2008 Ford Escape Hybrid FWD review

Since its introduction, the Ford Escape has been one of America's best-selling small SUVs. Considering how many other vehicles are available in this segment (many of them well established before the Escape's debut), this may come as a bit of a surprise. But Ford has a keen knack for designing SUVs that appeal to a wide range of buyers.

With the Escape, Ford successfully combined the styling and four-wheel-drive capability of a traditional SUV with the size, practicality and driving characteristics of a midsize car. For the urban dweller in need of something comfortable, versatile, fun to drive and capable of doing some light-duty off-roading or towing, it fit the bill perfectly. Of course, the Escape's low price certainly boosted its appeal as well.

Though these attributes still hold true today, there's no denying that the Ford Escape's basic design is getting a bit old, even with a significant freshening for 2008. The interior in particular has received significant improvements, with much better materials and a more attractive design. Regardless, the Escape is at a disadvantage against newer compact sport-utilities, which are more refined and offer more rewarding driving experiences.

Current Ford Escape

The Ford Escape is a compact four-door SUV that received significant changes to its styling and interior for '08. Due to its light-duty four-wheel-drive system, fully independent suspension and unibody construction, it's more suited for on-road driving than off-roading. Its underlying structure was developed with input from Mazda, whose Tribute is very similar to the Escape. The Mercury Mariner is also nearly identical to the Escape and differs mainly by having a few more features and different interior and exterior design details.

The Escape is available in one four-door body style with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Three trim levels are offered: XLS, XLT and Limited. As with other Ford products, moving up the list provides additional standard features. The majority of shoppers will likely be satisfied with the XLT.

Standard on the Escape XLS is a 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder engine that makes 153 horsepower. It is matched to either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. On all other trims, Ford equips the Escape with a 3.0-liter V6 capable of 200 hp. A four-speed automatic is the only transmission offered with the V6. A special version of the Escape, the Escape Hybrid, has a gasoline/electric powertrain that provides the best fuel efficiency of any SUV.

Past Ford Escape Models

The Ford Escape was introduced in 2001, and its basic exterior and interior design remained unchanged until the current model's refresh. It was available in XLS, XLT, XLT Sport and Limited trim levels. For five years in a row starting with its debut year, this Escape was either a winner or a runner-up in our Editors' Most Wanted _SM awards for either a compact SUV or an SUV under $25,000.

Considering how many of these Escapes were sold, shoppers should have plenty of opportunities to be choosy and find a used model that suits them. First-year Escapes were tarnished by numerous recall notices. Though likely resolved at this point, going with a 2002 or newer model might be a good idea. The Limited trim, with its leather-appointed interior, first appeared for the 2003 model year. Potential buyers of this first generation of Escape should note that its interior materials were of poor quality, with cheap, hard plastics everywhere.

It's also worth noting that 2001-'04 Ford Escapes were equipped with a less-powerful four-cylinder engine than the one in the current model. This 2.0-liter engine made 130 hp and is generally considered underpowered. The V6 engine has remained constant throughout the Escape's existence.

source edmund.com yahoo autos