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Ford Escape Hybrid MPG-Real World Numbers

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#179 of 201 Re: Florida Driving - Worth it? [gjandtjsmom] by ekiehn May 27, 2008 (8:55 am)
Replying to: gjandtjsmom (May 23, 2008 2:52 pm) Well I've been driving mine since 2005. In fact I went to a Ford Road Show in Orlando to test drive one in 2004, went back to Stuart, FL (2 hours South on the East Coast) and put in an order for one. They ran out of 2005 models and I got a 2006 in May of 2005 (second one in town, a Former Ford Exec living here got one of the last 2005 models).   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).
#180 of 201 How to drive any vehicle and significantly improve mileage, general wear. by joseph85750 Jun 08, 2008 (12:14 pm)
Short simple article. Too bad most people can't figure this out:   http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/579/
#181 of 201 Re: Florida Driving - Worth it? [gjandtjsmom] by baysailor Jun 10, 2008 (5:44 pm)
Replying to: gjandtjsmom (May 23, 2008 2:52 pm) The dealer is making excuses, and poor ones at that. Yes, the models are in short supply, and you may have to dig around for either an Escape or a Mariner, but I highly doubt that Ford's distribution is based on such a hair-brained consideration. As you will see with other posts on this site, the impact of A/C while driving is very small. Driver performance has a much bigger impact, which is why I can get 35 mpg regularly, and my wife only gets 31 on the same car, covering the same route. I shut up after "trying to help" got me "the look."   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.
#182 of 201 Re: Just got 2008- not bad milage [stevedebi] by jimt2 Jun 28, 2008 (4:56 am)
Replying to: stevedebi (Apr 23, 2008 10:35 am) I have an AWD. Have gotten between 25 and 30 MPG depending upon traffic. Less traffic- lower milage.... Replies to this message: joseph85750 (Jun 28, 2008 6:27 am) baysailor (Jun 28, 2008 10:29 am)
#183 of 201 Re: Just got 2008- not bad milage [jimt2] by joseph85750 Jun 28, 2008 (6:27 am)
Replying to: jimt2 (Jun 28, 2008 4:56 am) We took a trip 2 weeks ago from Tucson, AZ to Omaha, NE. After reaching Omaha, the MPG reading was around 33. After returning to Tucson, it was 31.1. This would indicate the return mileage was around 30MPG. I'm not sure why it was lower on the return trip. It might have been due to a different return path, different gas octane, or the elevation increase on the return trip. Total miles driven was 3292. In northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, there were times when we were driving up hill, 70MPH, with the AC running. The RPM of the engine would sometimes reach 5500. According to Ford, this is within normal operating range. Overall, I thought it performed quite well on the trip! Replies to this message: baysailor (Jun 28, 2008 10:29 am)
#184 of 201 Re: Just got 2008- not bad milage [joseph85750] by baysailor Jun 28, 2008 (10:29 am)
Replying to: joseph85750 (Jun 28, 2008 6:27 am) There are too many variables to pin down a single reason, although elevation would be a big part of it, since the last time I checked Tucson is much more mountainous than Omaha. The engine revving to 5500 RPM is certainly in the operating range but should be an indication that the truck is running really hard. You may want to try different driving styles in a situation like that and just back off the power to ~3000 RPM and let your speed drop off, you'll save a bunch of fuel that way. In hilly sections I disconnect the speed control and drive manually, letting the speed drop off on the hills and ensuring that you get a full head of steam up going down the other side. You don't get to you destination noticably slower, and you allow the truck to deliver it's potential 33+ MPG on the road.   Cheers,
#185 of 201 by joseph85750 Jun 28, 2008 (1:47 pm)
I guess it was just nice not having to be manually adjusting my speed throughout the mountainous area. It would only jump to 5500 for maybe 5 seconds, so it wasn't too bad. Curious that the tac doesn't have a 'red zone' for RPM. On a related note, it would be nice if there were a sort of 'cruise control' that was based off RPM as well. So, one could set the speed at 60, and the RPM to a max of 4500. Then, if RPM reaches 4500, the speed is automatically decreased.   As I'm driving with the CVRT, I can't help but wonder what other peoples' standard transmissions are doing. I see these little 4 cylinder Toyotas, going up the hills, and I'm thinking that car must be in 2nd gear at 6000RPM to make that climb. Don't people care when their standard transmissions are constantly shifting in/out of overdrive on such terrains?
#186 of 201 25,000 to 35,000 miles per yr. Is it worth it?? by 2manymiles Jun 29, 2008 (11:53 am)
Hello group, My wife and I are considering a new 08 FEH. Wife drives the mileage in the subject line annually. A majority of the mileage is highway. Do any of you good people out there drive a lot of highway miles?? If so, what kind of MPG are you getting??   I live in CA, the central valley. Hi temps in the 100's, lows in the 30's. The highway mileage is Hwy 99 through I5 into Los Angeles. Replies to this message: joseph85750 (Jun 29, 2008 12:45 pm) stevedebi (Jun 30, 2008 11:28 am)
#187 of 201 Re: 25,000 to 35,000 miles per yr. Is it worth it?? [2manymiles] by joseph85750 Jun 29, 2008 (12:45 pm)
Replying to: 2manymiles (Jun 29, 2008 11:53 am) I drive about 50 miles/day round trip to/from work. It's about half city half highway (highway only about 55MPH though). In the winter I was getting 37MPG, and in summer closer to 33. You drive 70-100 miles per day? I'd say you're a good candidate. However, to get the most benefit-- you can't be a psycho driver. Here is a good article to explain how to get great mileage:   How to get good mileage
#188 of 201 Re: 25,000 to 35,000 miles per yr. Is it worth it?? [2manymiles] by stevedebi Jun 30, 2008 (11:28 am)
Replying to: 2manymiles (Jun 29, 2008 11:53 am) "My wife and I are considering a new 08 FEH. Wife drives the mileage in the subject line annually. A majority of the mileage is highway. Do any of you good people out there drive a lot of highway miles?? If so, what kind of MPG are you getting??    I live in CA, the central valley. Hi temps in the 100's, lows in the 30's. The highway mileage is Hwy 99 through I5 into Los Angeles. "   Ouch, you are going over the Grapevine!   If you NEED an SUV, the the FEH will probably get the best mileage, but I'm not sure about those elevation changes. It might be better (for similar MPG) to get a Honda CR-V, which is considerably cheaper. If you can keep the speed down to about 65, the FEH will probably yield 30 MPG, while the CR-V might yield 28 MPH.   The reason I hesitate is that the FEH cannot do too much to increase MPG on the road, and hills can really hit the MPG unless you are willing to slow on the uphill and go faster on the downhill. If you set the cruise control it will drag down the MPG.   If you can get by with a smaller car, then a HCH or Prius will yield very good mileage, probably around 42 - 45 MPG at those same speed (maybe more). But you might also consider a small car like the Honda Fit, which will yield 38 MPG or so over that route - at a CONSIDERABLY lower cost (around 10K lower).

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