At around $30,000, the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid is a good buy as long as you place value in having a hybrid powertrain, don't mind seating for five and aren't worried about towing much more than your kids and a few sacks of fruit. But watch out: estimated fuel savings are traditionally bloated, and getting your money back just in fuel efficiency is a fantasy - though the Ford Escape Hybrid is miserly for an SUV. Where you get that $3,000 back is in a combination of improved fuel economy, the good feeling that comes with significantly lowered emissions and in the convenience of not having to go to the gas station every three days. The government can also help make hybrids a more valuable proposition by keeping the tax credit of $2,000 and allowing full hybrids such as the Escape into car-pool lanes.

The interior and exterior of the Ford Escape and the Ford Escape Hybrid are virtually the same, with a few minor changes to the hybrid version. Mechanically, the Ford Escape Hybrid comes with a continuously variable transmission, a powertrain that generates 155 horsepower and your choice of drive type: a front-wheel-drive model with a sticker price of $26,380, or a $28,005 all-wheel-drive Escape Hybrid.

For the 2005 model year, manufacturer options include a $575 leather package, an appearance improvement package for $625, and a $595 safety package that includes side-curtain airbags for all rows. There's also an audio and navigation package that tops the charts at almost $1,900. Interesting: for $1,850, you can see where you're going, and how many pennies per mile you've saved by getting there in hybrid style. Additional options include a 6-disc in-dash CD changer for $565, a 110-volt AC power outlet for $110, a retractable rear cargo cover for $75, and carpeted rear floor mats for $25.

This is not a base model drive-away vehicle, for at least one reason: side-curtain airbags. This safety device protects both rows in case of an accident and is a crucial piece of equipment when it comes to rollover incidents. So if you're interested in protecting the occupants of your vehicle, add another $595 onto the price of the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid. A must-buy is also the 110-volt AC power outlet - after all, you ARE driving an electric vehicle. All told, this means that an all-wheel-drive Escape Hybrid - with just the side curtain airbags and the power outlet - is pushing $27,000. At that price, it's definitely an upscale Escape and as a result, dealers may well stock Escape Hybrids with most of the options - thus requiring you to buy a vehicle with more options than you initially wanted - and get close to that $30,000 price tag.

The bottom line: if you're in the market for a base $20,000 Escape, stop dreaming and pass on the hybrid. Comparably equipped, the front-wheel-drive Escape Hybrid is about $3,000 more than the regular 2005 Ford Escape. That's assuming that your local dealer doesn't tack on some extra fees to take advantage of your early craving. If you can't buy a hybrid at a fair price, based on the prices suggested by the manufacturer - if not lower - go buy another SUV and wait for the buzz to die down.