The 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid was named the Best Green SUV at Mudfest, while the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC was hailed as the Best Luxury SUV. Awards were presented to company executives by Teresa McCallion, NWAPA president, and this writer, who served as the 2008 Mudfest chairman.

Other award winners receiving honors in Los Angeles were the 2009 Dodge Durango Limited HEV (Best Family SUV), the 2009 Subaru Forester (Best Value SUV), and the Land Rover Range Rover Sport with two awards (Best Off-Road SUV and overall winner of Mudfest).

The 2009 Escape Hybrid Limited 4WD model is what an SUV is all about. It's stylish but rugged and is exceptional for both on- and off-road driving. The plus-factor is that it's a hybrid with fuel ratings of 34 mpg/city and 31 mpg/highway-all the attributes of a SUV plus exceptional fuel economy.

With a MSRP of $32,385 for the four-wheel-drive model ($29,305 for base model), our loaded 2009 Escape Limited had a final price of $35,125 with two options-a navigation system at $2,395 and integrated side steps at $345.

Powered by a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine that is mated to a 330-volt hybrid battery system, the tested Escape Hybrid performed well and offered plentiful power and acceleration. Hybrid gauges on the dashboard allow drivers to determine mode use and charging elements.

Standard equipment on the Escape Hybrid includes everything from fog lamps to roof rack, an intelligent four-wheel-drive system to leather-trimmed seats. The four-wheel independent suspension system allows for a highly comfortable highway ride and very functional off-road experience on the 16-inch all-season tires that are mounted on 16-inch hybrid aluminum wheels.

 From its voice-activated navigation system with satellite radio to its ambient lighting, the Escape Hybrid offers lots of creature comforts but is still a tough SUV that can haul any cargo on- or off-road (cargo capacity behind the first row is 66.1 cubic feet; 27.8 cubic feet behind the second row). Little reason the 2009 Escape Hybrid was named the Best Green SUV by journalists.

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On the other spectrum of price and powertrain is the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC, another alternate-fuel vehicle in the SUV market with a 4MATIC permanent all-wheel-drive system.

A luxury SUV indeed, the BlueTEC offers a plethora of standard equipment at its base price of $48,125, yet our tested unit at Mudfest priced out at $62,610 with some exotic and pricey option packages (full leather seating package at $1,995; lighting package with LED tail lamps and headlamp washing system at $950; adaptive damping system at $1,600; a rear seat entertainment system at $1,850; heated front seats at $720; and a Premium 2 package that included iPOD/MP3 media interface, rearview camera, Parktronic, lumbar support, power folding mirrors, Comand system with navigation and voice control.)

The engine on the ML320 is the real story on this green SUV. Its 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine produces 210 HP at 3,500 RPM and 389-lb.-ft. of torque between 1,600 and 2,400 RPM.

The 24-valve aluminum engine features variable-vane turbocharger and a common rail injection mapping computer.

Coupled with a seven-speed driver-adaptive automatic transmission with steering-wheel shift paddles, the quiet powertrain is unusually smooth, very reactive during on- and off-road driving, and has superb power in all driving conditions. And it has fuel economy in the high 20s.

Luxury and comfort abound on the ML320 BlueTEC. It has everything from ABS and four-wheel electronic traction control to a Hill Start Assist system. Seating is comfortable and classy, there are eight airbags, and a driver-activated off-road driving program-along with some three dozen other standard equipment offerings.

Mounted on 19-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels are 255/50 R19 all-season run-flat tires that provide a highly comfortable ride on the highway and needed clearance and durability for off-road driving.