Overview & Reviews

As with the regular gasoline version, the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid gets an exterior makeover. Inside, the cabin has been updated to improve its appearance and functionality, and there's extra insulation to quiet the highway ride. Side and head curtain airbags are now standard, as are automatic climate control and an MP3 player input jack. The optional navigation system runs off a DVD instead of CDs this year and has a larger display with a touchscreen interface.

• Surprisingly powerful hybrid drivetrain, gets 30 mpg in the real world, comfortable interior with roomy backseat.

• Noisy four-cylinder engine, mediocre handling for a small SUV, stiff brake pedal, no stability control.

User Reviews:

Showing 11 through 20 of 89.00

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  Doesnt Get Media Attention It Deserves - 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By richjoy - April 7 - 5:16 am

  The utility of this crossover is wonderful. It is not as fuel-efficient as the Prius, but is much larger both inside and outside. Guests find the back seat comfortable with good viewing. I like the blue instrument lighting, the center-stack, the lighter interior colors, and tinted windows. It handles extremely well in the city and is large enough on the highway for a sense of safety). The 2.3 engine sometimes seems a bit underpowered and louder than it should be. The workmanship on my vehicle is excellent. I dont regret that I bought a $300 Garmin Nuvi instead of the $2500 built in GPS. In summary: The Escape Hybrid doesnt get the media attention it deserves.

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  I love my Escape Hybrid! - 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By Becky - January 9 - 3:10 pm

  I am so happy I bought this car! I traded in my BMW X5 and year later I know I made the right decision. I am getting about 35mpg vs the 10mpg in the X5. I highly reccomend this car. I also got a $4000 tax credit from the IRS for purchasing a hybrid vehicle. The dealership doesnt want you to know that because they are trying to sell the non-hybrid versions. If you have to have an SUV this is a great truck!

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  Coolest vehicle Ive ever owned! - 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By Mooline - November 26 - 9:13 pm

  The Escape Hybrid has surpassed my 71 Firebird as the coolest car Ive ever owned. Its great to have the load capacity of an SUV on the same gas mileage as the Camry Hybrid. Driving this vehicle is a fun challenge - to see how efficient you can be! Technique definitely matters - no jackrabbit starts, coast as much as possible, avoid excessive speed and youll see 32-33 mpg without a problem. I live in South FL and so far, no problems with the a/c on economy mode; car stays cool with the fan & recirc. air. I did a lot of research before buying. Settled on this vs. Camry Hybrid (equivalent in style & fuel economy) due to max. tax credit, lower price, better load capacity.

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  Great 08 updates - 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By James - October 20 - 9:56 pm

  Mountain driving with 26-27mpg. Smart AWD system works better than my Jeeps system. Comfortable heated leather seats and easy to use dashboard controls. Driver visibility and ride height higher than other SUVs. Could not justify the extra cost for the Toyota. Durability remains to be seen, for my Ford track record is not good. Good crash test results but not the best. Handles great in deep snow. Perfect for a family of 4 and winter gear in the back for a weekend in the mountains.

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  Rented One, Bought One! - 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By Gina B - September 26 - 2:10 pm

  We rented a 2008 Escape Hybrid 7 weeks ago and put 4000 miles on it. It turned out to be a great little SUV. We averaged about 28.5 miles to the gallon (Mostly mountains and freeway driving). It was comfortable, reliable and fun to drive. We liked it so much, we bought one yesterday! It was a nice surprise, we didnt expect it to be such a nice vehicle.

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  Absolutely love it! - 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By Vince - June 11 - 3:56 am

  Seemed hard to get a Escape Hybrid, but it was well worth the wait after ordering it. Absolutely love driving it and watch the MPG display show 33+ MPG. Love the body style and the interior is very well designed. I couldnt be happier with this purchase.

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  I Love it! - 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By Loved It - May 29 - 8:23 pm

  I bought this car, kinda unexpected. I was walking around the cars while having my 06 Focus worked on. And I ran across the car. I test drove it.. and have been in love since! We have the leather interior.. I have never had that in any car.. and love it. The car rides perfectly! I am avg about 34mpg in the city.. and Dont do a lot of hwy driving, but when I went one state up, it was roughly 26mpg. Hybrids arent made for hwy driving! I dont have a lot of the extras, But I love it just the way it is! I was always a Mustang person, But now I will never not own a Escape!

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  Impressed so far - 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By Impressed so far - May 12 - 6:50 pm

  Fuel prices made me give up my Nissan Titan (I cried) but I felt better after fueling up the first time. First tank I got 32.34mpg (AWD). This is a combination of highway/city. The digital readout for mpg does read low as another reviewer mentioned. It is very quiet in town and reasonable at highway speed. It is no tire burner but acceleration is acceptable. Stock sound system is good, climate control works well. It also makes me feel I am doing my part to reduce greenhouse emmissions.

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  Loving it. - 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By TM - April 13 - 11:06 am

  I have never been a Ford fan until now. Sold my VW Golf TDI, bought this vehicle 4 weeks ago and totally love it. We took it on a 4800 mile road trip for 2 weeks and it performed beautifully. We drove through many 11,000ft+ mountain passes, passed trucks and had plenty of power to spare. The low gear was a huge benefit on the mountain descents. The handling is responsive and it feels solid on the road. Ride is smooth and it absorbs the road better than I expected. For our trip we averaged 31mpg. Not bad at all. I do find my "in town" driving milage a little lower since most roads in my area arent flat. I average 28mpg in town. The pop up back glass is very helpful when traveling with a dog.

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  Great Ford SUV - 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
  By Tom - March 6 - 7:13 pm

  Leather Interior needs to be more comfortable, but overall this is a great vehicle and will buy another one. Very reliable and gas mileage is great even with my lead foot. Finally the US automakers have something to be really proud of. Over 21,000 miles of hard driving and no problems! Highly recommended!