Real world feedback on 2014 MPG & Winter Driving?

[usererror]

Hi Folks,

 

Are there any members here with a 2014 FFH and that also live in the snow states?

I'm stuck between wanting better MPG than my 2012 Ford Escape (which I am keeping) versus getting a sedan with AWD.

 

I know Ford lowered the MPG expectations on the FFH and I believe the FF Ecoboost AWD models. If I can still get 30mpg on the highway with an AWD model I may get that, but the FFH at 40 in the highway is also very tempting.

 

What are they like in the winter? My last non AWD vehicle as a 98 Caddy with traction control and stability control. I don't see those as an option with the FFH.

 

Whatever I end up with, it'll be a Titanium with all the options ordered via my local dealer. I can get all the gadgets the Caddy had and more without the luxury wood grain trim price.

Thanks in advance!

[corncobs]

Welcome

 

I don't have a 14 but I'm very happy with my 13 in winter driving (handling & fuel economy).

 

I did spend the money on a set of winter shows for the lady and in my opinion that's worth more than AWD on all season tires.

 

The Fusion has all the goodies you want as far as traction & stability control go and it does a fine job. It's very hard to loose control on a big empty parking lot. ;)

 

For FE it all depends on your daily drive and for me it was about 8-10 MPG lower than right now. We did have a really cold winter and I managed to get high 30's (38-40) since April I had only one tank under 45 MPG (real pump values)

 

Either way FF is a really nice car!

[usererror]

Thanks for the feedback, and now I have more questions for you. Does your 2013 Hybrid have traction control? Or just the snow tires?

 

If I'm reading your post correctly, The fuel economy in winter is less than summer? But your summer fuel economy is back up to 'normal'?

Most of my driving is 55mph roads about 10 miles one way, with lots hills. About once every few months I drive on the freeway for about 70 miles one way. The rest is all 55mph roads. I'm really out in the boonies.

 

I'm hoping I could at least get 40mpg in the summer months.

 

How about passing cars? Does the Hybrid have some get-up-and-go to pass safely?

 

I know I'd have to alter my driving habits but hoping to still maintain my ability to pass when needed.

 

Thanks!

[corncobs]

No problem you are welcome!

 

Yes all Fusions have traction control ( probably even the previous generation )

 

Yes having lower FE in winter is completely normal assuming you don't wanna freeze. The seat heaters help a lot and should be used extensively.

My personal FE over the ownership of the car has been very satisfying to me. I used to have a big smile every time the trip results showed 47+ now with the EPA adjustment there is rarely a day / drive I don't have a very big smile on my face. ;)

 

Your commute sounds very similar to acdii's he is also out in the boonies. He averages around 45 MPG on roads 55 MPH with some smart usage of the ICE.

 

I have no problem passing people but it feels a little odd because of the eCVT not "down shifting" for the extra surged of power. Nevertheless plenty of power to overtake especially since the electric motor is helping with its instant torque.

 

There are plenty of sticky threads that contain a ton of info for "newbies" like yourself. :)

[hybridbear]

The hybrid has more power than the 2.5L 4 cyl or the 1.6L Ecoboost. In the gas Fusions only the 2.0L Ecoboost has more power than the hybrid. The hybrid is in no way lacking power.

 

There's a long thread in the "Tips & Tricks" section about winter driving tips & strategy to get the best MPGs in the winter. Every car gets worse gas mileage in the winter because snow adds rolling resistance, the air is denser, etc.

 

Winter handling is sufficient. We don't use snow tires. I took the FFH to a wide open parking lot one day last winter to have some fun and better understand how it behaves in the snow. That's something I've always tried to do with past cars because understanding how the car behaves turning/braking/accelerating in a snowy parking lot helps you drive safely on slippery roads. The Fusion felt very solid. It would slide, but so will every car, and it seemed very safe in the snow.

 

Click on my Fuelly signatures below to see winter vs summer MPG for both our first black FFH & our current white FFH.

[Griswald]

Your commute seems pretty much in line with mine, I only have 9 miles but most is 55 mph.

 

My lifetime average (just under 4000 miles on my 14 SE) is 42.8. Since 90% of that is with the AC on (its really hot here in the summer), I would hope for a few more MPG's when fall and winter hit.

 

Cant help you on winter traction, it only snowed once here last winter and twice the winter before that.

