2013 Owners, Post your tires and MPG

[acdii]

There are some of us who are getting pretty crappy MPG, even though trying every trick in the book. I have a theory, and everyones help is appreciated.

 

My car has the 18" wheel package, with Goodyear tires. It gets 36 MPG.

 

Please post your tires, if they are the 17" Michelins, or the 18" Goodyears, and post what your average MPG is at, regardless of the miles on the car.

 

So far there are at least 2 or 3 of us with the 18" wheels getting pretty consistently low MPG, and those who are getting over 40 MPG have the 17" Michelins.

[ptjones]

Tires at most will make 1mpg difference. Temperature is the problem as each drop of 10 degrees loses 1.5-2mpg. I installed a ScanGuage and the problems are very obvious. The ICE never heats up. I could only get it up to 150 degrees in city driving. Temps here are 40-45 degrees. I have a standard driving test loop on the Fwy of 14.2mi on ECO cruise. The ICE made it to 195 degrees at mid turnaround and in EV mode reached 206 degrees. When ICE came on it went down to 195 degrees. The center grill cover was on and I am going to add the bottom grill cover to see if it makes a difference. Next step will be adding an oil pan heater.

[DeeCee]

My 46.7 average is with standard 17" wheels and Michilins.

[Nmadole]

My average is 31.7 (winter driving) on the 18" Goodyear ls2 tires.... When it was 60 degrees out I was at 35 mpg average

[acdii]

I actually made it up to 41 MPG today. Its in the 60's, which my other car Loves adn would be getting near 50 under the same conditions. Even with a full battery, still feeling a drag when I let off the gas, and waitiing for the local dealer here to call me when he has an opening, hopefully soon.

 

I filled the tank just for the heck of it, 29 MPG, so my lifetime has dropped down even more.

Edited December 13, 2012 by acdii

[neevers1]

I actually made it up to 41 MPG today. Its in the 60's, which my other car Loves adn would be getting near 50 under the same conditions. Even with a full battery, still feeling a drag when I let off the gas, and waitiing for the local dealer here to call me when he has an opening, hopefully soon.

 

I filled the tank just for the heck of it, 29 MPG, so my lifetime has dropped down even more.

 

If you are feeling drag there is something wrong more than likely.

[lolder]

I actually made it up to 41 MPG today. Its in the 60's, which my other car Loves adn would be getting near 50 under the same conditions. Even with a full battery, still feeling a drag when I let off the gas, and waitiing for the local dealer here to call me when he has an opening, hopefully soon.

 

I filled the tank just for the heck of it, 29 MPG, so my lifetime has dropped down even more.

It sounds like it's stuck in "L". Can you feel a difference when shifting between "D" and "L"? It might be a micro switch in the shifter.

[gaken]

17 inch wheel Goodyear Assurance tires here. Averaging 44.4 mpg here in Tennessee. (Although this is dropping closer to 40 mpg on these 30F mornings). 80% highway driving in the 60-65 mph range. I saw anywhere from 44 - 50 mpg during summer.

 

Best tip I can give is to use a light 0W20 oil during fall and winter to help keep the mpg up. I used Motorcraft 5W20 FULL Synthetic during summer and am using Toyota 0W20 (yes Toyota) now. Also shut off the interior heat (if you can stand it) for the first several miles, to quickly get the engine up to temperature.

[B25Nut]

18" wheels with Goodyears. My lifetime average after 1800 miles is 36 mpg, which hasn't changed in ten days. Most of those miles are above 70 mph. When it warms up, I know I will get better MPG. My overall braking is 96%.

[mainesail55]

Tires at most will make 1mpg difference. Temperature is the problem as each drop of 10 degrees loses 1.5-2mpg. I installed a ScanGuage and the problems are very obvious. The ICE never heats up. I could only get it up to 150 degrees in city driving. Temps here are 40-45 degrees. I have a standard driving test loop on the Fwy of 14.2mi on ECO cruise. The ICE made it to 195 degrees at mid turnaround and in EV mode reached 206 degrees. When ICE came on it went down to 195 degrees. The center grill cover was on and I am going to add the bottom grill cover to see if it makes a difference. Next step will be adding an oil pan heater.

