28+ MPG

[FusionDiffusion]

Hopefully you all enjoy this little write-up. Since there has been so much discussion about poor mileage with the Sport, I decided to do a little experiment to see how far I could push the mileage. Also known as hypermiling. I took a ~400 mile trip and the results are in:

 

Mileage:

Total distance: 396.0 miles

Fuel: 14.062 gallons

Pump mileage: 28.2 MPG (a new PR!)

Distance to empty: 46 miles

Dash MPG display: 29.1 MPG

Dash MPG error: about +3% (up to +10% typical)

 

Vehicle:

2010 Fusion Sport FWD

EPA 18 City / 27 Highway / 21 Combined

37 psi front 35 psi rear, original Eagle RS-A tires

200 lb load (me + baggage)

Everything stock

 

Fuel:

Filled up tank with 91 octane Kwik Trip ethanol-free gasoline, reset trip computer and MPG display.

Added a 20 oz bottle of Techron concentrate right before the fill-up

After trip, filled up tank at same gas pump to first click

 

Driving:

98% highway + freeway miles / 2% city

Cruise control set to 75 mph 75% of the time

Rest of time was spent behind traffic in ~60 mph construction zones

Average speed: 69 mph

Included a couple WOT passing maneuvers :shades:

 

Weather:

Ambient temperature: 60°F ±5°

Humidity: 50-80%

Light winds (<5 mph)

Dusk/evening hours

Some defrost usage (engages A/C compressor)

 

Now to really push the envelope, I reset my mileage display and drove another 25 miles home with the cruise set right at 60 (a little slower than I usually drive). After rolling through a few deserted stop signs (I coasted for about 1/2 mile before them), I took my time getting back to 60 (about 30 seconds or more). When I got home, I was even more pleased to see a reading of 32.5 MPG on the dash display! If I assume the same electronic error as before, that would be about 31.5 actual MPG! (Curiously, the window sticker said up to 32 mpg under the 27 highway rating). So if there was some flat road without any stop signs and I could drive a steady 55 mph, I think I could get 32+ mpg and over 500 miles on a tank! Well I'll be darned!

 

As you can see, with a little luck and some good quality gas, decent mileage is achievable. It's a combination of factors that also very much relies on a steady throttle. I noticed it took about 50 miles of driving for the mileage to peak around 28-29 mpg on the display (old fuel in the lines+Techron working?). The Techron probably helped clean out the injectors and valves a little (better spray=better mileage). Weather was also on my side with decent temps and hardly any wind. On a windy day I might loose 3-5 mpg unless it was a tailwind. Also some of you might get the impression that I got better mileage because I used 91 octane. Technically, on an engine tuned for 87 octane, using a higher octane might actually reduce mileage if the timing isn't advanced to compensate and the fuel is still burning as it passes through the exhaust valve. I would love to repeat this experiment with 87 octane to see if this would be true, but all the 87 around here has ethanol in it, so it wouldn't be a true comparison based on octane alone.

 

Also a note on the type of gas. Kwik Trip is a regional brand so you probably won't find it unless you live in Minnesota, Iowa, or Wisconsin. I had been using BP 87 with ethanol and decided to switch for this test because a friend recommended it to me (he was getting great mileage on it). So I'm almost sure the gas made a 10-15% difference here in mileage (probably mostly due to ethanol). My guess is the stuff is specially refined because all the other base stocks around here have ethanol in them (about 95% of gas sold here). Most gas sold in a given area typically comes from the same refinery. The difference is in the proprietary additive packages that each brand adds to their gas before it is shipped to their gas stations. So what's the best gas then? Everyone has their own opinion, but when the Big Three do their emissions and fuel economy testing, they use Chevron gas. This is interesting because there are no Chevron stations in Michigan. The automakers pay to have the gas shipped all the way from the refinery in Mississippi! I guess they think all the other gas is inferior and would lower their MPG ratings (which might be true by varying amounts). What is Chevron's fuel additive that the automakers like (and even re-brand in the case of GM and BMW)? Techron, which is what I put in my tank in concentrated form. Shell is also highly regarded for their fuel quality and uses similar additives. The government requires a certain amount of these additive detergents in all gas sold, but different manufactures use them in different amounts. Cheaper gas usually has less, and expensive gas has more. If you've been using gas without a lot of additives (it's almost impossible to know), the fuel injectors might start to spray a little less efficiently and the intake valves might accumulate a little carbon. I use the concentrated Techron occasionally to combat this and make sure things stay as clean as they're going to get even though I use decent gas. This stuff isn't going to clean out a clogged injector or a severely carbonized valve, so you have to use it with some frequency to keep up. I use it about every 5-10 k miles, which may seem like a lot, but I think it pays off in increased mileage especially if you buy them during the 2-for-1 special at your auto parts store. Keep that in mind if you're having trouble getting the mileage you think you should be.

