2024 Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid Consumer Reviews
Pricing
Plug-In Hybrid (Most Popular) - $41,995 MSRP
Edmunds suggests you pay
$32,3983 for sale near you
Prices based on sales in AZ thru 8/4/25
Final assembly in USA
Surprisingly efficient and functional
Steph, 12/05/2024
2024 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid EVT)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
We bought our Escape PHEV in June 24 and by November we already had nearly 20,000 km of trouble free driving. In the summer, we got up to 65 km of electric driving on one charge. At -2C, that range drops to 35 km - a bit disappointing but apparently other PHEV have similar drop. About 75% of our driving is on rural highways. Fuel consumption is in the 5 to 6 liter/100 km at 90-110 km an hour. On higher speed highways, we typically get more like 7 liter/100 km at 120 km/hour. That is about 30 to 40% less than our previous similarly-sized SUV. We like the comfy ride, the easy to use display, the various automated driving assistance systems (once you understand them, you appreciate them), the smooth regen braking, the imperceptible transmission, and how quiet the vehicle is under most conditions. Also like the functionalities of the Ford App. Our favorite - you can set a departure time and pre-heat the car. There are a few things that we dislike - the slow charging speed at 240V and the fact that pre-heating the car works well when plugged on a 240V circuit but is barely noticeable on 120V. It is also hard to understand why rear seats are not heated. Overall, with the Federal Gov rebate for PHEV, a Ford discount and a dealer discount, we think we got exceptional value for our money.
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Not quite there yet!
CSmith, 03/25/2024
2024 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid EVT)
11 of 13 people found this review helpful
Overall I like the vehicle but it does has some issues that they need to work on. Automatic speed sign recognition is terrible as it reads every speed limit sign including ones not meant for you like it sees a 70mph and speeds you up to that then 20’ feet later it sees the truck limit then immediately slows you down to that when that is not the limit for cars and suvs. The side mirrors reflect the door handles and you constantly think there is something on the mirrors. Quality issues abound with Ford still like rear bumper was missing screws. Interior has a lot of cheap materials.
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2024 Ford Escape for sale near you
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One of the most balanced vehicles on the market
MA-gamb2025, 07/13/2025
2024 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid EVT)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
It’s been about a year since I purchased a new, fully loaded Ford Escape PHEV. I’m very pleased with the vehicle so far. I think Ford has done a phenomenal job designing the Escape PHEV, and I’m astounded it gets so little mention. This is hands-down one of the most efficient and well-balanced vehicles available today. The car has an 11.1-gallon tank and a 14.4 kWh battery that allows approximately 37 miles of electric only driving. While that may not seem like much, if you are a typical commuter/suburbanite, you can easily achieve 90% of your daily driving using only battery power. Furthermore, Ford has achieved something that few PHEVs manage. It is the only PHEV that has better ICE mileage than its hybrid version. With 40 mpg overall, this means that an Escape should travel about (11.1 x 40 ) + 37 electric miles, for a grand total of 481 miles on a full tank and charge. In my experience, this is absolutely accurate and about what I achieve, even with road trips that involve freeway driving (in which hybrid drivetrains typically provide less benefit). Only a handful of vehicles with an ICE engine that are available in the US have better gas mileage than the Escape PHEV. Consider its competition in the admittedly odd PHEV market. The Toyota Rav4 PHEV without a doubt provides vastly superior straight-line performance, but expect to pay a premium: the out-the-door price of Rav4 PHEV and comparably equipped Escape PHEV will be about $10,000 USD higher. Because of the wide availability of both factory and dealer discounts, the Escape PHEV will generally also be cheaper than the Hyundai Tucson (its most direct competition), even in spite of the fact the Escape is no longer eligible for federal subsidies. Meanwhile, its interior space is comparable or better than its competitors, and its cargo space is best in class. The car transitions very smoothly back and forth between the ICE and electric motor. Its eCVT is very similar to the transmission used by Toyota. Handling is fairly good, not quite as nimble but also nowhere as firm as my previous Ford Focus. With respect to on-the-fly battery