2013 FFH real world fuel economy

[acdii]

Nope, I'm done with it. Ford says nothing wrong, took me on a test drive and proved nothing wrong, but if you had seen what it took for him to achieve the test results.........

[DeeCee]

Finally made a road trip this weekend with a jaunt to St. Louis and back a little over 800 miles. On the way up I drove at 65 to 75 mph with a decent headwind and the mileage was 38.7, my lowest to date. On another segment of the trip I set the ACC at 61 mph and got 41.9 mpg. This was driving on rolling terrain with EV kicking in usually on the downhill segments and ICE the rest of the time including level terrain runs. As of today my total mileage is 3933 with an average of 42.9 mpg based on actual fuel used for that mileage. The cars computer is reporting 43.4 lifetime average.

[GreenAussie]

So today was the coldest yet 20 Deg and my milage the lowest 37.7 MPG. So for me on a constant trip, the biggest factor in fuel ecconomy is air temp.

[acdii]

Hate to say it, but Ford should have stuck with the Gen1 they had in the 10-12 lineup. Put the new one in the Cmax until they get it working properly in the real world before dropping it into the new Fusion. Thats my OP, but then thats just me.

[ace8726872]

Hi everyone,

 

I am brand new to hybrid and a first time Ford owner. After looking at several different hybrids out there, I decided on 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid because it simply is the best looking hybrid sedan out there in my budget. I was really concerned about reading numerous articles about the real-world MPG of 2013 FFH not being 47/47/47 like the car is advertised. And because of this, I almost bought Toyota Prius but I just couldn't see myself driving it. It's just so ugly, no offense to anyone who owns Prius, just purely my opinion.

 

Today was my first commute to my work in my Fusion. My commute is 31.6 miles with 90% freeway. At the end of the trip, I was happy to see 46.4 mpg. It was a clear day with the temperatures around 55 ~ 60 degrees. Being a holiday, the traffic was very light.

 

I do have to say that the drive was very stressful as I am not used to driving to save gas. I like driving fast as I normally drove 75 mph ~ 80 mph in my old car, 2010 Honda Civic and got around 34 mpg. I used to curse at those people who drive at the speed limit, tailgating them mercilessly. It definitely was not so fun being on the receiving end of the tailgating today.

 

My wife is super happy because I drive very safely, accelerating and braking very gradually, and not get in my normal "road rage mode". Even if I get crappy MPG, I think my wife will like the change in my behavior.

 

Anyway, sorry for ranting. Here is my trip meter for this morning's commute. As I get better at driving this car, hopefully it will improve. Every little penny helps.

 

Thank you and have a great day!

[lolder]

You have started on a good journey in hybrid land. You have a lot to learn and it will be fun. One member on another forum has the name "Right Lane Cruiser". Drive at least the speed limit and higher if necessary for safety. When you get in moderate to heavy high speed traffic there is a drafting effect and tailwind that helps your mileage. Read the manuals several times while parked. Good luck.

[Fastronaut]

Hi everyone,

 

I am brand new to hybrid and a first time Ford owner. After looking at several different hybrids out there, I decided on 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid because it simply is the best looking hybrid sedan out there in my budget. I was really concerned about reading numerous articles about the real-world MPG of 2013 FFH not being 47/47/47 like the car is advertised. And because of this, I almost bought Toyota Prius but I just couldn't see myself driving it. It's just so ugly, no offense to anyone who owns Prius, just purely my opinion.

 

Today was my first commute to my work in my Fusion. My commute is 31.6 miles with 90% freeway. At the end of the trip, I was happy to see 46.4 mpg. It was a clear day with the temperatures around 55 ~ 60 degrees. Being a holiday, the traffic was very light.

 

I do have to say that the drive was very stressful as I am not used to driving to save gas. I like driving fast as I normally drove 75 mph ~ 80 mph in my old car, 2010 Honda Civic and got around 34 mpg. I used to curse at those people who drive at the speed limit, tailgating them mercilessly. It definitely was not so fun being on the receiving end of the tailgating today.

