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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 17 of 23

#156 of 222 Re: 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid Mileage Not Good [mecheng1] by exb

Feb 03, 2008 (9:48 pm)

Replying to: mecheng1 (Jan 28, 2008 11:10 am)
Without question my previous car (a 2002 Ford Focus) got poorer mileage in the winter. I tracked the mileage on the Focus the way I track the mileage on the Escape. My hope was that hybrid power would somehow improve winter mileage, too. This week I got a pleasant surprise. When the windows started to fog up, instead of running the defroster, l set the temperature control to 75 degrees on the economy setting and cranked up the fan a few notches. I was not uncomfortable and the windows stayed clear. The engine started using the HV battery sooner than it had all winter. So far I have driven 220 miles on this tank and the fuel needle is straightup at half full (or half empty depending on your outlook). The mpg reading on the panel indicates between 30 and 31. I'll know for sure at the next fill up when I make my own calculation. Here's hoping!

#157 of 222 Re: 2008 FEH Mileage Not Good - winter milage goes down on all[mecheng1] by baysailor

Feb 08, 2008 (11:31 pm)

Replying to: mecheng1 (Jan 28, 2008 11:10 am)
All cars, both hybrid and non-hybrid, get worse milage in cold (below freezing weather. The use of ethanol & other smog-cutting additive, the longer time to get to operating temperature, and the general cruddier conditions combine to reduce your milage. My ride, a BMW, drops 10-15% in milage during the winter. My F-150 truck is 15-20%. At least it uses regular unleaded.
 
 So if you add the inefficiencies of cold batteries and electric motors, the need to keep the batteries, the Catconverter and the human warm, its no suprise you take another 10-15% hit in milage with the Hybrid.
 
The FEH still gets better gas mileage, even cold, than the non-hybrid version of the same vehicle.

#158 of 222 Cold weather mileage - dropped like a stone by tomgen

Feb 11, 2008 (9:41 am)

Hi,
 
I have had an 08 for about 8 months. I bought it in the spring, so I got the benefit of high mileage in the warm weather. I calculated between 31 & 32 mpg until the temp dropped. I live in the Chicago area and this winter has some bad cold snaps. My mileage started dropping when the temp went below 40. When the temp was hovering around 0, the mileage was down to about 25 mpg! While 25 mpg is good for an Escape being driven in the city, it is still quite a drop.
 
The temp is back around 0, so the RPMs stay in the 2500 range for the 1st 30-45 min the engine is on. If the engine shuts off at a stop, it is only for about 30 secs and that is after everything has warmed up. The battery really suffers in this weather and appears to need quite a bit of changing after sitting in the cold all night. I keep my vehicle in the garage, so I can't imagine what the battery performance would be if the vehicle spent the night outdoors! The good news is that as the temp goes up, so does the battery performance. I expect my mileage to go back up when spring arrives.
 
Regards,
 
Tom
 
P.S. I drive about 90% in the city/burbs.

#159 of 222 Re: Cold weather mileage - dropped like a stone [tomgen] by mackris

Feb 11, 2008 (9:54 am)

Replying to: tomgen (Feb 11, 2008 9:41 am)
Thanks Tom,
 
This is very good to hear as I bought our 08 FEH at the end of January and have pretty much been in the 22 - 26 MPG range. I've been wondering weather I bought a lemon or not, but have been told to just wait till the weather warms up. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
 
Thanks, John

#160 of 222 Re: Cold weather mileage - dropped like a stone [mackris] by ekiehn

Feb 12, 2008 (3:53 pm)

Replying to: mackris (Feb 11, 2008 9:54 am)
Wow, been away to long, lots of great conversation going especially on the Cold Weather front.
 
Good to see less talk about lemons when the mileage drops. When you put it in perspective though, 22-26 MPG in the winter for an Escape is still good mileage. Spring will come and mileage will go up (just when gas prices go up as well) and with every price increase you'll be smiling at the pump.
 
BTW don't forget to factor in the 10,000 mile oil changes/maintenance instead of every 3 to 5. This just piles on your overall savings.
 
