Highway MPG

[Grey]

Round trip from Roswell, GA to Macon - midday and evening at highway speeds producing 40.9 MPG. (235 miles).

Very happy about that!

 

City fuel economy is better now that we are not running the heater and we are "broken-in" (6600 miles). Lost 3 MPG over the winter months - 36v39 MPG.

Thus far I compute I have saved over $900 in gas expense. With the $3,400 tax credit already received, the hybrid premium is already gone.

[lordyourjosh]

Round trip from Roswell, GA to Macon - midday and evening at highway speeds producing 40.9 MPG. (235 miles).

Very happy about that!

 

City fuel economy is better now that we are not running the heater and we are "broken-in" (6600 miles). Lost 3 MPG over the winter months - 36v39 MPG.

Thus far I compute I have saved over $900 in gas expense. With the $3,400 tax credit already received, the hybrid premium is already gone.

 

I'm starting to get concerned. I was about to start a thread about "worst gas mileage". I've commuted to work and ONCE gotten 34mpg (mostly highway driving but some city) but all other times I'm right around 30, even on a 50 mile mostly highway drive. I don't really see much higher than that in a city drive, either. This morning I shut it down and it was a terrible 26mpg after my work commute!!! I still love the car, but clearly I'm not doing very well with mpg and even though it's cold, 26 seems like a problem. I keep hoping it will improve since I only have about 550 miles on it.

Edited March 26, 2010 by lordyourjosh

[lolder]

I'm starting to get concerned. I was about to start a thread about "worst gas mileage". I've commuted to work and ONCE gotten 34mpg (mostly highway driving but some city) but all other times I'm right around 30, even on a 50 mile mostly highway drive. I don't really see much higher than that in a city drive, either. This morning I shut it down and it was a terrible 26mpg after my work commute!!! I still love the car, but clearly I'm not doing very well with mpg and even though it's cold, 26 seems like a problem. I keep hoping it will improve since I only have about 550 miles on it.

Where do you live? How cold is it? How long are your trips? Have you reset your Long Term Economy and Avg. mpg? What does your trip summary mpg say? The first two are continuous averages and if you got your car this winter, you may have a lot of cold weather poor mileage to bring your mileage down even as the temperature warms up. Follow the driving tips in the Owners Guide and Hybrid Quick reference pamphlet. Minimize your use of climate control consistent with the comfort you desire. Ford says the mileage improves with break in but I don't think that's a big factor. I think driving habit changes in conjunction with using Empower dash display has much more of an effect. Cold, rainy, short, high speed trips are the worst. Brake lightly and early on every stop so you use the least braking at the end of the stop. It's unlikely there's anything wrong with no warning messages. Anticipate ICE power requirements and keep the steadiest pressure you can on the accelerator pedal. Don't go on and off the throttle to keep tight spacing with the vehicle in front of you in traffic. Look at the traffic signals as far ahead as you can see them and try to anticipate them if possible. People will jump ahead of you if you drive like this but so what. Driving a hybrid is a frame of mind.

Edited March 27, 2010 by lolder

[spacenomyous]

. . . Don't go on and off the throttle to keep tight spacing with the vehicle in front of you in traffic. Look at the traffic signals as far ahead as you can see them and try to anticipate them if possible. People will jump ahead of you if you drive like this but so what. Driving a hybrid is a frame if mind.

Absolutely agree with the above quote. I get cut off all the time in D.C., but I just watch my EV mode and high-five myself if I can get 10 minutes of 60+ MPG, (which I have a pic of in my profile). Thankfully I got a motorcycle for when I want to get fast and dirty, so when I do drive my FFH, I slow down and really enjoy it. Also, are there any big hills you have to deal with? Even a moderate hill drops me down to about 5 - 10 MPG going like 10 - 15 MPH.

[engratsea]

Round trip from Roswell, GA to Macon - midday and evening at highway speeds producing 40.9 MPG. (235 miles).

Very happy about that!

 

City fuel economy is better now that we are not running the heater and we are "broken-in" (6600 miles). Lost 3 MPG over the winter months - 36v39 MPG.

Thus far I compute I have saved over $900 in gas expense. With the $3,400 tax credit already received, the hybrid premium is already gone.

 

What was your highway speed when you got the 40.9? We have a stretch of highway where the speed limit is 80; if I go anywhere near that I am in the high 20s. My wife laughs at all the old granny's passing me, but I dont care!

[spacenomyous]

What was your highway speed when you got the 40.9? We have a stretch of highway where the speed limit is 80; if I go anywhere near that I am in the high 20s. My wife laughs at all the old granny's passing me, but I dont care!

I take regular trips to Delaware from DC (~120 miles) and I usually cruise at 80. I find the faster you go, the more you coast which improves your MPGs. The last trip I took on Tuesday I pulled an average 52 MPG. The only time cruise gets you in trouble is if there's a hill, then my MPG will drop to 5 - 10 for the hill, but on the opposite side I'll start coasting and get into the 60+.

