2022 Ford Escape Hybrid

The Ford Escape Hybrid, along with the conventionally-powered Escape which we review separately, is one of the best-selling SUVs in the country. It simply caters to exactly what most consumers want right now, which is a spacious interior and a crossover body with a tall stance. In hybrid form, both a regular hybrid and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) are offered, and each produces 200 horsepower, with most of the grunt coming from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Its 0-60 time isn't phenomenal, but that's not entirely the point of this vehicle. Notably, the PHEV can only be had with front-wheel drive. While offering brilliant gas mileage figures, neither version of the Escape Hybrid is especially engaging to drive. If you can stretch to the pricier Toyota RAV4 Prime, it'll easily leave the Escape in its dust. Still, the Ford does offer plenty of safety features and a user-friendly infotainment interface, but if you don't absolutely need a hybrid, can this match up to some of the more exciting SUVs out there? Let's find out more in our Escape Hybrid review.

If you've decided to buy a Ford Escape and consider fuel economy to be important, then the 2022 Escape Hybrid makes a lot of sense. It isn't particularly quick and rivals like the Honda CR-V Hybrid are faster, but it's fairly responsive around town and the 41 mpg combined is an excellent number. With the PHEV variant, you can also travel for 37 miles on electric power alone, which is sufficient for people living closer to work. As for the rest of the Escape package, well, it's a good rather than stellar SUV. We like the spacious seating, roomy cargo area, and easy-to-use infotainment system. However, the cabin feels a bit cheap in places and the driving experience is ordinary. But the Escape Hybrid does just enough to justify its popularity in the US market.

With six different models, the Escape Hybrid SUV range begins with the SE Hybrid at $29,920.. This is followed by the SEL Hybrid at $32,285 and the Titanium Hybrid at $34,830. The SE Plug-In Hybrid goes for $35,190, the SEL Plug-In Hybrid costs $37,925, and the Titanium Plug-In Hybrid has the most expensive MSRP of $40,435. All these prices exclude Ford's destination charge of $1,495. Another similar SUV for sale, the Honda CR-V Hybrid, begins at a more expensive $32,010.

The price of the Ford Escape Hybrid will increase with a few options added, of course. All non-PHEV models can be upgraded from FWD to 4WD at a cost of $1,500. However, the PHEVs do have another advantage in that they qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $6,843.