Huge Electric Range! But What About The Fuel Consumption? Ford Escape PHEV 70-MPH Highway MPG Test

If you haven't seen the previous video, Jordan tested this 2021 Ford Escape PHEV Titanium in our city PHEV (EV Only) range test and did almost 40 miles on one charge! Now it's time to see what this electron sipper will do when the speeds increase and the high voltage battery is depleted. It's time for our typical 70-mph highway loop style efficiency test of the combustion system of this Escape!
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[@kennethrowe8129]

For what it's worth. Just completed a 770 mile round trip from Bay area to LA on Hwy 5 with my 2020 standard hybrid Escape. Avg 36.4 mpg. This was not a controlled test. Just driving with the flow (70+). 63 miles electric. Mpg calc at the pump.

[@rabidsquirrel22ben]

The standard hybrid seems like a no-brainer if you're getting an Escape. It doesn't cost much more than the regular gas model, you can still get awd if you'd like, and the fuel economy improvement is pretty big.

[@roboticvenom1935]

@@rabidsquirrel22ben the hyundai hybrid is a much better competition, and doesn't look as ugly, the escape isn't a v good product

[@user-iu8zj6md9t]

@@rabidsquirrel22ben no, because the hybrid doesn't come with tax rebate, but PHEV does

[@NightRidah777]

I feel like there is a new video everyday. Y'all are putting in the work. Much appreciated!

[@lakefiftyseven]

I wouldn't discount the plug in range of 37 miles. That might be most of the vehicles miles. Lots of savings on gas.

[@TheV8nissan]

I'm loving my escape phev. Best of both worlds. My driving to and form work 30 miles each way is almost all electric with charging at work and we still have freedom and good mileage for a couple hundred mile commute every few weeks. Saves a ton of money. These are the way to go. Full electrics just don't have the required range and definitely not in cold weather. And factor in the ticking time bomb of a large battery replacement. This smaller battery would be much more affordable in the future.

[@roboticvenom1935]

the escape gets beat by hyundai's hybrid offerings, more attractive, better interior vehicles with superior warranties, no question.

[@loriallen67]

Thanks for covering their PHEV.

[@freddiecarr7602]

Super review. The real world no BS reporting is great.

[@awmustang]

I saw that you chose 85 Octane, but I believe Ford says 87 octane is the minimum allowed. Could this have affected the results?

[@user-iu8zj6md9t]

yes, and lower octane with a greater mixture of ethanol is particularly worse in cold environment, and they said it was 41 and getting colder and windy too

[@updlate4756]

This vehicle is eligible for a $6843 federal tax credit. Some states also offer credits on top of that and give access to carpool lanes. Ford does offer incentives from time to time on this vehicle. Checked a few months ago and it was $1000... but of course the chip shortage seems to have ruined the fun. I imagine during normal times, there would be larger incentives on this vehicle. And of course I imagine a lot of people interested in this vehicle qualify for the A or X plans. Never realized Colorado used 85 Octane gas; guess it's possible due to the elevation. Your fuel economy hit close to EPA which is solid at the low to mid 30Fs. Although, higher elevation is a benefit to fuel economy both through lower air resistance and less energy to pump the fuel. (not 100% on the pump thing, since this vehicle has a pressurized system) Front wheel drive is fine for most people; I've never had a problem with FWD in the snow. Climbing a mountain in the snow, or off roading may be a bit more of an issue... Solid vehicle, but price is a few thousand too high. I'd wait for incentives. Although, I might say the same thing about literally every car right now...

[@ruthwik081]

For me after Ford rebates I got it for 37,500 without tax, and every feature they offer minus sunroof.

[@andyd5492]

The last review I watched, the tester used 87 octane? Why do you switch octanes?

[@TalismanPHX]

Nice job Jordan.