 

Back in reality and normal driving circumstances, I'll agree this car doesn't shine efficiency-wise. It's heavy and starting from a dead stop will really cut into the mileage faster than other smaller displacement engines. It's just physics. So at the minimum, I'm able to confirm that the EPA fuel economy ratings are possible, just not easily achievable. Like they say, your mileage will vary.

[akirby]

The gas isn't special - it's just the Ethanol content. Some get 10% ethanol and some don't.

 

I doubt there is anything special with Chevron gas. It's probably done to ensure consistency and purity. You don't know what is in the tanks at the local stations. If I had to guess they bid it out and Chevron was the lowest cost.

 

There is no longer a big difference in gas additives. The biggest difference is whether it's E-10 or not.

[FusionDiffusion]

The gas isn't special - it's just the Ethanol content. Some get 10% ethanol and some don't.

 

I doubt there is anything special with Chevron gas. It's probably done to ensure consistency and purity. You don't know what is in the tanks at the local stations. If I had to guess they bid it out and Chevron was the lowest cost.

 

There is no longer a big difference in gas additives. The biggest difference is whether it's E-10 or not.

You're probably right. I only made a point about it because I've used other brands of supposed "ethanol-free premium" and have not seen the same kind of increased mileage. (I've made this same trip before under simlar conditions with ethanol-free gas.) I think I need to start testing gas for ethanol content myself.

[CN87]

Holy detailed write-up!

 

I go through phases with my MPG. There will be one tank where I hypermile it and take it real easy and there are times when I just like to really open it up. I am not one to complain about my MPG because I am coming from an Explorer which got horrible mileage and I did not buy the car for it's mileage properties. When I was searching for cars, MPG was way down on my list.

 

With that said, I am not ignorant about improving my mileage. My issue is that I generally encounter rush hour traffic which kills my MPG. On a good week, with a steady week of rush hour traffic and some weekend cruising, I get about 22.2 MPG. This week, I filled up on Sunday night and have sat in some crappy traffic and my car tells me 20.0 MPG (I reset each fill-up). This is with 87 octane.

 

Also, I wonder what effect the "winter gas" will have on our MPG. I expect the cool winter air, lack of A/C use, and winter gas to edge my MPG up a couple notches.

 

I have never used Techron, and I am thinking about adding some after reading this thread. Is there a certain amount of gas I should have in the tank when I add the Techron?

[FusionDiffusion]

Also, I wonder what effect the "winter gas" will have on our MPG. I expect the cool winter air, lack of A/C use, and winter gas to edge my MPG up a couple notches.

 

I have never used Techron, and I am thinking about adding some after reading this thread. Is there a certain amount of gas I should have in the tank when I add the Techron?

Winter gas is usually oxygenated more (ethanol) to reduce CO emissions, so usually the mileage goes down. Cooler air means more horsepower, but it also means more drag. That combined with the much longer time it takes the engine to warm up means a pretty decent mileage drop. I've always gotten the best mileage in the summer/fall with every car I've owned.

 

Use at least 1 oz of Techron per gallon of gasoline. Since you have a 17.5 gallon tank (FWD), just buy the 20 oz bottle and put the whole thing in. You will have to use the white funnel under the trunk mat. If you have reason to believe your engine is really dirty (no power, really bad MPG), you can use two bottles in a tank. Any more than that would just be a waste. Fill up the tank completely and drive until it is practically empty to get the most benefit.

[jwillum]

I just got back from a trip with my Fusion Sport AWD. Drove from PA to SC and kept the cruise set around 5 over, meaning I was around 70-75mph most of the trip. I reset the mpg display as I was leaving and checked it as I went. It was up around 27.2 for quite a bit of the trip. That was with 3 of us and all of our luggage in the car. No special fuel or additives. I thought that was pretty good for a car rated at 24 mpg on the highway.

