Our time with the Escape Hybrid now comes to a close. We were initially expecting to be under-whelmed by the Escape Hybrid. In fact, we were pleasantly surprised by the Escape's performance, utility, and quality. The Escape was nice to have in the Autoblog Garage. We're actually sad to see it go.

Regardless, after it was all said and done, we got 29.7 miles per gallon out of the Escape. This is very impressive for such a capable vehicle. At no point did we feel like we were really giving up much to get this kind of fuel efficiency. There is the issue of the air conditioning losing power when the gasoline engine is off. Otherwise, the Escape is comfortable, quick, surprisingly nimble, and fuel efficient.

So how much does all this cost? The base price for our 2005 Escape Hybrid was $26,380.00 Options take the vehicle to $30,235.00 before destination. Our tester was equipped with the appearance package which includes the silver painted cladding, which actually makes this metallic green Escape look smart. The Energy Audiophile & Navigation package, which includes the hybrid information screen, adds $1850.00 to the price as well. The leather and side and curtain air bag packages add a combined $1170.00. Floor mats, retractable cargo cover, and 110V AC inverter make up the remaining options on our test vehicles.

Overall, this is not a bad value in the hybrid arena. The Escape is more expensive than the Prius or Civic Hybrids, but it is a bargain compared to the Toyota Hybrid SUVs.