 

My wife is super happy because I drive very safely, accelerating and braking very gradually, and not get in my normal "road rage mode". Even if I get crappy MPG, I think my wife will like the change in my behavior.

 

Anyway, sorry for ranting. Here is my trip meter for this morning's commute. As I get better at driving this car, hopefully it will improve. Every little penny helps.

 

Thank you and have a great day!

Great choice of vehicles. There's more to driving than simply fuel mileage, but you can do both in your new Fusion Hybrid. Remember all those guys that squeal off the line, only to have you catch up to them later .... Tortoise and the Hare!

[acdii]

. Tortoise and the Hare!

This is what I think of every single time! The cartoon with the tortoise slowly strolling along passing by the hare.

[coach81]

Thjought somewhere earlier you indicated a planned trip to Tenn. about this time?

Oh yeah.... That fell through.

[coach81]

Hi everyone,

 

I am brand new to hybrid and a first time Ford owner. After looking at several different hybrids out there, I decided on 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid because it simply is the best looking hybrid sedan out there in my budget. I was really concerned about reading numerous articles about the real-world MPG of 2013 FFH not being 47/47/47 like the car is advertised. And because of this, I almost bought Toyota Prius but I just couldn't see myself driving it. It's just so ugly, no offense to anyone who owns Prius, just purely my opinion.

 

Today was my first commute to my work in my Fusion. My commute is 31.6 miles with 90% freeway. At the end of the trip, I was happy to see 46.4 mpg. It was a clear day with the temperatures around 55 ~ 60 degrees. Being a holiday, the traffic was very light.

 

I do have to say that the drive was very stressful as I am not used to driving to save gas. I like driving fast as I normally drove 75 mph ~ 80 mph in my old car, 2010 Honda Civic and got around 34 mpg. I used to curse at those people who drive at the speed limit, tailgating them mercilessly. It definitely was not so fun being on the receiving end of the tailgating today.

 

My wife is super happy because I drive very safely, accelerating and braking very gradually, and not get in my normal "road rage mode". Even if I get crappy MPG, I think my wife will like the change in my behavior.

 

Anyway, sorry for ranting. Here is my trip meter for this morning's commute. As I get better at driving this car, hopefully it will improve. Every little penny helps.

 

Thank you and have a great day!

 

Welcome to the club!!! You will fall in love w your vehicle more and more each trip!!!

[ace8726872]

Hi coach81,

 

Thank you. Looking at your signature, I noticed that you have the exact same car with the color combo and the options as mine. Nice choice!

 

Thanks.

[acdii]

Do NOT park your silver cars anywhere near me. My horse will chase it down and chew on it.

 

 

 

And I aint kiddin! He took a bite out of my silver Camry.

[hybridbear]

Hi everyone,

 

I am brand new to hybrid and a first time Ford owner. After looking at several different hybrids out there, I decided on 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid because it simply is the best looking hybrid sedan out there in my budget. I was really concerned about reading numerous articles about the real-world MPG of 2013 FFH not being 47/47/47 like the car is advertised. And because of this, I almost bought Toyota Prius but I just couldn't see myself driving it. It's just so ugly, no offense to anyone who owns Prius, just purely my opinion.

 

Today was my first commute to my work in my Fusion. My commute is 31.6 miles with 90% freeway. At the end of the trip, I was happy to see 46.4 mpg. It was a clear day with the temperatures around 55 ~ 60 degrees. Being a holiday, the traffic was very light.

 

I do have to say that the drive was very stressful as I am not used to driving to save gas. I like driving fast as I normally drove 75 mph ~ 80 mph in my old car, 2010 Honda Civic and got around 34 mpg. I used to curse at those people who drive at the speed limit, tailgating them mercilessly. It definitely was not so fun being on the receiving end of the tailgating today.

 

My wife is super happy because I drive very safely, accelerating and braking very gradually, and not get in my normal "road rage mode". Even if I get crappy MPG, I think my wife will like the change in my behavior.

 

Anyway, sorry for ranting. Here is my trip meter for this morning's commute. As I get better at driving this car, hopefully it will improve. Every little penny helps.

 

Thank you and have a great day!

