A year ago my lease was up and I struggled with leasing or buying a new car. I was limited to a large car since there are six in my family. I drove almost every SUV, Crossover, and regular car that I could find that fit within my parameters. I hated all of them. I felt like Goldilocks. The seats were too uncomfortable, the Prius has a spoiler in my vision, and others drove like trucks. I ended up buying my minivan after its lease expired. (Read my saga here).
One of my readers suggested that I look at the Ford Escape Hybrid . I obviously missed that car in my search. Well, my chance came when a local car dealer sponsored a fundraiser to help a high school. For every parent who test drove a car, the company would donate a certain amount of money to the school. I had already gained a new respect for Ford after I interviewed Deborah Mielewski, the Polymer Technical Leader of Research and Advanced Engineering at Ford Motor Company about Ford’s green initiatives. (Read the interview here or listen to the podcast. You will be equally impressed.) Off I went to test drive the Ford Escape!
So, what were my thoughts after driving the Ford Escape? I loved it. The seat rated an A plus in my eyes for comfort. I am used to my captain chair seat in my mini van. The Ford Escape’s driver seat was equally as comfortable.
I am not the best of drivers and it is important for me to be able to pull easily into a parking space. The tight turning radius onf the Ford allowed me to accomplish this feat. It also drove smoothly.
I even sat in the back seat to see if there was ample leg room for my growing man/child boys. Plenty of room. The middle seat in the back was comfortable as well. Many of the cars that I had tested the middle seat was unbelievely uncomfortable. A real hump.
According to the Company,
Earth-friendly cloth seat fabric is made from postindustrial materials – polyester fibers that would have ended up in landfills otherwise. And the cushions use a bio-based polyurethane foam derived from the oils of soybeans. More than simply “green,” the durable, comfortable and stylish nature of the material also makes it a perfect fit for Escape Hybrid.”
Note, the cushions are not made of 100% soybean oil as I discovered during my interview with Ms. Mielewski; however, the addition of the soy reduces the amount of petroleum based foam used. For more Ford Escape Hybrid green benefits, see here.
Ford also got high marks in my opinion on how their seats folded down for more trunk space.
Best of all this family car gets good gas milage given its size. According to the sticker on the car, you can expect on average 34 miles per gallon in the City and 31 miles per gallon on the highway.
Adding it all up: drives well, green features, good gas milage, and comfortable seats. Sounds like a green win to me.
Condo Blues says
July 2, 2009 at 11:01 pmI talked to Ford about their hybrids and green efforts during the Columbus Auto Show. It was very interesting. Sadly I didn’t get the chance to drive a hybrid, but I’m glad to have another option to consider once it’s time to replace our current cars. That won’t be for awhile, since both small cars are paid for and well maintained. Usually when stuff starts falling off of them is the time we start doing research on a replacement.
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modern sofa says
July 15, 2009 at 1:38 amNice choice, it’s about time that Ford really have invested a lot on making a greener and earth friendly car. They’re trying to keep up with the Japanese auto makers. I think your whole family could fit in there with ease, safety features are really high as well. And the fuel consumption are really good.
Zero says
July 20, 2009 at 2:01 amFord Escape Hybrid is my family’s ideal car. My son is so crazy with this SUV. The seats look so comfortable and the interiors are very nice. It’s good to know that Ford is now making hybrids.
cars for sale says
January 8, 2010 at 7:14 amI agree the ford is a family ideal car. But hybrid cars have alot of credit for being beneficial towards the environment when they are considered worse than a disel car when taking into account the fossil fuels used to power electricity. I hope they produce a car that is an all round winner.