The 2011 Ford Escape Hybrid

Changes are few for this season’s Ford Escape Hybrid. Overall, the Hybrid still provides a lot of features beneficial to the SUV fans. Now there is a smoking option available which consists of car lighter and ashtray. The MyKey feature from Ford has been availed as a standard for 2011 season as a standard.

With this year’s version, there is 66 cubic feet worth of cargo room with fuel efficiency ratings being 32 mpg average. Other technological goodies of other models from Ford are standard now, even the Sync features that give the driver power to give voice commands for the devices used while driving. Each driver has been afforded the option of parallel parking with no touch of the steering wheel. The driver only focuses on the brake and the gas pedals. This vehicle is the dream of the techno-geek in terms of its technological advancements.

Drawbacks for his model include clumsy handling, additional weight, and relatively poor braking. Many pundits expect that the 2012 model will address these problems. Some buyers might therefore be willing to wait for next year’s model before making any financial commitments as appertains buying a Ford Crossover SUV.

Under the hood of the Base model is a 4-cylinder, 2.5-liter engine equipped with the gear-set variable transmission allowing smooth switching between electric and gas  motors. The AWD version has two electric motors connected to the gas engine producing a combined total of 177 hp (Base model).

The reason why the Ford Escape has attracted attention is its fuel efficiency. It clocks 34 city miles to the gallon and 31 highway miles to the gallon. The AWD version clocked 30 city miles to the gallon and 27 highway miles to the gallon. From a stop to 60 mph, it paced in 9 seconds which is a moderate speed level for its class in performance and power.

The interior of the Escape Hybrid for 2011 is roomy and has ambient lighting allowing the driver st6ress-free handling. A drawback is that it does not have telescoping steering making many test-drivers uncomfortable behind the wheel. The rear seats have a 60/40 split folding configuration. They can be folded to see the cargo space increase from 28 cubic feet to 66 cubic feet. The process of folding them however, is reportedly cumbersome.

Safety-wise, this Hybrid has front-disc and rear drum brakes that are an interesting mix. The quality of the ride is reasonably smooth but the overall styling calls for a makeover come 2012. The price for this Hybrid is $30,000 which is reasonable since it is way much less than that of its competitors in the SUV market. The 2011 Ford Escape is already well established.

Some other hybrid models have a reputation for sub-par power and performance but the Ford Escape Hybrid for 2011 does not feel so different from other V6-powered crossover SUVs. The only difference is that under the hood there is no six-cylinder engine even though the sounds heard are similar.