Only 34 MPG city?

[markwilson66]

Got my FFH about three weeks ago and have put on over 330 miles, almost all city. My overall MPG is hanging around 34. I did take 1 trip on the freeway about 30 miles and averaged 45 MPG for the trip so I was happy about that. Not sure why I'm not getting better in the city. My daily commute is 2.5 miles each way with about 10 stop signs/lights, no hills. I try to stay in EV mode and coast as much as possible. Anybody else experience mid-30s MPG in mostly city driving? Does it get better as the engine gets broken in?

Also, I can't seem to stay in electric mode past 30-35 MPH. What's the secret to 47 MPH in EV mode?

[fsb99]

Got my FFH about three weeks ago and have put on over 330 miles, almost all city. My overall MPG is hanging around 34. I did take 1 trip on the freeway about 30 miles and averaged 45 MPG for the trip so I was happy about that. Not sure why I'm not getting better in the city. My daily commute is 2.5 miles each way with about 10 stop signs/lights, no hills. I try to stay in EV mode and coast as much as possible. Anybody else experience mid-30s MPG in mostly city driving? Does it get better as the engine gets broken in?

 

Mark, I'm assuming that the engine is cold each time you begin the 2.5 mile commute. If so, the engine needs to warm up (more or less when the temperature icon turns green if you are using Empower dash setting) and therefore less efficient. Yes, MPG gets better after 1500-2000 miles but it will not improve greatly on those short commutes.

[Lone Wolff]

2.5 miles? Heck, just walk!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just kidding. Depending on what you have to wear and/or take with you to work, walking/cycling are not always a good option even if commute is very short.

[markwilson66]

2.5 miles? Heck, just walk!

 

Just kidding. Depending on what you have to wear and/or take with you to work, walking/cycling are not always a good option even if commute is very short.

 

Yeah, I do ride a bike about half the time but some days I need to pick up kids or run errands so the car comes in handy.

[rlawson4]

Yeah, I do ride a bike about half the time but some days I need to pick up kids or run errands so the car comes in handy.

 

I would agree that your mileage is the result that your trip is extremely short. For a good portion of the trip, your engine is running in warm up mode.

[Milan_OH]

Got my FFH about three weeks ago and have put on over 330 miles, almost all city. My overall MPG is hanging around 34. I did take 1 trip on the freeway about 30 miles and averaged 45 MPG for the trip so I was happy about that. Not sure why I'm not getting better in the city. My daily commute is 2.5 miles each way with about 10 stop signs/lights, no hills. I try to stay in EV mode and coast as much as possible. Anybody else experience mid-30s MPG in mostly city driving? Does it get better as the engine gets broken in?

Also, I can't seem to stay in electric mode past 30-35 MPH. What's the secret to 47 MPH in EV mode?

 

 

Mark,

 

Which "overall MPG' display are you referring to? The long term number displayed when the car is turned off, or the "trip MPG' that is displayed in the same display....or the running average that is displayed continuously? Try reseting the long term and the continuous MPG. When I bought mine, the long term includes all the 'demo' time sitting stationary and demo drives etc.....not going to be representative of your driving. Mine was originally ~35, now after reset, I'm ~40 on this tank.

 

I recently made a 2mi trip to the store...about half the trip is down hillish....my trip MPG was 71MPG, was in EV mode about half the trip. Going home, trip MPG was 37...average: 54MPG round trip.

 

I have found the secret to staying in EV mode is flat or downhill grades for a couple mile stretch. The battery runs down after a mile or so on level grade, so engine has to kick-in. So far my secret to 47MPH in EV mode is downhill grades on a fresh battery coming off the highway for instance. With a fresh battery, I can milk it up to 45ish on a level/downhill grade. When the battery is low, you may stay in EV, but it's hard to get over ~20MPH. I have to remember, this is not an electric car.

 

 

Jack in Ohio

[Scott A320]

While the FFH has some neat displays to better coach efficiency, your electrical draw is a significant factor. Judiciously selecting the A/C compressor to "off" will enhance the EV longevity. The "pulse and glide" method is helpful to accelerate to a useful speed, then back off the accelerator to regain EV mode - my threshold seems to be 45mph. Careful planning of regenerative braking will near-fully charge the propulsion battery to increase duration near the end of a drive - this is also helpful when traversing multiple hills. Try to anticipate a stop early and lightly depress the brake pedal, in doing so you increase the duration of electrical replenishment. Just remember to be courteous to the drivers sharing the road with our quirky "hypermiling!"

