90% Hwy driving up to 80 MPH - to buy or not to buy?

[tofusionornot]

As the title says, for my work I do about 90% Hwy driving and typically drive at 72MPH (65MPH zone) and 80 (75MPH zone).

 

Does it make sense for me to buy a Hybrid? The salesman has been talking me out of it saying that over 62MPH the car works on the gas and not the hybrid, so I should just go with a gas SE.

 

Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

Oh yeah, and I'm in Houston, TX - where the weather will be in 90's and 100's soon with a good amount of wind.

 

Thanks

[tofusionornot]

More information, I drive anywhere from 130 to 360 miles in a day.

[corncobs]

It depends on the mpg that would make you happy!

Last week I went 128 miles going between 60 and 70 mph and I got 41.1 mpg. There are some good comments on this forum about the SOC while driving on the interstate. As long the ICE wasn't charging the HVB I saw around 39 mpg going 70 mph so at 80 mph I would expect to see less.

 

Base on your numbers and I hate to say the following you would probably be better of with a Diesel engine. The speed range you are a talking about are a perfect fit for a TDI and I would expect to see high 40s going at a constant speed of 72 or 80 mph.

 

Tough call...

[expresspotato]

No it doesn't - at those speeds you'll be working any engine harder than its ideal range anyways. Keep your money!

[tofusionornot]

thank you for the advice and quick responses corncobs and expresspotato!

[acdii]

If you are set on the Fusion, even at those speeds, you would still get better MPG than any of the non hybrid engines, with the only possible exception being the 2.5L, as it does very well on the highway, but is only in the S model(may be in SE). If you can keep the HVB at full charge, the ICE does do much better, and could even see 40 MPG if you can drive it just right. Would take tons of patience and LOTS of practice to get there, but it is doable.

 

One side effect of the hybrid though, it calms you down, and you may find yourself no longer driving as fast, and more important, not really caring. You would be surprised at how little time is actually lost going 5 MPH slower. Next thing you know you will be watching people racing to red lights, wasting gas and thinking to yourself, what moron races to a red light? :)

 

Words of wisdom, drive smarter, not faster. I could not tell you how many times I got passed by someone on the highway, only to be right along side them at the stop light. Nor the number of times I got passed by the same car on the interstate. On a trip back from PA when I drove a Prius, I was doing the posted limit and I swear I got passed 6 times by someone in a pathfinder. Twice I am sure for having to stop for gas.

[brcd131]

I drive to Houston to work and the one thing that really hurts the MPGs is the wind. It seems like there is always a strong wind that can easily knock off 2-5 MPGs.

[tombarker13ffh]

Your salesman's an idiot. Above 62 mph the car is not gas only, its just not electric only. It will still "hybrid drive" and use battery power to add power and relieve some load on the engine. In a 2.5 Fusion, you'd be lucky to get 25 mpg at 80 mph. In a hybrid, in TX weather! I'd expect 30-35. Maybe even 40 depending. Most people on here complaining about the hybrid at high speeds were somehow expecting high 40s in cold weather, which is ridiculous. And if you get stuck in traffic and/or road construction at all, the hybrid will be much better in these situations as well. If you're driving that much a Hybrid will pay its own premium in a relatively short time.

[B25Nut]

Acdii is right. You may not think so now, but it is very likely your average speed will decrease by about 5 mph, and you won't feel bad about it. Take TB's advice, the FFH is more fun to drive than your other choices.

[terryb]

I drove my '10 FFH from Houston to WI then PA and finally home last August an got up to 43 mpg per tank several times driving at the speed limit. It had about 20k on it at the time. I traded for the '13 to get all the toys and am just getting around 40 now at 4k miles on it. As gas been mentioned above, you won't get the max possible, but you'll likely get better than you will with any straight gas. If the majority of your miles are high speed highway, I suggest you consider the Diesels, but remember the ~20% premium for fuel. diesel used to be cheaper than gas but no more. Good luck with your decision.

[tofusionornot]

Thank you all for the responses, I really appreciate the information/advice. I feel like I'm still unsure of what to do. I understand a lot of it is how I drive, and I'm not 'perfect' - but I would say I am above average when it comes to being efficient while driving. When I'm on the road for long periods of time, I am normally setting my cruise control to the speeds I posted above and not changing lanes to pass people just for fun.

 

Right now I'm driving a 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander and getting about 360 miles per fill up. Which means I'm filling up almost every other day. What's the min/max per fill up to expect on the FFH?

 

I drove my '10 FFH from Houston to WI then PA and finally home last August an got up to 43 mpg per tank several times driving at the speed limit. It had about 20k on it at the time. I traded for the '13 to get all the toys and am just getting around 40 now at 4k miles on it. As gas been mentioned above, you won't get the max possible, but you'll likely get better than you will with any straight gas. If the majority of your miles are high speed highway, I suggest you consider the Diesels, but remember the ~20% premium for fuel. diesel used to be cheaper than gas but no more. Good luck with your decision.

 

What are some good Diesels out there? One issue with the Diesels though is that every gas station doesnt carry diesel gas, right?

[acdii]

Right now I'm driving a 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander and getting about 360 miles per fill up. Which means I'm filling up almost every other day. What's the min/max per fill up to expect on the FFH?

Figure on 400 miles per fill when doing 70 and getting 40, using roughly 10 gallons of gas. As you get better with the car and can get more MPG out of it, it will just get higher. When you first get it and start driving, figure on getting 38, so 380 miles per fill, then as you get more familiar with the car, it can only go up from there. It has a 13 gallon tank, so figure on filling at 1/4 tank which comes out roughly 9.5 gallons.

