Hi Nae,
Just to share my take on your choices, all 3 are very good, but...you knoew there was a but in there..:) The Escape and the Subaru do very well in the snow and ice. Both have a very good 4 wheel drive and have the weight you need for traction. The Toyota, well lets just say it's not very good in deep snow and ever worse on ice and steep hills. Considering I'm not much a fan of suv's and have never owned owned one. I do believe there are many good choices for those need a good offroad vehicle. What makes a good 4 wheel drive is one, weight. Any 4 wheel drive needs to be heavy enough to allow the wheels to dig in for traction. If its to light you will just spin your wheels and slide down the hill. Two, wheel base, distance between the front and rear wheels. This needs to be long enough to allow the tires to gain traction and keep the vehicle stable on slippery roads. 3, ground clearance. If it has a low center of gravity you won't be able to pass through deep snow or crawl up steep hills without doing damage to anything underneath. Ever see a Hummer up close? Any finally 4, the 4 wheel drive system. There is 4 wheel drive and there's all wheel drive. Many 4 wheel drive vehicles are not really 4 wheel drive. Because the axels on many 4 wheel drives are not designed to put traction to all 4 wheels you will just see one front wheel spin and one back wheel spin. A true all wheel drive has a locking differential in the rear and a center differential, this is what makes it all wheel drive, that shiifts the power between the front and rear wheels. This allows any wheel that has traction to grip so you won't just spin any tire that doesn't. That is why I say the Ford and the Subaru are good choices because they offer a better all wheel drive. The Toyota doesn't have enough weight and isn't really made for deep snow and ice. As for someone very tall, I would say all of them should accommodate a tall person. If you have any questions, you know where to find me.
hugs
Harry&Larisa

I love the things to do. Today I went out 'overdressed' for an appointment. Felt a bit odd but hey these clothes are just dying to get out and sight see! Happy New Year. Sorry re. car. I do transit. Electric a possible?

I hate buying a car but I do drive a hard bargin. I bought my SUV 2 years ago...a Merucry Mariner. It's just like the Ford Escape but a little more geared for women I think and I love it. I live the Ford Escape's too and the Kia SUV was nice too and better priced. The key is do your homework on line...it will tell you what you should expect to pay for a vehicle minus all the extra charges and markups the dealer tags on. Then you already have a target number in your head before you start the deal.
Good luck!