HelloGuys, I HAVE THE ANSWER!!. I ordered my Mariner Premier 08, I've had it for 2 weeks, love it, but was dissapointed about NO AUDIO STEERING WHEEL CONTRO LS. 2 weeks later I read the brochure again and that options is included in the HEATED PACKAGE!!! aww come on, when I first read that package all i read was heated seats and mirrors and I didnt pay attention to the rest of the sentences and nowhere in my mind would it had occured to me that AUDIO CONTROLS were in a package with the name HEATED on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! im so pissed I'm tring to order the **** steering wheel, I'll see what I do, feel free to reply

Could you double check this and see if this option is JUST for the normal Mariner? I ask because in the brochure for the Escape, a series of features are offered, but in the fine print at the bottom, it says, "not available on hybrid models". One example are DVD players on the back of the front seat headrests - the regular Escape can get this feature, while the Hybrid cannot. It is possible that the regular Mariner automatically includeded steering column controls with the heat package, but the Hybrid does not. I'm not always sure why, but it's probably related to the electronics. In some cases, I would think it's an easy item (especially audio controls on the steering wheel), but in others it may be more complicated.

So please double check the brochure. If the Mariner Hybrid can offer this feature, then I am very curious to know if you succeed. It's one thing not to include the Sync feature, but to not have audio controls is a bit weak. I also love my FEH, but the lack of audio controls is one of the few minor grievances (that said, given how close the controls are anyway, it's a small complaint).

I bought my FEH on Nov. 10, 2007. I recently did a cross-country trip (San Francisco area to the Chicago area). From Western Wyoming to my home in CA, I travelled in frigid -9 degree weather and through heavy falling snow in the Lake Tahoe. In the mountains, the top speed was only 30 mph and the 4WD was used. On the flat roads, the average speed was 75 mph. Despite all of these conditions, I still averaged 27.5 mpg!