The 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited, an AW Drivers Log:

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: Not a bad little piece but holy crap, that sticker price is at least $7,000 more than I would have guessed! Ford has done some serious revamping of this little ute. While this four isn’t the smoothest one in cardom, the electronics have been reprogrammed and that really smoothed the engine’s stop/start operation and feels like it forces the system into full-electric mode more often. The new rear suspension helps a lot too. The car feels a lot more buttoned down than other Escapes that I remember, and a lot of the harsh wheel impacts over potholes that I also recall seem to be cut way back as well. In terms of smoothness and refinement, the Escape is not on par with the Honda CR-V, the Toyota RAV4 or the new Chevrolet Equinox, but it’s a better small SUV than it used to be. EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: I like this hybrid more and more each time I drive it. But Wes is right, the sticker on this little ute is pretty high. I know that being green has a price, but man, $37,000? And that’s with only $2,600 in add-ons?One thing that remains hard to get used is the brake-pedal feel of hybrids, and this one is as bad as it gets in pedal feel. You’d think that as long as Ford has been making this hybrid that the pedal feel would be getting better, rather than just staying the same.Another downside is that the back seats really don’t fold flat. They fold about 85 percent flat, meaning the cargo space is somewhat compromised. ART DIRECTOR KEN ROSS: This is one of the best performing hybrids I have been in. You almost don’t even notice it’s a hybrid. However, the price is steep and recouping this amount of markup won’t happen anytime soon, so I’m not sure if it’s worth the initial costs. The Escape’s exterior styling, interior and overall driving dynamics are all improved from the previous generation, but I agree, it still falls short of the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V.2010 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited Base Price: $34,735As-Tested Price: $37,525Drivetrain: 2.5-liter I4; AWD, continuously variable transmissionOutput: 155 hp @ 6,000 rpm (electric motor 94 hp @ 5,000 rpm), 136 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpmCurb Weight: 3,829 lbFuel Economy (EPA/AW): 28/26.9 mpgOptions: Voice-activated navigation system ($2,395); auto park system ($395)