 

Be patient, there is a learning curve to achive the best mileage, and it's rather fun!

[mikenmar]

Mark, a couple points:

 

(1) I also have a 2.5 mile city street commute to work, and typically I get around 30-34 mpg in the morning. Definitely makes a big difference when you're driving cold.

 

(2) You will probably find your mileage improves pretty noticeably once you've got more than a thousand or so miles on the car. I'm guessing that the computer is set for a pretty rich mix for the first thousand miles, then it eases up.

 

(3) You will learn more over time about how to drive efficiently.

 

I too was disappointed with the mpg when I first got the car, but now I'm getting about 40 mpg in mixed city/highway driving.

[markwilson66]

So today I picked up my kid from soccer practice which added another mile to the trip. From the park to the house was 3.5 miles, pretty much flat. It was hot today so no AC but windows down and the engine was probably reasonably warm when I started the trip. Trip average was 45 MPG for 3.5 miles. I think I'm getting the hang of it. Basically my strategy is to anticipate when I will be able to sustain 35-45 MPH for a half mile or so. If I know I am going to hit a stretch where I don't need to stop I will accelerate, using ICE, to cruising speed then back of the throttle and cruise in EV mode. If I know I need to stop I will ride the brake pedal and try to regen the battery charge as much as possible. I forgot to mention 1 trip home from the office I averaged 78 MPG for 2.5 miles. The planets must have been in alignment that day, I got mostly green lights and probably started with a full battery charge although it must have been pretty discharged by the end of the trip.

This is a great forum, thanks for all the feedback guys!

[black70bird]

Must have stuttered when I posted. See below.

[black70bird]

We have had our FFH for 30 days now and I just started driving it to work instead of our Prius. We had a clear bra put on the bumper, hood, fenders and lights so did not drive it until that was done. I have driven 294 miles and have a 40.9 mpg based on the computer. I will check it and see what actual mpg is when I fill up. I drive 27 miles, one way, to work at 75 mph for about half of it. So I am impressed with this performance so far. My wife will drive the car to work when I have put ~1000 miles on it. I will go back to my Prius getting ~54 mpg. My wife's commute is all city driving so I am doing the break in, she may not get it back. I like the quiet and comfort compared to the Gen I Prius. It will be interesting to see what kind of milage she gets switching from the 1986 Saab to the FFH. B)

[vfxproducer]

I'm consistently getting about 32.5 MPH. I live in the foothills outside of Los Angeles. On the way to work, going down hill, the histograph pegs out at over 60MPG. On the other hand, going home uphill, I'm getting 20 or less, no matter how carefully I drive and watch the various meters. Driving it myself up hill does get better results than the cruise control. But this car does not do well with hills. I have about 1500 miles on the car, so I am probably past the warm-up period.

 

All that being said, the 32.5 MPG is still about double what I was getting with my old 4Runner that the FFH replaced, so I'm not too upset.

[lrymal]

I'm consistently getting about 32.5 MPH. I live in the foothills ....But this car does not do well with hills. I have about 1500 miles on the car, so I am probably past the warm-up period.

 

All that being said, the 32.5 MPG is still about double what I was getting with my old 4Runner that the FFH replaced, so I'm not too upset.

BINGO! Same here with the durned foothills. I've got areas that rise 300' within a mile or so, according to the GPS receiver. Pick up truck I had with 15 City, 21 highway EPA figures always had about 8 MPG going up those hills, and about 35 MPG (!!!!!) when commuting back, according to its computer. Overall, the truck got about 23 MPG total average. grinnnnn

 

Anyway, this car is a delight to drive. I have no idea what "regular" Fusions would get on the same commute route, but I'd be curious.

[tx_traveler]

I can confirm what people are saying in this thread. I drive in Austin and in Houston. In Austin I usually make short trips and there are lot's of hills, so my city mileage averages around 30-35. The car definitely needs to warm up, so very short trips take the MPG down. In Houston when I take longer trips on flat side streets I can get 40-45 or more. Highway driving I am getting 41-43, driving 65-70 MPH.

