I'm a newbie and I'm interested in an 08 FEH 4WD. I had a few questions for any owners out there, as well as any hybrid enthusiasts. I live in Colorado, which is why I'm considering an SUV hybrid.

1) The absence of AdvanceTrac Roll Stability Control on the 08 hybrid is a concern to me. My wife and I are wanting to start a family and safety is important to us (and our dog). With the FEH's smallish size compared to larger SUV's, how important is this feature? Of course the dealer we went to said it's not crucial (how convenient!) Are there plans to add stability control to the 2009 FEH? Also the 3-star driver frontal crash rating from NHTSA seems discouraging (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/cars/4296.html). Why did the rating drop from the 07? What does Ford think about this?

2) This is our second car (we need the 4WD) so the FEH could sit for months at a time during the summer. I read that the battery can lose its charge or its charge capacity if it's not run regularly. How frequently should it be run and is its charge capacity (battery life) decreased after a period of sitting? Also how do Ford's batteries compare to Toyota's and Honda's?

3) Has anyone driven the 08 FEH in the snow? Does it have enough power? Does it "stick" to the road? How much does cold weather affect performance? And I read some posts about the seat warmers being funky in the 08 (turn on super hot then feel like they've shut off). Any thoughts?

4) How good is the navigation system? How are the touchscreen's graphics and controls? From what I've seen they're not pretty. If I choose not to get it, I won't have the mpg display. I read that the scangauge is a good 3rd party mpg gauge. Any other recommendations or tips?

This forum has been a great asset to me. I've been to two dealers now and felt like I knew way more about the car than they did! That's not a good sign! Thanks for any feedback.

I own a 2005, but the 2008 is supposed to be even better.
I live North of Denver and the FEH does very well in the mountains.

Unless you are a crazy driver, who thinks every vehicle is a sports car, don't worry about #1. We've all done quite well without it for years.

Why would you let it sit for months at a time in summer when it will probably get better gas mileage than any other car (except a smaller hybrid car)? Summer is when Hybrids are at their best. If you run it for 5 minutes per month you will be just fine. Ford has one of the largest, and most powerful battery packs on the market.

Since I do not own a 2008, I cannot comment on your other questions.
-John

Thanks John. Our other car is a Mini Cooper so the mileage ain't so bad! Of course with a lovely new Escape Hybrid I'd drive it more this summer.

You can get over 40 MPG in the Escape, which is a lot larger than the mini Cooper. What MPG do you get in the Mini?

I get 30 mpg in the Mini. How does the FEH do with the A/C on? While I feel compelled to purchase a hybrid, cut my gas consumption and do less damage to the environment, I'm not prepared to buy a new car and sweat while I'm driving. (I'm a sweater and it was hot here last summer!)

Summer in Colorado is not bad since it is a dry climate.

A/C use on the highway will be about 5% to 10% less MPG.
A/C use in the city depends if you put it on Max. or not.
If you put it on Recirc, and allow the A/C to cycle on and off at stoplights with the engine, then the hit on MPG is not too bad.

I think even in summer, you'll top 30 MPG in a nearly 4000lb vehicle, which is on par with the Mini!
-John

I agree. To me, having the side and certain air bags were much more important. I got them as an option, but I believe they are now standard on the '08 models.

Actually, I do that too. I drive my Mustang GT convertible in the summer. Convertible in summer, 4WD SUV in the winter. One of the reasons I didn't bother with a sunroof on my MMH. Summer is when convertibles are at their best.

I will admit the loss of MPG in the cold winter with the hybrids is something I did not expect.

Best single LD trip: 35.3mpg

Since your questions are about the '08 FEH 4WD, and I actually have one and live in Denver, let me tell you what I know.

Snow: I've had it since March 3 and driven in snow several times with no problem. In February before buying, I borrowed on and tested traction in icy areas. I found traction superior to my previous Subaru from a stop. It's not as car-like as a Subaru on the road but still nimble. My neighbors have had an '07 FEH since late '06 and driven 2 winters including lots of mountain driving. He and his wife both said it's the best vehicle they've owned for Colorado, but keep in mind they're transplants and (like many new residents) thought they needed truck-based SUVs like XTerra and Explorer which generally are not so great in Colorado. So they might not know what a real AWD car (Audi, Subaru) is like. As for crash test info, I did not look at that and can't comment.

Storage: You should start it (and drive if possible) for 5 minutes every 2-3 weeks. I have found that lots of these battery tales are started by people who have not actually owned a hybrid and who extrapolate from experiences with unmanaged devices like a cell phone or a flashlight. Just follow the manufacturer's recommendations and you'll probably be fine.

Stability Control: Ya it stinks that they didn't include it. Ditto the steering wheel audo/climate controls. It's just cheap and stupid not to have it at these prices and it's something I simply had to deal with. But at least the ABS is very good and the vehicle tracks well. I would recommend a test drive up Golden Gate Canyon if you're not sure about hill climbing/cornering.

Seat Heat: I don't like them because they get super hot. But I'm fairly fit and maybe don't have enough natural insulation. Plus I tend to be warm, especially in the AM after 2 cups of coffee. But it's not a deal breaker and they work fine. Added bonus: If you sneak and turn on the passenger side, it's fun to wait & see how long it takes the passenger to notice that their butt is on fire. Not recommended if you're in a relationship with the passenger.

Navigation: I don't have it but looked at it closely. It seemed similar to the system in my previous Toyota Prius. If you are going to use it, it's nice to have but I almost never used it in 2 1/2 years with the Prius. If you've never had a hybrid, the displays are useful. It's expensive and only a good value if you're going to use it and want the power displays.

As with any hybrid, the FEH is affected by cold, high speeds and loads. I do a lot of mountain biking and only got 24 MPG on a trip to the Western Slope with 3 bikes on the roof, 3 guys inside and lots of camping gear. The same drive with 2 people and regular luggage with no bikes on the rack, and I got 30. It did pretty well on the passes, even loaded down. In our current nice weather, I'm getting 29-31 in regular driving.

The interior can get uncomfortably warm at stops in traffic unless you defeat "ECON" mode. I have a feeling I'm going to be taking a hit on MPG now & then if I want to stay cool. I don't mind it alone but I'll probably be turning ECON off if I have passengers.

Stability Control: Ya it stinks that they didn't include it. Ditto the steering wheel audo/climate controls. It's just cheap and stupid not to have it at these prices and it's something I simply had to deal with.

The reason stability control is not included deals with engineering problems encounted with the hybrid system and Ford's AWD system. You can read them here:


Ford stated they have a problem combining the hybrid braking system and electronic stability control. This is the reason the hybrid lacks electronic stability. Read it here http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/..._hybrid/5.html


The Toyota Hilander Hybrid has a different AWD system (rear electric motor for rear axle propulsion) than Ford's version which is very similar to the Haldex AWD system.

This is a good reminder, and accurate. Ford's public reasons for their inability to combine RSC with the hybrid's braking system have been well publicized.

But I think these statements from Ford fall less into the category of "reasons", and more into the category of "excuses". Yes, RSC wasn't included because of engineering problems they encountered. But Ford is a huge, worldwide company with thousands and thousands of very talented engineers. They can do almost anything, if they can get funding.

The real reason there's no RSC (or steering wheel controls, or Bluetooth, or one step folding seat, or lumbar support, etc etc) on the 2008 FEH is not an "engineering problem". It's a "money problem". The 2008 redesign/facelift was done on the cheap.

Still love my FEH though. Even with all its character flaws.