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.

What’s new?
For the $28,000-$32,000 that it will cost to get you into a ’09 Escape, you’ll find more power, smoother handling and improved mileage. You can now drive a little further on every fill up, as the ’09 hybrid Escape mpg rating has improved to 34 city and 31 highway (an improvement of 1 mile per gallon over the 2008 hybrid Escape). 

The 2.5 liter engine in the ‘09 Escape is Ford’s first attempt at using variable valve timing in conjuction with their Atkinson cycle hybrid engine. The result is an almost unnoticeable transition between electric and gas modes. Ford outfitted all 2009 Escapes with a new power train and upgraded the four speed automatic transmission to a six speed automatic transmission. As a result, the car hugs tight turns and shifts smoothly.

A major change in the hybrid version now allows you to drive the Escape in “all electric mode” from 0-40 mph before the gas engine takes over. The previous model made the switch at 30 miles per hour. On the outside, some minor adjustments to the spoilers and wheels allow for better aerodynamics and result in the car achieving two or three more miles per gallon.

A new electronic braking system increases the 2009 SUV’s stability and provides better feel of the brake pedal. Ford claims this change offers a more seamless crossover from regenerative to traditional braking. Another first for small hybrids is AdvanceTrac with RCS, Ford’s patented stability control system that includes rollover stability control, now standard on the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid (and the 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid).

Optional equipment includes Ford’s increasingly popular SYNC system (voice activated in-car communication and entertainment system), this year with “911 assist”. Buyers can also opt for the new Sirius Travel Link system for real time traffic, weather, and fuel price notifications.

Availability
According to a press release from Ford Motor Company, the 2009 Ford Escape is scheduled to be available sometime during the summer of 2008, although no specific mention of the hybrid model’s availability was made.

Future of the Ford Escape
At this year’s New York Auto Show, Ford also unveiled the results of its partnership with Southern California Edison: a plug-in hybrid Escape. The 20 prototypes the team has built are very similar to the 2008 Escapes, with a 2.3 liter, four cylinder engine, but subsequent prototypes being built this summer will feature the same 2.5 liter, four cylinder that the ’09 has. The plug-in version also swaps the 2kwh nickel metal hydride battery for a 10kwh lithium ion battery and plug on the left side of the car.

Throughout the next year and a half, Ford hopes to test and improve these cars and have the plug-in hybrid ready for sale within the next five years.

Additional Information On The ‘09 Escape Hybrid SUV:

Ford Motor Company - 2009 Escape Official Press Release
AutoblogGreen
TheTruthAboutCars

Ed Furia is founder and current CEO of AFS Trinity Power Corporation, a company that has equipped a Saturn Vue Green Line with their patented “fast energy” battery system to showcase the new technology.  Known as the XH-150 (extreme hybrid), the modified Vue can accelerate from 0-60 mph in just under 7 seconds.  More impressive though, the vehicle can be driven 40 miles on battery power alone.  And, with an overnight charge using your standard 110 volt power plug (or a 3 hour charge using a 220 volt outlet), the extreme hybrid is ready for another 40 miles.

So, how does AFS apply this technology to come up with their claim that it gets 150 miles per gallon?  Furia starts by explaining that most Americans (80%) drive less than 40 miles per day.  This figure was released by the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2003.  I would have to agree with this estimate for my personal driving, as 365 X 40 = 14,600 miles per year, which is about how much I drive.

Furia uses the 40 miles per day number for six days per week, and increases that figure to 100 miles per day, one day of each week.  This totals 340 miles of driving each week.  Using these numbers, his modified hybrid drives 280 of those miles using absolutely no gas.  The remaining 60 miles are driven using about 2 gallons of gas, based on an average of roughly 30 miles per gallon.  And, while 340 miles on 2 gallons of gas would be 170 mpg, Furia believes 150 mpg is an even more reasonable and conservative figure.

Now do you see why AFS Trinity Power Corp. is getting so much attention in the press?  I guess the only bad news is that we currently can not buy any vehicle with this type of plug-in hybrid technology.  Furia hopes his company can license the system to an automaker that can mass produce it and have it available to the public in 2-3 years.  He also estimates that adding this kind of hybrid technology to a vehicle would add $8,000 to the sticker price, which he believes can be recouped in 3 years or so based on fuel savings alone.  Based on the above figures, I’d say 4-5 years might be more realistic.