[jlindblo]

I think 10 stoplights are definitely going to kill your performance! My wife informs me that SHE has gotten over 60 mpg .... which is much better than I do. However ... my trade-in "Clunker" was just barely getting over 6 mpg, so I'm ecstatic with even 30 mpg, which is 5 times better than the old pickup. My monthly fuel bill is definitely going to look better from now on!

[HaroldUp]

Got my FFH about three weeks ago and have put on over 330 miles, almost all city. My overall MPG is hanging around 34. I did take 1 trip on the freeway about 30 miles and averaged 45 MPG for the trip so I was happy about that. Not sure why I'm not getting better in the city. My daily commute is 2.5 miles each way with about 10 stop signs/lights, no hills. I try to stay in EV mode and coast as much as possible. Anybody else experience mid-30s MPG in mostly city driving? Does it get better as the engine gets broken in?

Also, I can't seem to stay in electric mode past 30-35 MPH. What's the secret to 47 MPH in EV mode?

I purchased a FFH the end of June this year and am getting great mileage, which improves with miles driven. I have an all time average of 41.9 mpg (2000 total miles) which is mostly road miles at maximum legal speeds. I easly get 50 plus mpg when I drive in town at legal speeds and no jack rabbit starts. I was amazed a few days ago while driving late at night to a city about thirty miles distance. On the return leg, I glanced at the average mpg which indicated an even 50! However, it quickly dropped back to 48 mpg plus. I do not consider this mileage a fluke as the 2010 FFH set a record for it's class with a whopping 1420 miles on a 17.5 gallon tank full of gas. Of course, this was done by professional drivers and I imagine cars following the record breaking FFH was cussing it for holding up the flow of traffic. The FFH has been given a bum rap on it's acceleration. I have consistently run away from most gas rigs from a stop in town. My throttle response with the electric engine's great instant torque is a wonder to behold. The 0-60 figures found in most test articles must be for FFH's will very low mileage. Acceleration from forty and fifty miles per is outstanding and I love to hear the gas engine when it cuts in...reminds me of the growl of the old ford flathead that put the GM straight sixes to shame back in the forties. I would prefer leaf springs at the rear end for a softer, more controlled ride (leaf springs are true variable rate springs and far surperior to coils, and this opinion comes from driving many great cars like the Hudson Hornet that ruled the racing circuit for three years back in the early '50s. Coil springs are not variable rate and other than hold the car up, do little for ride control, leaving most of the work to shock absorbers. I drove a 1947 Lincoln Continental with leaf springs front and rear that would hold it's own will most cars anywhere near it's size and weight. It's shocks were true double action lever type with the name Houdile. Note: the 2010 Ford pickup has leaf rear springs for increased ride comfort and even lengthened the wheel base to increase the length of the leaf springs. The longer the springs, the softer the ride. A questions that always occurs to me is, is style taking precedent over substance. Testers derided the GT Mustangs for years because it had a solid rear axel, but the latest GT still has a solid axel but corners with the best of them. With the rear suspensionw as stiff as most are today, what does it matter whether the rear is independantly sprung or not? My 2010 FFH rear suspension is as solid as a rock with absolutely no give whatsoever but independantly sprung, big deal!

[akirby]

Leaf springs on a passenger car with IRS? You're kidding, right?

[HaroldUp]

Leaf springs on a passenger car with IRS? You're kidding, right?

An IRS rear suspension is only effective if it is compliant enough to allow each wheel to move freely over bumps, the idea being that the rear wheels will absorb the bump and keep the vehicle level. However, many late model cars have such stiff, almost rigid IRS suspensions that the wheels are not able to move freely, resulting in the vehicle moving up instead and often bouncing and pitching. In such cases, which are far too prevelant today, a solid real axel with semi-eliptical leaf springs would be just as good and much stonger. The move towards ever larger diameter wheels and tires serve no useful purpose, other than a cosmetic appeal. The larger the wheel diameters, the more prohibitive the tire prices. I understand that the 2010 Mustang GT has a solid rear axel which rivals all others in cornering capabilities and is much stronger than IRS. After years of scorning the Mustang GT for it's old fashioned rear axel, the tide has turned. The Lincoln Continentals of the early forties had buggy springs (leafs) and solid axels front and rear and were extremely good at cornering. They were heavy machines with an extremely low center of gravity and were some of the finest riding cars ever produced, anywhere! The famous Hudson Hornet had a solid rear axel and leaf springs and was one of the finest cornering cars ever made!

