md13ffhguy

A bit higher than recommended, but not controversially high... 38-40.

So hard to tell on a forum whether the problem is with the car, the driver, or the conditions. Loan me your car for a week, and I'll give you a better assessment.

I got 87k miles out of the 17" OEM Michelin Energy Savers on my previous 2013. I drive gently and never wanted for more handling or traction. My wife drives a little harder and got 75k+ from the same tires on her 2014. I rotate with oil changes at 10k miles. I replaced mine with the Continental tires that a lot of people on here were raving about a few years back. Hated them, as efficiency dropped significantly with my car. Swapped them to my wife's car and efficiency was impacted less, since she doesn't drive nearly as efficiently as I do. Went back to OEM on mine and efficiency went right back up. I'm sticking with the OEM Michelin Energy Savers. Current 2018 has 18" version of the Michelins. Will probably stick with them if they can last 70k+, like my previous experience with the other cars.

I also adjusted my driving style for the better when I purchased my first FFH 5+ years ago. I drive the speed limit, stay mostly in the right lane, and accelerate and brake gently. I feel like I've become a safer, less stressed driver. YMMV.

My commute is 90% highway, mostly 55, but a couple 60/65 mph stretches. However, rush hour traffic often limits speeds considerably. My 40 mile commute often takes me a full hour, so yeah, my average speed is probably in the 40s... 600 miles between fill-ups isn't really hard to do that way. Except, now that it's winter, I'm probably doing more like 550-575.

Based on my experience with three FFHs now, I can legitimately state that these cars were designed for maximum efficiency on highways at speeds up to about 55 mph. They do all right on occasional stretches of 65. Above that, they need almost constant ICE-assist, so efficiency drops dramatically. I can assure you that when manufacturers reference highway efficiency, they're almost certainly talking highways speeds of 55, not 70+.

First time around, in 2013, I was frustrated with Ford Sync because my salesman told me the same... free downloadable map updates AND apps! This time around, I have Android Auto... Much happier! Google Maps FTW.

^^^ That's super - enjoy!

I have a 14 and 18 in the driveway. When I get a chance, I'll compare.

I drove mine for nearly 20k after it first started whining. It never actually failed, although MPGs dropped significantly. I eventually got sick of it and traded it in. Long story, short - I brought it to the dealer when still just under 100k mile warranty, and they said they couldn't hear anything (I could) and nothing was wrong. A month later (just over 100k), they were suddenly able to hear it and determined it needed a new transmission. I argued and lost. And yet, here I am driving a 2018. It was, and is a great car, with that significant exception. So, been there, done that. I share your misfortune. Good luck to you!

I disagree. I use cruise as much as possible on any road I can. Helps me maintain the speed limit, especially in neighborhoods and school zones. Of course, I always pay attention to the road ahead. I've been driving that way for 20+ years. YouTube views are still at 0, since I don't have any.

No, it doesn't! Handling does not improve as you overinflate your tires.

Kind of funny that the comfort of the passenger seat in my 2013 FFH convinced my wife to get her own 2014, which she drives the heck out of. To each her own, I guess! Plenty of long trips in either car, too, with no complaints from either of us about the passenger seat.

Been there, done that, too! The large water pump pliers ended that fun, however... :)

Haha! Do you have tips for driving under 30mph?? Clearly, the OP did this as something of an experiment. Nice job, but not really practical, sustainable, or real-world friendly. But still, pretty cool result. :)

I damage every filter I remove with my large water pump pliers. ;) There's really no faster tool made for the job!

Enjoy your Ford sedan while you can! ;)

Yep, as would your uncle, I'm guessing! FYI, if you drive it like a track car, you won't get the best MPGs. ;) It's a smooth ride. Drive it gently and it excels.

Yes, I did via the Ford owner site and a thumb drive. Nothing noticably different, other than Waze (on Android Auto), which I tried for a few weeks and reverted back to Google Maps.

I've been through this on here before. Dealer wouldn't admit it. When they returned it to me and said nothing was wrong, I should have fought harder. It was subtle, but I knew what I was hearing. Whether it was incompetence or intentional, I can't ever prove. After 100k, they refused to discuss it. Ford took the dealer's word, but offered $1500 off the $7k repair estimate. Not enough, in my opinion, but I didn't have the energy to keep fighting and arguing. Dealer and Ford won, I lost. But the fact is, except for this flaw, I loved the car. Traded it in on a 2018 FFH.

I went through this too. The transmission repair shop I went to looked for a few weeks and found none available. I was leery about used, especially if it would have been from an older model. Frustrating we have to deal with this. My car had under 100k when I first noticed a problem, but dealer couldn't or wouldn't acknowledge it. Of course, once I was over 100k, they diagnosed it as needing a new transmission.

Same...

I beg to differ. My 2018 is my third FFH, and during my first ~2k miles, I was a little concerned that perhaps efficiency had dropped compared to my 2013 and my wife's 2014. After that initial period, MPGs steadily and noticeably improved.

I doubt anyone has a lifetime average of 56 in a FFH. Currently, he's at 48.9 per his Fuelly log (in a C-Max, BTW), which is still pretty darn good.

Speaking of EV+, is it possible that my 2018 FFH doesn't have it? I've yet to see it appear.