After reading several press releases about the Extreme Hybrid from AFS, I still had lots of questions.  Guess I wasn’t the only one, as I found a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page on the official AFS Trinity website here.  After spending an hour on the site, I believe Mr. Furia might be on to something much bigger than we know.

If you’re interested in learning more, below are a few links to the best online coverage I came across.  So, do you think we’ll see a 150 mpg hybrid within the next 5 years?  Maybe in 2012, we’ll be driving a Furia off the lot!

NY Times
CBS News ( includes video)
Businessweek

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed the rules for hybrid car tax breaks beginning in Tax Year 2006 (the Act also provided some tax benefits to those who made their homes more efficient).  No longer considered tax deductions, the new law outlined “tax credits” for taxpayers who purchased or leased hybrid vehicles or alternative motor vehicles.  The maximum credit allowed was $3,400 and you can read an overview of the initial phase out rules here.

In true IRS fashion, more than 40 updates and notices on hybrid vehicle tax credits have been released since the Energy Policy Act of ‘05.  If you’d like to review each one, all can be found at this frequently updated url.  Since the main focus of this article is hybrid suv tax breaks, here’s what you need to know if you purchased or plan to purchase a 2008 model year hybrid sport utility.

2008 Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid tax credit (2WD & 4WD): $2,200

2008 GMC Yukon hybrid tax credit: $2,200

2008 Ford Escape hybrid tax credit (2WD): $3,000
2008 Ford Escape hybrid tax credit (4WD): $2,200

2008 Mazda Tribute hybrid tax credit (2WD): $3,000
2008 Mazda Tribute hybrid tax credit (4WD): $2,200

2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid tax credit (2WD): $3,000
2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid tax credit (4WD): $2,200

2008 Saturn Vue Green Line tax credit: $1,550

2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid tax credit: $0 (expired)

2008 Lexus 400h tax credit: $0 (expired)

The above listed tax credits are from this IRS notice, updated on 01/02/08.  Credits are only available for those who purchase a new hybrid vehicle, not a used hybrid.  Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) laws could have an impact on whether or not you qualify for this tax break, and the law governing the tax benefit is set to expire in 2010.  We do however expect an updated release on the following hybrid SUV’s by year end:

2009 Cadillac Escalade hybrid tax credit:
2009 Dodge Durango hybrid tax credit:
2009 Chrysler Aspen hybrid tax credit:
2009 Saturn Vue Two-Mode hybrid tax credit:

Additional information can be found on the Hybrid Tax Credits website (hybridtaxcredits.com).  Information provided in this article should not be mistaken as tax advice.  Always consult with a qualified tax advisor on these kinds of tax issues.

Lastly, now seems like the perfect time for congress to get on the ball and pass some real tax relief (possibly in the form of a hybrid tax rebate program) for those who are shelling out the extra dollars to buy green cars and SUVs.  Some states are already ahead of the feds in considering state tax exemptions and other incentives for alternative fuel vehicles.  It’s too bad something couldn’t have been done in conjunction with the economic-stimulus plan, possibly providing a stimulus voucher that could have been used to purchase vehicles with minimum EPA MPG ratings.

If you are shopping for a hybrid vehicle, you currently have several green cars and SUVs to choose from (hybrid trucks will also be an option later this year).  In making your choice, it’s fairly easy to compare things like gas mileage, seating capacity, cargo room, interior features, and towing capacity.  On the other hand, it’s much more difficult to identify the safest SUVs.  Safety features like airbags, anti-lock brakes, vehicle (electronic) stability control, and tire pressure monitoring systems can tell us part of the story, but they alone don’t answer the big question.  Ultimately, we just want to know which hybrid vehicle is the safest.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) both conduct various tests which can help us better determine the safest SUV options.  Some of the tests include offset frontal crashes (where only a portion of the front of the vehicle hits a barrier), head on collisions (vehicle directly impacts a solid wall), side-impact crash tests, rollover tests, and road edge recovery tests.

