He-men can avoid ‘cute’ with Ford Escape Hybrid

15/11/2008 05:26. The 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid answers the question that has plagued suburban fathers for years – what’s a manly but thrifty alternative to the minivan?

Last year Ford restyled the Escape, a small crossover vehicle, to more closely resemble its beefy large trucks than a “cute ute” like the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V.

Yet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates the front-wheel-drive hybrid version of the Escape will average 32 miles per gallon – a whopping 14 miles per gallon better than a 2009 Dodge Caravan.

Even the all-wheel-drive version of the Escape Hybrid gets 10 miles per gallon more than a Caravan. In fact, it is even more economical than the gasoline-powered front-wheel-drive version, which the EPA rates at 23 miles per gallon.

Of course, like all hybrid... // TheTimes