[BlackBetty]

I'm averaging 19mpg in my 2011 fusion sport AWD. Best was 23.5 and least was around 17.

 

You guys should check out fuelly.com it can track your mpg's and does all the math for you!

 

Here's mine: http://www.fuelly.com/driver/blackbetty/fusion?fu=1848462

[locoone]

I consistently get 28.7 on the highway running premium. running e10 the mileage drops to just over 25mpg. Just did a trip from South Dakota to Kentucky in which I reset 3 times each way and each time it showed 28.7 mpg. Next trip I'll record both the gauge and gal/ miles to see where I'm actually at.

To say the least I'm actually impressed over the 07 focus i had before this. best I ever got with it was 29mpg.

[akirby]

I consistently get 28.7 on the highway running premium. running e10 the mileage drops to just over 25mpg. Just did a trip from South Dakota to Kentucky in which I reset 3 times each way and each time it showed 28.7 mpg. Next trip I'll record both the gauge and gal/ miles to see where I'm actually at.

To say the least I'm actually impressed over the 07 focus i had before this. best I ever got with it was 29mpg.

 

You should not be running premium. It's a waste of money.

[locoone]

You should not be running premium. It's a waste of money.

 

if you were to figure it out, you'd see I actually save money running premium.

28,7 x 17,5 = 502.25 miles (range on a full tank of premium)

25.2 X 17,5 = 441.0 miles (range on full tank e10)

thats 61.25 miles further on premium.

at .20 cents a gallon more thats 3.50 for a complete 17.5 gallon fillup of premium over e10.

that 3.50 is slightly under the cost of a gallon of premium (use 3.65 / gal compared to e10 @ 3.45 / gal)

which means even after the 3.50 difference per fillup I still get approx an extra 33 miles per fillup using premium, thus actually saving approximately $3,90 using premium.

I was actually being generous with the e10 mpg, its usually in the 24mpg range.

the savings over 87 w/o ethanol is about half, but its still there.

 

but in town in stop and go traffic, congestion, etc... throw whatever in. it wont make a difference in mileage no matter which fuel you use.

[akirby]

if you were to figure it out, you'd see I actually save money running premium.

28,7 x 17,5 = 502.25 miles (range on a full tank of premium)

25.2 X 17,5 = 441.0 miles (range on full tank e10)

thats 61.25 miles further on premium.

at .20 cents a gallon more thats 3.50 for a complete 17.5 gallon fillup of premium over e10.

that 3.50 is slightly under the cost of a gallon of premium (use 3.65 / gal compared to e10 @ 3.45 / gal)

which means even after the 3.50 difference per fillup I still get approx an extra 33 miles per fillup using premium, thus actually saving approximately $3,90 using premium.

I was actually being generous with the e10 mpg, its usually in the 24mpg range.

the savings over 87 w/o ethanol is about half, but its still there.

 

but in town in stop and go traffic, congestion, etc... throw whatever in. it wont make a difference in mileage no matter which fuel you use.

 

But the difference isn't the octane, it's the ethanol as you pointed out (and which I didn't read before). You'd get similar results with straight 87 octane with no ethanol.

[pcsgrp35se]

With 54k miles, on the highway I am getting almost 30mpg and the combined mostly local driving 24.5mpg on 87 octane

[Jim Rockford]

Always back up your dash reading with a manual calculation... IE: 234miles on the tripometer / 12 gallons = 19.5 I noticed my first tank was a few tenths off , but it could be as bad as 5mpg off

 

My first tank driving mostly interstate and maybe 5% stop and go was 24.6 but we have craphole e10 laced gas, I really would with this crap would go away.

Edited March 15, 2012 by Jim Rockford

[Jim Rockford]

Little update, When I bought my car I seen the dealer had done an oil change on it sometime, and I got to figureing they used some crappy ass bulk 20-50 like we use to at toyota. so i changed the oil with motorcraft 5w-20 and a wix filter , checked the air filter it was new and I cleaned the MAF sensor with air sensor cleaner , drove up to the store and filled up and was rewarded with 30mpg on the display..lol It has never been that high, so I figured it would drop back down to 24-25 , but it hasnt its stayed up around 28-29 mpg, wife drove it to WV this monday to take her mom to the casino and she got 29 mpg most of the way, I'm filling it up tommor wand I'll do the real math and see just what its getting, but I suspect I'll be very suprised. I love this car.

