"Premium fuel will provide improved performance"

[mwr]

That's from page 157 of the PDF owner's manual. Has anyone experienced that or the opposite (performance not improved)?

[Hybrider]

That looks like another one of the infamous Owner's Manual (OM) cut-and-pastes, especially since that line you refer to in the 2015 FFH OM goes on to say, "Premium fuel will provide improved performance and is recommended for severe duty usage such as trailer tow", and it is well-established on this forum that the FFH is not recommended for towing other objects behind it either.

 

I'm pretty sure that line from your OM is only meant for the EcoBoost (turbocharged) engines, which is where it is shown in the gas Fusion OM.

 

It has also been discussed on this forum that the Atkinson engine does not perform any better with higher octane ratings, due to how it works differently than a normal gas engine.

[lolder]

DITTO !

[SteveB_TX]

Grrrr! You beat me to it Hybrider! Grrr! :)

[mwr]

That's a lot of agreement!

[acdii]

I normally run 89 octane in mine, and when I dont, I see no difference in anything. I get 89 for what the other stations sell 87 for. It does help me get better MPG during the winter, but only about 1-2 MPG, so if you have to pay extra for it, Not at all worth it.

[BoomerGer]

The Big Question for me is the trailer tow situation. When it comes time to buy either the Fusion or the CMax, I will tow a light utility trailer about every other month to the dump. Just for a few hours, there and back. It is not like I will be at a Tractor Pull contest yanking on a 50,000 lb sled that gets heavier the farther I pull it. It has never been considered a problem when I did so using my Escape hybrid, so whether I get a hybrid or not, it's gonna happen.

[GrySql]

The Big Question for me is the trailer tow situation. When it comes time to buy either the Fusion or the CMax, I will tow a light utility trailer about every other month to the dump. Just for a few hours, there and back. It is not like I will be at a Tractor Pull contest yanking on a 50,000 lb sled that gets heavier the farther I pull it. It has never been considered a problem when I did so using my Escape hybrid, so whether I get a hybrid or not, it's gonna happen.

Why not discuss this in the proper area, we have a 'Cargo, Hauling, Roof Racks & Towing' section.

 

But to put this to rest, the Escape Hybrid was rated to tow up to 1,000 lbs, the C-Max and Fusion Hybrid Owner Manual's prohibit towing.

Edited November 5, 2014 by GrySql