The Best Hybrid SUV Reviews
Review of the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid
The 2008 model year brought significant cosmetic changes to the Ford Escape – adding sharper lines and a more rugged exterior. For 2009, Ford has turned its attention under the hood and revamped the 2009 Ford Escape hybrid’s mechanics. By bringing the SUV’s inner-workings up to speed, the auto giant is hoping to see sales even higher than it did during a record-breaking ’08.
How did we jump from hybrid SUV’s that get about 30 miles per gallon to hearing about one that gets 100 to 150 mpg? For the past month or so, a company based near Seattle, Washington has been getting a ton of press about an “extreme hybrid sport utility vehicle” that can reportedly be driven 150 miles on just one gallon of gas.
Leave it to the federal government to make the tax benefits of buying a hybrid vehicle extremely confusing. Several years ago, the IRS initiated the “clean-burning fuel deduction” as a one-time, $2000 adjustment to income (here and here). This hybrid vehicle tax deduction remained in effect through 2005, as summarized in this Internal Revenue Service release.
When asked, many people cite increased fuel efficiency and reduced emissions as their main incentives for buying a hybrid car or SUV. In reality though, a hybrid vehicle’s safety rating seems like a far more important consideration. While government safety requirements and technology improvements continue to make the cars we drive and the roads we travel safer, the fact remains that tens of thousands of people are killed or injured in automobile accidents every year.
While there are many factors to consider when buying your next vehicle, in the midst of soaring gas prices, none might be as important as “miles per gallon”, better known as MPG. And if you’re considering the purchase of a new or used sport utility vehicle, you’ve likely discovered that some SUVs get very poor gas mileage while others do as well or better than many cars. (Obviously, none will beat the 2009 Prius.)
Hybrid Car and SUV sweepstakes, giveaways, contests, raffles, and promotions are all the rage on this eve of Earth Day 2008. It appears that there will be a lot of hybrid autos given away during ‘08, as I’m hearing about a new “win a hybrid car” promotion nearly every week. I spent a few hours scouring the net tonight to bring you seven chances to win a green car, so here they are in no particular order…
When doing your research on hybrid suv’s, it’s helpful to know how specific makes and models have done comparatively in terms of monthly and annual sales. We put together a graph of hybrid suv sales figures for 2007 that includes the Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX 400h, Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner, and Saturn Vue.
Let’s face it, most of the people who review cars for a living aren’t going to get overly excited about a Ford Escape or a Saturn Vue, even if they are hybrids. These professional drivers and writers have been behind the wheels of many of the fastest and most expensive vehicles ever built. So, how can the cars, trucks, and suv’s that most of us drive to work each day compare to the greatest cars in the world? Reality is, they can’t.
It is possible this could end up being the most popular hybrid SUV yet. Saturn is preparing to begin production of a totally redesigned Vue Green Line, and this time they are using GM’s two-mode hybrid system. Unlike the mild hybrid Vue that has been around for the past couple of years, the all new Vue will feature the same technology found in the hybrid Tahoe and Yukon. The difference should be worth the wait.
At last year’s Frankfurt Auto Show (2007), BMW debuted a concept vehicle known as the X6 (photos). Half crossover - half sports car, the X6 ActiveHybrid (BMW dubs it the world’s first Sports Activity Coupe) gave us our first look at how BMW might use the hybrid knowledge they gained via their collaboration with DiamlerChrysler and General Motors (details here). Fast forward to the 2008 Geneva Auto Show, and BMW’s EfficientDynamics initiative appears to be in full swing with the introduction of the concept X5 Hybrid-Diesel SUV.