I didn't expect it to snow during my time in Germany, but it did, especially in the Harz Mountains, so this is a nice bonus AWD/snow review with the update.
Since snow was in the forecast for Sunday, up to 15cm for locations in the Harz above 700m, I did what every other German did......and spent the Sunday driving there to explore
. I'm used to more snow removal/road treatment (Germany uses no salt/sand), so the mountain roads were on the tricky side. But no fear! I have all-wheel drive and snow tires !
Well, here's the annoying bit about the AWD part. It's still one of those more related to slip-and-grip types....it's somewhat proactive. If the car thinks it's going up a hill, it tosses some power back. If there's some sharper corners, it sends some power back. But after things level out and assuming there's no slippage, the power goes back only to the front wheels. I'm not sure I really want something that simplistic when driving 70km/h on a snow-covered road. As with every diesel car, there's going to be wheelspin starting off but like every other German, I don't give a damn and just let the wheels scrabble and the AWD sort itself out, countersteering when needed. So functionally the AWD system is fine, if not advanced or spectacular as say, BMW's xDrive system.
The steering, while accurate, could talk a little better so I know the amount of traction left up front. I was a little more careful than usual because it's not my car and I didn't want to be the only one in the ditch (despite the slick conditions, I saw no incidents) facing the wrong way. The heating and defrost system works great and the seats are plenty hot in step 1 of 5; don't care for the roller switches but that's a tiny nitpick.
I also found yesterday the speed limit info option in the sat nav....awesome! I've really come to appreciate the Entertainment system in general; it's really precise and clear even at complex junctions. "
Prenez la prochaine sortie, et suivrez la route parellel. Puis, prenez la 2e sortie" (Take the next exit, and follow the parallel ramp, then take the 2nd exit). It's also displayed this way in the arrow guidance too. No getting lost with this one. Way better than the system in the Mondeo/Fusion. It also redirected me around congestion on the A2 yesterday.......the way it supposed to
So far, the only real failing of this car is the consumption. It's a combination of aggressive throttle calibration and the fact it's an SUV, but this is no green, efficient car. Even instant consumption readings rarely fall below 6 l/100km at subdued speeds. Realistically you will experience 7-8 l/100km in everyday driving. I've given up trying to do better. The power is great though (hit 190 Saturday in the dry), and the DCT transmission quick and smooth. One of the best-behaved transmissions.
----------------------So that's it for the "car" part. The rest of my day trip follows......
After the lovely Sunday afternoon, it began to snow again as the sun went down at 16:00 so I thought I'd better head home lest conditions worsen. As it got dark, I hit the snow squall right as I was back at the top beginning the descent. Sure enough, we all crawled down the steep snow-covered, winding descent, a
10% gradient for 4km with 25m visibility in the dark. I held in 3rd @ 50-60km/h most of the way, prudent use of brakes, and the Kuga/Escape held true. The xenon headlights and foglights provided good visibility, rain sensor in check, and headlamp washers cleared the accumulating snow. In critical situations, every switch and display provided the information I needed at a glance. Really good marks there; one of the longest 4km I've ever driven.
At the bottom things got real bad. Whiteout conditions, literally zero visibility through town. I feared hitting a lamppost or one of those pedestrian medians, as everything was under snow and the wind was whipping the snowflakes everywhere. Even at 30km/h I was nearly blind (the bloke behind just followed my rear foglights). Briefly thought about pulling over at the petrol station, but plowed on. As the road became an autoroute leaving town, things improved. The rest of the way home was better, slushy medians but no problems at 110-120 given visibility conditions.
So my Sunday trip to the mountains was more than I bargained for. But the Kuga/Escape passed the test, and given the fact I never had to swear at it, this crossover has its stuff figured out, well-engineered
to Ford Europe there.