[Jim Rockford]

well it got 26.8 on her trip and I just drove down to N.C. and I got 27 on the way down their and part way back. getting better everytime.

[fusion0389]

I drove straight from lynchburg, va to charlottesville, va at about 5mph over the 55-65 speed limit(cruise control)and ended up with 27.1 MPG on my 2012 Fusion Sport AWD. I was pretty impressed, especially considering how many hills\mountains I drove through!

[FusionDiffusion]

New milage PR!

 

391.9 miles / 13.241 gallons = 29.6 MPG

Average speed 68 MPH

 

Same driving conditions as above except average temp was about 80ºF and I had the A/C on almost the whole time.

[Rodrigo]

FusionDiffusion, that is AMAZING! I just came from a 200 mile mountain road trip with a 400 lb cargo/passenger load, and I came out with 20.7 mpg... pathetic! This was under my normal driving (i.e. minimum coasting, no hypermiling or cruise control, and with a few more WOT passes), but still!! I am astounded by the difference. I put gumout fuel injector cleaner in my last fill up with 87 octane fuel. I could feel the difference in response and was convinced that my car was driving a bit better in terms of consumption. However, for this trip I mentioned, I had regular 87 with no additives or cleaners.

 

I'm not sure how often I should be using additive/cleaners, but was under the impression that it should be timed with every oil change. Is this true or would i get better results shortening the gaps?

 

Your results are really impressive and I would be happy to get mine to do 25 mpg!

[FusionDiffusion]

Thanks for the praise! You're going up an down hills with a decent load and AWD, so I agree 23-25 MPG would be a more reasonable target to shoot for. In your situation, you might consider using the SelectShift to keep the trans in 5th or 6th most of the time so it isn't shifting as much. You could also use it to downshift and engine brake instead of using the hydraulic brakes as much. If you're in mountain traffic, all bets are off because of how people drive.

 

Like I said in my first post I use Techron concentrate because it's one of only fuel additives that's proven to do anything (OEMs like GM use it). Every 5000 miles (different schedule than my oil) since the car was new.

[machonemoto]

Fusiondiffusion, u are perfect for this theory if ever i encountered any...very meticulous & observant. Without data (even irrelevant looking), no patterns or cross-connections will ever emerge.

 

So, I humbly suggest maybe replicating your dialed hyper-miling technique, but w/ ESC OFF. Actually, maybe two. Both would be ESC OFF but one w/ auto only & cruise, the other full manual (SST, only using D to get to 6th cuz sst need 45 for 6th while drive will allow 6th below that if no load/downhill..trick for holding 6th in 35mph zone...auto downshift to 5th in sst occurs @ 39mph) if possible only using cruise on flats.

 

Being on an island makes it impossible to clearly see how much, if any, mileage is reduced from the persistant meddling of the Electronic Stability Control. I drive the sport in sst 90% of the time & esc off 99% of the time. I always calc mileage manually (trip miles/gal filled) and reset/compare avg mpg display at every fill-up on 87. No logging, just casual tracking. But on rare, repeatible trips, esc off showed a small gain of maybe 2-3%, not justifiable but for me, noticeable. I notice the scratch on the back of a panel by someone else...

 

Major point is the stability control and cruise down-hill braking are all logic based on dabbing the calipers independently. What a drag (pun intended). I still believe a competent operator w/ optimized (dialed & set-up) equipment cancels all theory (electronic aids in this case). I also hate the reduced/slow steering ratio @ speed or the constant steering correction required @ 90-95% corner loading which freaks me out...chassis is competent/predictable balance which if it weren;t, no electronics could fix. It's main purpose is to control the back because all except brakes are at front.

 

Aloha

[FusionDiffusion]

Just to be clear, I have repeated this milage several times getting about 28.4 and 28.6 MPG so it's not a one-time fluke.

 

The particular trip I take when doing these runs is almost all freeway miles, so again I do have the cruise control on almost continually and because I'm going faster than 45 mph the transmission is staying in 6th gear 99.5% of the time because of that. So repeating the run with the SST in 6th would not really change the results at all.

