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2013 Ford Escape

653 messages,  Last post on May 22, 2013 at 8:58 PM

You are in the Ford Escape Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Escape, Car Buying, Car Comparisons, SUV

Messages Page 37 of 66

#353 of 653 Re: Gas Mileage [wwest] by usa1fan

Nov 11, 2012 (3:57 pm)

Replying to: wwest (Nov 11, 2012 1:18 pm)
You're absolutely right that that is not what the EPA intends or test for- it has *nothing* really to do with what FE *any* driver will achieve with *their* driving. It's all about comparison- being able to compare Car A to Car B and Car C when shopping on the lot. NONE of them is really rated for *my* driving, *your* driving, or *anyone else's* driving. Just a simple comparison. It might help some of those that can't understand what it's really about to say that maybe they should have a flat ratings sheet- this car is ranked number 1 for highway, number 6 for city, and number 4 for combined mileage among all it's peers. That way, nobody misunderstands and really thinks that the numbers are what they 'should' be getting. Only that, driving Car A will return better fuel economy than Car B, in most situations.

#354 of 653 Re: Gas Mileage [tim156] by usa1fan

Nov 11, 2012 (4:06 pm)

Replying to: tim156 (Nov 11, 2012 6:31 am)
Amen. Some situations are going to make it hard to get near the EPA numbers, but those numbers aren't really there to tell you what you're going to get, they're to tell us how this or that car ranks compared to the others on a 'standard' test loop (city / highway / combined being merely labels, and not really our city, our highway, or our combined). Nonetheless, many of us will equal or exceed the EPA numbers with little effort. Some don't drive in a way that will- and there are a LOT of those people out there- I see them on the roads with me all the time, whether in Prius or Camaro SS. And some traffic, road conditions, etc. make it hard for even those that *do* drive conservatively (which I doubt most people complaining of FE in their cars really *do*, but that doesn't mean none do).

#355 of 653 Re: Gas Mileage [usa1fan] by steve_ HOST

Nov 11, 2012 (4:08 pm)

Replying to: usa1fan (Nov 11, 2012 3:57 pm)
"You can stick with the EPA rating if you consider yourself an efficient driver."
 
Here's Why Real-World MPG Doesn't Match EPA Ratings
 
"If you are currently an aggressive driver (cruising speeds from 75-85 mph, constantly accelerating and changing lanes and braking sharply) and you decided to calm down (driving with the cruise control set to 65 mph), your fuel economy would improve an average of 35 percent."
 
Save Gas with Smart Driving and Slick Aerodynamics

#356 of 653 Re: Gas Mileage [steve_] by usa1fan

Nov 11, 2012 (4:12 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Nov 11, 2012 4:08 pm)
Thanks Steve. Those are great articles, illustrating exactly what we're saying- it's actually very rare nowadays for the cars to be at fault. Most of the time poor fuel economy, especially when people start comparing what they're getting to the window sticker, comes down to one of the items in that first article, and pretty much in the same order they list- conditions, driver style, etc.

#357 of 653 Re: Gas Mileage [steve_] by tim156

Nov 11, 2012 (5:00 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Nov 11, 2012 4:08 pm)
Those are good articles and excellent advice.
 
People who complain that they are getting bad fuel economy never want to blame themselves, so there must be something wrong with the car.

#358 of 653 Re: Gas Mileage [tim156] by steve_ HOST

Nov 11, 2012 (5:07 pm)

Replying to: tim156 (Nov 11, 2012 5:00 pm)
I'm on a road trip and only got ~21 on my last tank in my van (all time highest hit 29.9).
 
But I live in the deer infested two lane boonies and only get to drive 80 once every few months and it's kind of fun to bomb down the Interstate sometimes.

#359 of 653 Re: Gas Mileage [wwest] by tim156

Nov 11, 2012 (5:15 pm)

Replying to: wwest (Nov 11, 2012 1:18 pm)
Special effort and attention is required to operate a motor vehicle and to maximize fuel economy. In real world driving situations, it takes some effort to reach or exceed EPA estimates. I always end up behind the car in front of me that races from light to light and all I had to do is, granted it took some thought and effort, accelerate gradually for a half a block, coast for a quarter block and brake for a quarter block and sometimes I don't even have to brake, damn, that was easy.

#360 of 653 Re: Gas Mileage [steve_] by tim156

Nov 11, 2012 (5:23 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Nov 11, 2012 5:07 pm)
As I'm sure you know, two lane driving isn't always the best for fuel economy. Also, vans have never been known for good mpg's. Older US highways weren't built under the same regulations as the Interstate system. Twists and turns, grades, slowing for traffic and slowing or stopping for towns affects mpg's. On my last 2-lane road trip I got my best mpg's traveling through Southern Minnesota and across Iowa where it's flat, straight and desolate.

#361 of 653 Re: Gas Mileage [tim156] by steve_ HOST

Nov 11, 2012 (7:38 pm)

Replying to: tim156 (Nov 11, 2012 5:23 pm)
The biggest factor is likely still how you drive - the old egg under the gas pedal idea. Sometimes you just have to deal with crowded commutes though and traffic can really hammer you.

#362 of 653 Re: 2013 Ford Escape [mbb21] by clwalker3

Nov 12, 2012 (7:06 am)

Replying to: mbb21 (Nov 08, 2012 2:14 pm)
Well maybe they have! I called Syncservices for the third time and gave them my whole list of problems and asked that they escalate it. I got a call from someone on the design team. According to her, there has been a problem with the iPhone 4S (maybe the 5 too) corrupting the MyTouch software - hence the bugs. Apparently they have released a new version of the software last Monday that is supposed to fix the problem. I am supposed to take the car back to the dealer tomorrow and have the sysytem flashed with the new software. I am keeping my fingers crossed, as this is the only real complaint I have about the car - I love it otherwise. The milage on mine fluctuates considerably. I am waiting for a long highway trip to really test that out.

Messages Page 37 of 66

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