POLL - Actual Computed Mileage

[Oman]

I have been carefully logging mileage information on my new FFH. I had been lurking on various Prius forums and my goal is not to have a I-GET-A-ZILLION-MPG contest, rather I think it is more valuable to Fusion owners to get a real idea of what the FFH will actually do in various conditions and driving styles.

 

As far as I'm concerned the only information that matters is how many gallons of fuel go into the car and how far it travels. The computers in the car are just estimating the fuel usage by counting the time the injectors are open. Variable temperature, specific fuel pressure, etc. can lead to several percentage points of error.

 

The format I have been keeping is as follows:

 

Date / Act. Miles / Tank Distance / Gallons / Price/Gal / Calculated MPG / Notes (No A/C use, 50% 70MPH Hwy, Trunk loaded, single passenger, etc.)

 

My Data so far (starting with 2nd tank since I did not have good data on the first):

 

Traveled: 519 miles, Added 14.407 gallons, MPG 36.02 - No A/C needed, 50% 70Mph Hwy, Solo

Traveled: 536.7 miles, Added 14.829 gallons, MPG 36.19 - No A/C needed, 30% 70Mph Hwy, 175 miles with 4 passengers and loaded trunk on 55Mph Hwy

 

It is still very early but that is a 36.11 real MPG on a brand-new engine driven on quite a bit of high-speed highway. That is certainly as good as I was expecting. It will be interesting to see if it starts to improve at it breaks in and I get better at driving it.

 

Does anyone else want to track and contribute their data? I'll keep a spreadsheet up to date and re-post here if anyone is interested.

 

Jon

[WPWoodJr]

I just got mine but will start tracking miles based on gallons added. Might take me awhile though as I travel only about 40-60 minutes a day on back roads. Initial indications are it shouldn't be hard to get 35-40+ mpg if I would just stop playing with it in the parking lot! ;)

[rogerinvermont]

I will be adding my third tank today or tomorrow, so I can give you my results. I commute 22-23 miles one way, house at 1100' of altitude, office at 300'. Several short (less than 75 miles one way) interstate trips.

 

My guess is slightly less than 40 mpg. Weather cool, no air-conditioner demand.

 

Formal numbers to follow.

 

Rog

[rogerinvermont]

Sorry I'm a bit late getting the report out.

 

I have filled up four times. The first one doesnt count since I didn't record the mileage when I picked up the car.

 

So the summation of three additional fill-ups. Nothing in trunk. Mostly me alone, approx 20% a single passenger. Of the 1540 miles, possibly 20% interstate.

 

I purchase gasoline at an outlet that uses non-ethanol gas.

 

 

Totals

between 5/11 and 6/9:

total mileage Total gals Miles/gal average gas price/mile

1540.3 38.351 40.16 $ 0.060

 

 

 

Rog in Vermont

[filbo]

I've got about 1000 miles so far in my FFH,

 

I've just put in my second tank so here is the calculation

 

547.90 miles, 13.19 gallons which equals 41.5 miles per gallon.

 

This is my primary commuter car, I put in about 54 highway miles each day going to work and back. I try to drive in a manner that follows the FFH dash display for maximum mileage.

[jeff_h]

547.90 miles, 13.19 gallons which equals 41.5 miles per gallon.

 

That's pretty good! I have maintained an excel spreadsheet for every single fillup on my Prius over 127,000 miles, and the average is 51MPG. I formatted it in a way to calculate the cost of the gas at that MPG, and compare the costs savings against 20, 25, and 30 MPG to see if in the long run it was worth the extra money that was shelled out in the purchase price.

 

I have a copy of the spreadsheet ready to go for the FFH, now I all I need is the car! :)

[awilson]

Here are the actual fuel mileage figures for our first 2 fillups:

 

Fillup #1, 525 miles, 13.847 gallons, 37.91 MPG

Fillup #2, 515 miles, 14.420 gallons, 35.71 MPG

 

My wife is the primary driver of the car and makes no special effort to drive in such a way to enhance fuel economy. Most of her driving is on the highway - 75MPH. We live in West Texas where it has been in the high 90's the past few weeks, so A/C load has been very high.