 

You say you are turning ESC off 99% of the time, but if you are using the button on the dash panel below the climate controls you are only turning traction control (TC) off. The driver cannot disable the electronic stability control (ESC) from the cabin. So when you press the button and you get the amber light in the cluster, all it does is to allow you to spin your wheels without intervention. If you go around a curve too fast and the rear kicks out, the ESC will still activate. Trust me I know because I've driven through snowstorms this way.

 

Since I'm not spinning my wheels at any time during my trip, turning off the TC will have no effect whatsoever on my milage.

[machonemoto]

My post is not an attempt to disqualify your data nor methodology. Urs is just the most scientific & analytical because of method, so see it as best way to test ESC off theory. The mention of using drive to acheive 6th, then go to sst & upshift twice to regain 6th, is just what i do in a 35 mph stretch but going 40-45 w/ cruise on...irrelevant really. I've no snow/ice experience, nor do I want it. I think you are partially correct about stability/yaw control still there w/ amber lite on (esc off by bottom button), just a larger yaw rate before intervening. I test methodically on specific roads (med/high load @ 70-80 constant radius) and can feel the esc drag inner wheels drag (slip/rotation & sway control), which is fine if not for the constant steering correction required in a constant radius turn at constant road speed. Finally determined that road surface irregularities & grip are cause for incessant yaw meddling.

 

Try and do an aggresive weave manuever @ 60-70 @ ssot (steady state open throttle), in whatever gear, on dry/smooth pavement. U don't even have to switch lanes, just do quick/large steering inputs to initiate a weave, only correcting back to straight once back wheels catch up to front. There's is a difference, but your info as well as what latest Motor Trend police interceptor said about esc having optional levels of intervention (latest superbikes have several levels of tc which are shit until they starts keying off actual torque from crank, which is what MotoGP is doing for that "throttle connection" that flat slide race carbs gave). With esc in sport/track mode, they were able to step back out on SHO taurus under heavy decel @ corner entry...I have replicated that w/ esc off, in the wet & dry.

 

Your observations have cleared what I thought I fully knew. ESC OFF is really ESC LESS ON. I don't drive past 75% of my skill set, but testing need not be done @ 100% pace to analyze dynamics. In racing, large slip angles (slides) where u actually feel lessened foward progress, is bad & usually ends up w/ a high side. But drifts due high lateral & thrust/braking loads that step out of line by an inch or two is optimal balance state which one can feel, see (chassic yaw), but feels correct & right because foward progress is present.

 

It was just a thought. Respectfully.

[FusionDiffusion]

No disrespect taken. Maybe I'm misinterpreting what you're trying to say.

 

While I haven't personally tried to put my car into a skid at 70+ MPH with the button on and off to compare, I can tell you at slow speeds and on slippery roads pushing the button had no effect on the level of ESC intervention (believe me I wish it did). I've tried holding the button and everything. I know on other Ford vehicles like some Mustangs and the F150 Raptor you can put the ESC in a "sport" mode that allows more yaw or turn it off completely. However I know this is not the case on Fusions. If you read the book there is a table that explains the button is only disabling traction control, nothing else.

 

What I think is happening in your case is you're noticing the torque management (as part of the traction control) cutting the throttle as the weight comes off the inside wheel and it begins to spin slightly under WOT. With that type of maneuver the throttle closing and the braking of the wheel would probably cause a noticeable disruption to the swerve maneuver that might be misinterpreted as ESC intervention. Of course the way to test this would be to repeat the maneuver with the throttle closed at the same speed (accelerate faster, let off and coast until you reach your target speed). In the case of a closed throttle I don't think you'll notice any difference in the handling with the button on or off.

Edited September 9, 2012 by FusionDiffusion

[machonemoto]

Have oem shop manuals (3 volumes). Will research more, but know that tests on, off, steady throttle, brake & engine back-torque loads all experimented with telling my "butt" that stability control (not traction) is 2-level mode...on & something else.

 

Now I having fun..ur comments are relevant 4 me, sir.

 

[BKZOWN]

Nice report. I use only premium gas in my sport. I live in Brooklyn so basically most of my driving is stop and go. Although there are times on the highways I've seen 32+ mph on cruise control. More the most part I only get around 210 miles per tank.