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Ford Escape Hybrid MPG-Real World Numbers

222 messages,  Last post on May 25, 2010 at 8:27 AM

You are in the Ford Escape Hybrid Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Escape Hybrid, Fuel Efficiency (MPG)

Messages Page 12 of 23

#104 of 222 Re: Higher hwy then city mileage [floyd2222] by softpedal

Aug 23, 2007 (9:41 am)

Replying to: floyd2222 (Jul 11, 2007 1:05 pm)
Floyd, I'm a long term Ford Escape 4WD Hybrid owner, my 2006 turns two next month, with only 17K miles! I've discovered that on highway miles, if not pushing too hard but staying 65-70 mph, I get an average of just over 30 MPG, but in city driving, especially short hops, I only get about 28 MPG, and less if air is on. It's a honey of a car, smooth and peppy, but mindful driving when battery is charged up does deliver good mileage, for an SUV. The trouble with city driving is the flow of traffic, where you have to keep up, go on green and stop on red, which cuts into MPG. If no other traffic around, I can run more on electric mode, but stepping on it revs into gas engine quickly, perhaps too quickly, so MPG drifts down. I also discovered, since I have a short commute, that if I don't do a lot of steady highway driving, but just hopping around town, there seems to be a natural drift down on the display. It's easy to lose 0.1 MPG when the engine starts, but it's harder to get it back, so eventually it drifts below 28. I never managed to get 32 MPG in city as claimed, however it does better on highway than claimed. All around, it's been a great car. Wife and I love it.

#105 of 222 Milage Variation by osprey2

Sep 14, 2007 (8:39 pm)

2008 FWD (not 4WD):Filled the tank 21 times. Have achieved an overall MPG of 27.66.
HWY 26mpg (usually at 60 mph..cruise control with an empty luggage rack on the roof). City has been about 32mpg.
Worst was 13.46 mpg. Daughter borrowed car. Loaded 5 people in it plus their luggage plus a luggage rack on the roof plus a luggage bag and then drove it an average of 70 mph!!
Best mileage was 33.95 mpg .. all city.
Most of my driving over the summer has been on the highway with the luggage rack. I noticed that the removal of the luggage rack boosted my mpg by about 10%.
Looking forward to getting good mpg as I use it more in the city and don't have the luggage rack.
Wife and I love this car so far. Back seats folded down most of time .. great for shopping!!

#106 of 222 Re: Milage Variation [osprey2] by osprey2

Sep 29, 2007 (12:49 pm)

Replying to: osprey2 (Sep 14, 2007 8:39 pm)
Update .. since I took off the luggage rack my MPG has jumped from an average of 27.27 MPG (Average of 5 tanks with the luggage rack on) to 32.42 (again 5 tanks with the luggage rack off). YIKES .. a 19% improvement.
Both numbers are a combination of city and highway driving.
That luggage rack cost me big time. Even when nothing was being carried in it (which was most of the time).
I had left it installed on the roof because I was lazy .. not doing that again!!

#107 of 222 Re: Milage Variation [osprey2] by dhuang2

Oct 01, 2007 (11:25 am)

Replying to: osprey2 (Sep 29, 2007 12:49 pm)
For osprey2
Could you describe more about the luggage rack installed in your car? Is it the OEM installed the two side rails with two cross bars or is it a custom rack?
 
Thanks,

#108 of 222 Re: Milage Variation [dhuang2] by osprey2

Oct 11, 2007 (9:20 pm)

Replying to: dhuang2 (Oct 01, 2007 11:25 am)
It is an aftermarket unit built by Thule.
It attaches to the ford cross bars which are expensive. Can't remember the exact price for the cross bars but it was over $200 for each one .. close to $500 cdn for the set of two (probably cheaper in the US even with 1 cdn dollar = 1.02 us ... sore point up here how long it takes for retail to recognize a rising dollar and how fast they recognize a sinking one .. but I go off topic here).
It is a Thule 840/9180 Playpen. And it looks somewhat like a
kids bicycle basket. There are a series of 9 tubes
which are elongated "U"s going across the top (90 degrees to the airflow) and two tubes which run at 90 degrees to the Ford Cross bars. It has a tube which is parallel to the roof at the top of the "U"s so that things don't fall out the side.
The thing is maybe 12 inches deep. There is a wind deflector on the front.
I have no problem with the unit itself. It is sturdy, well made and clamps nicely to the cross bars. We've used it with a cargo net where you fill it up and hook the cargo net to the tubes. Cargo will get wet this way. We have also used it with a cargo bag, which is basically a big bag that is water proof. I have no data on MPG between bag and net. But I do have data on keeping it on the roof top when empty. I won't do that again. As I've said in the previous post it cost me about 19% in mileage .. and that's a lot.

