I’ve had my 2014 Escape Titanium for 10 years. Lived in the Midwest for most of it. My god this car has been durable, reliable, fast, and economical. 160k miles and still running strong with basic maintenance. I’ll never get rid of this car.
I've had my 14 escape SE 2.0 ecoboost 4wd for 7 months now. I use the vehicle for my business and have already acquired 43,000 miles on it. There have been zero reliability issues and this car runs non stop in 105 degree weather for upwards of 12 hours a day. It has been off road for probably about 12,000 of its miles and I have had nothing but an amazing experience. The roads are typically unmaintained old logging roads in the mountains, so I'm not talking about some country dirt road. The vehicle is nimble and grips the dirt almost better than on pavement (especially since I added some all terrain light truck tires). Also the thing is stupid fast for what it is and is incredible fun to drive. P.S. K&N filter with no top cover gives you some nice wooshy turbo noises ;).
Randall Bender edwrites 2018 San Fransisco is a overpriced dump.. 1000s of people eating out of trash bins, Tents lining the streets as far as you can see.. Open Heroin use. Hepatitis Outbreaks.. Even Orange,county had to removed 50% of its Parl benches because homeless people turned,it into a house.. Add it being 20X as expensive as is should, And the countrys worst Schools. = Liberal Paradise. Enjoy the Dump that you have created.. I used to go to Cali alot.. Never ever again will,i spend another dime in that state. I wont even Buy produce if it says CA on it..
I own a then new 2017 Escape Titanium AWD 2.0 EcoBoost. Love this vehicle. Plenty of room for four to five adults. Rear seats recline. Used it often on Allegheny mountain roads to get to our mountain House. I would never drive a car on these roads, but my Escape handled it without issues. The backseat is not like reflected on the video unless you set in the front seat and run the seat to the end of the front track where you need to reach forward to grab the steering wheel.. I'm 6'1" and my stepson sets behind me with ample room and he's over 6'. I know this is an old Post, but my 2017 rear seats recline giving more rear leg room. The 2.0 has plenty of power. The Awd system works well. The infotainment center is spot on. I didn't purchase an Escape for major off-road use. I purchased it because it rides and handles like a car with the ability to handle some off road needs. Traded a then new Chrysler 200 that had cramped rear seats. A pain to enter and exit because of it's slopping roofline and a transmission that had 8-service issues. After Two year owning my Escape. No issues and have to say maybe the best overall vehicle I've ever owned. Regarding the pricing. I purchased my loaded Titanium for just over $32,000 which then included the 2.0 Ecoboost which I believe was a $2000 option. When are you professional writters, testers or whatever you claim to fame is going to research MSRP versuses actual purchase price.
@@rb2939just bought my fiancé a 2013 escape… I’m 6 foot 1 inch tall, and I have more legroom in the backseat than I have in my own car, which is a 2012 Jeep grand Cherokee. HOWEVER, I do agree that the cargo space is somewhat lacking… I can use my Jeep as a pickup truck.
wtrdogg20 Ya these are just lifted hatch backs no real off road tires, susp, ride height and have near low pro tires. My 2012 escape still has the SUV feel these are cars.
+Craig Neal It's an SUV. it's far from a hatchback. It is technically referred to as a ln suv. Size order- Hatchback Crossover SUV (Which is what the Escape is.)
Agreed--I had a 2008 Escape and loved it. And if they still used that old "small truck" body style, I'd likely have bought another one. But since they turned it into, essentially, a jumbo station wagon (as many SUV's of that period did), I went with a mid-sized pickup truck instead.
My 05 4wd 3.0 escape climbs rocky dusty trails out here in gold country California totally stock and it does it with ease. These new models are just the escape name and not the platform
I still have my 2014 escape se ecoboost and it is still going strong in 2021. Hasn’t lost power, still handles like a dream, and the body has held up nice. Great car!
My wife has a 14 escape with a kuga grill on it lol been a great car. My parents liked mine enough to pick up a 15 escape. Theirs has been really good too
We have a foot of snow up here in Vancouver. I have the 2019 in the same spec although sport mode has manual gears available too. The thing has been an absolute champ up some pretty steep hills that haven't been ploughed.