Results of these IIHS tests report whether an SUV has received a good, acceptable, marginal, or poor rating.  The NHTSA uses a 5 star rating system (5 being the best, and 1 the worst) for their crash protection and rollover test ratings.  Unfortunately, not all hybrid SUVs have undergone crash tests as of early 2008, so we are left to wonder if hybrid models would perform similarly to their gas-only counterparts.

There is a fair amount of negative press about SUV rollovers.  In fact, the NHTSA reports that SUVs have a rollover rate that is three times that of passenger cars.  Newer SUVs from manufacturers such as Ford are now using a rollover sensing technology that deploys side curtain airbags when a rollover begins.  Another important safety consideration related to vehicle rollovers is termed “roof crush”, which is measured by how much the roof collapses under pressure.  Every new vehicle must now pass NHTSA roof crush requirements, meaning the roof must not be impacted more than 5 inches when a plate is pressed down at a force equal to 1.5 times the vehicle’s weight.  For more on this subject, here is a good article.

The compatibility (or lack thereof) between two vehicles involved in a crash is another topic of much debate.  For example, in a car vs. SUV crash/accident, the taller vehicle (typically the sport utility) impacts the passenger car at a point that is above the car’s ”crumple zone”.  This incompatibility between the two vehicles often results in much greater damage to the shorter vehicle, and higher rates of injury for its occupants.  Some automakers are now redesigning SUVs and trucks to be more compatible with shorter passenger vehicles in terms of weight and ride height.  Unfortunately, this issue poses a major disadvantage for smaller cars, and is one that doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon.

When evaluating how a specific car or SUV handles a crash, you can also look for crash test videos on quite a few websites.  I’ve had the most success using YouTube.com and doing searches such as: [insert suv] crash test.  Here is an example: SUV - Prius Crash Test Video

NHTSA Results:

2008 Ford Escape Hybrid (Crash and Rollover Test Results)
2008 Lexus RX 400h (Crash Test)
2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid (Crash Test and Rollover Results)
2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid (Crash and Rollover Test Results)
2008 Mazda Tribute Hybrid (Crash and Rollover safety ratings)
2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid (Crash Test Results)
2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid (Crash Test Ratings)
2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid (Crash Test Only)

IIHS Results:

2008 Ford Escape
2008 Mazda Tribute
2008 Mercury Mariner
Lexus RX Models
2008 Toyota Highlander
2008 Saturn Vue
2008 Chevrolet Tahoe (no results yet)
2008 GMC Yukon (no results yet)

In summary, while it’s great to go green, evaluating the safety of your next vehicle should be high on your list of priorities.  Reducing emissions and saving some money at the pump are both important, but in my opinion, vehicle safety comes first.

Additional Resources For SUV Safety Ratings include:

www.hwysafety.org
www.safercar.gov

With gas prices currently averaging more than $3.50 per gallon, you can see how an SUV’s gas mileage can effect your annual cost of ownership. As an example, if you drive an average of 12,000 miles per year in a sport utility that gets 30 mpg, your annual fuel consumption would be roughly 400 gallons. At $3.50 per gallon, that’s $1400.

If your SUV gets only 15 mpg, the same 12,000 miles would require 800 gallons, costing you $2,800 per year. That difference of $1,400 per year would total $7,000 in additional fuel charges over the course of just 5 years. Obviously, fuel costs are only one consideration in a much bigger equation. Case in point…for those considering a green suv, the additional “up front” cost of a hybrid vs. a traditional-gas model is often several thousand dollars.

Below is a chart of the average gas mileage for 2008 (and in some cases, 2007) model year SUVs. A more comprehensive fuel economy guide from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can be downloaded here.  Another helpful tool is the hybrid gas mileage comparison calculator where you can see how much gas money you’d save by going green.

Data for this article was gathered from several online sources, including MotorTrend, GreenHybrid, ConsumerReports (subscription), fueleconomy.gov, and Yahoo Autos!. Some of these mpg ratings were estimated. Others were based on an average of the vehicle’s city and highway mpg ratings.

Related articles: SUV Safety Ratings: Which hybrid SUVs are the safest?

1.  Macy’s Turn Over A New Leaf Sweepstakes. Enter for a chance to win a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid SUV, or one of three family trips to a National Park. Begins 4/14/08 and ends 4/29/08.  Enter here.