[@DB-cc5vg]

I have been researching HEV and PHEV vehicles for a while now with an eye to purchasing one. Initially I leaned towards an HEV since I don't have 240V available for Level 2 charging at home (and no garage). It seemed that a number of PHEV's could only charge the battery using a Level 1 or 2 charger, which I thought odd as it seemed only logical that the ICE should be able to recharge while driving. This would entail a penalty in fuel consumption obviously but finding information on this from any number of reviewers was difficult to come by. Most reviewers mention Auto EV or Eco modes, Slippery, Deep Snow/Sand and Sport Modes but never charging while driving. I watched your city loop video and was gratified to see that you got the specified electric range or a bit better. The ideal niche for these hybrids is city driving, stop & go, commuting or shopping trips and appointments. You ran the battery down to 0% and then another fellow took the vehicle on the highway loop the next day after a full recharge. He mentioned that you had driven around a bit trying to recharge the battery (presumably in EV Charge Mode), but without elaborating on it too much other than to say that the battery never got much over 78-79% charged. I don't recall the exact numbers but I was also impressed that it could cruise at 70 mph on just the electric charge. Even in this video, with battery again depleted, some electric miles were recorded on the highway loop. You mentioned at the service station that the wind had picked up so perhaps that would account on the somewhat poorer than expected mileage for this loop. What I think is missing though is a more thorough look at the 4 EV Modes available on this vehicle: - Auto EV, EV Now, EV Save for Later and EV Charge. Four loops (all on the same day with the same weather/wind), done using each mode with a EV Now route from house to service station to fill up with a fill up after the highway loop might yield some interesting numbers on the best mode to use for each portion of the trip. Even the manual doesn't specify how many miles or the time it might take to EV Charge to 78% or the impact this will have on mileage/efficiency. The other thing that no reviewer has mentioned is Low Engine Use Mode. The manual does not elaborate on this either except to say that the engine will be run periodically to maintain adequate lubrication, presumably no matter what other EV Mode is currently selected.

[@jollygreen4662]

A 50 mile ev range would be nice

[@gilbrook]

Considering regular AWD hybrid version for city (suburban) driving in New England. Mileage test some time? Good video! ThankU.

[@lennartschoonaert3830]

What was the battery charge after doing the loop test? Some cars charge it again to some level while driving at a constant speed.

[@BarryObaminable]

escape will charge back up to 78%. unknown if they did this. if they put it in normal hybrid mode, then on this test, mpg would be lower because it charges the pack. If they hot the EV later button, it would not use EV and not charge it

[@officialyasir]

Is the road noise as bad as it sounds in the video or is it just because you guys weren’t using an external mic?

[@michaelnagle9231]

I have a 2020 Escape titanium regular hybrid. My average MPG, city and highway is 48.3 I am in Green Valley, Arizona

[@centauri0]

85 Unleaded? Never seen such a thing, no wonder why it was so low.

[@rafaelcruz2109]

Good video, as always! 🤔Question......Did math is been made using the total miles (57) or the gas miles only (53)? Saw that from the total 57 miles, 4 were electric, so with that in mind, the math should be done using the miles traveled using petrol (53). If so, consumption is different 31.7mpg instead of the 34.1mpg using the 57 miles of total trip. Am I right??? Wrong??? Let me know. Thanks!!

[@cliffordbaker8534]

I would say not. They ran the test at 0% battery so "electric" miles is the range generated by the engine and regen not actually charge range. In a reglar non plug in hybrid you wouldn't really count this range as electric since again it wasn't actually generated by plugging the car in but the transfer of energy from engine to kinetic to battery on slowdown and such.

[@rafaelcruz2109]

@@cliffordbaker8534 Understood Clifford, but remember something, those 4 miles were with ice shut down, only using battery and electric motor. So my understanding is that any miles driven by elecricity, no matter if was regenerated or charged in advance should not count. Any energy recuperated braking or using regen is actually energy that should be counted plus the X miles any plug in vehicle have on electric. For example; RAV 4 Prime, has 42 electric miles. But in a "suppose" trip of 500 miles you used 65 electric miles and 435 with petrol. You should check how much Kwh went to the battery for those 23 miles after used the 42 of the 18kwh battery of the RAV4. Then check how much petrol was used for those 435 miles and calculate the mpg. Same for an EV car, you should add those recuperated kwh and miles and then make calculations. Not calculate 340 miles for a 75kwh battery if you recuperated 15-20 miles on 7-8 kwh by regenerating.

