 I just bought this Escape Hybrid a couple weeks ago. Not only is it fun to drive, the mileage more than makes up for the slightly higher price. I get about 30 mpg, but mpg probably depends on how you drive. Faster acceleration means less battery use and lower mpg (my wife used it for a couple days and the onboard calculator showed 27.7 mpg). I have the FWD, so if you get 4WD, expect lower mileage. With the $2,600 tax credit, the hybrid only costs a little more than the 18 to 20 mpg regular Escape.