 

The leaf spring is a true variable rate spring which the coil is not. The 2010 Ford 150 Pickup has long rear "leaf" springs to enhance riding quality. In fact, the frame was lengthened to increase the length of the leaf spring to soften the ride further. The primary leaf, the longest, gives a soft, flexible ride over smaller road irregularities and when larger bumps are encounter, additional shorter and stiffer leaves come into play. The shock absorbers were true double action lever types that gave smooth, equal and controlled rebound. Shocks nowadays adjust automatically to control the non-variable rate coil, which is a poor compromise for ride quality. Leaf springs do most of the work, coils hold the car up and not much more and depend on shock absorbers to control the riding quality.

[akirby]

The Expedition went from leaf springs to coil springs to improve ride quality. Leaf springs are only good for high load capacity.

[HaroldUp]

The Expedition went from leaf springs to coil springs to improve ride quality. Leaf springs are only good for high load capacity.

The 1010 Ford pickup uses leaf springs to get an advantage in ride quality over it's competitors. You must be confusing "overload" springs with leaf main springs. The main (longest) leaf in a leaf spring gives a much softer ride which a coil cannot match, not being a variable rate spring. For years, GM, Packard, Hudson, FOMOCO and Chrysler as well as many European autos used leaf springs at the rear of their vehicles to get a more controlled and softer ride. If you unhook the shock absorbers on the rear of a car with coil springs and give it a good bounce, it will continue bouncing up and down a dozen times or more. If you unhook the shocks on the rear of a car with leaf springs and give it a good bounce it will stop after about two bounces. The leaf spring is a true "variable rate spring" where the long main leaf gives a soft ride and the additional shorter springs add increased resistance when brought into play. Proof of this is the constant effort to develop a shock absorber that will give the coil spring the same ride quality as a leaf spring, which cannot be done. The self adjusting shock such as the Monroe Sensi-Track is an example but fails to do the job. Cadillac has spent a fortune on it's new magnetic suspension, but it falls short because the coil is not a variable rate spring. The air suspension apes the coil spring in that it is not a true variable rate spring, just a "load leveler!" As I have mentioned before, the multi-link rear suspensions found on most late model cars with IRS are exercises in futility because the trend is toward over damped suspensions that do not allow free wheel movement. The IRS is subject to damage that will not harm a solid axel and leaf springs. If you get a chance to drive a restored Lincoln Continental from the early forties that had solid axels and leaf springs at both ends, you will experience a ride quality unatainable in a car with coil springs! I've driven them and know what I am talking about. The Lincoln Zephyrs of that period were the finest riding of all, anywhere, although they were not designed to fly around corners at break neck speeds, but to give unparalled isolation from the road, no matter how bad. They were not floaters!

[akirby]

If you're saying that leaf springs can give you a floaty ride then I'll agree with you. However, nobody wants such a ride in a modern automobile.

 

There is a reason they don't make cars with leaf springs any more. And just FYI - they do make variable rate coil springs.

[Howie411]

If you're saying that leaf springs can give you a floaty ride then I'll agree with you. However, nobody wants such a ride in a modern automobile.

 

There is a reason they don't make cars with leaf springs any more. And just FYI - they do make variable rate coil springs.

 

 

So the last week and 1/2 in VA its been in the 60-75 degree range. Unfortunately I wish I could say my MPG is getting better but its really not. Resetting my MPG each day for the last few days and only doing city driving I'm ranging around 34-36 MPG, and that is if I'm trying to drive good, (ie pissing off the people behind me) I would like to know in what world it was determined this car can get 41 MPG city. I have no doubt in my mind it can do 39 HWY as I've seen 37-38 even when its 40 degrees out, but I've come no where close to 41 driving city. Maybe if I lived in a completely flat state with no traffic lights etc.

[Oman]

The Expedition went to IRS to gain space in the rear. Good, properly placed leaf springs will provide a better ride, however the space for the leaf springs competes with space needs inside the cabin. By going IRS they dropped the live axle and shrunk the suspension space requirements by more than 50%. That let them get the spare moved and lower the floor of the rear cabin. Thus Ford has those great fold-down-into-the-floor seats, which is the main reason I purchased the Expedition over the competition.

 

Jon

 

 

The Expedition went from leaf springs to coil springs to improve ride quality. Leaf springs are only good for high load capacity.