Correct. Thank God Ford dumped that system. I work in the parts dept at a Ford dealer, and we replaced a number of the FCIM's (front control interface module), aka faceplate in those systems from people punching them outta frustration lol
Thanks for this review. I drove it on the road, and by far one of the best drives on road for a compact x but I couldn't test it off road, so this is really helpful. Cheers
I have a 2015 Ford Escape SE. I have my for 4 years when it was a couple years old. It has a little bit over 81,000 miles on it. It was so easy to drive. I was driving my dad’s big SUV that was a Ford Expedition. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the size of it. I felt like driving a Ford Focus again in size. I can put my mountain bike in the back of it with the rear seat is down and even take off the front tire of the bike to make it fit.
I just bought my 2015 Titanium yesterday. I've been a parts guy at a Ford dealer for over 20 years. The weakest point of these machines are the 6f35 transmission. Mine was already fixed thankfully! Its my first turbocharged vehicle, and the Kuga 2.0 is a powerful little engine. Mileage could be better though. But with 240hp and AWD its not horrible. My weekend long test drive in cold MN weather was 21-24 mpg, driving it moderate to hard to put it through its paces, to make sure I like it for the long run. Its currently getting detailed and I'll be driving it home today after work. :)
If you're going to buy this vehicle, I have two important recommendations. Get the 2.0L Ecoboost engine over the 1.6L one and wait till 2016 for Sync 3. The all-new infotainment system is miles ahead of MyFordTouch.
I got a 2014 Escape Titanium bought it in December 2013 did my first winter with it was great.plus here in Quebec Canada winter tires are mandatory for winter. Can't wait to put on my summer Tires :-)
I have a 2013 with 217,000 miles on it. I did have a transmission issue at 174,000 that cost me nearly $3k to fix. I was 100% my fault for beliving Ford that the transmission is lifetime. Should have done a few fluid changes. But a solid car. I have the 1.6L Ecoboost 4WD model. It is now by backup ride, I use it two days a week to keep the millage down on my new Truck.
Great video, and yes I am the kind of person who wants a do it all car. I've take my 72 Chevy Impala up some of those trails and road around Nederland, Winter Park area. I love this car when I look at it, but I was quite disappointed at the lack of interior colors, cubbys and storage space. I still want one but I will wait until the model is tweaked, it is on of the few Fords where the major drive line components are not made in china.
The proper term these days are winter tires, meaning they perform better and much safer at temperatures below 7C, all season tires are made of a different rubber and gets really hard in cold weather providing less traction and contact with the road.
You guys should do other crossover off-road reviews on this trail, since it's a bit more plausible for this type of vehicle. Or a off-road matchup, crv, escape, rav4, rouge, mx5 etc
There is no insurance discount here in the US (That I have ever seen). And I live above the snow line. The stock tires are M+S rated so they are legal to drive in the snow.
for an on road car mostly, that's pretty good, chances are my chevy 1500 couldn't do that without bottoming out based on the experience I've had with it in the past
Winter tires should absolutely be the law, appreciate why you do what you do in your reviews. But they should be. Anyone who disagrees with me has never experienced the full benefit of winter tires.
Nice video guys! I'd Since the old "snow trail" review of the 2014 Forester also was somewhat of a mess, could you do another video with the Forester on this same trail?
You guys should test an Explorer in the snow off road. I remember that old escape video when you guys got stuck. I'm curious to see how the Explorer does compared to the Escape because the Explorer has a terrain selector system...
Great video! And Happy Easter 2018! I have that exact car except front-drive only here in California. That being said, would you suggest I avoid any in-paved road at all costs - or might my configuration be ok on the dirt road in the first segment of the video? Just looking to get out in nature a bit: Thanks for everything guys!
Great video. Quick question, how much space is there in the front seats for tall people? I am 6'5'' and finding vehicles that fit well for me are very hard.
Would be cool to see a Head 2 Head comparison of Ecoboost Escape & Forester XT (0-60 times, observed mpg, price, off-road test, on-road test, fun factor, cargo capacity, ergonomics, etc).
If off road, always turn off the, traction control. I have the 1.5 liter engine and it goes through snow much deeper than that but you must have the traction control off.
Can you do a match up between a vw tiguan and the ford escape. the ford escape at the higher end is around the same price as an entry to mid level tiguan. Really interested to hear what you guys have to say in terms of real world testing. Also your thoughts on which will be more reliable and easier/cheaper to run over the course of the vehicles life.
