Hybrid MPG

[ctrcbob]

Just saw that Consumer Reports is testing both the Ford C-Max Hybrid and the Fusion Hybrid. Neither one is getting nearly the MPG that Ford says they get. They have been testing the C-Max Hybrid for a while, but the Fusion Hybrid only for a couple weeks. MPG's only in the mid to high 30's.

 

Strange how the Prius says it gets 48 (or is it 49), and thats what it gets. My buddy in Roswell worries when his third generate Prius drops down below 51 MPG. When he had his second generation Prius, I once asked him if he ever reset his average MPG. Said he did not even know that it could be reset. (I found the menu to reset it). At the time, he owned the car for over a year, had over 20k miles on it, at the readout read 49.5 mpg average. Yep, 49.5 mpg average for over a year and over 20k miles.

 

If I should break down and buy a Fusion or MKZ Hybrid, I don't want him to laugh at me <grin>.

 

Hope the government does not get after Ford/Lincoln the same way they got after Hyundai/Kia.

[Waldo]

But CR only got 44mpg on the Prius. So maybe the government should go after Toyota too.

Edited December 5, 2012 by Waldo

[GrayStrider]

We're at about 36.8 mpg lifetime according to the update screen in the car. Gets up to 37.3 when we're doing more highway than city driving. Still off from the 47 combined on the window sticker.

[fastrace01]

I would not be surprised if the overall mpg is only going back 1,000-miles or so. I have read that some of the 80's dash computers only go back the last 1,000-miles.

 

I know people who have a Prius that are only getting 35mpg. I know people getting 55mpg.

 

I know people with a Fusion Hybrid that are getting an avg. of over 45mpg.

 

I have a 1995 Lincoln Town Car and on the open road I avg about 26.5 mpg. I see people with Town Cars on open road avg only 22.

My 2003 Town Car only gets about 25 mpg on the high way on the same driving.

 

In town I am averaging about 18mpg. for real.

 

I drove a new 12 Fusion on a 4,500 mile trip with the A/C blasting in the 120F heat, the car was loaded to the max for vacation with two heavy adults, driven fairly hard, b/c it was

a rental, and it had the 3.0 V-6 Automatic and I got a real 31.5 mph and most of that was high speed interstate at 75mph+.

 

Fuel mpg can be too subjective.

 

Real world in lab test are needed that can be reproduced over and over.

 

Think about things as simple as one gas fill up you got 10% ethanol The nest fill up you got 0% ethanol. The mpg would be way off under the same driving.

 

We have a doctor that works with us and he has a 11 Fusion Hybrid and he is getting 48 mpg over all. He is a very easy driver. He makes a game of upping his MPG.

 

He also has a Prius, but likes the Fusion better. He also has a 12 F-250 Diesel, a 12- Cadillac SUV, and several others new cars. It must be nice to have that kind of money.

 

He also drives his mom's old 1984 Oldsmobile 98 Diesel 4-dr once per month. He loves that old car the best out of all his cars. His mom won't let him have the car just yet. He says he will keep it once she dies. He said it is getting about 16 mpg in town and 31mpg on the highway, but it is way under-powered and almost no shops will work on it for him. It does have a bad oil leak. He has to use a GPS in the Oldsmobile Diesel as he says the mph and mile meter read too slow. The GPS is very accurate in miles driven, etc. His sister drives the diesel as well, but they are too afraid to take "Mother" to the doctor and the store in it.

 

It is kind of sad when a car that is 30 years old, no aerodynamics, a big old V-8 inneficent technology out of the 1970's, horribly low ratio transmission and rear axle final drive, gets better gas mileage that a 2013 vehicle that is of the same weight.

 

We have not made real good progress if you ask me.

We should be getting 80mpg.

Edited January 5, 2013 by fastrace01

[Waldo]

Sure, but that 84 Oldsmobile is still putting out way more harmful pollutants than even your friend's F-250 or Cadillac SUV. If your only goal is fuel economy, 80mpg would be easy. But if you want a car that's comfortable, quiet, safe, reliable, has good performance and meets current emissions regulations, then it's much more difficult.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Waldo

[acdii]

Waldo nailed it. It is very easy to get high MPG, but the cost is very high emissions of the wrong kind. Lean burn engines got great FE, but the NOX emissions wer on the corrosive side they were so high. EPA has made it very difficult to get high MPG due to the restrictions on emissions, hence why hybrids were created. It is also a reason why diesel tech has been so slow in coming, while diesels can eek out more power per drop of fuel, the emissions they create are nasty, so they have to come up with designs to clean the emissions afterwards, which robs power, and reduces MPG. My old 99 F350 could get better MPG than the new ones on the road now for the same or more power output, but the exhaust coming out the pipe is very dirty.

