Ford calls it a sports utility vehicle without guilt.

We say it's about time someone other than Toyota or Honda had all the hybrid fun.

Hybrids, for those who haven't been watching gas prices lately, are vehicles that use ultra low-emission, high-efficiency gasoline engines mated to electric motors to deliver better gas mileage and almost as much power as a bigger engine. A pure hybrid like Ford's 2005 Escape Hybrid motors along at low speeds on electric motor off battery pack, its gas engine taking over during higher speed needs, or combining electric and gas when you need to pass. And HYBRIDS DON'T NEED TO BE PLUGGED IN because batteries mounted under the rear cargo floor of the Escape recharge during braking by turning the electric motor into a generator. Sorry -- I got asked that a lot during our test drive.

The Ford Escape is a compact sports utility vehicle brought out in 2001 to compete with the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage and Nissan Xterra. Built on the same platform as the Mazda Tribute, both offer a base 130-horsepower, 2-liter DOHC in-line four-cylinder or optional 200-hp, 3-liter V-6. Ford beat Toyota to the punch with its hybrid SUVs, since their Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX44h won't be out until winter. But Toyota and Honda offer hybrid cars now, and Chevrolet has a hybrid V-8 truck coming.

The Escape was freshened for 2005, with smoother bumperettes flanking a honeycomb grille, distinct chrome-rimmed lights and a smoother under-bumper area with fog lights. Our test Escape's optional appearance package added silver bumper, fender flares and body cladding under a well-done Titanium Green Clearcoat Metallic paint. Standard 16-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels wear low-rolling-resistance Continental Eco Plus P235/70R16-inch radials. The only way you know it is a hybrid is the discreet air vent in the driver's side rear quarter window for the batteries, and road-and-leaf insignia badges on fenders and hatch.

Truth is, no one gave the Escape Hybrid a second look, its design very much a classic boxy SUV vs. the crossovers like the Pontiac Vibe.

Inside, almost nothing was changed to denote a 2005 hybrid Escape from its predecessors. The four-spoke steering wheel tilt adjusts and houses cruise control buttons. The gauge package gets a 120-mph speedometer and 7,000-rpm tach that dips to zero when the electric motor is the sole propellant in the center, a gas gauge on the right and a needle that shows when your are using battery or charging it on the left. The hybrid's gauges get bright chrome surrounds and green-lit digital displays offer odometer/trip meter (right) and a message center (left) with fuel economy and systems check function.

The center pod doesn't change from last year's version, housing an optional navigation system with great AM-FM-CD-six-disc CD changer and a smallish color screen that shows stereo functions, map, navigation functions (our's didn't work because we didn't have a navigation CD-ROM) and energy flow diagram that shows when gas, electric or both are in operation. It can be switched to a fuel economy screen with instant and average fuel economy on a green graph that looked like a mountain range when I drove.

The new center console has two cup holders, a deep storage area under the center armrest and an optional 110-volt AC power outlet for a television, air pump or lap-top computer. The bucket seats are firm, supportive and comfortable, although I would have loved some lumbar support. The door panels are simple, with power window switches and slim map pockets, while the glove box was decent in size. The back seat was very roomy for a compact, easily holding 6-foot-tall friends for rides. The rear seats split 60/40, expanding the 27-cubic-foot space, with the 330-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery pack under the floor. Our front-wheel-drive Escape Hybrid can also haul up to 1,000 pounds.

What does this hauling?

A 2.3-liter four-cylinder Atkinson cycle gasoline engine with 133 hp and very low emissions, coupled to a 94-hp (70kW) electric motor that adds boost when maximum acceleration is desired, or turns a generator to recharge the batteries. This is funneled through a continuously variable transmission, which allows the engine to stay in its best torque range as it gearlessly shifts up its endless ratios, sounding like the clutch is slipping as it revs high, then slows down as speed increases. An electronic controller manages charging, electric boost and engine-starting functions, shutting the gas engine down during coasting and at stoplights to save fuel. The electric motor provides power boost during heavy acceleration.

The system comes alive with a slight shudder. Gentle gas pedal use moves the Escape under electric power up to 30 mph in slow stop-and-go traffic. Need more speed, and the gas engine kicks in with a little wiggle and the electric shuts off. If you need to pass, the electric seamlessly adds its torque to the gas engine and the Escape really moves out. We managed a full-pedal 0-60-mph run of 9.5 seconds, thanks to that volt-aid, compared to just under 10 for a 200-hp Mazda Tribute we tested and 10 seconds for the last Toyota Prius hybrid. The electric motor is torquey, so we had wheelspin especially in the rain, but it helped us pass anything we needed to. The CVT also offers a low setting, which initiates battery regeneration mode as soon as you back off the gas pedal.

Ford estimates 36 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, the city driving mileage better because that's when a hybrid uses its electric motor. It also claims up to 400 miles in city driving on a tank of gasoline. Driven with verve, our gas mileage and battery charge dropped precipitously to the point where four 0-60 runs almost drained the battery. We saw up to 27 mpg on the trip computer, although our first gas fill-up netted a disappointing overall 20 mpg on the 900-mile-old vehicle. That's compared with EPA estimates of 22 mpg city/25 mpg highway for the four-cylinder Escape, and an average 40 mpg on the Prius. On the plus side, the hybrid drivetrain spews out 97 percent less hydrocarbon and oxides of nitrogen emissions. But it was odd when the drivetrain shut down at stop lights with the a/c compressor, not great in hot Florida. "Max A/C" makes the gas engine kick in with compressor, but gas mileage suffers.

The ride, on the low rolling-resistance rubber, was a bit hard-edged, while grip was a bit less than a more performance-oriented tire might have. We had some tire-squealing understeer in turns, although road-holding was average for a small SUV, with some body roll and a bit of bounce if there is a bump en route. The electric steering system was a bit too artificial in feel. The same with the brakes, which had an "instant-on" feel, although they worked well in stop-and-go and regular driving with no fade after repeated hard use. But the ABS was obvious, pulsing slowly when during simulated panic stops that saw some wiggle and nose dive.

Our Escape Hybrid's base price was ,380, with standard alloy wheels; power windows, doors and mirrors; ABS; a/c, AM-FM-CD stereo; power driver's seat and rear hatch with separate opening window. Our options included leather for ; side air curtain and front side-impact air bags for ; MACH Audio six-disc CD changer under the passenger seat for ,850 with sat-nav and energy display monitor; 110-volt AC plug for ; rear floor mats for ; retractable cargo cover for , and silver lower body accent. Without destination fee, the manufacturer's suggested retail price is ,235.

Bottom line -- the hybrid Escape looks like a regular compact SUV, with all the room and most of the cargo-hauling capacity of a gas-engine version, (supposedly) better gas mileage and much better emissions. It drives like an Escape for the most part, the hybrid system mostly unnoticed after a while, although the gas-engine Escape is a bit sportier in feel. I liked it a lot, but wish I had gotten better gas mileage to prove this is an SUV that makes less of a dent in our environment than most.