In his recent web chat, GM's Bob Lutz stated that the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox "trounces" the Ford Escape Hybrid. I'll ride to the defense of the Escape Hybrid against the onslaught of Mr. Lutz.
Let's compare EPA mpg and carbon footprint calculations:
Equinox FWD 2.4L 22/32 mpg (city/hwy) 7.1 tons/year CO2
Equinox AWD 2.4L 20/29 mpg 8.0 t/yr CO2
Escape Hybrid FWD 34/31mpg 5.7 t/yr CO2
Escape Hybrid AWD 30/27mpg 6.3 t/yr CO2
Saturn Vue Hybrid 25/32 mpg 6.6 t/yr CO2
So Equinox "trounces" the hybrid Escape because it beats it on highway fuel economy by a whopping 1-2mpg? And it doesn't even trounce the Saturn Vue Greenline, soon to be killed off.
Where the Equinox does beat the Escape is in acceleration:
Equinox FWD 2.4L 8.7s (GM claim)
Escape Hybrid FWD 9.5+ s (Edmunds)
Which is impressive, considering that the Equinox weights about 100lbs more than the Escape, 3761 vs. 3669 lbs.
