Ford Escape Hybrid
So far as new cars go, I’m fairly confident in my belief that hybrid technology is the future. That being said, I was absolutely delighted when my brother took the initiative to check out used hybrid cars.
After weeks of shopping around for the best used model, he finally came cross the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. At this point in time (a year or so ago) I was living with my brother due to my being laid off, so I can say quite confidently that I’ve spent more than a few dozen hours driving the 2008 Escape Hybrid. To start off, he picked it up for a reasonably low price. I believe the amount was in and around 19,000 dollars; much less than he might have had to drop had he bought himself a newer model.
The price, although fairly impressive in itself, proved to only be the tip of the iceberg so far as the 2008 Ford Escape’s many desirable features went. For one, the 2008 Escape is a fairly bulky car. Call me crazy, but there’s nothing I love more than a hybrid car that doesn’t particularly look like one. It has a sort of SUV aesthetic about it, which I found highly appealing.
The 2008 Escape’s more substantial size, however, didn’t’ seem to detract from it’s impressive gas mileage. A few months after my brother picked his up, we took a road trip across most of America to meet up with family, and we calculated the average mileage to be 8 litres for every 100 kilometers; a number which I found quite remarkable.
Aside from a stronger appearance paired with great fuel efficiency, the 2008 Ford Escape is oodles of fun to drive. I mean, it makes a 16 day road trip about as fun as it can possibly be. We found that the car, being a hybrid, was extremely silent, allowing me to sleep while inside without be roused by engine noises. The power steering worked astoundingly well, also, making it easy for even the most sleep-deprived siblings to stay on the road. The power switching was almost unnoticeable, and charging up the battery was also a breeze.
Although I’m glad to say that I’ve long since moved into my own place and gotten my own vehicle, I do miss my brief experience with the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. It was efficient, attractive, and inexpensive. I’d definitely recommend one to anyone looking to pick up an older used hybrid.
Tags: 2008 ford escape, ford, Ford Escape Hybrid, fuel efficiency, gas, gas mileage, Hybrid, hybrid car, Hybrid Cars, hybrid technology, Used Hybrid CarsRelated posts
Can We Afford A Hybrid Vehicle?
Hybrid cars and trucks are starting to roll off the assembly line at an unbelievable rate now that the big three automakers of America are realizing their mistakes of the past thirty plus years. They should have been working on alternative fuel efficient vehicles before they came close to bankruptcy in the latter part of 2008. A lot of people are looking into used hybrid cars as a way to purchase one less inexpensively.
What else would one expect though from an industry that has made millions and experienced the popularity of the SUVs and the pickup trucks. Why design eco friendly cars that runs on a different power source when the ones that they are building are selling like hotcakes?
It’s now time for the big three to start rolling out the hybrid vehicles. These vehicles are going to increase the fuel efficiency of the same models by about 40%. I’m sure they can do a lot better than that, but its a start. Which is something that’s been overdue for many years.
General Motors and Ford have been saying that they have the hybrid vehicles available in the same popular models that everyone has been buying for the last few years.
The question is though, Is this a little too late? The economy has taken a beaten in the last year and who really knows how long we’ll be in this situation. Hybrid vehicles cost more than the conventional models, but compared to how much you’ll save over the years on gas, it well worth it. Unfortunately people may not have the means to buy a new vehicle for some time and who knows if the American automakers can make it until the economy turns around.
Another question to ask is if no one is buying the hybrid vehicles over the next two years, are they going to think that no one wants them or are they going to think that it’s the condition of the economy. Will they stop making them because of the lack of sales?
We’ll just have to wait and see, but if you are going to buy a used vehicle, you might want to look at these used hybrid models.
Tags: american automakers, ford, fuel efficiency, fuel efficient vehicle, fuel efficient vehicles, gas, general motors, hybrid car, hybrid models, hybrid vehicle, hybrid vehicles, pickup trucks, power source, SUVs, Used Hybrid CarsRelated posts
The Future Of Used Hybrid Cars
Since the beginning that hybrid cars hit the market, it’s been said that their future is etched in stone. In 2000 the first Hybrid rolled off the assembly line and since then the sales of these vehicles have been selling like crazy. Even today they still sell quite well and the used hybrid cars that are for sale have been doing the same thing. The resale value have held up just as the conventional cars if not better, but what’s to come of these vehicles in the future?
For decades the United States wanted a more fuel efficient. The price a gas as gone up to unbelievable levels in 2008 and I’m sure even with the price coming back down, it won’t stay there for long. You would think that with the fuel economy issues at hand, the future of the new and used hybrid cars would be safe. We will have to see.
It’s being speculated that eco friendly cars will outpace sales of other cars, including pick-ups, SUV’s, luxury models because of the fuel efficiency. Many of bosses of the automakers are making dreams of accomplishing this within five years. Opponents believe that it’s impossible to see that far ahead with the uncertainty of the price of oil. We also don’t even know if the big three in Detroit will be around in five years.
With all the uncertainty and without stable numbers, it’s difficult to successfully predict ho many hybrids will be sold in the future. The American people do like their SUV’s, and luxury cars that it may be hard for them to give them up so easily.
It’s also hard to predict the economy in the future. Hybrid cars are expensive and if the economy takes a bigger downturn than it has already, people may not be able to get the good paying jobs to afford a hybrid.
Then, yes, if the economy goes down, car bosses will definitely have put their foot in their mouths when it comes to hybrid cars.
What are your plans that may affect the future of hybrid cars? Are you going to buy new of used hybrid cars?
Tags: fuel efficiency, hybrid car, hybrids, resale value, Used Hybrid Cars