[tombarker13ffh]

Mazda6 and CX-5 are supposed to have diesels for 2014, VW Jetta and Golf of course, there's talk of a Chevy Cruze diesel coming, all pushing 40-44mpg I think.

[acdii]

Only thing to consider in a diesel are the additives that you need to keep them running. It used to be you would just need the diesel fuel treatment, and you still do need it, if anything to help protect the injectors from the USLD fuel, and if you live in colder climates, to prevent fuel gelling. Not sure if the VW require it, but UREA is also needed for the new exhaust systems. And no, you cant pee in the tank, it knows.

[hybridbear]

I'd go diesel with that many miles on the freeway. The diesel will save you money in the long run on highway cruising. Just be sure to factor in all the items mentioned above in your comparison that increase the cost of diesel cars (higher fuel prices, Urea, etc) but also factor in the lower maintenance costs of diesels. I'd also recommend test driving a FFH on at least a portion of your commute at those high speeds so you can see what kind of MPGs you get. Then do the exact same route with a diesel and see how the diesel does. Diesels are known for exceeding their highway EPA fuel estimates.

[Bmr4life]

I'd go diesel with that many miles on the freeway. The diesel will save you money in the long run on highway cruising. Just be sure to factor in all the items mentioned above in your comparison that increase the cost of diesel cars (higher fuel prices, Urea, etc) but also factor in the lower maintenance costs of diesels. I'd also recommend test driving a FFH on at least a portion of your commute at those high speeds so you can see what kind of MPGs you get. Then do the exact same route with a diesel and see how the diesel does. Diesels are known for exceeding their highway EPA fuel estimates.

I thought diesels cost more to maintain?

[acdii]

They do. They use 15W40 which is more expensive than gas oils. Filters are more expensive. and they should be changed more frequently due to the high particulates in the blowby. Most new diesels also use Urea for cleansing the particulate filters. In winter time you really should use fuel treatment to prevent gelling, and also to lubricate the fuel, the USLD fuels may be a bit low on lubricant because the process strips out the natural lubrication the sulpher provides. It is added back when its processed for delivery, but it is still risky to assume it has enough.

[Harbor]

I have to agree with the board members on this one.

 

I'd skip the hybrid and research a good diesel engine. At 130-360 miles per day, you'll could be near 40,000 miles a year. Your factory warranty gone in as little as 10 months. Many diesels have a track record of longetivity. You can get 300k,400k and maybe more from a decent diesel. They shouldn't require a ton of maintenance.

 

Driving the FFH at 72-80 is not in the car's sweet spot.

 

Just my 2c.

Edited April 21, 2013 by Harbor

[fusionTX]

I would cross the Fusion Hybrid off your list. The car excels at many things, but high highway speeds is not one of them. At 80 MPH you will be lucky to do low 30s, and with the small gas tank , you will be stopping for gas more frequently than you may want.

This is the kind of thing EPA ratings don't tell you, and which would be so useful to know for potential buyers.

[mokee]

As the title says, for my work I do about 90% Hwy driving and typically drive at 72MPH (65MPH zone) and 80 (75MPH zone).

 

You don't sound like a hybrid driver. If it were me, I'd want a heavier vehicle for that kind of driving.

[acdii]

Or find one of the last few 2012 FFH models remaining. At 70 you can still get decent gas mileage, and it has a much larger tank. The 10 I have will get near 40 at 70 MPH. at 65 it gets over 42, and sometimes I can get 50 in it. At 80 it can still get 35+, but after driving it awhile you will probably be a right lane driver, they have that affect on you.

 

Here is the thing to consider, the VW track record is hit or miss, and they pretty much own the diesel sedan market. If you are lucky and get a good one, then repair bills will be nothing more than scheduled maintenance. I dont know if its still the same with the new TDI, but when you hit 90K you MUST do the scheduled maintenance, or face dire consequences of a broken motor, and its not cheap since they have to replace a few components in addition to the timing belt.

 

Get a bad one though, and you will spend more time at the dealer than driving it. They have gotten better, but there is still that risk. Hopefully all the information given in this thread can help with your decision.

[hybridbear]

Chevy Cruze Diesel gets 46 MPG highway in EPA tests

http://gas2.org/2013/04/22/2014-chevy-cruze-diesel-rated-at-46-mpg-highway/

 

That might be a good option if you find that in real life you could exceed 46 MPG highway

[aaronj1159]

If I was doing your type of driving, I would absolutely be getting a Passat TDI. I know a lot of people say the VW track record is spotty and I'm not thrilled with the looks of VW's anymore... but I've had 2 VW's in recent years and have had very little to no trouble with either (and I wasn't exactly easy on them). The only bad part is VW dealers are scarce around here. Just my 2 cents.

[ROB281]

Been pulling 40-44 on average at 70-75 in the Houston area myself

 

Today I hit 56.2 mostly running 71 on the Hardy toll road, and the new section of BW8 running from the woodlands to baytown

 

Ymmv

[Aquineas]

Rob281, what year is your Hybrid? And have you owned it over a summer yet? If so, what kinda mileage did you see in August (the hottest time of year) Edit: Nevermind about the "have you owned it over a summer yet." Just realized the cars haven't been out that long to own it over a summer. My bad...

Edited April 30, 2013 by Aquineas