Here is a list of the most common questions we have received on the 2008 Escape and Escape Hybrid:
Q. What parts of the interior are rust in the XLT charcoal / rust interior?
A. On XLT Charcoal Black interior, there is a rust accent on the dash, and the seat bolster is black with a rust insert, which creates a strong contrast. Leather seats also have rust accent stitching.
Q. Is the manual transmission available in 4WD?
A. We have removed the option of manual transmission with 4WD because it had an extremely low take rate when offered in prior years
Q. What is the eco-friendly fabric?
A. The 2008 Ford Escape is the first U.S. automotive application of 100% postindustrial fabric seating surfaces. The new fabric significantly exceeds Ford’s internal target of introducing seating fabrics with 25% recycled content into production by 2009. The fabric is produced from 100% post-industrial materials –defined as anything intended for retail use but never makes it to the consumer. This can be anything from plastic intended for pop bottles to un-dyed polyester fibers that don’t make the cut for consumer use. This plastic and polyester is processed, spun into yarn, dyed and woven into seat fabric. Recycling waste otherwise intended for landfills has obvious environmental benefits. Ford’s use of post-industrial recycled materials, rather than virgin fibers, could also:
* Conserve an estimated 600,000 gallons of water
* Conserve an estimated 1.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents
* Conserve the equivalent of more than 7 million kilowatt hours of electricity
Q. Why were the passenger assist handles removed from the 2008 Escape?
A. For 2008, we made all available safety features standard on Escape and Escape Hybrid, including the Safety Canopy with side-curtain airbags. The addition of the Safety Canopy required us to remove the passenger assist handles.
Q. Should I be worried about the cost of replacing the Hybrid battery?
A. Our Hybrid batteries are covered by an 8 yr / 100,000 mile warranty in all states, and a 10-year / 150,000 mile warranty in California, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont.
Q. How does the Hybrid operate in cold weather?
A. Escape Hybrid is tested to the same cold weather standards as our gas powered Escape. The only difference a customer may notice about driving the Hybrid in extremely cold weather is that it takes a few minutes for the batteries to warm up. So for the first few miles the vehicle may not run on electric alone, until the battery is warmed up.
Q. Why are blue and white Hybrids not available with a moonroof?
A. We are looking at ways to make this option available in all colors in the future. We have a large number of buildable combinations between Escape and Escape Hybrid, which is the reason for this restriction. Note that Oxford White and Vista Blue are the least popular colors on Escape Hybrid.
Q. Is redundant audio available on Hybrid?
A. No, steering wheel controls are currently not available on Escape Hybrid.
Q. Why is RSC not available on Hybrid?
A. This is our first year of offering AdvanceTrac with RSC on Escape. It required extensive engineering work involving the braking system and traction control. Because of regenerative braking, Escape Hybrid has a different braking system, therefore it would require even more engineering to build in AdvanceTrac. We hope to add RSC to Escape Hybrid in the future. Please keep in mind that we recognize what a valuable safety feature RSC is, which is why we've included it standard on the 2008 gas Escape.
Q. Why is the full size spare not available on Hybrid?
A. The primary reason for this is due to weight, as a full size spare tire weighs more than a mini spare. Escape Hybrid is able to get such great fuel economy (up to 34 mpg!) thanks to a variety of reasons, one of which is by keeping the weight of the vehicle down.
Q. Is Escape / Escape Hybrid capable of being Neutral Towed?
A. Yes, Escape XLS Manual and Escape Hybrid are capable of being neutral towed, which is also known as four-wheel-down towing. Neutral towing refers to towing a vehicle with all four of its wheels on the ground – for example, when towing a vehicle behind a motorhome.