid, I was also considering an Escape hybrid as an alternative. I barely found any inventories. So much for "availability".
It’s too bad Ford won’t make the Escape PHEV in an AWD version. It leaves me feeling that Ford isn’t fully committed to the PHEV. They have it for the Corsair, so they can easily offer it. I have a RAV4. Prime and the extra horsepower both in hybrid and EV mode are very enjoyable while still remaining very efficient.
Ford may face some serious competition as far as PHEV rebates are concerned… Hyundai/Kia are supposed to start building PHEVs in the USA within a year or so.
With the obscenity of high prices that is caused by supply chain shortages AND way too much content in the form of features and creature comforts, and the very long-term payback with a plug in option, especially with a Rav4, I must ask the question "Why? What's the purpose of spending many thousands of dollars to save money, even at 7 dollar a gallon gas prices?" For the environmentally conscious, another question: Am I really saving the environment buying a new hunk of rubber, steel and plastic -- to replace one that still works?
What? I'm looking at a dealer that has 41 (SE & XSE's) available. It's been like this for MANY months. Lease $7,250 Manufacture Rebate, Dealer Discount of $2,1xx to $2,6xx off. The hard ones to find is with a Premium Package. The amount of Port added on garbage would explain why these are not moving.
That lack of thigh support is a show stopper in both front and back seats. The back seat where your thighs are elevated is like a model Y we rode in recently; disappointing. Pass.
My wife drove this car as a rental and after one drive ended up switching keys with me for my rustbucket of a Dave’s car. I couldn’t understand why initially. The Fusion aesthetically looks fantastic for a SUV-Almost like a mach-E from the front and the huge carplay screen inside is great. The seats are comfy and the ambient lighting is sweet. However, the major issue-driving mechanics are yuck. Wife complained you cannot feel the speed. Nor the road. Thats coming from her after years of driving a gen 1 RDX. I drove it and agree. This was a dangerously jarring thing very noticeable for i guess us poorer younger millenials coming from older cheaper used japanese cars with less isolation and excellent driving feel +road handling. Oh and sport mode was not that sporty-the escape still handled like a pig. I also wish they didn’t use an ugly knob for a gear selector or a button for an electronic parking brake. Some things are better kept traditional.
Alex you’re pretty generous with your legroom analysis but not with this vehicle. As you shown with the chart the Escape is smaller than it’s competitors so I think naturally it’s going to be smaller 🙃
It’s as efficient as the inline 2.5 I had in my 2012 FWD Fusion, yay?…. But I know I know, that trying hard with a focus on high way cruising over city driving
It's too bad that PHEV's like the Volt, Clarity, and i3 that perform nearly identically in electric vs. hybrid mode are no longer around. These newer PHEV's are just way too slow in EV mode, which is where you'd spend 80+% of your time driving the car.
Ford builds one of the view hybrid systems that I would consider if I wanted to regress into a hybrid. Toyota and Ford build solid hybrids. I recently had a standard ICE Escape as a rental car because a drunk kid totaled my car. It had the basic 3cyl, so after getting used to driving an EV for the past 5 years, it felt pathetically slow and noisy, but the car itself was OK. The interior felt like a $20k car though, so it is hard to imagine paying $36k or more. Hopefully the PHEV gets a _substantial_ interior upgrade to justify the price. Ride quality and interior noise levels also felt like a cheap econobox. One issue I had with the rotary shifter was that it was very easy to go directly from drive to park. That's great if that's what you are trying to do, but not so great if you were actually hoping to shift to reverse. If you aren't at a 100% stop, that could be a problem.
While I like the styling of this generation Escape, this is yet another pointless PHEV… 37 miles of EV range is not worth the trouble of plugging it in, and I certainly wouldn’t bother to stop and charge along my drive. Automakers need to start thinking of PHEVs as the entry point to full EVs and give us at least 100 miles of EV range. It needs to be an EV with a range extender, not whatever this is trying to be. BMW had it right with the i3, but it was far too small.
Just get an EV if you want that kind of range. It’s still a hybrid powertrain and isn’t supposed to provide long electric only range. BMW got it so wrong that people didn’t buy the i3. Satisfaction for those who did was low according to surveys.
Why display the EV-only 0-60 acceleration time? Many people will look at that and forego a vehicle that will allow them to do 90% of driving on electric power simply because they expect it not to be able to merge on to the freeway easily.
The EV only acceleration is good information to know. PHEV drivers like me prefers the engine stays off when merging on the freeway. 10.5 seconds is totally sufficient and faster than Corollas and Priuses from not that long ago. It is my understanding that Hyundai/Kia PHEV system doesn’t have enough EV power to do 0-60 in EV mode without the engine kicking on.
There’s no such thing as a $45-ish k RAV4 Prime except on paper. They don’t build them, ever. They just show it so they can claim a reasonable pricepoint; a Toyota specialty.
The fact that this escape phev is fwd only really showcases how BEHIND our tech is compared to the competition. Ford literally didnt have the tech to develop a phev that works with an awd drivetrain AND at the same time provide a long electric range like the rav4 prime. So their tactic was "make it fwd so on PAPER it looks to have a long electric range". But in reality, a crossover with no awd is like going out there to buy an ice cold soda on a hot summer day only to drink it and realize the soda is flat...