#109 of 222 MPG in Southern Climate by paparusty

Oct 22, 2007 (6:52 pm)

My wife and I test drove an '06 Hybrid in the heat of summer in Pensacola, FL. The AC was on Max and we noticed that the vehicle never ran on battery only, even at idle. I would think that the MPG would be dramatically impacted. Dealership had not comments other than to admit that some purchasers had express dissatisfaction with MPG. Can anyone in So. USA confirm? We bought an '06 Gas to go with our '02 Gas. Love both of them!

#110 of 222 Re: MPG in Southern Climate [paparusty] by warlok2

Oct 22, 2007 (7:55 pm)

Replying to: paparusty (Oct 22, 2007 6:52 pm)
There are two settings which are orange on the thermostat dial. Max AC and defrost. They are "demand" settings which keep the ICE running regardless of speed. Think about it, how would you like it if you really needed your defroster, and it just kicked off and went into battery mode. If you want to use the battery, put it on just regular ac, or recirc. They both work perfectly fine if you are moving. Otherwise it does get a little stifling if you are sitting for long periods. My MPG using max ac has never gone below 27 mpg mixed driving, and right now I'm usually getting 32-33 mpg mixed driving. Mine is a 2006 Hyb.

#111 of 222 Re: MPG in Southern Climate [paparusty] by ekiehn

Oct 24, 2007 (9:43 am)

Replying to: paparusty (Oct 22, 2007 6:52 pm)
I have the '06 hybrid as well and live in SOFLA - South Florida for the uninitiated in the heat of the summer I usually end up with the AC on MAX and which does affect fuel mileage, but it depends on where I'm driving to. If I start off on a 98 degree day and am driving stop and go traffic it's on, but if I drive more distance and less stop and go I switch to normal recerc AC. Usually even on a hot day after about 15 minutes the interior is cooled enough that even if you get stopped at a light and the engine turns off, the cool air still flows long enough so that when you start off again, all is cool (and this is from someone who likes it cool).
 
Mileage goes down in summer usually no lower than 27mpg, but now that fall is coming and I'm only battling temps in the lower to mid 80's I almost always have it set to standard AC so the ICE turns off at lights etc. Millage is now back up to 32+ MPG.
 
You learn a little different way of driving, but if my 15 year old can get a kick out of trying to get the best mileage out of a car and eagerly tries to top is Dad, then anyone can love hybrid technology.

#112 of 222 Re: MPG in Southern Climate [paparusty] by mecheng1

Oct 24, 2007 (12:02 pm)

Replying to: paparusty (Oct 22, 2007 6:52 pm)
Your characterization of the Hybrid with the A/C on makes it sound like some sort of "short coming" of the vehicle. True, the current (3rd gen) Prius does include an electric A/C compressor....so you can have cold A/C and EV at the same time. However, this drains energy faster from the HVbattery which may require the ICE to come on to charge the HV battery sooner.
 
Even conventionally powered Escapes will show reduced FE with the A/C running. So, if the FEH FE is reduced due to using A/C....so is the FE of any other vehicle it is being compared to.

#113 of 222 Re: MPG in Southern Climate [mecheng1] by stevedebi

Oct 25, 2007 (1:12 pm)

Replying to: mecheng1 (Oct 24, 2007 12:02 pm)
"True, the current (3rd gen) Prius does include an electric A/C compressor....so you can have cold A/C and EV at the same time. "
 
Not to be picky, but where did you get three generations? Gen 1 was 2000-2003, Gen 2 was 2004 - present. There was a Japanese version in 1997, IIRC, but it was identical to the Gen 1.

Messages Page 12 of 23

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