Ford Escape Hybrid with poor MPG

You have not gave us enough information regarding trip distance, drivers, was there a sudden drop in MPG, do both hybrids use the same gas or E10, A/C use, is your MMH a AWD and what year is it, are the tires the same and have the same PSI? All these things need to be addressed.

The M/E cooling pump also may be causing heat issues that some times don't give codes or warning lights. Some people drive the '05 AWD and are happy with getting 25mpg and don't want to use Hypermiling techniques to improve mileage.

For what it's worth. 2005 was the first year they did the hybrid on the Escape's. I have one, my mother has one, and I know of 2 others in my area that all bought ours with-in 3 months of each other that year. They seem to have been Ford's joke on us. Not only will your mileage never be what was advertised despite your driving habits. But, you will find that the coolant pump is a waste of metal as it usually has to be replaced every 50,000-70,000 miles (at $500-$700 a crack). And, the u-joints in the steering column (if you have the adjustable column) will go bad about every 8-10 months (depending on how often you drive the vehicle).
If you really want a good Ford hybrid they seem to have worked out most the bugs by the 2007 model. I am the only one of 6 people that I know that purchased this model that has been dumb enough to keep it. And (of course) I am getting ready this weekend to replace my 4th cooling pump.
If you keep this vehicle about all you can do is make sure you keep track of the recalls and get them ALL done. Especially since the wiring recall is known to set your vehicle on fire.

I have a '05 FWD FEH with a lifetime MPG of 45mpg on straight gas but Florida went to E10 gas in '08. My '09 FWD FEH gets even better mileage and I have a lifetime MPG average with 12,400 miles of 49.1 and growing:
http://www.cleanmpg.com/index.php?page=garage&displayunits=MPG(US)&viewcar=2612

The best mileage depends how you drive and if you have poor driving skills, city driving will be the worst. Highway driving will yield better mileage with poor driving skills because there are fewer ways to kill mileage because of changes in speeds. Also, some drivers in city driving run the A/C on MAX because they don't want the engine to shutdown because the interior temperature gets to warm.

I buy hybrids to get the most mileage out of a SUV which I need for space. I know what causes bad mileage and how to drive for the best mileage. I get much better mileage in the city (65mpg) than the highway (45mpg) so I try to stay off the highway as much as possible. You must understand how the hybrid system works in order to get the best mileage out of it. The MAX sidewall pressure on the factory tires is 44psi but 50psi is what I run for better MPG, handling, wear, safety and hydroplaning.

Don't complain about mileage until you understand about how to get better mileage. There could be problems with the vehicle like engine problems, tires, alignment, and other systems causing problems also. If I see a sudden drop in MPG I can find the problem right away by knowing my vehicle.