[Grey]

What was your highway speed when you got the 40.9? We have a stretch of highway where the speed limit is 80; if I go anywhere near that I am in the high 20s. My wife laughs at all the old granny's passing me, but I dont care!

 

60 to 75 MPH for 180 miles and 35-55 MPH for the balance. We used the HOV lanes going and coming thru Atlanta. Battery state of charge was 50-60% until we slowed down in towns.

Edited March 27, 2010 by Grey

[mxmastro]

I drive on average 700-1200 miles a week and last week I drove 780 miles with an average speed of 63.4 MPH(according to my GPS) and I averaged 41.2 MPG with a temperature ranging between the low 40's and upper 70's. During my work week I did 257 Miles with an average speed of 53.2 and a I got 46.2 MPG with temperatures were in the low to upper 40's for my morning commutes and in the upper 50's to upper 70's for my afternoon commute.

[acdii]

I found a neat trick that works on Hybrids, and other cars too, if you don't mind driving a bit slower. I used to own a 2007 Prius and took a drive to PA from Chicago. The trip there I drove the speed limit with the cruise on, and averaged about 56 MPG. On the return trip I decided to play around with it and discovered the best way to get MPG is to partially draft a flat bed, not a van semi, but a flat bed. I used the 2 second rule at first, but the turbulence from the truck buffeted me around too much. I then crept closer, about 1 1/2 seconds behind. Now you may think this is too close, but if you have ever driven 60 MPH in city highways, I was actually pretty far back. Once I got past the turbulence, the drive smoothed out and my mileage shot up, literally, it went from 55 to 75 on the scale. Going up hills though was the hardest part, trying to maintain good FE, while sticking close did not bode well, so a few times I fell back, then gradually crept back up. I was always in the drivers view, I could see him in the mirror, so I knew he could see me, and we were running between 63-68 MPH for the most part. When I got home I calculated the mileage out to 65 MPG.

 

The trick was being behind the flat bed, the airflow off the trailer was much smoother than from behind a van, to get the same results you have to fully draft it from like 15 feet behind it. Not safe at all. My method put me just a 1/2 second closer, but since the Prius can slow down much faster than a semi can, I didn't feel it was a big risk, unless some fool erected a brick wall on the highway! The best is if you get behind a flatbed carrying a few coils of steel, perfect air flow. When I did that in the Camry I got 46 MPG, a car rated at only 34. In my Fusion Sport I get 31 MPG, a car rated at 26. If you have the time and want to see what MPG you can achieve, this is a good one to play with.

[spacenomyous]

I found a neat trick that works on Hybrids, and other cars too, if you don't mind driving a bit slower. I used to own a 2007 Prius and took a drive to PA from Chicago. The trip there I drove the speed limit with the cruise on, and averaged about 56 MPG. On the return trip I decided to play around with it and discovered the best way to get MPG is to partially draft a flat bed, not a van semi, but a flat bed. I used the 2 second rule at first, but the turbulence from the truck buffeted me around too much. I then crept closer, about 1 1/2 seconds behind. Now you may think this is too close, but if you have ever driven 60 MPH in city highways, I was actually pretty far back. Once I got past the turbulence, the drive smoothed out and my mileage shot up, literally, it went from 55 to 75 on the scale. Going up hills though was the hardest part, trying to maintain good FE, while sticking close did not bode well, so a few times I fell back, then gradually crept back up. I was always in the drivers view, I could see him in the mirror, so I knew he could see me, and we were running between 63-68 MPH for the most part. When I got home I calculated the mileage out to 65 MPG.

 

The trick was being behind the flat bed, the airflow off the trailer was much smoother than from behind a van, to get the same results you have to fully draft it from like 15 feet behind it. Not safe at all. My method put me just a 1/2 second closer, but since the Prius can slow down much faster than a semi can, I didn't feel it was a big risk, unless some fool erected a brick wall on the highway! The best is if you get behind a flatbed carrying a few coils of steel, perfect air flow. When I did that in the Camry I got 46 MPG, a car rated at only 34. In my Fusion Sport I get 31 MPG, a car rated at 26. If you have the time and want to see what MPG you can achieve, this is a good one to play with.

It's funny to me that you should mention that, my dad and I just talked about the very same idea a few days ago. I have yet to put it to use though.

[acdii]

It's funny to me that you should mention that, my dad and I just talked about the very same idea a few days ago. I have yet to put it to use though.

 

Somewhere I have a cam photo I took showing just how far back I was behind the flatbed that also showed he MPG readout, it was a fuzzy shot, but still legible.

[spacenomyous]

Somewhere I have a cam photo I took showing just how far back I was behind the flatbed that also showed he MPG readout, it was a fuzzy shot, but still legible.

Yeah I noticed it's hard to get a good shot of the dash, especially with a cell cam; it took four to get the one I posted in my gallery.

[acdii]

Try it in a Prius where the MFD is in the middle of the dash!