2005 Ford Escape Hybrid Review

Ford Escape Hybrid -- 2005 Review: Sometimes, people do the right thing for the wrong reason.

2005 Ford Escape Hybrid Review
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Introduction
Ford Escape Hybrid -- 2005 Review: Sometimes, people do the right thing for the wrong reason. Case in point: fuel economy. We know that fossil fuels aren't forever. We know that buying a vehicle that sips gas instead of slurping it would make the world's supply of ex-dinosaurs last longer. But, we are also a culture that likes our trucks, loves our sport utes - breeds perennially on the EPA's Ten Least Wanted list. Hybrid power first appeared in small cars, but advancements in technology have now made it practical to offer in larger packages, like the popular, compact SUV Ford Escape. With oil prices crashing through the $50/barrel barrier, vehicles like the Escape Hybrid offer hope. Can we really keep our SUV's without losing our shirts at the pump?
Full hybrid
The key to making fuel economy or alternative fuels popular is to make them transparent to the driver. The more different the vehicle looks or feels from conventional, gas powered cars and trucks, the less likely we are to buy them, which is why the Escape Hybrid offers a full hybrid system. The 2.3 liter, 133 hp, four cylinder motor is teamed with a 94 hp electric motor, and a Continuously Variable Transmission. The "full" in full hybrid means that either power source is capable of powering the vehicle by itself. In addition, they both can work in tandem in high demand situations, like passing, or other foot-to-the-floor situations. One attribute of hybrid systems that can be a little unnerving is the stop/start function. In order to save fuel, the gas engine automatically shuts off when it isn't needed, and switches back on when it is. In theory, this makes sense. In practice, this takes some getting used to. After years of driving cars, we are conditioned to react with alarm when they shut off without our asking them to. Scientists refer to this phenomena as the Blue Sky Syndrome: when the motor cuts out and we didn't throw the switch, we get tense, and turn the sky that color.
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Hybrid Car Tax Credit

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 replaced the clean-fuel burning deduction with a tax credit. A tax credit is subtracted directly from the total amount of federal tax owed, thus reducing or even eliminating the taxpayer’s tax obligation. The tax credit for hybrid vehicles applies to vehicles purchased or placed in service on or after January 1, 2006. The credit is only available to the original purchaser of a new, qualifying vehicle. If a qualifying vehicle is leased to a consumer, the leasing company may claim the credit.

Hybrid vehicles have drive trains powered by both an internal combustion engine and a rechargeable battery. Many currently available hybrid vehicles may qualify for the tax credit. This reflects a decrease in the credit amount as of Oct. 1, 2006, due to the manufacturers meeting quarterly sales of 60,000 qualified hybrid cars — See Quarterly Sales, below. This credit amount does not phase out. The full amount of the altenative fuel vehicle credit would be available for vehicles purchased on or before December 31, 2010.

Quarterly Sales

Consumers seeking the credit may want to buy early since the full credit is only available for a limited time. Taxpayers may claim the full amount of the allowable credit up to the end of the first calendar quarter after the quarter in which the manufacturer records its sale of the 60,000th hybrid passenger automobile or light truck or advance lean burn technology motor vehicle. For the second and third calendar quarters after the quarter in which the 60,000th vehicle is sold, taxpayers may claim 50 percent of the credit. For the fourth and fifth calendar quarters, taxpayers may claim 25 percent of the credit. No credit is allowed after the fifth quarter.



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