2.  Total Beauty is running their “Totally Green Sweepstakes”.  Enter for your chance to win a 2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid SUV, full of eco-beauty products. If you plan to enter this contest online, you have to write a review of a product found on the totalbeauty.com website. Begins 4/17/08 and ends 6/5/08.  Enter here.

3.  Glamour Magazine is still promoting their Honda Civic Hybrid Sweepstakes.  While it’s not a sport utility, it’s still a green vehicle valued at over $22,000 and for one lucky person, it’s a free one! Begins 3/4/08 and ends 5/4/08.  Enter here.

4.  Home and Garden Television, a.k.a HGTV.com has the Green Home Giveaway.  You can register on this site for a chance to win a 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid.  Even better, the winner of this one gets a custom built eco-friendly home in South Carolina. Runs from 3/21/08 through 5/9/08.  Enter here.

5.  General Mills and Meijer are teaming up in the Clean Car Sweepstakes, giving away a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Sedan valued at $23,000.  Once again, not an SUV…but still a mild hybrid! Sweepstakes begins 4/20/08 and ends 4/30/08.  Enter here.

6.  O.B. is giving away a 2008 Toyota Prius valued at $23,000 in their “mighty. small. sweepstakes”.  This one runs from 4/12/08 to 7/1/08.  Official rules allow both men and women to enter, so good luck to all!  Enter here.

7.  Scott’s, Miracle Grow, and the Home Depot have teamed up to give away two (2) 2008 Ford Escape hybrid suvs.  Although you can only win one, this sweepstakes is double the fun.  Runs 4/1/08 through 5/4/08.  Enter here.

So, there you have it.  Seven opportunities to snag your very own hybrid car or suv, and without spending a dime.  Just make sure you read the fine print and official rules carefully.  For those who enter, there is a good chance you’ll at least get some promotional materials via email or…regular mail (how green would that be?).  Please let our readers know if you run across any other hybrid vehicles sweepstakes/giveaways, and don’t forget to send us a note if you happen to be one of the lucky winners!  Best of luck to everyone.

During the first half of 2007, Toyota led the pack with 14,312 hybrid Highlander sales.  Coming in a close second was Ford, with their popular hybrid Escape managing a respectable 11,444.  Lexus grabbed 3rd place with 8,657 RX 400h sales during the same period.  You will notice on the chart that there were a couple of months where we were unable to track down total sales of the Saturn Vue Green Line.

In the second half of 2007 many people waited for the release of the newly redesigned 2008 hybrid Highlander (not all waited by choice, as there was a shortage of available ‘07 models).  This led to a disappointing decline for Toyota with only 7,741 green Highlanders sold during that period.  Even so, year-to-date numbers reached 22,052.

Meanwhile, the green Escape continued its steady pace by adding another 9,942 sales between July and year-end (the totally redesigned 2008 model was released late in the first quarter).  That brought Ford’s numbers to 21,386.  RX 400h sales in Q3 & Q4 were nearly identical the first half of the year, hitting 8,634 and bringing their 2007 annual total to 17,291. 

Below are the stats for how many hybrid suvs have been sold already during 2008.  And, although the hybrid Chevy Tahoe and hybrid GMC Yukon are now available, GM isn’t doing a very good job of breaking out the specific sales numbers for hybrid vs. traditional models.  That being said, a report on Autobloggreen stated that total hybrid vehicle sales for GM were only 834 units during the first quarter of the year.

Hybrid SUV sales data courtesy of hybridcars.com.

This is why people are so interested to learn what their neigbor has to say about a recent car purchase.  Our neighbors speak our language.  Ever notice how hard it can be to understand some of the jargon the so-called “experts” use when writing about a car?  We need expert reviews, but we also like to hear what non-experts think about the cars they’ve been test driving for free.

Below are links to reviews, recommendations, and opinions written by people just like you and me.  Most of the reviews are from Edmunds.com, although we’ve also listed some additional resources.  Before you test drive the hybrid SUV you’ve been dreaming about, take a few minutes to read what others have to say.  Then, you’ll know better what to look for when you get behind the wheel, and before you make that final decision.  Check back for updates, as many of these hybrids are just reaching buyers now.