 

So in summary, we are probably the worst case example of the family that would get the most out of a hybrid. I knew this before purchasing our FFH and did not expect that we would get anywhere close to the advertised fuel economy so I am amazed that we are getting a bit better fuel economy than the advertised 36MPG Highway value.

 

For comparison, my wife used to drive a 2004 Honda Accord with a 2.4 liter 4-cyl engine. With the Honda she averaged 27-28 MPG in identical driving conditions as the FFH. The fact that we can get a 35% improvement in fuel economy in what certainly feels like a larger car is impressive.

 

Fuel economy aside, my wife and I love the FFH. It is our first Ford (our last 2 cars have both been Honda's). I would definately buy a FFH if I needed a new car today.

[WPWoodJr]

I'm getting about 37 mpg in the hilly Philly suburbs but it does take a change in driving habits to get great mileage in the FFH. Luckily the gauges are a big help in that department.

[robm15]

Here are the actual fuel mileage figures for our first 2 fillups:

 

Fillup #1, 525 miles, 13.847 gallons, 37.91 MPG

Fillup #2, 515 miles, 14.420 gallons, 35.71 MPG

 

My wife is the primary driver of the car and makes no special effort to drive in such a way to enhance fuel economy. Most of her driving is on the highway - 75MPH. We live in West Texas where it has been in the high 90's the past few weeks, so A/C load has been very high.

 

It is amazing to me how much the A/C affects gas mileage. A week ago here in the Seattle area we were having temps a little higher than normal for this time of year, high 80's, and it was sunny (I did say Seattle :) ) So the car was hot after work. For the few days I used the A/C in Auto mode, temp set to 75) my fuel economy dropped from averaging 45 mpg to 38 - 39 mpg. That is still good, but it got me to thinking that maybe Toyota does have a good idea in the solar powered A/C that the new 2010 Prius is offering. Don't get me wrong, I love my FFH, but that option does make a lot of sense for area's where the summers are hotter and longer.

[WPWoodJr]

That's pretty good! I have maintained an excel spreadsheet for every single fillup on my Prius over 127,000 miles, and the average is 51MPG. I formatted it in a way to calculate the cost of the gas at that MPG, and compare the costs savings against 20, 25, and 30 MPG to see if in the long run it was worth the extra money that was shelled out in the purchase price.

 

I have a copy of the spreadsheet ready to go for the FFH, now I all I need is the car! :)

Just curious - why are you getting a FFH instead of the new 2010 Prius, since the new Prius gets better gas mileage and has improved handling over the previous generation?

[WPWoodJr]

It is amazing to me how much the A/C affects gas mileage. A week ago here in the Seattle area we were having temps a little higher than normal for this time of year, high 80's, and it was sunny (I did say Seattle :) ) So the car was hot after work. For the few days I used the A/C in Auto mode, temp set to 75) my fuel economy dropped from averaging 45 mpg to 38 - 39 mpg. That is still good, but it got me to thinking that maybe Toyota does have a good idea in the solar powered A/C that the new 2010 Prius is offering. Don't get me wrong, I love my FFH, but that option does make a lot of sense for area's where the summers are hotter and longer.

I believe the Prius doesn't actually have solar powered A/C, its just a fan that blows air out of the car while its parked. Another thing the 2010 Prius has going for it over previous models is quicker ICE warming so you can get into EV mode sooner. I've noticed even in 65-70 degree weather that my FFH takes awhile to heat up - you can tell when its warmed up by looking at the little temperature gauge icon on the left of the driver display - when its green the engine is warmed up.

 

I'm amazed too, looking at the A/C usage gauge, just how much electricity the A/C takes. I can tell the difference when its on or off because I can't drive in EV mode as much when its on.

[Oman]

I have noticed that the A/C (for me at least) drops the mileage on the hwy but does not seem to around town. My guess is that the A/C is powered mostly by energy recovery when you are stopping once in a while but when you are not it draws juice from the generator during regular driving. I am surprised that most cars don't have electric A/C as there is quite a bit of waste having the belt drive the A/C even when the clutch is not engaged.

