I bought the 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid to get better mileage and still have good SUV cargo space. Could I have done better with a non-Hybrid model? I’m getting only about 25 mpg this winter…I’m in the Pacific Northwest. Up to 29+mpg in the summer.
On fueleconomy.gov Escape hybrids are averaging about 29 for AWD, 31-33 for FWD. Which do you have?
Have you checked your tires? Cold = low tire pressure = poor mpgs. I know my hybrid’s mpgs drop if the tires are low.
What type of driving do you normally do? My understanding is that you need to do a lot of stop-and-go city driving in order for the higher initial cost of a hybrid to eventually be offset.
The 2010 Escape Hybrid averages 29 mpg in the EPA test. The non-hybrid Escape does 22 mpg. You are right at average for the hybrid and 7 mpg over the non-hybrid, and 3 mpg better during the winter. You should expect reduced mileage during the winter if they change gas formulations in your area, maybe 2 to 3 mpg. Check your tire pressure as mentioned above. How long have you had the Escape?
IF . . you’re after max fuel mileage . . you’ll need to drive it that way.
We don’t.
We have an 06 Escape hybrid AWD. My wife’s daily driver.
We refuse to drive like a snail and impede the flow of traffic.
We love the torque and acceleration of the electric drive motor.
The handling is great, the sight lines are good for her one eye, and the AWD is exactly what she needs ( as opposed to 4x4, which she’s bad at figuring when to , and not to engage it )
we don’t ever even bother to calculate mpg.
We just drive it.
so . . depending on your expectations ? . . . .
Plus . .if you let it warm up on the cold mornings ? there goes your average mpg on any vehicle.
The hybrid version was a good choice imo. You’ll get a little better mpg overall, and likely benefit from the quick early acceleration from a stop available w/an electric motor drive. The main downside, when it needs repairs it may be harder to find someone other than a dealership shop who is trained how it works and how to fix it.
Two years ago as of Dec. 31st. I get the advantage of the electric boost many times, as I’m on an island where the max speed limit is 40 mph. I see that, over 43 mph, the gas kicks in.
Thanks for your comments , Margot
“We refuse to drive like a snail and impede the flow of traffic.”
I wish more hybrid owners were like you 
On the way back home today, there was a Prius in the left lane, doing about 50-55mph, I would say
Everyone else was doing about 70-75mph
People were throwing some eye daggers at that Prius driver 
And rightfully so, IMO
I fail to see how one could drive enough on an island to justify the added expense of a hybrid. Also with a 40 MPH speed limit added speed and boost would be wasted. Now I could see a total electric is you had faith in the electric supply system.
Hybrids are great if you have the right commute and drive enough miles.
Hybrid cars are designed to get good fuel economy. Hybrid SUVs are designed to have extra power, but having said that, 25-29 MPG is pretty darn good for an SUV. It would likely be worse with a non-hybrid.
I never saw the point of hybrid SUVs. If fuel economy was your main concern, you wouldn’t be in the SUV market to start with. My girlfriend’s Hyundai Santa Fe gets more than 27 MPG, and it’s not a hybrid, but she needed an SUV for work, so she made fuel economy a secondary concern.
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I agree with Whitney. I don’t think 2-3 extra MPG justifies the added cost and maintenance.
For reference, my Forester gets 34 MPG highway in the summer, about 25-30 city.
But @mergit already owns the hybrid. The question isn’t whether to buy one, but to sell it and replace it with a non-hybrid. I don’t think replacing the current Escape with any other vehicle makes sense at this time, unless there is something it can’t do, like towing. That does not seem to be the case here.
The header asks was I wrong so any opinion about buying or owning a hybrid SUV applies. Giving the reason why someone did not purchase one also applies.
I thk the Ford Escape Hybrid was a very good.choice. The institution where I was employed until I retired in 2011 had several Escape Hybrids in its fleet. I drove one to a conference 150 miles away and was quite impressed with it. I think it was a.2009 model. I think the mpg was around 30. I am 6’2" tall and was very comfortable behind the wheel. My research partner, who is 5’4" tall did some of the driving and really liked the Escape. Had I been in the market for a new vehicle at the time, the Ford Escape Hybrid would be on my short list.
The 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid is rated at 30 MPG in the city,
2010 Escape V6, 18 MPG city,
2010 Santa Fe 4 cylinder, 21 MPG city.
The other vehicles mentioned will probably not get their listed MPG in your driving environment.