First hybrid - First FFH

[itsffh2015]

Hi all,

I just wanted to introduce myself here on the forum. I got a new 2015 white FFH. MSRP was $33535, and got it for $26900. I thought I was a fair deal (I hope it was!), but I really wish I had found this forum before I went ahead and got myself a FFH. I have had the car for less than a week, but already found myself learning a lot and loving the car. There are lots to learn since this is my first hybrid, and I can’t wait to see what it can do with my commute and all the family trips!

Best,
Ivan

[md13ffhguy]

With that kind of enthusiasm, I think you'll enjoy it. Congrats! It takes some time to learn how to drive it most efficiently. Just don't get down when circumstances beyond your control don't allow you to get peak MPGs. Drive gently, and you'll be fine 99% of the time.

[Cobra348]

Hi all,

 

I just wanted to introduce myself here on the forum. I got a new 2015 white FFH. MSRP was $33535, and got it for $26900. I thought I was a fair deal (I hope it was!), but I really wish I had found this forum before I went ahead and got myself a FFH. I have had the car for less than a week, but already found myself learning a lot and loving the car. There are lots to learn since this is my first hybrid, and I can’t wait to see what it can do with my commute and all the family trips!

 

Best,

Ivan

Just about 6 months and almost 16K miles on my first hybrid as well. There's a wealth of info here, but the one that stuck in my mind and I followed right off was to grab the manual, sit in the car with it running and go through all the screens and buttons ... at least twice. During this session there will be a warning that the car will stop due to inactivity ... but simply press the OK button and continue.

 

I added some things to my car - for ease of mind, tighter handling, etc. All up to you if you choose to do so as well. What I added was a 16" donut spare to replace the mobility kit - from this thread. If you do this (new parts) via the dealer, use the invoice part# for the pieces, get the tread from TireRack. Otherwise see if you can find the pieces from a '13 gas Fusion in a junkyard or used parts place.

 

I also added Steeda strut tower brace and rear sway bar (replaces OEM) to the car to decrease flex and understeer that is common in FWD vehicles. I also added the Steeda hood struts as long as I was "under the hood" so to speak - eliminating the need for the support pole although it is still there just in case. I'll be getting some heavy Winter tread to use on the factory rims - we get a bit more snow in my area than in yours. I have a set of rims from TireRack with the factory Michelin tread on them for non-Winter usage.

 

The car is a dream to drive and a devout Camaro owner I know remarked this past weekend how well the car handled the twisty roads up in the Adirondacks - at speed. Coming from her, that's a real compliment!

 

Enjoy the car ... ask questions, lots of knowledge in here - written and in someones head!

[mwr]

a devout Camaro owner I know remarked this past weekend how well the car handled the twisty roads up in the Adirondacks - at speed. Coming from her, that's a real compliment!

Do you think that's becasue of the Steea strut tower brace and rear sway bar?

[Cobra348]

IMO I think they helped. I installed them because of what I felt was "wallowing" on a loaner gas model. I know "butt dyno" says the steering is improved from OEM.

Edited October 7, 2015 by Cobra348

[mwr]

IMO I think they helped. I installed them because of what I felt was "wallowing" on a loaner gas model. I know "butt dyno" says the steering is improved from OEM.

My experience with my stock 2015 FFH is, whiie it's probably a good-handling car for a mid-size sedan, it's not close to the handling I had with my 2005 Subaru Legacy GT.

[corncobs]

It's for sure better handling than the wrong driver in a Mustang GT crawling down the exit ramp / curve the other day. ;)

 

And yes sorry welcome to the forum " itsffh2015 " I'm pretty you will enough information here to head spin for a while if reading the manual hasn't accomplished that already. :)

[itsffh2015]

Hey guys, thanks for the welcomes. But wow, I am surprised that starting from the 3rd reply, it’s about modifying the FFH. I myself have been doing a lot of modifications on my previous Subaru’s. But very recently, the size of my family grew and is now growing again. So I thought to myself that I might just take a few years off those busy-swapping-parts-in-and-out days, and get something that’s good for the family and something that the wife would appreciate more. I also found myself not enjoying too much with the Subaru’s while being stuck in traffic commuting. Here I am with a FFH. I couldn’t be happier and wifey couldn’t be happier.

As far as the sways go, I guess it’s not a bad idea to swap a stiffer one on :) I have a set of snow tires set aside ready to go!

[Cobra348]

I had concerns about swapping in the sway but was assured - and it's been dealer passed too - that as long as the geometry was not altered it was okay. If you go that route, I suggest keeping the OEM bar. BTW, the Steeda unit has grease fittings on its brackets/bushings so it will need checking after about the first 5K miles on it or so. However it's a full replacement for the bar and uses the factory ends to complete the installation.

 

Under the hood is drop-fit and can be done in the driveway. Full instructions and parts are included as 2 of the bolts on the upper part of the towers get replaced with slightly longer ones to accommodate the mounting bracket thickness. For the hood struts, a slight rerouting of a wire harness and small chopping of some plastic was the only "hack". It was needed to get the right hood strut on its bracket:

 

TBH, since cars got more complex than the carbureted ones I'm used to, I just get things done at a trusted shop. But Steeda supplies good instructions - with some pictures. The under-hood stuff can be done in the driveway as I mentioned, but the sway bar requires a lift.

 

DONUT SPARE: I think that in that thread for the donut spare I linked in there is a discussion of using that setup with 17" rims and 18" rims. If I recall correctly, with 18" rims you will really want to use the donut on the rear, so if a front goes flat, swap the rear 18" to the front, then mount the 16" donut on the rear. Steering will be fine if doing that. The 17" setup should not experience too much of a geometry/steering issue though.

 

BTW, that pic was taken only 4 days after getting the car. I had all the parts rounded up by delivery date and simply spent quality time with the local Goodyear folks to get it all done in one stop.

Edited October 7, 2015 by Cobra348

[bdginmo]

Welcome. Can you tell us about your typical driving habits? How far is it to and from work?

 

One thing you'll quickly learn is that to maximize MPG you have to drive differently than you would with a "normal" car. Take it easy on the throttle and stick as close as possible to the speed limit. Remember, the force of air resistance is proportional to the square of the velocity of the car so even a 5 mph increase will have a noticeable impact on MPG. Also, if you're not consistently getting > 90% on the brake coach score then that could be one thing you should focus on improving.

[FordService]

Hi all,

 

I just wanted to introduce myself here on the forum. I got a new 2015 white FFH. MSRP was $33535, and got it for $26900. I thought I was a fair deal (I hope it was!), but I really wish I had found this forum before I went ahead and got myself a FFH. I have had the car for less than a week, but already found myself learning a lot and loving the car. There are lots to learn since this is my first hybrid, and I can’t wait to see what it can do with my commute and all the family trips!

 

Best,

Ivan

Welcome, and congrats, itsffh2015!

 

I'm the resident customer service rep, and I'll be around to help track down answers. Don't forget to check out this link to learn more about fuel efficiency and other cool EV facts.

 

Meagan