I always thought part of the big deal of having an SUV in the city was the 4wd for snowy weather and such.

But i am seeing a lot of people with the FWD Escape Hybrid....why??

This is an honest question, because if i can save money and still be happy with the vehicle, maybe I will get a fwd instead of the 4wd. I live in Detroit and we gets snow, so i thought it made sense for me to get a 4wd.

Also, does anyone own a v6 FEH? It seems all the posters have a fwd 4 cyl.

Any help appreciated. I just don't want to kick the money for the wrong vehicle, or something that isn't nessesary.

 

Get a set of good snow tires and you will NOT need 4wd.

 

All the vehicles here are the hybrid version.... it only comes in an I4 and doesn't need 6cylinders because the electrics help with the torque.

I have a 4WD. However, frankly with a front wheel drive and alot of engine weight up there, you can likely get around on a FWD in detroit just fine. I drove a front wheel drive Ford Escort ZX2 in Ann Arbor (and a Probe before that) for over 10 years and never got stuck or in an accident. You can get by on a FWD and there is an MPG hit for the 4WD.

In truth, I think unless you are talking serious snow... the FWD/4WD choice is more preference than anything as long as you take it easy. I've always looked at it as the 4WD can sometimes get you out of trouble... but if you drive careful you should be able to avoid that kind of trouble in the first place.

As for a 6cyl vs 4 cyl.... I personally would not get the NORMAL 4cylinder escape. Its underpowered. The 4 cylinder hybrid is fine. The 6 cylinder has plenty of power for driving, but of course does not come in a hybrid version and therefore takes a fair amount of gas.

Hope that helps some.

 

Also, it seems from owner's expereinces, the FWD Escape Hybrid will drive up to 40 MPH off battery power alone, and the 4WD will only go up to 37 MPH from battery alone.

The FWD gets at least 3 miles per gallon more, on average.

I live in the Colorado Rocky Mt. region, and went out of my way to find a FWD. It has been fine in snowy weather, on all paved roads. 4WD my be better if you have off-road / dirt roads / unplowed roads / mud on a regular basis. -John

 

I think that alot of members with FWD Hybrids also live in warmer climates that don't see alot of snow. I could have gotten away with FWD as we see such infrequent snow, but the MMH only came as AWD. Some people (me) need an SUV for the room but don't really need it for the offroading/weather....and in those cases why spend more money for less MPG?

 

Not in my MMH...

I can go right up to 40 in electric...

 

Finishing up my second Michigan (Livonia) Winter here with my FWD '05 FEH and can honestly say that I have not had any trouble with driving in snow. I was worried when I first got it since I had been used to driving my AWD '02 Explorer before the Hybrid.

 

It could be because I live in the mountain west and have a desire to finally get to see some of the country off the paved road.

Each person has their own reasons for buying decisions. Mine is that I have served my country for 35 years, now I want to see what I have been protecting.

 

Here too.

Steve
Oregon

 

I've had 2WD (front & rear), conventional 4WD, and currently have an AWD Escape. In Anchorage which gets a fair amount of snow and such, FWD is fine for getting around town. But if you go to the mountains, which are steep and often not plowed right away, or on those warm days where things turn wet on top of ice and get very slick, 4WD becomes essential for getting to certain places. But it's a small number of places.

I'd look at where you drive. If you ever go off road or through deep stuff, you might find 4WD useful. But I wouldn't get it unless you knew you had a need. Most days....well over 300 of them...it isn't needed.