 

The solar panels in the 3G Prius just run a cabin air circulation fan occasionally when the car is off. I looked at one at the dealer the other day and actually it seems pretty ineffective. The sun still heats the interior to the point where most of the cabin heating seems to come from the surfaces. 10 seconds with the doors open as you enter the car seems to do pretty much the same thing. What they need is windows that can auto-tint to 99% when the car is off. That would help more I think.

 

In my opinion they got uglier too... but that's just me.

 

Jon

 

 

 

 

I believe its not actually solar powered A/C, its just a fan that blows air out of the car while its parked.

[WPWoodJr]

I have noticed that the A/C (for me at least) drops the mileage on the hwy but does not seem to around town. My guess is that the A/C is powered mostly by energy recovery when you are stopping once in a while but when you are not it draws juice from the generator during regular driving.

Try this: when driving in EV mode near the limit of EV mode with A/C off on a hot day, turn A/C on. I think you'll see yourself drop out of E/V mode to power the A/C. Also, the A/C draws down the battery, potentially forcing the engine on to recharge it if there's not enough regen happening.

[peteostro]

After about 3,000 miles my average on the FFH display is 39.2.

The A/C does effect my MPG's but the good thing is it gets the car cold Fast and I have to turn it off after a few minutes.

 

The reason I went with the FFH over the Prius is the car feels like a real mid size sedan, like and accord or camry. I felt like I was trading up over my last car (1998 accord) were the Prius just felt like a lower end car, like a civic. 50 MPG'S is awesome but I am happy with my 39.2 city hwy average. I really like the interior of my FFH and the eco gauges and sync rock! Car is awesome to drive too. The power is there when you need it and it handles real well (better than my old accord). Over all I am very pleased.

[robm15]

The reason I went with the FFH over the Prius is the car feels like a real mid size sedan, like and accord or camry. I felt like I was trading up over my last car (1998 accord) were the Prius just felt like a lower end car, like a civic. 50 MPG'S is awesome but I am happy with my 39.2 city hwy average. I really like the interior of my FFH and the eco gauges and sync rock! Car is awesome to drive too. The power is there when you need it and it handles real well (better than my old accord). Over all I am very pleased.

 

That is pretty much the exact same answer I give when I am asked why I traded from a Toyota Camry Hybrid to a FFH. The FFH is just a much better car. Now, the thing that will matter the most is if it is as reliable as my TCH was. I'll answer that in three years, stay tuned... ;)

[jeff_h]

Just curious - why are you getting a FFH instead of the new 2010 Prius, since the new Prius gets better gas mileage and has improved handling over the previous generation?

 

Because I have always bought American brands and in 2005 there was not a suitable alternative that would qualify for the special license plates to drive in the HOV lanes, so I went with the Prius. Now it's time for a new car (I drive 3,000 miles per month) and now there is an American brand model that I tried out, the FFH. I now have 1-2 carpoolers each day so someone sits in the back seat about half the time, my wife has told me how uncomfortable it is to ride in the back seat of the Prius, the FFH is much better. Also, I looked at the 2010 Prius on TV commercials and personally I think it is UGLY, even worse than my 2005 that is shaped like a taco.

[KarenD]

I filled up this morning; had gone 609.3 miles since my last fill and put 14.826 gallons in, so that works out to 41.09672 mpg. Most of those miles were my commute, which is mixed city (40 to 50 mph speed limit mostly) and highway. I have been trying to minimize AC use, though we've had a few hot afternoons here so I have cranked it a few times. When off the freeway especially I do try to keep it "in the green" but I'm no hypermiler--not yet, anyway. I don't have complete records on my earlier tankfulls, but they've all been around 40-41 mpg.

[rlawson4]

My wife loves to go to intolerable stores like Michael's and Joanne's fabrics. I usually wait in the car. Sitting with the air conditioning on does kill the mileage. I had to resort to walking around Office Max instead.

