2005 Ford Escape Hybrid
Climbing to #1 on our list is the first hybrid SUV on the market, the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid. Your only choice here is either front-wheel-drive or full-time four-wheel-drive. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is standard. As a front-wheel-drive model, the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid polishes off a gallon of gas every 36 miles in the city and every 31 miles on the highway. Add on the weight of the four-wheel-drive system and those ratings fall to 33 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway. Sticker price for the two-wheel-drive model starts at about $27,000, and registers 65.5 cubic feet of cargo room, just 0.8 cubic feet less than the regular Escape.