 

Welcome. Hopefully your fuel mileage will continue to improve. Being in LA you're in the right climate for the hybrid to achieve its best mileage.

 

Great choice of vehicles. There's more to driving than simply fuel mileage, but you can do both in your new Fusion Hybrid. Remember all those guys that squeal off the line, only to have you catch up to them later .... Tortoise and the Hare!

 

So true!

[ace8726872]

Welcome. Hopefully your fuel mileage will continue to improve. Being in LA you're in the right climate for the hybrid to achieve its best mileage.

 

Thank you hybridbear. Yes, I think that LA is a great place for FFH since the fuel economy seems to be dependent on the ambient temperature. LA is also a great place where road-rage related shooting occur on a regular bases too! I just hope that nobody objects to my new driving style on the freeways.

 

I am going to try a different route to work today. Whereas, yesterday's route was 90% freeway, today's route will be 50/50. It is also a bit shorter at just little over 27 miles as opposed to 31.6 miles. Hoping to be able to keep the car in EV longer.

 

Is FFH better suited for freeway driving or city driving?

 

Thanks.

[jeff_h]

Is FFH better suited for freeway driving or city driving?

 

Definitely city, IMHO - instead of 47 city /47 highway for the sticker I think it would have been more accurate to say 50 city / 40 highway or something like that... though others would dispute those numbers, it's just a rough estimate of what I think the difference is.

[hybridbear]

Definitely city, IMHO - instead of 47 city /47 highway for the sticker I think it would have been more accurate to say 50 city / 40 highway or something like that... though others would dispute those numbers, it's just a rough estimate of what I think the difference is.

 

Agreed, EPA tests might say 47/47/47 but real world tests indicate more like 50/40 or the 47/44 that Ford was originally saying as the "expected" EPA numbers before the EPA testing was official. And highway MPG drops off quickly at speeds greater than 60 MPH. Taking a city route that is less miles should lead to less gas used and higher MPGs, even though it might take a little bit longer.

 

Thank you hybridbear. Yes, I think that LA is a great place for FFH since the fuel economy seems to be dependent on the ambient temperature. LA is also a great place where road-rage related shooting occur on a regular basis too! I just hope that nobody objects to my new driving style on the freeways. I am going to try a different route to work today. Whereas, yesterday's route was 90% freeway, today's route will be 50/50. It is also a bit shorter at just little over 27 miles as opposed to 31.6 miles. Hoping to be able to keep the car in EV longer. Is FFH better suited for freeway driving or city driving? Thanks.

Edited February 19, 2013 by hybridbear

[ace8726872]

Definitely city, IMHO - instead of 47 city /47 highway for the sticker I think it would have been more accurate to say 50 city / 40 highway or something like that... though others would dispute those numbers, it's just a rough estimate of what I think the difference is.

 

 

Agreed, EPA tests might say 47/47/47 but real world tests indicate more like 50/40 or the 47/44 that Ford was originally saying as the "expected" EPA numbers before the EPA testing was official. And highway MPG drops off quickly at speeds greater than 60 MPH. Taking a city route that is less miles should lead to less gas used and higher MPGs, even though it might take a little bit longer.

 

 

Hi,

 

You guys called it. My morning commute with 50% city and 50% freeway produced better MPG. I got 48.0 MPG on a 28.1 mile commute. I didn't realize this before but I guess there are more downhills going to work than coming back home. My got 40.7 MPG on the way back on 27.7 mile commute back home.

 

It is less stressful commuting on the local streets since I can drive slower and there are less tailgaters. But It's a lot of work to manage the energy by controlling the throttle and using regen braking and stay in the EV band as long and far as possible. It's almost like relearning how to drive! Couple of times, I almost rear-ended the car in front, trying not to brake too hard. :drop:

 

Anyway, pics from my commute today. Thanks.

Edited February 20, 2013 by ace8726872

[hybridbear]

Hi,

 

You guys called it. My morning commute with 50% city and 50% freeway produced better MPG. I got 48.0 MPG on a 28.1 mile commute. I didn't realize this before but I guess there are more downhills going to work than coming back home. My got 40.7 MPG on the way back on 27.7 mile commute back home.

