A "loaded" hybrid vehicle weights more or consumes more electrical power, or both, PROBABLY BOTH.

If you're buying for FE or your future grandkids breathing "rights" this makes a difference.

 

I will 2nd gpsman1's assesment. The trail I use most often is to carry hang-gliders, and on the way up you are heavily loaded. (Bunch of pilots, a driver, and maybe 300 pounds of flying stuff on the roof.) My FEH 08 does just fine going up that trail.

Coming down you have to ride the brakes. The regen system quickly fills up and the compression braking system isn't effective below 20-25 miles per hour which is much too fast for that kind of trail. That is disappointing but workable, and it is the one thing I would fix in the system design if I could.

Other thing is no full-sized spare. I wouldn't want to drive my way out on that dopey toy wheel.

 

For what it is worth, I've taken my 4WD Tahoe 2-mode hybrid off road and in deep snow. (Northern New Mexico, steep & narrow dirt roads with ice, over 1 foot fresh snow.)

Handling is as good or better than my previous 4WD Suburban, although stock tires are not a knobby or grippy as I usually use. Interior is way more comfortable. Smaller turning radius is nice too. Clearance with the front air dam is less, but I haven't messed it up yet. Manual up/down shift button on the stalk make steep mountain driving a lot easier. It may be a lot more SUV than you are looking for, but towing capacity is there if you need it.


Tom in Dallas

 

Well I do most of my driving 'on road' which in the L.A. area can be a challenge at times.
(What about all those road improvements, Arnold??) I have taken mine all over down South; dirt, mud, etc. Never had a problem.
By the way; mine is fully loaded!

 

It's in my name...

Well, i've had our HH Limited AWD off road a few times. Nothing like what I could do in my Tacoma but it's definitely capable. Been up and down some steep mtn. trails and a couple 15-16" water crossings n CA and through 6" of mud in TX. If you know your limits, and even push em a little,it's a heck of a lot of fun being clean and quiet out in the wilderness.

I'm not a fan of the rear elec. motor shutting off so quickly once the back wheels begin to spin. Also, if you're going through mud you have to moderate your gas pedal pressure so as to avoid all the electronics automatically slowing you down.

 

I know that a number of the 05-07 FEH/MMH owners including myself, have purchased a full sized rim and spare. I know it fits on the 05-07 versions, I would guess that if it fits on a regular 08 it will fit on an 08 FEH too.
You could always jack up yours, pull a wheel and test fit it in the spare location.

 

Actually if it fits or not is "implied" in the manual or instructions for changing a tire (either its in the manual or is on that sheet stuffed in with the jack). On the '06 from memory it tells you to stow the flat.... right where the donut comes from. Clearly if you are supposed to stow the flat there, a full size spare should fit!

 

I moved from Florida to Utah last June. I drove our FEH through the worst snow season in recent years and it handled it all like a champ. I also have driven it on the Jeep trails in Moab, offroad allover the southwest Utah and most recently around the Uintah Basin where I now live. I did quite a few things and driven some obstacles that I did not think I was going to be able to do but the FEH has suprised me. The only thing that I would improve it's off road capabilities is to do a lift and offroad tires but that is not going to happen. Besides, that is what my Jeep CJ is for.

 

What trails have you done with it in Moab? I will probably head there this fall and will probably take the MMH. I would like to be able to get up the Gemini Bridges road to the base of Gold Bar road if that's doable. That isn't a jeep killer like Metal Masher or some of the other gnarly trails so I'm guessing that I should be OK--but some confirmation would be nice .

 

You should be able to get through that section. the surface is not the problem but the rocks on the sides, parts of the trail get pretty narrow. But that's what makes the Escape so good for offroad, it's not very wide. Natalie drove the FEH down to Moab as our support vehicle but I couldn't resist driving it through a few sections.

Here's the club that I went down with and a few other sites;

http://www.slc4x4.com/ our local Salt lake club

http://www.rr4w.com/ Red Rock 4 Wheelers. Local Moab organized events

http://www.utah.com/offroad/moab_area.htm brief descriptions of trails

http://utah.travel/ You can get maps, info, etc from here (lot's) for free.