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Hybrid Vehicles Ford Escape Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid MPG-Real World Numbers
201 messages, Last post on Jun 24, 2009 at 11:16 AM
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Replying to: jimt2 (Apr 22, 2008 4:09 pm) Is yours AWD or FWD?
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I have quit spending so much time and attention driving my FEH AWD like a turtle for better gas mileage. I have owned and been driving it for 7 months now, and it currently has just turned 6000 miles. For about the 1st 3-4 months average mileage was up and down but has now seemed to level off at 29 MPG. I have had no problems with the vehicle or the dealership where I ordered. I now drive as I do my conventional vehicles, EXCEPT for one thing,---------when applying pressure to your accelerator try to imagine that you have an egg (uncooked, still in the shell) between the bottom of your shoe and the accelerator, and apply pressure accordingly. This is also a good method to use for better gas mileage in conventionally powered autos. One observation made while purposely driving my hybrid to get good mileage is that most of the other jerks on the road drive as though they must get to the speed limit as fast as possible ------in other words, get to each red traffic light before I do, and guess what, they in fact do, and they beat me to each light by about .001 of a second. Drive your vehicle diligently, but don't go overboard trying to pay too much attention to too many methods of squeezing out more mileage. Your time will be better spent paying attention to your tire pressures and most of all to driving with safety in mind. Drive diligently and your vehicle will eventually average reasonable miles per gallon (Enjoy driving your hybrid , don't make it a chore) Also, if for what ever reason your mileage drops 3-4 miles per gallon less than what is advertised, and that's the only thing you can find "wrong" with your vehicle, don't declare your vehicle to be a "lemon" like some have done in these FEH forum subjects. Those who consider their vehicle a "lemon" because of a drop (significant or otherwise) in gas mileage simply have no idea what the meaning of "lemon"is when it comes to automobiles.------Don't panic, it will eventually get better.
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Replying to: tomgen (Feb 11, 2008 8:41 am) I am the original poster of this message. It's spring and excellent mileage has returned! It's back in the 32 MPG range again for nearly all city driving.  Regards, Tom |
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Replying to: rnarg (May 01, 2008 7:26 pm) I don't do it for the MPG - it is fun, and part of the challenge is NOT to impede traffic. I don't always accelerate like a turtle. At this point I'm still experimenting with the proper way to increase MPG. I don't use any of the "extreme" tricks listed on "hypermiler' sites. So far it appears to me that the FEH has to be driven carefully, and that the best performance depends upon the SOC (state of charge) of the battery. I am finding that the charge level of the battery when accelerating calls for differing approaches. I can't be more specific because I'm still gathering experience and data. I have 750 miles on the vehicle, and so far I'm right at 30 MPG, about 90% city. I have a 2008 FEH AWD. I expect to do a bit better once the engine breaks in. 29 MPG is respectable, I'm assuming you are driving an AWD? |
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I got my vehicle July of 2007. I get 35-37 MPG. This is driving mostly to/from work every day, about 25 miles each way. The trip is mostly city, with a small stretch where I can go about 50 mph. I was surprised how little difference there was during the summer when I ran AC a lot, compared to the winter where it never runs. In the summer I got closer to 35 MPG. |
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I received this email from a local dealer: Thank you for your interest in the Hybrid Escape. Unfortunately, they are in very, very short supply. There are only 6 in the state of Florida . We are out of them and don't for see any coming in due to the fact that Ford is shipping 95% of them to the West coast of the U.S. Because the air conditioning in them requires the gas part of the engine to be running for it to work, you don't get the benefit of the Hybrid engine because we have to run A/C here in Florida all the time, where is California and Washington, you don't. Ford feels that the best use of the vehicle will be in those climates and not the southeast so that is why there are none available. Dealers that do have one left from earlier in the year are asking over the sticker for them! You would be better off with just the regular 4 cylinder model if you are concerned about fuel economy. -- Would love to hear from FL drivers with an Escape Hybrid. Thanks!
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Replying to: gjandtjsmom (May 23, 2008 2:52 pm) So, unless you're a total psycho driver who has to floor it when the light turns green and slam on the brakes at the last minute when the light is red, you'll see a benefit from the hybrid in the summer too. I wonder how those Florida statistics were calculated. Obviously not from reality. |
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Replying to: gjandtjsmom (May 23, 2008 2:52 pm) Is it worth it in Summer, YES. I still get decent MPG and don't have to trade off to a 4 cylinder. So I don't get the 36 MPG high's that I sometimes hit in Winter and end up hovering more around 32. I still haul a lot of stuff and with over 50,000 miles on the vehicle I love it. Here's the scoop so you can decide. If you drive mostly to and from work during the morning,evening, you'll be fine- expect good milage if the drive is 15 minutes or longer (engine has to warm up for best efficiency). If you go out driving during the heat day, say out to lunch or off on to job sites (which is what I often do) it will depend upon the speed at which you are driving. With the air set to the economy mode, the gas engine will usually shut down below 30, like heavy traffic or a stop light. At this point if you have not been driving for a while to cool down the interior, it can get warm fairly fast. Since most stop lights are around 2 to 4 minutes in duration, I usually give it a couple minutes, if it gets two warm a quick flick of a switch and the gas engine starts and I have air conditioning. Remember when you start to drive almost everytime the gas engine will start so you get air anyway. So it's no big deal with the heat, it's manegable and I still remember the days living in Florida when my car didn't have A/C. MPG isn't killed unless you are at stop lights all the time and are running the Gas engine at the same time. Basically right now most hybrids are in short supply and the dealers know it. Maybe Ford is shipping more to California and the NorthWest as the climate there is optimum for the vehicle, but it by no means fails in the hot humid SouthEast. Do the math, if you hang onto your vehicles for long enough and you know gas prices will always go up, the premium may get paid off sooner than you think (mine did). |
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Short simple article. Too bad most people can't figure this out: http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/579/ |
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Replying to: gjandtjsmom (May 23, 2008 2:52 pm) My bet is the dealer is at the bottom of the sales performance list, and he's not getting any, or he can't sell the conventional Escapes he'll need to take for every hybrid he gets. Keep looking, they're out there. |
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