[acdii]

If the HyTi you are considering comes with the goodyear LS2, you can kiss snow traction goodbye. Snow tires are a must in the northern climes when running these tires. Maybe you can wheel and deal on the one you want to have the GY swapped with some Continental Pure Contacts. I heard good things about the snow traction and they are also low rolling resistance tires. Going to get a set myself before the next winter.

 

Now the drive you describe is similar to the one I have, except I do 45 miles each way, the first half is all hilly rural roads. I can tell you with out a doubt that a 10 mile commute on these roads will not get better than 40 MPG. Even with the full HVB technique I use, getting 40 MPG is very difficult, however, once I get past the rolling hills and can keep a steady speed it gets better, then the city traffic boosts it up to the 47 mark. In city driving I can see mid 50's. On the interstate I have seen anything from 35 MPG to 50 MPG. But on the Rural roads around by me, mainly due to the poor road conditions and the fact none of them are level, getting 40 is rare.

 

I'm telling you this not to turn you away from the HyTi, but so that you will have some idea of what to expect and not be upset when you can't hit 40 MPG in the car on your daily drive.

[usererror]

Thank you all for the feedback, especially @acdii. The hills here are huge. Even in town they are pretty big, It's on a big slope going toward the lake. Even 35mpg would still be better for my daily stuff than my Escape. The FF would also be the long distance driver for when I do my 400 mile around trip run, which is about once a month. Since Nov 2011, I've put over 60,000 miles on my Escape. Our other car is a 1994 Oldsmobile that needs to be retired before something unexpected happens.

 

Also thanks for the notes about the tires. I'll try to stay away from those other wheels, if possible. When I ordered my Escape from my dealer the default wheels where big big ones with Chrome rims, etc, but I did have the option to get get smaller ones. Basically I called my local tire shop and asked them which size rims / tires were the best for our winter and summer seasons. They stated smaller rims were better, as well as they would keep the cost of tires down so I got every limited option on my Escape, except opted for those smaller rims. I'll keep the same strategy on the FF.

 

Now my big scares...battery costs if replacement is needed. Dealer I visited when I test drove a FF SE said it was $10,000. Internet states on a Prius the battery cost is $3000-$4000 and some lasted to 130,000 miles. Coming from a family that keeps cars until they either rust out from under you and reach 200,000+ miles, what can I expect to get through with a FFH? Has anyone seen any high mileage FFH?

[hybridbear]

If the HyTi you are considering comes with the goodyear LS2, you can kiss snow traction goodbye. Snow tires are a must in the northern climes when running these tires. Maybe you can wheel and deal on the one you want to have the GY swapped with some Continental Pure Contacts. I heard good things about the snow traction and they are also low rolling resistance tires. Going to get a set myself before the next winter.

The 2015 no longer offers those tires on any trim. We have those tires and have found that they're excellent in the snow. Your BD also had those tires and you found it was excellent in the snow. Why are you saying something different now?

[acdii]

The batteries, unless something goes wrong, which is rare, will last as long as the car(unless its a Leaf).

[acdii]

The 2015 no longer offers those tires on any trim. We have those tires and have found that they're excellent in the snow. Your BD also had those tires and you found it was excellent in the snow. Why are you saying something different now?

Wait until they wear down. Remember the BD started out in winter and was gone at 8400 miles. The current car had nearly 10K when winter started, and at 28,700 miles are about ready to be replaced. These tires do not wear well, especially with my driving. I dont granny turn, I rip around corners, sometimes squealing the tires. It's one of those things that needs to be done to get better FE where I live. I also take S curves at 60+, which is why I really LOVE this car, it just handles So well! Downside is, my fun driving eats tires.

[hybridbear]

Now my big scares...battery costs if replacement is needed. Dealer I visited when I test drove a FF SE said it was $10,000. Internet states on a Prius the battery cost is $3000-$4000 and some lasted to 130,000 miles. Coming from a family that keeps cars until they either rust out from under you and reach 200,000+ miles, what can I expect to get through with a FFH? Has anyone seen any high mileage FFH?

The car will rust out before the battery needs replacing. The battery is designed to last the life of the car. Check out this thread: http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/5717-ford-test-ford-hybrid-batteries-simulates-10-years-of-use/

[usererror]

Do any of you have the adaptive cruise and/or the lane minding system?