Get rid of the wide tires, 235/70/16, put 205/80/16, and cut air pressure down to 25 lbs on all four. That Ford Escape will push snow up to the head lights
Well you said that in America you don't have winter tires well here in Canada were a bit smarter and have winter tires in the winter and summer tires in the summer not four season tires in the US of A
I like the tech, looks, engine & overall package of the Escape. What I do question is that $35k price tag and quality which doesn't seem to match the VW Tiguan. I understand Ford wants to go upscale with their entire lineup, but with a so-so reliability & not up to par interiors, I'm not sure if many people will pay that much for a non-luxury American car.
The Escape's reliability is nothing to write home about, but the VW's reliability is quite poor (like most VW's). Plus the Escape has far better fuel economy and nice things like a LSD.
I got a 2013 Escape, lots of features, 1.6L, 4WD and a pre-paid maintenance program and an extended warranty that holds my cost to $250 regardless of repair...for less than $33,000. Could have got it for about $30,000 but without the added coverage. I get 1 MPG more than Ford says I should, it's comfortable enough to drive all day, and hasn't gotten me stuck yet. Good car, 23mpg in town, 31 on the highway, fun to drive.
IRisHIwAsDrUnK Irish, VWs are junk. Go hang around a VW dealer service department a while. You'll hear all the "satisfied" customers dropping off their cars.
I’ve had my 2014 Escape Titanium for 10 years. Lived in the Midwest for most of it. My god this car has been durable, reliable, fast, and economical. 160k miles and still running strong with basic maintenance. I’ll never get rid of this car.
Btw the beeping noises are just the proximity sensors.
7 years later, still going strong!
Iam going to put a 3 inch lift on mine iam not a tall person 5foot4 and it's nice 👍,mine has the intelligent 4+4 and it dose very well.
@@neoblackwolf69i have a 2019 and I’ve been looking everywhere for a lift kit where do you get one v
I've had my 14 escape SE 2.0 ecoboost 4wd for 7 months now. I use the vehicle for my business and have already acquired 43,000 miles on it. There have been zero reliability issues and this car runs non stop in 105 degree weather for upwards of 12 hours a day. It has been off road for probably about 12,000 of its miles and I have had nothing but an amazing experience. The roads are typically unmaintained old logging roads in the mountains, so I'm not talking about some country dirt road. The vehicle is nimble and grips the dirt almost better than on pavement (especially since I added some all terrain light truck tires). Also the thing is stupid fast for what it is and is incredible fun to drive. P.S. K&N filter with no top cover gives you some nice wooshy turbo noises ;).
malro67 No room inside its not comfortable.. BACK seat is a joke
Old post but, what all terrain tires did you add?
Randall Bender edwrites 2018 San Fransisco is a overpriced dump.. 1000s of people eating out of trash bins, Tents lining the streets as far as you can see.. Open Heroin use. Hepatitis Outbreaks.. Even Orange,county had to removed 50% of its Parl benches because homeless people turned,it into a house.. Add it being 20X as expensive as is should, And the countrys worst Schools. = Liberal Paradise. Enjoy the Dump that you have created.. I used to go to Cali alot.. Never ever again will,i spend another dime in that state. I wont even Buy produce if it says CA on it..
I own a then new 2017 Escape Titanium AWD 2.0 EcoBoost. Love this vehicle. Plenty of room for four to five adults. Rear seats recline. Used it often on Allegheny mountain roads to get to our mountain House. I would never drive a car on these roads, but my Escape handled it without issues. The backseat is not like reflected on the video unless you set in the front seat and run the seat to the end of the front track where you need to reach forward to grab the steering wheel.. I'm 6'1" and my stepson sets behind me with ample room and he's over 6'. I know this is an old Post, but my 2017 rear seats recline giving more rear leg room. The 2.0 has plenty of power. The Awd system works well. The infotainment center is spot on. I didn't purchase an Escape for major off-road use. I purchased it because it rides and handles like a car with the ability to handle some off road needs. Traded a then new Chrysler 200 that had cramped rear seats. A pain to enter and exit because of it's slopping roofline and a transmission that had 8-service issues. After Two year owning my Escape. No issues and have to say maybe the best overall vehicle I've ever owned. Regarding the pricing. I purchased my loaded Titanium for just over $32,000 which then included the 2.0 Ecoboost which I believe was a $2000 option. When are you professional writters, testers or whatever you claim to fame is going to research MSRP versuses actual purchase price.
