ace43

I run my tires at 30 psi and am thinking about going lower than that just to get a smoother ride. I'm still getting mpg between 40 and 43 with that setup, although I might do better if I pumped them up a bit. For years I had a Ford pickup that never had anything in the bed, so I ran the tires at 25 front and 20 back. It made a big difference in ride. I'm sure that tire wear in such a case was inferior, but I was willing to put up with that for the better ride. When I took delivery on my FFH, the tires were at 35 front and rear. I like the ride of the FFH, but it can be a bit jarring over tar strips, etc. Lowering the pressures to 30 front and back made a difference. I'm not recommending such a procedure unless ride is more important than tire wear.

Yeah, and his writing ain't none too good neither.

Agreed! You can improve on the cruise control, especially in hilly terrains, by accelerating downhill and using that increased speed to get you up the next hill without having to use as much gas.

I dropped the pressure in my tires from 35 to 30 when I first got it home. I find the ride pretty darn good, although it is a bit jarring riding over tar strips and the like. I still get 40 mpg, and the ride is noticeably softer, but the jarring over bumps is still there. It really doesn't bother me, and I find it a decent trade-off for the accurate handling.

Same experience in Central Virginia. Temps had been in the 20s and 30s, now over 50 today. My long term had dropped into the 37s and today's trip netted a 41. It will be interesting to see what happens when the temps get back into the 70s. My FFH has only rarely seen those.

I am pleased with the ride smoothness of my FFH in all but one area, just the one you mention. It is quite firm and hard in its reaction to tar strips and the like. I traded in a Mercedes for the FFH and the reaction to the tar strips was a bit of a surprise, but then the Mercedes did have an air suspension. In all other respects, the FFH is totally acceptable and is actually quieter going down the road than was the Mercedes. My roads where I live are generally quite smooth so I can live with the occasional surprising jolt.

I've only had mine two months and 1500 miles, and so far not even a hiccup. Maybe taking it back to the dealer will change all that, eh? Regarding getting good mileage, and even hypermiling techniques, I can't see how such efforts would cause problems unless taken to extremes. As regards the dealer saying something like "just take it out and drive it", that seems to me just the typical irresponsible position dealers can take to redirect issues back at the customer. Driving passively, using EV mode judiciously, and attempting to increase mileage can't be a problem for a hybrid automobile unless there is a design flaw in the system.

When the cold temperatures started here in Virginia, my mpg seemed to decline. However, it has only dropped 2 or 3 mpg, and on a trip yesterday, I still managed 40 mpg on a 50 mile trip. I did turn the heater off as the heated seats seemed to be enough. The outside temperature never got over 32. My overall mileage has only dropped from 39.7 to 38.2. Now I'm starting to wonder if the Spring and Summer might not bring much better mileage because I only picked up the FFH in November, and it hasn't been in temperatures over 70 yet. We'll see.

I dropped my air pressure to 30 psi when I got the FFH home, primarily to soften the ride a bit. I know it might cost me in the mpg department a bit, not to mention possibly in tire wear as well, but the improved ride seems to be worth it.

So, you're suggesting that there is additional mileage to be gained from going from Empower mode to Engage? As soon as I can get my FFH out of the garage, which could run up to a week, I'll give it a shot. My intuition tells me that if this is an artifact of the different displays, it certainly has to be unintentional on Ford's part. However, it certainly is worth exploring and tracking. Thanks!

I can't even compare my situation with the different displays until I can get mine back on the road. I'm snowed in totally, the FFH is in the garage, and I can't even get to the cars I have outside yet.

Sounds like you need a hug, dude. At the risk of getting into an argument, I'm going to play Ford apologist for a little bit. First, regarding the mixed up computer-made appointment, I don't know where you took your FFH for service, but in my neck of the Central VA woods, we have 22 inches of snow, schools and offices are closed, and everything is screwed up. I can't even get to my own mailbox yet. Maybe their "Internet Manager" is in a ditch somewhere or digging out of his own driveway. It's a pretty trying time around here. But, second, what problem are you going in for? That wasn't clear to me. Did your battery meter turn red?

I don't think you're crazy, but that's a strange one. By the way, where in South Central VA are you? I promise I won't stalk you. I'm north of Charlottesville. If the different settings had any effect on the way the FFH functions, wouldn't it have been untoward of Ford not to mention that in the manual? I can see how the different options might affect driving styles, but I haven't noticed a difference in the way the car itself behaves. Still, it's a worthy topic, and it will be interesting to see what others find in their cars and experiences.

Good point about the car bringing out latent obsessive compulsive behavior, not that that would apply to me or anything. I have averaged 38 mpg by working hard at it all the time, maximizing every "hypermiling" technique I can think of. If I drove it like I used to drive my cars, I wouldn't be surprised to see an average of 31. It's not a chore to drive that way, except maybe for those behind me, it's a challenge.

I think the correct answer is "both". I find the FFH to be quite a good driver and a fun challenge in terms of achieving high mileage as well. So we can have our cake and eat it too.