Ford Escape Hybrid Consumer Reviews:

2008 Ford Escape Hybrid

2007 Ford Escape Hybrid

2006 Ford Escape Hybrid

Toyota Highlander Hybrid Consumer Reviews:

2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid Consumer Reviews:

2008 Saturn Vue Green Line

2007 Saturn Vue (Hybrid and Non-Hybrid)

Mazda Tribute Hybrid Consumer Reviews:

2008 Mazda Tribute Hybrid

Mercury Mariner Hybrid Consumer Reviews:

2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

Lexus RX 400h Consumer Reviews:

2008 Lexus RX 400h

2007 Lexus RX 400h

2006 Lexus RX 400h

Chevy Tahoe Hybrid Consumer Reviews:

2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid

GMC Yukon Hybrid Consumer Reviews:

2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid

Other resources for consumer auto reviews:

Cars.com
Epinions

The 4-cylinder 2007 / 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line models have been judged as something less than full hybrid suvs.  Like the current Saturn Aura hybrid and the Chevy Malibu hybrid, the green Vue uses General Motor’s belt alternator starter (BAS) system.  In these vehicles, a large electric motor assists the traditional gas engine during acceleration. The electric motor is powered by a Nickel Metal Hydride battery, which in turn is partially charged through regenerative braking.  With a BAS system, the gas engine stops running when the car or suv comes to a halt and restarts automatically during initial acceleration.  In the Green Line, the resulting fuel savings is about 20% better than a base model Vue, improving to 27/32 mpg (one of the best highway fuel economy ratings of all SUV’s).

The 2009 Saturn Vue Green Line will be the first front wheel drive vehicle to get GM’s 2-mode hybrid system.  This system was developed under a joint effort between GM, BMW, and the former DaimlerChrysler.  According to Saturn, “Unlike single-mode hybrid technology found in competitors’ SUVs, the two-mode system maximizes city and highway fuel economy by integrating two electric continuously variable modes with four fixed mechanical gear ratios. The system consists of twin, active-cooled 55-kW electric motors integrated into the 2MT70 automatic transmission. Energy to power the motors comes from a 1.8 kWh, 300V nickel-metal hydride battery pack, which consists of 22 nickel metal hydride modules and is packaged behind the second-row seat below the cargo floor.”.

The Vue’s more sophisticated hybrid technology will be coupled with a 3.6 liter, V6 engine that is reported to go from 0-60 in 7.3 seconds while improving gas mileage by about 50% over the non-hybrid V-6 model, currently rated at 16 city/22 highway.  It will also be able to tow 3,500 pounds and can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour in electric mode only.  Standard safety features will include four wheel anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, rollover detection, six air bags, tire pressure monitoring, and more.  An AWD version doesn’t appear to be an option yet.  If this hybrid SUV is reasonably priced, look for it to fly off dealer lots - especially if gas prices continue to climb.

Get a free quote on a Saturn Vue hybrid!

Additional resources on the ‘09 Saturn Vue Green Line:

Car Connection
MotorTrend
Jalopnik
CNET Video of 2009 Saturn Vue
USAToday article

Only the key execs at Bavarian Motor Works know if the concept X5 hybrid is planned for production, and if it is - whether or not there’s any chance of it ever reaching the United States.  Most of the “industry experts” who have covered BMW’s Vision Efficient Dynamics plan believe this X5 will be built as a mild hybrid, and will be for sale in 2010 or 2011.

BMW states that its conceptual hybrid X5 gets better than 36 miles per gallon.  That kind of fuel efficiency is based on a 2.0 liter, turbo charged 4 cylinder, common-rail diesel engine in conjunction with a powerful lithium-ion battery pack used to power an electric motor (aka - the ActiveHybrid).

Together, this system is mated to a new 8 speed automatic transmission, managing 224 hp and propeling the green X5 from 0-60 mph in just under 9 seconds. Unlike some of the new “full” hybrid suvs from GM, the mild-hybrid X5 would not be able to run on electric power alone.  At the same time, at 35+ mpg, does anyone care?  Watch for updates here as they’re released.

Additional resources covering the BMW X5 hybrid:

Video coverage from Edmunds
Car Connection
Sky Motoring
CNET Video