management, the car can be set in auto mode, “EV now” (focus on gas savings), or “EV later” (focus on saving battery). In my experience, auto mode is extremely efficient already, with a strong bias towards using the battery. I almost never use “EV now” mode. Along an entirely different settings scale, the car also has eco mode (which I rarely use as normal mode is plenty efficient), slippery mode (for poor weather conditions), and a sport mode. The sport mode substantially alters the feel of the car. The programmatic gearing of the CVT becomes far more aggressive; the car will actually feel like a 200 hp vehicle. I opted for the premium package. I’m not bothered by the fact that the heads-up display is a pop-up rather than projection system, though admittedly this is one feature that I don’t rely on much. I absolutely love the 360-overhead view. This is modern tech that feels like voodoo magic compared to the 12-year-old car I replaced. I also think the premium B&O sound system sounds fantastic. While I would generally agree that the interior has some cheap elements, it’s a very comfortable and functional cabin. Ford’s heated seats and heated steering wheel (both standard for the PHEV) work extremely well. They heat up very quickly and strongly. I often find the lowest heat setting to be adequate. The large 13.2 touchscreen is also standard. While I would prefer physical buttons (particularly for climate controls), the touchscreen in the Escape is well done. It’s very responsive and the various animations are smooth and surprisingly good looking. I haven’t had the car long enough to comment on long-term reliability. I have had a few minor glitches with the windows. As noted, I wish there were more physical buttons. And I wish it were a wagon instead of an SUV/CUV. Why would you not get a Ford Escape PHEV? For one, if you absolutely need AWD. I personally believe that AWD is a bit oversold in the US. I have lived a good portion of my life in very snowy parts of the country and never had an AWD vehicle (until recently). But the Escape’s battery, like all EVs, also suffers when temperatures dip. Expect EV range to drop anywhere from 20% to 40% as the temperature plunge—it’s difficult to say as the battery mileage estimator in the Escape is notoriously conservative. This is an issue, obviously, that all PHEVs and EVs must contend with. Given the lack of AWD and cold-weather battery issues, I can understand if you opt for something else if you live, ie, in Canada. If you are positive you need a third row, then you may have to move up a half-segment to look at the Outlander PHEV or Sorento PHEV. If the Escape PHEV is simply not efficient for you, then you can look at the Kia Niro PHEV. Again because of availability and effective pricing, I suspect the purchase price of the Niro will at best be about the same as the Escape even though it is a half-segment below the Escape. I’d highly recommend a level 2 charger if you can manage and afford it. Owning and driving a PHEV is an interesting experience. There are many ways and choices for how you manage your energy while you drive. The only wrong way to drive a PHEV is to not charge it at all. A level 2 charger will make life more convenient and easier to maximize the utility of the car. Overall, this car is a fabulous package that balances utility, efficiency, price, and performance. I would highly recommend it, especially as rumors abound each year that Ford will cancel it. When shopping for the car, make sure you check prices at all the dealers in a wide range around you. You are almost certain to find very good deals that will at a minimum help negotiate down your final price. On another note while the Escape PHEV user score is somewhat middling (3.5) here on Edmunds, note that this is in part due to the confusing way Edmunds has reviewers categorize their ratings. There are quite a few favorable PHEV ratings lumped in with the non-PHEV trim ratings.
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Don't buy this vehicle
Bill F, 07/23/2024
2024 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid EVT)
7 of 17 people found this review helpful
Seats are uncomfortable, sound system is bad, very cheap interior, infotainment system is terrible. I wish I never bought this truck. As 2024 Escape PHEV it is good on gas.
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Trickle charging the Ford Escape PHEV
Jason Paul, 02/20/2025
2024 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid EVT)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Great car after finding the trickle charge YouTube video. Turns out that the little 12 V battery drains in power when you only take short trips. So it needs to be trickle charged occasionally. Nice leather, great sun roof, heated seats and steering wheel are all we need typically, vocal commands and many options we like for across state travel (500 miles range) or local trips. Recommend this car.