The 2012 Camry Hybrid LE is rated at 43/39 while the XLE is rated at 40/38. My son has a 2012 XLE and his mileage figures reflect the lower rating. The two models have the same drivetrain but different tires. 16" for the LE and 17" for the XLE. Toyota isn't going to come right out and say that's the difference but at least they're honest about it. Ford should come right out and tell people if the tires make a difference. If the Platinum model has the 19s that the regular Fusion does, that may make even more of a difference.

You would also think that the EPA test protocol would take tires into account.

[acdii]

I think it does take it into account by using the most common tire for that articular vehicle, which will be the 17" Michelin.

 

 

Well the local dealer here did not call me, so looks like I am stuck with another 1300 miles on the clock before I can get my first complaint filed and into Oasis. I pulled out the owners manuals, and went through them looking for ANY type of disclaimer regarding the larger wheels and tires that is included with the F150 trucks that use the 20" wheels, and found nothing, and went to the owners site and found none as well. So they will not be able to play that card with me like they tried to with the truck, considering I had the 20's swapped out with 18's when I bought the truck.

 

One other thing to note. One of the tricks to hypermiling is to increase the tire pressures, to somewhere around 45 PSI or more depending on the tire, and it appears doing that with the Goodyear tires may actually have a negative impact on FE. I reduced the tire pressure to 36 this morning, and started seeing slightly improved FE, and reduced them down again to the recommended 34 PSI, so tomorrow will see if that made any difference in MPG.

 

Might not be able to report back until late Sat or Sunday. Driving back to IL.

[cnsheets]

Don't wait for the dealership to call you to schedule an appointment, find out when the service department opens up, and drive it in. MAKE them look at it.....if they try to turn you away, tell them to document and provide you a receipt showing that you brought it in any WHY but they could not accommodate you......my last 3 service visits for the crappy MFT system were done exactly like that....I just showed up.....

Edited December 14, 2012 by cnsheets

[cwb1183]

I actually made it up to 41 MPG today. Its in the 60's, which my other car Loves adn would be getting near 50 under the same conditions. Even with a full battery, still feeling a drag when I let off the gas, and waitiing for the local dealer here to call me when he has an opening, hopefully soon.

 

I filled the tank just for the heck of it, 29 MPG, so my lifetime has dropped down even more.

Which tires 17" or 18"??

[acdii]

Which tires 17" or 18"??

 

18" Goodyears

 

Don't wait for the dealership to call you to schedule an appointment, find out when the service department opens up, and drive it in. MAKE them look at it.....if they try to turn you away, tell them to document and provide you a receipt showing that you brought it in any WHY but they could not accommodate you......my last 3 service visits for the crappy MFT system were done exactly like that....I just showed up.....

 

I did, drove it in, they filled out my information, but had no one available to look at the car and said they will call me and never did. I have his card, which I will give a copy to my service manager on Monday.

 

Well. made it home a little while ago, and did not get more than 38 MPG, no matter what speed I drove, using the Eco Cruise. I tried doing it manually and it was even worse. Half tempted to take it in and tell them dont bother calling me until it gets EPA. Between the poor MPG, and that damned Mytouch crap that half the time doesnt work, I am ready to dump it.

[coach81]

17 inch wheel Goodyear Assurance tires here. Averaging 44.4 mpg here in Tennessee. (Although this is dropping closer to 40 mpg on these 30F mornings). 80% highway driving in the 60-65 mph range. I saw anywhere from 44 - 50 mpg during summer.

 

Best tip I can give is to use a light 0W20 oil during fall and winter to help keep the mpg up. I used Motorcraft 5W20 FULL Synthetic during summer and am using Toyota 0W20 (yes Toyota) now. Also shut off the interior heat (if you can stand it) for the first several miles, to quickly get the engine up to temperature.

Is that '10 Fusion or the '13?

 

18" Goodyears

 

 

 

I did, drove it in, they filled out my information, but had no one available to look at the car and said they will call me and never did. I have his card, which I will give a copy to my service manager on Monday.

