Winner: Ford Escape Hybrid
Cost: $30,750
Fuel economy (CR test): 27 mpg
Total 5-year savings: $2,970
Consumer Reports looked at costs for the four-wheel-drive Escape and its four-wheel-drive non-hybrid twin.
Unfortunately, the Escape's hybrid system doesn't offer nearly as much benefit in the 4WD version as it does in the front-wheel-drive Escape. (By EPA estimates, the FWD hybrid gets 10 mpg better than the similar non-hybrid, while the 4WD gets just 7 mpg better.)
Looking at the FWD may have changed things, but even with the 4WD option, the Escape Hybrid still offers enough benefit to rank near the top in Consumer Reports' analysis.
NEXT: Winner: Toyota Prius
Last updated September 03 2008: 11:51 AM ET
RSS
