Escape Hybrid vs Hyundai Sante Fe

Looking to see if anyone here can provide objective opinions/ideas on why I should get the '08 Escape Hybrid 4WD vs the '08 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited AWD? Just so you know, I've read the annual auto issue of Consumer Reports and realize the Santa Fe is their top 'mid-size SUV' pick, and the Escape is towards the bottom of the list (however, they didn't rate specifically the Hybrid trim).

I already know this obvious pro for the Ford...

34 MPG (Ford) vs 17-18.5 MPG (Hyundai)

Thanks for any and all advice you can provide!!!

Reply to
Michael Reinders
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Yes. You can. Go to a Hyundai dealer and a Ford dealer and test drive both vehicles.

The Escape is made in the US. Where's the Hyundai made?

jeff

Reply to
Jeff

You say AWD for the Hynudai, and 4WD for the Ford. Do you have a reason for that? The Ford is AWD, mostly to the front, with more to the rear as needed. No controls available to the driver.

I have a 2005 Escape Hybrid. I'm quite happy with it, at about 60,000 miles. It sees some occasional use towing a horse trailer, usually just wandering around the hills and valleys in the area.

Belch. I stopped reading Consumer Reports about the same time they said there was no reason to get a sunroof in an RX-7. Their priorities all fit into the little can that they have designed.

I saw 38mpg for a week of heavy commute driving, once.

It seems, from the hybrid forum on yahoo, that AWD is a fairly big limitation if you are trying to squeeze MPG out. The FWD can be coerced over 40MPG fairly regularaly, but I don't think anyone averages over 30 with the AWD. We get 30+ onthe highway with four people and luggage at

70mph, 26-28 around here. The lowest I've seen was 18, towing a two horse trailer.

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The Escape Hybrid transmission and batteries are from Japan. Both the Escape and Escape Hybrid are listed as 65% US/Canada. They might be considered as one car line, meaning the Hybrid could be lower percentage NA content.

Reply to
dold

Our friend Jeff's advice, to test drive both, is a good advice. First one must determine which vehicle best suits their needs. After doing so one should get a TOTAL drive home price for each, and chose the one that best suits ones budget.

If one is the average new car buyer, I believe one will discover the premium one pays to purchase ANY hybrid will buy ALL OF THE FUEL, for a conventionally powered vehicle, for the average time that the average new vehicle buyer keeps their vehicle before buying another new vehicle, which is three to four years with 30K to 45K on the clock .

Personally I prefer to buy American, but for most buyers the primary decision, to sign on the bottom line, is most often the price ;)

Reply to
Mike hunt

One can not rely on the NA parts content label! Even Camry's made in Japan, without a single NA part, exhibits a NA content label indicating a high percentage of NA parts.

Even if the label is accurate for NA parts those parts can be an merely an assembly of import parts or materials, as is the case with the Camry according to the US Department of Commerce LOL

Reply to
Mike hunt

The North American (NA) Parts content is the average for all vehicles for a particular model. One can simply look at the VIN. If the first digit is not a 1, 2, 4 or 5, the vehicle was not assembled in North America (3 is Mexico, but not considered NA for parts content). If the first digit is a J, it was built in Japan.

Of course. But in that case the NA parts content will be 0%.

If I am incorrect, please show the exact URL of the Department of Commerce website that says otherwise.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

should get the '08 Escape Hybrid 4WD vs the '08

realize the Santa Fe is their top 'mid-size SUV' pick,

specifically the Hybrid trim).

Korea I think.

Reply to
Shawn

Dold,

I have a 2008 Hybrid and just put a hitch on it. I was only planing on towing a small fishing boat or possibly Jetskis. You tow horses?

Did you add a tranny cooler?

snipped-for-privacy@73.usenet.us.com wrote:

Reply to
Just Me (remove

Mike hunt wrote: It was a response to "The Escape is made in the US." The Escape Hybrid was excluded from the measurements that put the standard Escape on the list of the 10 highest US content cars as ranked by cars.com a couple of years ago. The broad blending used for the NHTSA label brings it down to 65%, presumably by the inclusion of the Escape Hybrid. Since we know that the batteries and transmission are Japan sourced, it seems that isn't a good argument by the poster who asked where the Hyundai was made, since the Escape isn't exactly mom and apple pie.

Reply to
dold

It doesn't have a conventional transmission. It's much more like a manual in terms of slipping parts verses gears. There is no mechanical slippage.

No, I didn't add a cooler.

Reply to
dold

Pfft.

Reply to
dold

The SantaFe is made in Montgomery, AL. Most suppliers are also located in southern AL in nearby towns. More American made than most American cars...

Reply to
newsoma1

You're correct. They started making them about 2 years ago.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Can't be too objective, but I love my Escape Hybrid. I get 30 mpg average. Highway seems to get better than expected and town is more difficult to get 34mpg like it says. But it's all better than my PT cruiser that gets 20mpg or less around town.

I don't have 4WD.

I drove a Santa Fe rental a while back and it was nice too, but the gas mileage is most important now. The Escape drives great and I love all the accessories. I got a loaded one.

My $3000 tax credit was great too. I am going on vacation with that check from the government.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

Reply to
Just Me (remove

Price? Calculate how long it will take to recover the extra expense of the hybrid.

"Just Me (remove to reply)" wrote in message news:u7vPj.3416$nb4.590@trnddc08...

Reply to
Fred

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