 

Well. made it home a little while ago, and did not get more than 38 MPG, no matter what speed I drove, using the Eco Cruise. I tried doing it manually and it was even worse. Half tempted to take it in and tell them dont bother calling me until it gets EPA. Between the poor MPG, and that damned Mytouch crap that half the time doesnt work, I am ready to dump it.

 

Wow.. so sorry you are having such a difficult time AC...

[gaken]

Is that '10 Fusion or the '13?

 

 

Mine is the 2010 Fusion with 75,000 miles on it. I will also add that I have my fuel mileage is slightly better with cruise control off (for some strange reason) at 60-65 mph speeds. Cruise Control is pretty aggressive on some of the rolling hills I encounter.

 

 

 

Wow.. so sorry you are having such a difficult time AC...

[cwb1183]

Tires make defiantly make a difference on hybrids more than 1 mpg.

I have a 2007 Prius and when it was time to replace the tires I switched from 195/55/16 which came on the car to 205/55/16 this tire was listed by discount tire as a replacement. The tire diameter change was nil.

My gas mileage dropped by about 3mpg.

Edited December 16, 2012 by cwb1183

[fusionTX]

 

 

Well. made it home a little while ago, and did not get more than 38 MPG, no matter what speed I drove, using the Eco Cruise. I tried doing it manually and it was even worse. Half tempted to take it in and tell them dont bother calling me until it gets EPA. Between the poor MPG, and that damned Mytouch crap that half the time doesnt work, I am ready to dump it.

 

Acdii, sorry the car is not meeting your expectations.

So you drove 1300 miles and got 38 MPG? What speed were you going?

I drive from Houston to SW Florida in my 2007 Camry Hybrid and am lucky when I get 34 MPGs. The last time with the car pretty loaded, and on a cold day, I was barely doing above 30 MPG. It's an 1,100 mile trip and I avg 75 to 80 MPH. So I would be happy to get 38 at the speeds I go. So what was your avg speed?

 

Also I've heard you complain about myFord Touch. Can you elaborate on what doesn't work?

 

Lastly i think you said the front sensors were beeping when they shouldn't be. Have you resolved that?

 

I really want the Ford Fusion Hybrid to be my next cat and hope it lives up to expectations.

Edited December 16, 2012 by fusionTX

[cnsheets]

Anyone who wants a lot of info on what doesnt work with myford touch, go visit this forum http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=151

 

This forum is visited by Ford CS reps, as well as reps from the IVT team (In-Vehicle Technology) which is the folks that do the myford touch........I have several posts and pictures and videos...granted its on a 2011 Explorer, but its the same exact system.

[acdii]

Acdii, sorry the car is not meeting your expectations.

So you drove 1300 miles and got 38 MPG? What speed were you going?

I drive from Houston to SW Florida in my 2007 Camry Hybrid and am lucky when I get 34 MPGs. The last time with the car pretty loaded, and on a cold day, I was barely doing above 30 MPG. It's an 1,100 mile trip and I avg 75 to 80 MPH. So I would be happy to get 38 at the speeds I go. So what was your avg speed?

 

Also I've heard you complain about myFord Touch. Can you elaborate on what doesn't work?

 

Lastly i think you said the front sensors were beeping when they shouldn't be. Have you resolved that?

 

I really want the Ford Fusion Hybrid to be my next cat and hope it lives up to expectations.

 

I varied the speed between 55 and 75 for long stretches to find out if the EV mode up to 62 MPH makes any difference, and it doesn't.

I had a 2009 TCH and 34 is about right, the faster you go the lower it will get. Sounds like you get what can be expected at those speeds. The new Fusion though is rated at 47 highway, which one would expect to see in the 40's on the highway at the speeds I drove, and considering I can get up to 50 MPG in my 2010 on the highway, well, you can see where that goes.

 

The touch screen sometimes doesnt work, like in the nav screen I try to go to the info screen, doesn't work. press the home spot a few times and eventually it will go to the home page, then I can get to info. The Weather map doesn't come up at all, just a map, no rain or snow, even though there is a rain storm pounding down on me. I pulled it up on my iphone and the car and the car had nothing while the phone showed the rain that was within 300 miles of me.