[@cliffordbaker8534]

What determines the electric miles though is the car. How do you keep this test even somewhat consistent across the board if the car doesn't tell you this information. Chevy volt, one of the first phev, doesn't tell you any of the"electric" range after the battery depletes. It calculates everything after the 10.8kwh (1st gen) as miles driven on gas. Using the electric miles from a computer is the same as trusting a car's mpg on the screen. There is a good reason channels like this have developed their tests and rely on fill up techniques and such for their numbers more than what the screen says. In the end a consistent test method is all that really matters right? Comparing gas to gas, hybrid to hybrid, phev to phev, and EV to EV.

[@nissetuta]

But he meassured the fuel to 34.15. So how do you mean?

[@amosjsoma]

I'm pretty sure your owners manual says to use 87 octane fuel. Why did you choose 85 octane? I know, I used to live in New Mexico and there, Colorado, Utah and maybe elsewhere they sell 85 and 86 as regular but I've been told by more than one service manager not to use it, stick with 87.

[@fredbombelyn7276]

Yep, completely screwed the test up by using 85 octane, this vehicle is designed for 87.

[@matthewcombs5065]

Not surprised it's lower than EPA estimates. I also have a 2014 Escape 2.0 turbo. The 2.0 turbo is anything but Eco. In town and even a mix of in town and country driving, the highest I've ever gotten was 20 MPG. My wife has a 1.6 turbo and that's much more efficient but still not quite as efficient as EPA states. You definitely don't want the 19". The ride is rough. I have them and yea, I'd go with the 18". Plus the tire size is odd with the 19s.

[@user-iu8zj6md9t]

they said during the video it was 41 degrees and windy and getting colder and windier, so I'm not sure the test was "fair" and "accurate", unless you literally do all your driving in the dead of a Chicago winter

[@cageyryder9832]

So now we know the mpg rate but since we weren't told what the fuel tank capacity was, we don't know what the range is.

[@2moe]

Are you going 70 on the highway while holding a camera in your hand and putting one hand only on the wheel?

[@icanmanifest]

My C-Max standard hybrid gets 38.5 on highway driving at average of 75mph. 43 average in mixed driving after 227,000 miles.

[@Takermania70]

Man, I wish mine was getting 38. I do mostly highway driving and I get between 32 and 34 and I only go 70

[@icanmanifest]

@@Takermania70 keep your tire pressure at 43 on all four and you might want to check your alignment

[@samantharicherson9780]

How does the air conditioner work... like when the car stops at a stop sign does the car turn off if so does the air conditioner keep cooling cold air ... I've noticed new cars the engine cuts off upon stopping

[@TheV8nissan]

The AC uses an electric ac compressor and it also has an electric coolant heater. I drive mine as a full ev 60 miles highway per day using 120v charge at work. The old hybrids did what you're speaking of though. I always drive in EV now and the engine only comes on once the battery is drained but it will still get a few electric miles here and there from regen braking even in hybrid mode.

[@ronforman6607]

Newsflash! Hybrid,s electric motor works mostly in city slow speed driving the ice engine is mostly highway! Why are internet testers so stupid? He incorrect on most everything he says!

[@johnkeen2345]

This 2.5 litre engine is running on the Atkinson cycle that's why the power is down a bit.

[@robertfinck1275]

I always though hybrid was useless for long drives. It was designed to shut off the gas engine and use electric when the car goes below 60kmph. So it would save you money on city driving with lots of traffic I guess.

[@FMC1239]

Is this car as insanely loud inside as it seems from the video? That would be a dealbreaker for me.

[@user-iu8zj6md9t]

no, it's one of the quietest vehicles I've ever ridden in, at least my 2023 is

[@garyclark6747]

I purchased a very nice road trip vehicle years ago that was used for dozens of road trips over the years but really 95% of the use of that vehicle was in town so I guess it really depends on your lifestyle. 🤷🏻

[@darcybeckham9213]

the fully electric system is completely separate/ different then the gas/electric or Hybrid aspect of this vehicle many of these experts confuse this/ think 2 different propulsion systems

[@TheEVGuy85]

The PHEV versions of cars usually get worse mileage on the highway than their standard hybrid versions due to heavier batteries and added drive stuff. They’re not really meant to be driven like a regular hybrid. Awesome video!