[KarenD]

Today: 521.6 miles, 12.572 gallons, 41.48902 mpg

 

It's been in the mid to upper 80s and lower 90s here the past several days. My car seems to like it; I've been seeing around 45 mpg on the trip report when I turn the key off after I get home, and that's with me keeping the climate on auto at around 73 degrees. I don't plan to find out what I could get if I turned the AC off in this weather. :)

 

Edited to add that I've got around 3300 miles total on the car now.

[wstcoaster07]

Today: 521.6 miles, 12.572 gallons, 41.48902 mpg

 

It's been in the mid to upper 80s and lower 90s here the past several days. My car seems to like it; I've been seeing around 45 mpg on the trip report when I turn the key off after I get home, and that's with me keeping the climate on auto at around 73 degrees. I don't plan to find out what I could get if I turned the AC off in this weather. :)

 

Edited to add that I've got around 3300 miles total on the car now.

 

Not too shabby. What kind of driving (X hwy, X city). Oh, what hwy speeds are you doing?

 

I am still waiting on mine to arrive (end of July I think) and curious as to what kind of mileage I will get. Here in south TX hwy speed is 70mph... not awesome for efficiency, not to mention will need some serious A/C for the summer heat

[lrymal]

I am still waiting on mine to arrive (end of July I think) and curious as to what kind of mileage I will get. Here in south TX hwy speed is 70mph... not awesome for efficiency, not to mention will need some serious A/C for the summer heat

Lucky you, hybrid speaking....with your flat land roads. Up here in East Texas with the hilly roads, optimal mileage won't ever be achieved. But, I'm pleased. I'm averaging 35 mpg in spite of city and highway driving with the hills as they are.

[WPWoodJr]

On my second fill-up today I had 603 miles total on the car. The built-in fuel economy gauge said 41.9 mpg since last fill-up but actual miles/actual gallons indicated only 39.2 mpg - is any one else seeing this kind of discrepancy between the gauge and the actuals?

[wstcoaster07]

On my second fill-up today I had 603 miles total on the car. The built-in fuel economy gauge said 41.9 mpg since last fill-up but actual miles/actual gallons indicated only 39.2 mpg - is any one else seeing this kind of discrepancy between the gauge and the actuals?

 

Question about getting your actual MPG's... How can you be certain the exact amount of fuel the car used? For example, pump to pump sometimes I get more gas before it auto cuts off. And, unless you run till the car shuts down, how can you be sure how much gas is left over in the tank unused? I do "actual" computations with my jeep all the time and as long as they are within a couple mpg's I assume it deals with discrepancies of "empty" and "full" (usual discrepancy is within 1gal of gas)

 

Either way, I would be excited for 39 compared to my jeeps 15 haha

 

 

 

p.s. 2 weeks in to my wait for my FFH from when I put the order in

 

oh yea, and love your blog

[WPWoodJr]

Question about getting your actual MPG's... How can you be certain the exact amount of fuel the car used? For example, pump to pump sometimes I get more gas before it auto cuts off. And, unless you run till the car shuts down, how can you be sure how much gas is left over in the tank unused? I do "actual" computations with my jeep all the time and as long as they are within a couple mpg's I assume it deals with discrepancies of "empty" and "full" (usual discrepancy is within 1gal of gas)

 

Either way, I would be excited for 39 compared to my jeeps 15 haha

 

 

 

p.s. 2 weeks in to my wait for my FFH from when I put the order in

 

oh yea, and love your blog

Thanks!

 

My technique for fill-up is to let the pump auto-stop and don't "top off" (you'll spill fuel anyway if you top off the FFH). I'm assuming the auto-stop point is fairly consistent but I suppose I should always use the same pump to be sure.

 

You don't need to know how much gas is unused in the tank, as the calculation is just miles traveled since last fill-up/gallons pumped.

[wstcoaster07]

You don't need to know how much gas is unused in the tank, as the calculation is just miles traveled since last fill-up/gallons pumped.

 

Touche my good man