This costs more to lease than a Lexus rz, genesis g70 ev, or a Cadillac Lyriq. It’s almost twice as much to lease as a sportage PHEV, a car that’s much more advanced. Ford bought back my 2019 Fusion Energi PHEV, and even with the $1500 buyback rebate, this was the first car to come off my replacement list.
It's the biggest piece of junk, shit ,garbage I ever drove. Look up consumer reports on how many people have filled complaints on it ,,poor quality is an understatement
Gatekeeping AWD behind the Corsair was a dumb move on Ford’s part. I understand that most folks don’t need AWD but it’s enough of a want item in the segment that you’re pretty much DOA without it.
It's also a lot smaller than the vehicles being compared in the video. Not super relevant. I wonder if Chey will ever bring back something like the Volt.
I was about to pull trigger on a Ford Maverick base for 24.4 OTD due to Ford's private offer. I backed out. At that point pretty much every Maverick built had been recalled with recall work done shoddily. CV axle failed repeatedly, it's really weak to handle the hybrid torque. But the main reason was hybrids entering limp mode on the highway. Basically if you are going 70 mph, the truck would go in limp mode and be limited to 25 mph. That can kill you. This happened to folks who had a recall done. I disagree with Alex on Ford's reliability. Ford's reliability has collapsed. Not gone bad but completely collapsed. Mach E, Maverick, F150 hybrid, transmission. It's common knowledge that Ford will extend warranty from 5/60 to 7/84 as a perk for the inconvenience. If you are not up close with a Ford dealer then I would caution you. Haggle like your life depends on it, the trim he is showing, considering Ford's reliability - would target 30-32 OTD at max.
Alex, According to the chart you mentioned, this Escape has more legroom than any other competitor. Did they hide it in the glove compartment? 🤔 All in all it comes as a shock that ANY compact CUV is smaller than a RAV4. 🤨 As an aside, I would like to thank you for setting the record straight about the PHEV Outlander's inefficiency. 🙌🙌
2nd row room is measured with front seat at 40 inches of legroom, if a car has a very long travel front seat that puts it way over 40 inches, 2nd row room will appear very small for the large combined legroom number.
Yet another PHEV that misses the mark. You'll often see PHEV EV range in the 30-40 mile range. This is based on a few things but starts with the incorrect assumption of daily drives. Yes there are likely a lot of drivers who will be in that range but if you include going to the gym after work, making a run to the grocery store, church meetings, and other diversions 40 EV miles simply isn't enough. Then when you include the 30% or so drop in the winter cold the EV range isn't going to cut it. What we need is 50+ EV miles. You put out a Escape with 50 miles of EV Range and I'll take a look. Hit 60 EV miles and I'll go wait in line for one. We've had a PHEV, with 47 EV miles since December of 2017 and I can tell you my experience shows that I need over 50 EV miles if I'm going to do all of my daily driving in 100% electric mode. I want to drive in EV mode every day and it disappoints me on those days when the gas engine comes on. I do think PHEV is a fantastic choice while we wait for BEV cars to be good enough. I'd switch to a BEV today if the car cost is under $40K and RECHARGE times are less than 15 minutes. I want my BEV to provide long road trips with the kind of "refueling" time gas cars enjoy. Hybrid cars are selling well now. But that's just a high efficiency gas engine car. I've owned two Prius cars. Yes they are quite good but they are still ICE vehicles. If you don't care about spewing exhaust while you drive then a hybrid may be for you. Yes a PHEV does contain a gas engine but we drive well over 300 days per year on pure electricity. The other advantage for us is we have a solar roof that recharges the car so nearly $0 cost to fuel.
"Escape has done fairly well when it comes to reliability" 💀 -- previous owner of 22 Escape PHEV, engine fire recall was not fully done after 2 years (received 5-6 recall mails keep telling there is a fix in the future). Door weld customer satisfaction program, Transmission once fully locked up wheels/brake/everything at parking lot after charging and got towed to the dealer; One Time the engine was burning coolant and the smell came to the cabin with overheat warning (another dealership visit).. Alright soon the warranty coverage will expire, i didn't want to deal with recalls and future customer programs, asking the original dealer for a quote to take it back; They said they have too many Escape PHEV on the lot🤣; This thing deprecate like a luxury car and I am glad initially got the 7k tax credit to offset the hit. Besides the complain on quality & depreciation, this vehicle really shines on handling, smooth ride, and efficiency; great for roadtrip and commute, zipping around like a hot hatch....instant torque at traffic stop, drives like EV but never range anxiety; Miss the vehicle for how it drives, never miss its reliability :(
I own a 22 escape phev and luckily never had any of these issues (besides the recall taking forever). Just bought the Ford Premium extended warranty so let's see if I regret it 😮
❤😂😢😮😅😊😊😊😊😊😊 bro I like to get a escape but I don’t think I could afford a escape hybrid. I wish they were a lot lower than 32,000 because I can’t afford that. I’m only three days a week less than two hours a day of working so I need something between 16 and 24 so I don’t know I’m stuck. I got a Ford focus that sucks. It’s SEN fuel like crazy cause it’s got, racing heads and cam take care. Have a good week.
I really wish Ford would offer this phev setup in the Bronco Sport with awd. I live in the snowbelt and really prefer the character of the Bronco Sport vs the Escape. If Ford offered this in the Bronco Sport and Maverick they would sell a ton of these...
I rented one of these….The interior on these things are shockingly cheap. Like very cheap. It’s is quiet inside and rides decent…but the cheap interior materials are hard to get past…and I’m not exaggerating.
