Maybe this hybrid business is getting a little bit out of hand. All these sales and headlines, and when an award is handed out for Hybrid of the Year...

Then again, maybe it's just getting warmed up. After all, hybrids do save dollars at the pump. And people do seem to want to drive them, as evidenced by the popularity of a certain Toyota Prius. And surely, as the number of hybrids on the road and for sale increase, so to will the influence of this powertrain system.

That's all fine and good, except that up to now hybrid vehicles were designed for commuters who had fuel economy top of mind. You know -- small cars and such. But then along comes the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid, and the first SUV built with a hybrid powertrain makes this technology available to everyone. Now that's what we call change, and that's why the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid is the Autobytel Editors' Choice for Hybrid of Year. Simply put, this SUV makes the hybrid fit into our lifestyles -- not the other way around.

Sure, there are other hybrids on the road, some which run faster and get better gas mileage. Most were here long before the Ford Escape Hybrid. But there are no other hybrids that offer SUV convenience with significant fuel savings and clear skies technology. Ford labored long and hard to deliver this vehicle, and the fruit of its work is a fine vehicle that features a true hybrid system - you can actually roll forward with electric power only - that's derived from its own source of energy, courtesy of regenerative braking power.

The 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine and 70-kilowatt electric motor give the Escape Hybrid around 155 horsepower and plenty of low-end torque, which makes it feel like a V6. Buyers have a choice between front-wheel and four-wheel drive, with power delivered through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Priced at just under $27,000 for the front-drive model and $28,595 for the four-wheel-drive version, the window sticker comes in at about $3,300 to $3,425 more than a comparably equipped 2005 Ford Escape XLT V6 model. Fuel mileage ratings are in the neighborhood of 35 mpg in the city, though how effective your hybrid is at saving money at the pump depends entirely on how you drive.

Come to think of it, that is really what it all comes down to now: how you drive. With the introduction of the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid, there's a viable choice for conservation - a choice that will fundamentally change the types of vehicles automakers build.

- Brian Chee