[@jorgeherrera1075]

Please do a mpg on a rdx 2020 awd drive.

[@Blamvideo]

Hi Jorge, we have a 2019 RDX with AWD and the 10 speed automatic. We love the color and the ride, but the drivetrain is clunky (turbo lag, slow to downshift, the start/stop isn't quick to respond) and we're only getting about 11L/100Km and it prefers premium. Other comments about the Acura. There is a fair amount of wind noise, and the media centre control with the "touchpad" is an accident waiting to happen. You have to get the Platinum Elite at almost $60K CAD) to get cooled seats and the 360 camera) When my truck was in the autobody shop for 2 weeks, I got an escape hybrid as a rental vehicle. We were surprised about how quiet, and smooth it was. When taking off and merging into the intersection there is no turbo lag or downshift (like our old Infiniti EX37), just smooth electric power. The B&O stereo is great, the gas mileage was incredible (5.7L/100Km driving on the highway and 5.0L/100Km in the city), and the ride was even better than the Acura. Just my thoughts...

[@ManPhoto50]

Normal “Regular Gas Grade” is listed as 87 octane, when you filled for this test you used 85! The 2022 Escape owners manual states you should use 87 octane minimum!

[@scottormond7985]

I’ve never seen 85 in Florida.

[@fludzone1]

“Regular” gas grade is 85 at elevation and is normal for just about all gas stations in Colorado. Lower octane ratings act different at elevation. Fort Collins has an elevation of about 5000 feet.

[@Dive-Bar-Casanova]

Depends on the elevation. Not unusual in many states.

[@mistermister2085]

They should take the hybrid system out of the Maverick and throw it in the Ford Edge and slap a 15 to 20 kWh battery with it.

[@gondorian1006]

The edge is being discontinued

[@snarktwain644]

The State of Charge of the 14.4 kWh High Voltage Battery (HVB) is never at 0%. The guage Ford offers and you are reading is displaying the "usable" charge. If you installed an OBD reader and set up a dashboard reading the actual percentage of charge, it will be closer to 30-35% charged and the maximum charge is around 70-75%. To the driver that 35-45% range they actually use it represented as 0-100%, but in reality you are only using a portion. As the engine runs, it's charging the HVB. As the vehicle brakes, the computer determines to whether capture the energy for recharge or apply a greater force to braking. As the transmission creates drag, that energy is recaptured. Unless you set the PHEV to no use the HVB, you will get varying MPG numbers depending upon how much the computer cuts over to HVB for electric power.

[@darcybeckham9213]

the 0 is a completely separate electric motor system when at zero the hybrid electric/ gas combo kicks in many of these experts dont seem to understand this the 4.3 electric miles he mentioned were the gas electric motor which is completely separate from the fully electric aspect of this vehicle

[@samantharicherson9780]

Ewww wth is up wit the door trim not matching the seats!?

[@OHBH]

Video seems to show he's using 85 octane?

[@mondotv4216]

The Outlander PHEV has 4WD so why not the Escape?

[@markm9677]

ALERT ALERT!!! YOU USED 85 OCTANE INSTEAD OF 87! NEED TO DO STUFF AGAIN BUT WITH 87. HECK, DO WITH BOTH 87 AND THEN SWITCH TO PREMIUM.

[@ouch1011]

A couple of constructive criticism now that I’ve seen a few videos with this host (I’m sorry I can’t remember their name) 1) when moving around with the camera, make sure the motions aren’t fast and jerky. It gets quite disorienting when watching it on video. 2) consider some public speaking courses. The delivery of this comes across as monotonous and rambling. 3) a good portion of this video should have been edited out. While I got a laugh when showing that refueling an ice vehicle is not a fault-free experience either, the video didn’t really need 2-3 minutes of refueling. We also don’t need a full explanation of the test procedure, we don’t need to see the trip meter being reset or to be told the tire pressures were checked. That is all stuff that could be put in the video description. Any review of interior, driver assistance, etc should also be done in a review video. If they are included here, it should be no more than a minute. This is a video about the highway efficiency, not a review of the car.

[@paulchristenson5256]

I love my gas filler on the passenger side in my Subaru. Why? Because everybody else is waiting in line to fill their cars from the driver's side.