@@rb2939just bought my fiancé a 2013 escape… I’m 6 foot 1 inch tall, and I have more legroom in the backseat than I have in my own car, which is a 2012 Jeep grand Cherokee. HOWEVER, I do agree that the cargo space is somewhat lacking… I can use my Jeep as a pickup truck.
I actually liked more the previous Escape... I liked the trucky lines and style. It had way more "off roader" character. IMO.
wtrdogg20 Ya these are just lifted hatch backs no real off road tires, susp, ride height and have near low pro tires. My 2012 escape still has the SUV feel these are cars.
And cars have a much better road feel than standard SUVs.
+Craig Neal It's an SUV. it's far from a hatchback. It is technically referred to as a ln suv.
Size order-
Hatchback
Crossover
SUV (Which is what the Escape is.)
Agreed--I had a 2008 Escape and loved it. And if they still used that old "small truck" body style, I'd likely have bought another one. But since they turned it into, essentially, a jumbo station wagon (as many SUV's of that period did), I went with a mid-sized pickup truck instead.
My 05 4wd 3.0 escape climbs rocky dusty trails out here in gold country California totally stock and it does it with ease. These new models are just the escape name and not the platform
I still have my 2014 escape se ecoboost and it is still going strong in 2021. Hasn’t lost power, still handles like a dream, and the body has held up nice. Great car!
My wife has a 14 escape with a kuga grill on it lol been a great car. My parents liked mine enough to pick up a 15 escape. Theirs has been really good too
We have a foot of snow up here in Vancouver. I have the 2019 in the same spec although sport mode has manual gears available too.
The thing has been an absolute champ up some pretty steep hills that haven't been ploughed.
The "Sync" system as you refer to it is fine. To be correct, it's the "My Touch" that is the fly in the ointment.
Correct. Thank God Ford dumped that system. I work in the parts dept at a Ford dealer, and we replaced a number of the FCIM's (front control interface module), aka faceplate in those systems from people punching them outta frustration lol
snow tires man snow tires, all seasons don't cut it, I have one with the snows and it like a little tractor
I have a fwd ford escape and did a few upgrades to it and love it good on gas and drives strong
Thanks for this review. I drove it on the road, and by far one of the best drives on road for a compact x but I couldn't test it off road, so this is really helpful. Cheers
I have a 2015 Ford Escape SE. I have my for 4 years when it was a couple years old. It has a little bit over 81,000 miles on it. It was so easy to drive. I was driving my dad’s big SUV that was a Ford Expedition. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the size of it. I felt like driving a Ford Focus again in size. I can put my mountain bike in the back of it with the rear seat is down and even take off the front tire of the bike to make it fit.
Did you guys actually just quote fuel economy numbers while off roading? Seriously?
I have an Escape and I luv this car !!!! And you two crack me up every time !!!! Great job.👍😃
I love my ford escape never a problem.
A part of this video is used on a basil ford commercial in Buffalo ny.
I just bought my 2015 Titanium yesterday. I've been a parts guy at a Ford dealer for over 20 years. The weakest point of these machines are the 6f35 transmission. Mine was already fixed thankfully! Its my first turbocharged vehicle, and the Kuga 2.0 is a powerful little engine. Mileage could be better though. But with 240hp and AWD its not horrible. My weekend long test drive in cold MN weather was 21-24 mpg, driving it moderate to hard to put it through its paces, to make sure I like it for the long run. Its currently getting detailed and I'll be driving it home today after work. :)
2:05 : About mandatory snow tire : it's the laws here in Québec ( and yes we are in north america )
But not the United States
Frenchies don't count bud
We took it off road on a much harder trail and it did great. Just look it up, it has lots of views.
I took my wife's '13 off road yesterday to the top of a. Kentucky Mountain, and it did great.
Greetings to our friends in Colorado from Germany ;-)
Beautiful day in Colorado
nice test, the 2.0 ecoboost engine has now arrived in Germany. Thank God, 1.5 Ecoboost is a disaster. Greetings from good old Germany. 🤘🏻
You're doing something right, guys. Keep it up!
wow that handled like a champ
I have the 2014 all-wheel-drive great vehicle.The turbo gives you a good feel and plenty of power . Great review on a boy’s.