 

It is less stressful commuting on the local streets since I can drive slower and there are less tailgaters. But It's a lot of work to manage the energy by controlling the throttle and using regen braking and stay in the EV band as long and far as possible. It's almost like relearning how to drive! Couple of times, I almost rear-ended the car in front, trying not to brake too hard. :drop:

 

Anyway, pics from my commute today. Thanks.

 

You can see the difference in the hills by looking at your EV miles and Regen miles. Coming home you have less Regen miles by quite a lot which shows the elevation difference.

 

I've almost rear-ended people too if I start focusing too much on getting 100% brake score. Now I've learned to just let it go when needed. The biggest thing with regenerative braking is having good anticipation of the stops. By taking the city route you'll learn that more quickly too and see an improvement. Not only will more regen braking provide more electricity and better mileage but it also saves wear and tear on the brake pads. It would be so nice to get 100,000 miles out of brake pads due to the regenerative braking, or maybe even more miles

[ace8726872]

You can see the difference in the hills by looking at your EV miles and Regen miles. Coming home you have less Regen miles by quite a lot which shows the elevation difference.

 

I've almost rear-ended people too if I start focusing too much on getting 100% brake score. Now I've learned to just let it go when needed. The biggest thing with regenerative braking is having good anticipation of the stops. By taking the city route you'll learn that more quickly too and see an improvement. Not only will more regen braking provide more electricity and better mileage but it also saves wear and tear on the brake pads. It would be so nice to get 100,000 miles out of brake pads due to the regenerative braking, or maybe even more miles

 

Hi hybridbear,

 

Great point and thanks for all the tips. Really appreciate it. It would be great to have the brakes last for 100,000 miles. I figure we are all driving our hybrids the way we handle an infant to get the most miles out of them, it will go a long way toward prolonging all the others parts as well. Only thing that is supposed to get a work out is the hybrid/battery system and it's a good thing that we have 10 year/ 150,000 mile warranty for hybrid system in California!

[jeff_h]

It would be great to have the brakes last for 100,000 miles.

 

I replaced the original brakes on my 2010 FFH at 140k miles and the pads were only halfway worn and rotors were still in excellent shape. I posted pic of the difference between the original pads and the new ones out of the box to compare how much 'meat' was still on them... post #4 at the below link:

 

http://www.fordfusionforum.com/topic/8416-hybrid-brake-replacement/

 

Of course your results may vary based on your driving conditions and habits, and I drive a lot of highway miles and brake very smoothly well in advance.

[elle]

One critique I have seen in reviews that I have to agree with is the one about the grabby brakes. It's taking me some time to get used to the way these brakes feel as opposed to the brakes on my Prius. I imagine that once I am completely accustomed to them it will be easier for me to brake as smoothly as I want to all the time. I'm still getting pretty good brake scores, though.

[jeff_h]

One critique I have seen in reviews that I have to agree with is the one about the grabby brakes. It's taking me some time to get used to the way these brakes feel as opposed to the brakes on my Prius. I imagine that once I am completely accustomed to them it will be easier for me to brake as smoothly as I want to all the time. I'm still getting pretty good brake scores, though.

 

You mean more grabby than your Prius? My Prius seemed kinda touchy and maybe it's a common trait for these types of vehicles, in any case a driver tends to get accustomed to these changes pretty quickly, just think of the last time you had a rental car and thought the brake/gas sensitivity was not what you were used to... but by the time you turned the car in you had likely adjusted to it just fine.

[elle]

Well, it's funny. My Prius brakes held better for me when I was just resting my foot lightly on the brake pedal at a full stop. The Fusion sometimes drifts forward unless I apply more pressure than I am used to. But when I'm braking in the Fusion there seems to be a point at which I can hit the pedal too hard and it gets a little grabby. I don't remember that happening in the Prius but, then again, the brakes had 30K miles of wear on them so maybe I just forgot what they felt like when they were new!

[expresspotato]

I agree the Fusion brakes are much better... Prius brakes are the grabbiest in the world, there is no travel in them.

[hermans]

The brakes on my 2010 Fusion are far more touchy than my 2013.