Is it worth buying a hybrid car/SUV like the Ford Escape if it cost thousands to buy over regular vehicle?

No it is not worth it. It takes up to 10 years of owning a hybrid to recover the costs in gas savings. And by that time who knows what insanely expensive problems will be eroding away those savings. Wait a few years and they will come down in price and be more efficient and reliable.

You would be better off buying a crossover vechile such as the Ford Freestyle or Ford Edge which gives the cargo and passenger capacity of and SUV and the fuel economy of a car. Others to consider are the Chrysler Pacifica or Dodge Magnum

the resale value of the hybrid is better than the V6 or 4 cylinder. but you will not see enough value in the gas savings to justify the added cost. by the way, the hybrid battery is rated for 8 to 10 years and will probably cost 4 or 5 thousand to replace...and that huge expensive lead acid battery will rot away in a landfill after it's replaced. so much for saving the earth with a hybrid...

It depends on if you do more city or on the road driving. In the city the car will be using the gasoline engine portion more than when you are on the highway. On the highway the engine will shut off and run off the batteries until its time to recharge. I think it isn't worth it, for the same price you can get a SUV or truck with a multidisplacement engine that on the highway it will shut it down from 8 cyl to 4 cyl

I like the Ford Escape and its twins Mariner and Tribute. I have done some reading in the internet and according to what it has been published, hybrids are interesting if you only drive city and not in the highway. Basically, if you drive a cab you can be very interested in one. If I were to buy a Escape tomorrow, I would buy the 4 cylinder, 5 speeds, great mileage and cool car. So the answer is clear, probably you are never going to make up the difference in ANY hybrid car, any make, except if you were a cab driver.

Is there a reason why you have to buy American? If you wanted a hybrid that is meant to save gas I suggest the Prius or Civic hybrid. Remember when you buy a hybrid it's not only about the amount of gas you save, it's also about how the car releases less CO2 emmissions.

do the math for yourself - a hybrid has o.oo gain in steady state driving but a real gain in stop and go city or Raul driving . the more times you stop the more its worth.