If you're going to buy this vehicle, I have two important recommendations. Get the 2.0L Ecoboost engine over the 1.6L one and wait till 2016 for Sync 3. The all-new infotainment system is miles ahead of MyFordTouch.
Sara Ali Sorry, I don't understand that language.
WuWei Xu sorry it's my son playing with my phone..nice video :)
+WuWei Xu I've had both of them and I honestly I think the 1.6 fits the car better
+governator45 Really? How come?
How To Escape: DIY, Tips, and Reviews The 1.6 is definitely a rev happy motor, but I prefer low end grunt.
I got a 2014 Escape Titanium bought it in December 2013 did my first winter with it was great.plus here in Quebec Canada winter tires are mandatory for winter. Can't wait to put on my summer Tires :-)
Pea-Gravel Trail Rated. But whatever you can say about the lift-kit Focus wagon, it looks a cut above it's nameplate class on the freeway.
Thank you Roman and Nathan. It is an interessting test also for europeans. Greetings from Germany. Boris
New Ford smell reminds me of what Toyotas used to smell like new back in the 80's, maybe just not quite as strong...but the scent is really similar.
I have a 2013 with 217,000 miles on it. I did have a transmission issue at 174,000 that cost me nearly $3k to fix. I was 100% my fault for beliving Ford that the transmission is lifetime. Should have done a few fluid changes. But a solid car. I have the 1.6L Ecoboost 4WD model. It is now by backup ride, I use it two days a week to keep the millage down on my new Truck.
You guys are me to each other it makes the show better.
I would like to have this follow me around some of the trails I take my jeep patriot on.
Great video, and yes I am the kind of person who wants a do it all car. I've take my 72 Chevy Impala up some of those trails and road around Nederland, Winter Park area. I love this car when I look at it, but I was quite disappointed at the lack of interior colors, cubbys and storage space. I still want one but I will wait until the model is tweaked, it is on of the few Fords where the major drive line components are not made in china.
The proper term these days are winter tires, meaning they perform better and much safer at temperatures below 7C, all season tires are made of a different rubber and gets really hard in cold weather providing less traction and contact with the road.
Got one four months ago. I like it.!!, and I usually hate fords too.
We have a 2013 Escape 1.6 and I love that thing!
I own new escape and it is pretty good off road
You guys should do other crossover off-road reviews on this trail, since it's a bit more plausible for this type of vehicle. Or a off-road matchup, crv, escape, rav4, rouge, mx5 etc
Great video with an even greater ending.
There is no insurance discount here in the US (That I have ever seen). And I live above the snow line.
The stock tires are M+S rated so they are legal to drive in the snow.
I'm not a crossover guy, but I like this Escape.
I prefer the looks of the previous generation...great review though =]
I really want to see a full review off road like this with the Kia Sportage AWD
Legends has it that Roman is still stuck in that gold mine to this day😂
You guys should see if you can get your hands on a 2015 z71 suburban or an LT to do an off road review on
for an on road car mostly, that's pretty good, chances are my chevy 1500 couldn't do that without bottoming out based on the experience I've had with it in the past
Winter tires should absolutely be the law, appreciate why you do what you do in your reviews. But they should be. Anyone who disagrees with me has never experienced the full benefit of winter tires.
@tflcar You're going to Nashville? Cool! I live right out side of Nashville! About 15 minutes away from the Nissan plant in Smyrna TN
Great car. Good review.
7:07 I like this trail much more than previous one.
Do more videos in there!
when are u guys doing snow test ford focus ?? 2012 se :)
This thing kicks subaru's ass !!!
Nice video guys! I'd Since the old "snow trail" review of the 2014 Forester also was somewhat of a mess, could you do another video with the Forester on this same trail?
Why is the Escape grey in this video that they showed getting stuck in the last video, but red in the last video?
They filtered the video with black and white
They painted it.
What happened to the tesla model s review that was going to be uploaded this week
You guys should test an Explorer in the snow off road. I remember that old escape video when you guys got stuck. I'm curious to see how the Explorer does compared to the Escape because the Explorer has a terrain selector system...
Fordguy1997 they did and it was allot better than the escape but could not top the jeep
could you do one of the old body style? need to look at used cars too.... with good Fuel mileage.