[@ht3spidey277]

I wish Kyle could do all the videos...the others just doesn't have the enthusiasm or knowledge about cars like him....

[@PeteLenz]

Oh I so disagree! Jordan is terrific on screen - presence, confidence, knowledgeable.

[@ht3spidey277]

@@PeteLenz but Kyle is better...if you say he isn't you're lying to yourself!!

[@puffnstuff12]

When the larger Explorer gets 28 mpg on the highway that is not good mileage.

[@user-iu8zj6md9t]

they screwed up the test so badly: they used 85 on a vehicle that's designed for 87 min, and in ice cold temp and windy they even said

[@naughtysauce4323]

Honestly just get the hybrid. PHEV don't really have an advantage unless 90% of your driving is city and you're able to plug your car in every day. Also I heard the Escape turns on the engine constantly even when in EV mode which is extremely frustrating when you have a full battery.

[@pvhs510]

Your method its flawed ! You can pick and choose your drive mode on the PHEV’s to maximize range. Refer to this review kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnylpoSVpKyHis0si=J6I3RSoTxYxq4b7U. So your range method is inaccurate

[@hitchcock1960]

Adding the tour of the interior space was a nice idea. Too bad you decided to film it in directly into the sun. Really poor camera skills.

[@davefroman4700]

Just FYI? The European commission is about to slap all the manufacturers with a round of fines because none of these phev's get anywhere near the mileage advertised and use for more fuel than they say as well. Say goodbye to the PHEV. They will never meet standards.

[@esevre]

Remember that mileage depends on how you drive. My PHEV gets 100+ miles in the summer and 80+ in the MN winter. It would be a shame to remove an efficient vehicle because some use cases are sub optimal.

[@davefroman4700]

@@esevre Hey if you want to continue to be held hostage by a scarce resource thats your choice. I will never miss getting into a cold car and waiting for it to defrost, Or waiting for an oil change, Or brakes once a year.

[@esevre]

@@davefroman4700 I would love to have a fully electric car, but I cannot afford one at this time. By using a PHEV I am able to use far less gas than buying a non-electric vehicle. Because of my driving habits my car is able to run on electric for almost all of my driving. I think it is awesome that you have the resources to afford an electric car, and I wish I could. I wasn't expecting you to comment in a way that feels like you are insulting me for being in a different situation than you are. I was trying to highlight that we should analyze technology based on the use case that we are applying a technology to, for some cases a technology will be sub-optimal, and for others it will be a reasonable fit. If this wasn't clear, I apologize.

[@stanimann]

It's America, dude.

[@tjs114]

Uhm. Did you really just pump 85 Octane into a vehicle which clearly states it requires at least 87 octane? And you are caught on video doing it? Boy, I hope your business insurance is paid up for when Ford makes you pay for the vehicle.

[@Dive-Bar-Casanova]

Ford factory workers interviewed mentioned how bad they felt they were producing a low quality, troublesome car.

[@gilbrook]

Where did they say this?

[@InternetDude]

Duh

[@andrewsmithingell6730]

Shows why PHEV's are a waste of money for long commutes and or road trips. For nearly the same money you could buy a Tesla M3, and have a more economical and capable vehicle hands down! I used to have a Corolla that got 38mpg, then made the leap to Tesla and despite the FUD, there has been no looking back. I wouldn't ever go back to ICE, 100K and going strong!

[@InternetDude]

I traded my Tesla in for a RAV4 Prime, no regrets. But DC infrastructure is lacking as is Tesla quality.

[@TheV8nissan]

I drive 30 miles each way to work almost all electric with charging at work. No affordable electrics come close in range to my needs to do a 200 mile 80mph road trip a few times a month. They just don't have the range in the winter even if they could barely make it in summer. Not an issue for the escape.

[@o751106]

1st

[@Subie-Driver]

The problem? It’s a Ford.

[@johnpoldo8817]

Sorry, once learning it was a PHEV, I stopped watching.

[@TheV8nissan]

Don't like freedom??

[@johnpoldo8817]

@@TheV8nissan I don't like dual power trains and want to avoid gas engine maintenance. Freedom to me not chained to gas stations.