md13ffhguy

But a 2015 Mustang GT would get there for probably no more than half that (@ $1/gal). That's just a night at a cheap, roadside motel! ;)

Don't forget, when gas prices dropped dramatically last year, SUV sales increased, while hybrid sales decreased. The higher the gas prices, the quicker the payback is achieved. If gas dropped to $1/gallon (and all other things stayed relatively the same), you'd see very, very few new hybrids on the road. Heck, if I could be assured that gas would remain that cheap, I'd be driving a hot, new Mustang. That would be a no-brainer for me.

I wanted a car that would use less gas, that was bigger than a shoebox, and had better styling, too. All the other benefits are a plus.

Viewing notifications on my PC reset the counter, but viewing via mobile doesn't seem to have an effect. I have two recent notifications and they won't go away via mobile.

The payback principle is simple, whether you choose to recognize it or not. Would you pay several thousand more for the car if it got the same MPG as the conventional models? While some may care enough to be greener, and may have the means to do so, most of us probably buy it for the expected improvements in fuel efficiency. The payback principle allows you to determine when the expected savings will stop covering the additional cost of the hybrid option. After that, the savings stay in your pocket.

I tried clearing my mobile browser cache, but the notification count did not reset. Still showing 15.

Mine now indicates 15 notifications, although none of them are new...

I did that calculation before buying my 2013 FFH SE, and determined that payback for me would be about 3 years @ 25K miles per year, and the price of gas at the time. Of course, I used the EPA combined figure from that time - 47 MPG. Fortunately, my actual results are better than that! :happy feet: However, my actual payback period has probably grown a little, since gas prices have dropped so much. I can only look at that as a win/win situation. Bottom line for me is, these cars have been well worth the investment.

Just tell them you want a promotional rate. They always offer something.

Yes! The way I always find out about these is when I suddenly get a traffic alert out of nowhere. Today it scared the heck out of me!

Congrats, and good choice! :) My first Fusion was a hybrid and so's my second! Actually, the second is my wife's car. We are absolutely thrilled with them. Hope yours is good to you, too!

Longest. Post. Ever. (Certainly a good, comprehensive review for anyone considering long trips!) How long until someone replies and quotes the whole thing? :)

I'd add Slacker, 'cause I have a subscription. Once upon a time, I had a rental, because my brand new 2013 FFH had a little software glitch. They gave me an economy model from Chevrolet, and the freaking thing had Pandora. It mocked me the whole time. I still haven't gotten over that experience. Once again, come on Ford, get your act together and roll out AppLink to owners with MFT - you know, the ones who paid you for a more premium, modern interface...

Wow, can you imagine the effort it takes to fold those maps before stuffing them in the envelopes?? What a magnanimous offer! ;)

I've noticed that too. Can't tell you how many times I've checked it recently - driving me crazy!

Exactly! And I whined about no longer being able to save as much $$$. ;) No worries, though, as I'm sitting a hair over 48 MPGs lifetime, which sure made me feel a little guilty when Ford sent that check (not really), thereby reducing the amount of time it'll take to recoup my investment!

I'm talking specifically about recouping the additional money spent for the hybrid option. I can't remember the exact numbers, but I remember calculating the projected savings over time based on using less gas, in order to justify the additional cost. My ballpark was that it would take about 3 years to recoup, based on my commute and the price of gas at the time.

There's no doubt in my mind that you really need to learn to drive these cars to maximize efficiency, and you will quite likely have to make some compromises to achieve even the EPA numbers. Bottom line is these cars are much more sensitive to a heavy foot. You've got to be willing to back off the speed and acceleration a bit. You will not get EPA results at 70-80 MPH.

Just wondering... Why did you buy a hybrid? At that rate, I'm not sure you'll ever see a return on the monetary investment. Was your motivation just to be greener? Curious.

I don't have a scientific answer, but I can't imagine that the battery requires AC cooling at any ambient temperature. If it does, it should be noted in the manual.

Rebecca - If I provide you with a case number from Feb 2014 timeframe, would you be able to tell hybridbear exactly what work was performed on my car to resolve this problem over here? http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/8221-remote-startclimate-control-issue/page-2?do=findComment&comment=96988 Unfortunately, I cannot find my paperwork. Thanks!

Awesome! Welcome. This is a nice little forum. Tons of useful info. To get the best MPG out of your car, if that's something you're hoping to do, relax and drive gently - easy on the brakes and gas. Don't be in a rush. Just enjoy the comfortable ride, and take heart that your relatively small gas tank takes a long time to get to E! :)

Got my fourth (consecutive) 600 mile tank of 2015 today. At this date last year I was still working on my first. Hopefully, this bodes well for the rest of spring, summer, and fall. Dash display and manual calc came out to roughly 56 MPGs this tank. :)

That's awesome! Helps to validate your decision to purchase this car, no?

I'm not good with keeping paperwork, but I'll try to look it up. Like I said way back when (above), they reflashed some software associated with the instrument cluster. I also experienced them trying to tell me it was normal. Obviously, it's not.