[akirby]

Don't forget all the weight added for safety compliance.

[Pers69]

One of the things I value about the Fusion is the quality safety features and engineering.

[cungaro]

I've been seeing on this site that the hybrid titanium was to start production on Jan. 7. Does anyone know if that's true? I was at a Ford dealer yesterday, and the salesman almost tried to steer me away from going for the Titanium because he "checked with someone else in the dealership, and he said production won't start until March, and then it could be another two or three months after that before it arrives--or maybe never." Is that possible? Maybe he just wants to sell the cars he has on the lot to make a quicker sale? I even said to him, after driving an SE Hybrid, that I'd buy one immediately if he had a Titanium. He still wasn't moved to sign me up. I'm confused and really unsure what to do. If I had to wait a month or two, that would be fine. But not five or six months... Thanks!

[Pers69]

I seriously doubt 5-6 months given that hybrid SEs and gas Ti's have been rolling off the line for several months now.

 

I could fathom such for the Energi Ti ... but not the regular hybrid Ti.

 

Where is Waldo?

[Pers69]

By the way - regularly check Cyberdman's tracking thread on blueovalforums. I hope to see cars from Job 2 scheduled over the nest several weeks.

 

Here is where it is located: http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index.php?/forum/80-vehicle-locator-by-ford-employees/

[cungaro]

Thanks, Pers69. Much appreciated. This would be the first American car I've bought in quite some time, not to mention going for my first hybrid. The stars are in alignment if they can get the hybrid Ti in a month or two. The fact that the sales rep, who was surprisingly non-aggressive and downright leery about delivery of the Ti just gets me a little worried.

[hermans]

Thanks, Pers69. Much appreciated. This would be the first American car I've bought in quite some time, not to mention going for my first hybrid. The stars are in alignment if they can get the hybrid Ti in a month or two. The fact that the sales rep, who was surprisingly non-aggressive and downright leery about delivery of the Ti just gets me a little worried.

Well...if he told you it would be in on X day and it wasn't, you'd be plenty upset. They don't commit to times and Murphy's Law is alive and well.

 

I've waited from 6 weeks to over three months for a new ordered vehicle. The longest was in 1968 for my KR 500. The shortest was for a 70 Galaxie 500.

[acdii]

When you can build and price one on their web site is when they are ready to order, until then, only speculation.

[Russell]

Well I have been watching this topic with great interest as I now ow a FFH with 2200 miles.And mileage was one of the prime reasons for getting it.So here is my story so far,I live in the eastern burbs of Chicago near Elgin temp about 30,currently about 5 inches of snow.

My first Hywy trip was at 1900 miles drove to Galena il about 125 miles.The trip was 4 lane and2 lane country roads .I had the cc

Set at 60 and stayed there 90 per cent of the way.My Mpg was about 44 Iam getting impressed, now the suburb driving,

I just checked and it read 49.8 that was about 17 miles .And my total history mileage has moved from about 35 to its current 37.4.

It moves up a little bit every day.Now am I unhappy with the mileage do far ? not at all.I really love the car my prior car was a Volvo S40t

a compact car .It to got about 450 from a 16 gal.tank and it was smaller and lighter.If the current mileage keeps up I will be happy.

 

[Pers69]

Good to hear.

[acdii]

Well I have been watching this topic with great interest as I now ow a FFH with 2200 miles.And mileage was one of the prime reasons for getting it.So here is my story so far,I live in the eastern burbs of Chicago near Elgin temp about 30,currently about 5 inches of snow. My first Hywy trip was at 1900 miles drove to Galena il about 125 miles.The trip was 4 lane and2 lane country roads .I had the cc Set at 60 and stayed there 90 per cent of the way.My Mpg was about 44 Iam getting impressed, now the suburb driving, I just checked and it read 49.8 that was about 17 miles .And my total history mileage has moved from about 35 to its current 37.4. It moves up a little bit every day.Now am I unhappy with the mileage do far ? not at all.I really love the car my prior car was a Volvo S40t a compact car .It to got about 450 from a 16 gal.tank and it was smaller and lighter.If the current mileage keeps up I will be happy.

Just for kicks I should have you drive my car, but its going in tomorrow night, so lets see if they can actually find the problem. If not, I would like to see what you can get out of it.