This article here is from late 2012, but interesting:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/automobiles/autoreviews/a-hybrid-done-right-but-not-without-glitches.html?_r=0

 

I'll check out that article on the batteries!

[hybridbear]

Do any of you have the adaptive cruise and/or the lane minding system?

 

This article here is from late 2012, but interesting:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/automobiles/autoreviews/a-hybrid-done-right-but-not-without-glitches.html?_r=0

 

I'll check out that article on the batteries!

Both & I highly recommend them. Check out the "Advanced Driver Assistance Technologies" section of the Forum for threads about those features. There are some glitches from time to time as mentioned in the article but overall the features are very useful.

 

Edit: here's the link to that section http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/forum/82-advanced-driver-assistance-technologies/

Edited July 30, 2014 by hybridbear

[Griswald]

I have neither and have strong feelings that YOU should be in charge of driving the car. Paying attention to the road and surroundings is part of driving and I'm afraid that we are losing our ability to pay attention by relying on "nanny" systems.

 

JMO...

[Texasota]

Wait until they wear down. Remember the BD started out in winter and was gone at 8400 miles. The current car had nearly 10K when winter started, and at 28,700 miles are about ready to be replaced. These tires do not wear well, especially with my driving. I dont granny turn, I rip around corners, sometimes squealing the tires. It's one of those things that needs to be done to get better FE where I live. I also take S curves at 60+, which is why I really LOVE this car, it just handles So well! Downside is, my fun driving eats tires.

Any tire brand/model performs worse in the snow after the tread wears down. Also, any tire brand/model is going wear poorly under the driving conditions you describe. Hardly seems fair to bad mouth the Goodyear tires under those conditions.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Texasota

[acdii]

Any tire brand/model performs worse in the snow after the tread wears down. Also, any tire brand/model is going wear poorly under the driving conditions you describe. Hardly seems fair to bad mouth the Goodyear tires under those conditions.

I have driven this way for years, and these are one of the few tires I have had that wore this fast. I have had GY RSA tires with 50K in them that still had decent snow traction. I had Michelins with 70K that had better snow traction.

[usererror]

On the topic of tires, I've got 60k+ miles on my original 2012 Escape tires (Nov 11 to be exact) and rotate them every 5k miles. They are just now approaching the "Red" according to the dealer when I come in for "The Works" oil change / tire rotation specials.

 

Dealer just reminded me that the "Dark Side Metallic" color I wanted isn't available on the 2015. *Sigh

[corncobs]

Dealer just reminded me that the "Dark Side Metallic" color I wanted isn't available on the 2015. *Sigh

How about a "leftover" '14 HyTi? You might be able to get a nice deal on one. That of course only works if you want options only available on a '15 MY

[usererror]

Another question: is there the ability to add a Class I hitch receiver? Not for tow use but for my bike rack. I assume this is not even a factory option. :)

[DeeCee]

Check this section of this forum:

 

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/forum/66-cargo-hauling-roof-racks-towing/

[usererror]

Awesome! Found what I needed there. Now to pick color scheme and hopefully order next week.

[usererror]

Last question - For those of you with 2014 Hybrids (or 2013's) what is the 1st digit in your VIN number...is it a 1 or a 3?

 

Thanks!!

[hybridbear]

We've had two 2013s and both VINs begin with a 3. All FFHs should begin with a 3 because all the hybrids are manufactured in Mexico and the first digit of the VIN is to denote the country of the final assembly point.

 

See this link for more details: http://www.carfax.com/vin_decoding.cfx

Edited August 6, 2014 by hybridbear

[usererror]

Thanks, It looks like all the Hybrids will start with the 3, indicating the Mexico assembly. I got a little more excited when I read that some of the Fusions were being assembled in the Flat Rock, MI plant, but then found another site that indicated that Hybrids will solely be assembled in Mexico. *Sigh.

 

Anyway I did order a 2015 Hybrid Titanium yesterday from our dealer. Now the waiting game can start. :)

 

We've had two 2013s and both VINs begin with a 3. All FFHs should begin with a 3 because all the hybrids are manufactured in Mexico and the first digit of the VIN is to denote the country of the final assembly point.

 

See this link for more details: http://www.carfax.com/vin_decoding.cfx