Ten years ago, your choice of hybrid vehicles was pretty limited.

A lot has changed in those ten years, and the rise of Ford as a real force in the hybrid markets is one of the biggest changes. 2004 saw the launch of its very first hybrid, the 2005 Escape Hybrid, and the maker's cars have gone from strength to strength ever since.

But what do you need to know about Ford's hybrid lineup, old and new? We've brought together many of our past articles into an ultimate guide--from the latest Fusion and C-Max Hybrids and their plug-in hybrid 'Energi' equivalents, right back to those popular Escape models.

 

Ford hybrids general

Ford is mainly known for three main hybrid models. The Escape, with which it got into the game; the Fusion hybrid, renewed in 2012 but a long-time challenger of the class-leading Toyota Camry Hybrid; and the new C-Max hybrid, launched in 2012 to compete with cars like the Toyota Prius V.

What you need to know is that the company has recently cut the gas mileage of six models--an important thing to factor in to any purchase decision you'll be making soon.

Between sedan, small minivan and small SUV there's quite some variety for potential customers--and that's before you factor in the plug-in hybrid Energi models.

The Escape is now available as a used vehicle only--you can read more about it on page four. The Fusion and C-Max are current models, and as such we've covered them in quite some detail on pages two and three.

 

All prices shown in this guide are before any available incentives (for the plug-in models), but include any relevant destination charges. Prices correct as of 08/01/14.

First though, you might want to read through some of our general Ford hybrid content, including the furor surrounding the latest cars not meeting their EPA-rated gas mileage...

2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid

2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid

2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid - $27,300
44 mpg city, 41 mpg highway, 42 mpg combined

The 2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid gets one thing right, straight from the off--it looks great. Some people see some Aston Martin in the front grille, others simply a sleek and aggressive shape quite different from the hybrid norm.

Gas mileage will be the priority for most though, and in the Fusion Hybrid's case it's 42 mpg combined (44 mpg city, 41 mpg highway) since Ford's recent revisions--down from 47 mpg all-round.

2013 Ford Fusion Energi

2013 Ford Fusion Energi

2015 Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid - $35,525
38 mpg combined (88 MPGe blended, 20 miles elec+gas range)

If you like the idea of Ford's Fusion hybrid but need a little more electric range, then the Energi serves that goal. There's enough juice in the battery for 20 miles of blended range--that is, using a mix of gas and electricity. Elsewhere, it's not far off the mileage of the regular hybrid.

2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, Catskill Mountains, NY, Oct 2012

2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, Catskill Mountains, NY, Oct 2012

2014 Ford C-Max Hybrid - $24,995
42 mpg city, 37 mpg highway, 40 mpg combined

Under the skin, the Ford C-Max Hybrid uses exactly the same drivetrain as the Fusion Hybrid sedan. That's good news, because it means the C-Max is a lot of fun to drive, even despite its relatively tall silhouette.

Until 2013 it shared the Fusion Hybrid's city, highway and combined ratings, but a run-in with the EPA led Ford to revise those numbers down--you can read about that in the links below.

For most drivers though, the new numbers should be much easier to achieve--and the C-Max remains a good drive, with plenty of performance.

Ford C-Max Energi 'Upside' parody advert

Ford C-Max Energi 'Upside' parody advert

2014 Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid - $32,460
38 mpg combined (88 MPGe blended, 20 miles elec+gas range)

The Energi plug-in hybrid hasn't quite suffered the EPA's wrath like the Hybrid has. Once again, it shares its drivetrain with the equivalent Fusion, and offers a blended electric range of 20 miles--meaning commuting should be clean and cheap.

You can read more details about the plug-in C-Max below--and do have a look at Ford's excellent parody video of the Cadillac ELR ad...

 

2012 Ford Escape Hybrid

2012 Ford Escape Hybrid

Used Ford Hybrids

If you don't have the cash for a new Ford hybrid, don't worry too much--the automaker is already developing quite a back-catalog of competitive models. But should you buy one?

 

2010-2012 Fusion Hybrid

Fusion Hybrids have been on sale for several years now and really boosted the maker's profile as a green vehicle producer. It was also, at the time, one of the quickest hybrids to pay off its price premium over a non-hybrid equivalent.


2005-2012 Escape Hybrid

The Escape Hybrid is possibly even more celebrated than the Fusion. Familiar to many as a taxi in cities like New York and San Francisco, the Escape is a hard-working vehicle with hugely better gas mileage than many other cars of its type.

Better still, it's proven incredibly reliable even during tough taxi duties, some models retiring with over 300,000 miles and no major failures to its record. We can highly recommend the Escape Hybrid as a used vehicle as a result.

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