Great video! And Happy Easter 2018! I have that exact car except front-drive only here in California. That being said, would you suggest I avoid any in-paved road at all costs - or might my configuration be ok on the dirt road in the first segment of the video? Just looking to get out in nature a bit: Thanks for everything guys!
You guys should do a dodge Dakota truck off road test.
Nice review guys
Great video. Quick question, how much space is there in the front seats for tall people? I am 6'5'' and finding vehicles that fit well for me are very hard.
Very good 💓 year's I liked it very much
Would be cool to see a Head 2 Head comparison of Ecoboost Escape & Forester XT (0-60 times, observed mpg, price, off-road test, on-road test, fun factor, cargo capacity, ergonomics, etc).
Just picked one up abostley love it
#TITANIUM💪
If off road, always turn off the, traction control. I have the 1.5 liter engine and it goes through snow much deeper than that but you must have the traction control off.
Would like to see a Ford Edge AWD go up gold mine hill
What trim is that?? I thought the LED running lights only came on the Titanium? But the rims that are on this one look like SEL rims??
Is this actually KUGA?
does this 2014 have the same 4wd components and drivetrain as the 2013 ecoboost 2.0
Can you do a match up between a vw tiguan and the ford escape. the ford escape at the higher end is around the same price as an entry to mid level tiguan. Really interested to hear what you guys have to say in terms of real world testing. Also your thoughts on which will be more reliable and easier/cheaper to run over the course of the vehicles life.
What tires did you have on that car? I have this and am looking for new tires. Thank you.
Get rid of the wide tires, 235/70/16, put 205/80/16, and cut air pressure down to 25 lbs on all four. That Ford Escape will push snow up to the head lights
Those are 19 inch tires..
How many turbos does the 2.0 have and what’s the difference between AWD vs 4WD on the Escape?
Is the Zkuga better?
All new fords are dam sexy
how come that your escape doesn't have the blind spot side view mirror?
Henry M, are you driving a Henry J ?
At 3:45 when Nathan walks up with his pager clipped on to his shirt.....
Can you also do this trail in the AWD 3.6L Chevy Equinox?
i like the seating position for this car.
snowing in Boulder Colorado before October is out?
Good.. They lost the girl !! Back to decent car vids and reviews.. Thanks..
Very good 💓 year's
Do more like these with the other crossovers you tested.
Yes it is
Wow... you guys are easily impressed..
Who wouldn't be
mountains, so I'm not talking about some country dirt road. not timing the market every day The vehicle is nimble and grips the dirt almost
Well you said that in America you don't have winter tires well here in Canada were a bit smarter and have winter tires in the winter and summer tires in the summer not four season tires in the US of A
What about a Tuned version of this?
is this the Switzerland trail?
Is it really 4WD? Or should that title say AWD?
The law in my country also doesnt require to have snow tires but majority has them anyways. It not only about snow b
I miss the old Escapes
They are way better
I like the tech, looks, engine & overall package of the Escape. What I do question is that $35k price tag and quality which doesn't seem to match the VW Tiguan.
I understand Ford wants to go upscale with their entire lineup, but with a so-so reliability & not up to par interiors, I'm not sure if many people will pay that much for a non-luxury American car.
The Escape's reliability is nothing to write home about, but the VW's reliability is quite poor (like most VW's). Plus the Escape has far better fuel economy and nice things like a LSD.
I got a 2013 Escape, lots of features, 1.6L, 4WD and a pre-paid maintenance program and an extended warranty that holds my cost to $250 regardless of repair...for less than $33,000.
Could have got it for about $30,000 but without the added coverage.
I get 1 MPG more than Ford says I should, it's comfortable enough to drive all day, and hasn't gotten me stuck yet.
Good car, 23mpg in town, 31 on the highway, fun to drive.
Kristopher Inman Not true, I know many people who own high mileage VW's and don't have any major problems.
Kristopher Inman P.S. VW is one of the top 3 manufacturer's in the world producing only around 200k less vehicles a year than Toyota.
IRisHIwAsDrUnK Irish, VWs are junk. Go hang around a VW dealer service department a while. You'll hear all the "satisfied" customers dropping off their cars.
you don't need premium though, I asked last time I was at the dealer looking at the fusion
It is also law in Quebec. It's not law in my province, though, but I still get snow tires anyway as do most people with any common sense.
It doesn't sounds good because it's designed to be a quiet, soccer mom car haha. They sound good, just depends on the application!
Where is the offroad part?