Eric

#161 of 222 10 kmi oil change intervals - how do folks feel about this? by baysailor

Feb 24, 2008 (11:34 am)

This is one area that I'm still leary about, regardless of the vehicle. Engine oil is an expendable fluid that directly impacts how long the engine will running without a rebuild. Considering all the gunk and dirt and grit contaminates that oil picks up, and the fact that when the filter gets packed up with this stuff, a blowby valve opens to keep the oil flowing, regardless of how polluted it is, makes me really skeptical of the "benefit" for 10 kmi oil benefit. I really like the truck, and the way it's put together, and I want to keep it for at least 200 kmi, as I typically do. I wouldn't put it past an unscrupulous finance group at FMC to "stretch out" the oil change intervals in order to save a couple of bucks on factory-financed service, with the long term impact of reduced engine life, especially since I don't believe the standard oil used is a full synthetic. In my mind, regular oil changes are cheap insurance for longer engine life. Same thing with engine coolant, but to a lesser degree.
 
Does anyone closer to the automotive community have thoughts on this? Also does anyone know if there is any particular sensor that monitors the down-stream oil pressure from the filter, or the pressure drop thru the filter on the MMH? Would be reassuring to know. Otherwise, I'll probably stick with my own rule of oil changes every 5 kmi, regardless.
 
Cheers,
Rich

#162 of 222 Re: 10 kmi oil change intervals - how do folks feel about this? [baysailor] by warlok2

Feb 24, 2008 (4:19 pm)

Replying to: baysailor (Feb 24, 2008 11:34 am)
Most wear and tear on an engine is from idling. Where the oil is not fully pumped throughout the engine cylinders compared to when the RPMs are at optimum. The hybrid, through design, does not idle anywhere near as much as a standard ICE vehicle. Thus the reduced demand for oil changes. I have a 2006 hybrid 2wd. I have had the owner's manual suggested 5k, 10, and 20k changes. No more, no less. Ford has put millions of miles on their test vehicles. Do you think they would put something in their manuals that could lead to non-support of hybrid vehicles because of engine damage? They had to get everything right with this vehicle. I think they have.
 
The only problems I have had is with a low tire pressure sensor being a little too sensitive in the winter time when its <40 degrees outside.

#163 of 222 Re: 10 kmi oil change intervals - how do folks feel about this? [warlok2] by ekiehn

Feb 25, 2008 (8:29 am)

Replying to: warlok2 (Feb 24, 2008 4:19 pm)
I agree, the book says you can go 10K (depending on driving conditions). I have always followed the stated recommendations in my manuals for oil change intervals and have had no problems. My '98 Ford Windstar has close to 170,000 miles on it by following the manuals recommendations.
 
I do periodically do a visual inspection of the oil and so far it looks good (I know looks can be deceiving) but if I saw contamination or a serious degradation in the appearance I would change it sooner.
 
With my Windstar I typically go to those Quick change sites, but the Hybrid I do take to the dealer (doesn't cost much more but does take longer) but I figure the certified tech gets to look at it each time it comes in and more time than not he's tweaked something that has helped optimize performance (I guess I'm lucky on that front).

#164 of 222 Shown Mileage with actual mileage by girimurthy

Mar 26, 2008 (11:54 am)

I have a quick question about the MPG shown in the car and the actual mileage I get by hand calculation.
 
In the below table the Avg. MPG is my hand calculation and the Given MPG is from the car. I reset all of them everytime I refuel. Why is there a difference between what is shown and the actual? Is there anything I am doing wrong?
 
Mileage Between Filing------------Gals filled------Avg. MPG---------Given MPG
401-------------------------------------------14.5-----------27.65517241--------- ----28
465.4----------------------------------------13.609--------34.19795723----------- --34.8
470.9----------------------------------------13.656--------34.48301113----------- --36
448.5----------------------------------------13.721--------32.68712193----------- --34.7

#165 of 222 Re: Shown Mileage with actual mileage [girimurthy] by mecheng1

Mar 26, 2008 (1:01 pm)

Replying to: girimurthy (Mar 26, 2008 11:54 am)
This phenomenon is well documented by many FEH owners (as well as owners of other vehicles from other mfrs). Your numbers are the most accurate...especially if you fill up at the same pump every time. The slightly higher mpg reported by the vehicle has to do with how the software is designed - Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) and such. I am not as concerned with an absolute number so I use the vehicle's numbers to compare tank-to-tank on a relative basis.

Messages Page 17 of 23

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