 

It really is disappointing considering how nice the rest of the car is. It is well laid out, comfortable, I drove from Florida to Rockford IL and wasn't cramped or hurting, and today, feel fine. The tech in the car is just mind boggling when you consider you press a button and tell your car where to go, press another button and it stays in its lane, press another one and it maintains speed and slows down if someone in front of you slows, and press another one when you want to park.

 

Apart from all that, the fact it is not getting anywhere near EPA, which is WHY I bought it, is why I am not pleased with it. At least with my 2010, it gets EPA, it did it when I first got it, then the weather got cold, and a MAP sensor went bad, probably got clogged from a spider after it sat in a garage for 6 months before I got it. When they replaced it, they reflashed the PCM so it had to relearn and for a few months, the MPG was under 36, and considering the temp, the driving I was doing, I let it ride, and as soon as the weather warmed up, the MPG shot up right back to what it was when I first got it. Right now the Lifetime MPG is a bit low, but currently it is around 39 MPG, fuelly shows it low since it has the entire history since day one.

 

 

I will drive it to work tomorrow to see if there is any improvement, and then drop it off after work so I can chat with the tech.

[Eliotmal]

1600 miles now. Lifetime average is between 41 and 42 mpg. It gets lower during the week with lots of short trips and a cold engine (it's been mostly in the 40's). better mileage on the weekends. I took a drive from Laurel MD to Gettysburg PA and back today. Got 48.8 going on a route chosen by the Nav as an Eco route and 48.6 coming back on the fastest route. Both ways were mostly on 40-55 mph

Type country roads. I have the standard 17in Michelin tires. And yes I was trying to get good mileage.

[acdii]

So far the consensus is pointing to the tire/wheel package. Those who have it, are getting poor MPG, those with standard are getting expected MPG. Going to see if Ford will do something for me with either replacing the tires with the correct type, or swapping out the wheels with standard size and either refund the difference or add an ESP.

[jeff_h]

For info comparison purposes, I went to tirerack and looked up the OEM tires (according to their site) and alternates for LRR tires, but didn't see the same type of the stock 17" tire available in an 18" version (whether one would choose that on his/her own notwithstanding, this is just info for anyone who cares)

 

---------------------------------------

 

OEM 17" Michelin Energy Saver A/S Passenger All-Season

Size: 235/50R17 ($129ea)

----------------------------------------

 

OEM 18" Goodyear Eagle LS-2 Grand Touring All-Season

Size: 235/45R18 ($108ea)

 

Alternate LRR tires for 18":

Continental PureContact with EcoPlus Technology Grand Touring All-Season

Size: 235/45R18 ($169ea)

Michelin Primacy MXM4 Grand Touring All-Season

Size: 235/45R18 ($265/ea)

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 Performance Winter / Snow

Size: 235/45R18 ($265ea)

 

---------------------------------------

OEM 19" Continental ContiProContact Grand Touring All-Season

Size: 235/40R19 ($246ea)

 

Alternate LRR tires for 19":

Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 N-Spec Performance Winter / Snow

Size: 235/40R19 ($309ea)

 

Personally, I had both LRR and non-LRR tires on my Prius and Fusion hybrids, would have to go back and look at specific averages during the timeframes (is noted on my fuel log when I swapped tires), but don't think it made more than a 2MPG difference, at least for me anyway.

 

But I wonder what the difference is in wheel weight between the 17" and 18", and how much of a difference might that make? Let's say the 17" is 22lb and the 18" is 25lb, I have no idea how much difference that might cause?

[acdii]

There is an energy saver in 18, but its a 50 series vs the 45 series.

[jeff_h]

There is an energy saver in 18, but its a 50 series vs the 45 series.

 

I'm about to display my ignorance in tires beyond the basic measurement definitions, but so be it.

 

Would having a 50 vs 45 sidewall make it a slightly larger tire and thus make the speed/odometer off, is it compensated elsewhere in the tire to even things out, or such a slight difference that it's negligible?