Consumer Reports articles

[jsamp]

Posting these because they include the Fusion Hybrid in them:

http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2013/07/the-penalty-for-speeding-a-loss-in-fuel-economy.html

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2013/08/the-mpg-gap/index.htm

 

While the accuracy of Consumer Reports is questionable, in the mpg gap article they do an "across the board" comparison of different manufacturers and come to the same conclusion that everyone falls short of the EPA MPG estimates. This indicates that it is not a hybrid issue nor a Ford issue, but rather a testing issue.

 

The speed vs fuel economy article is interesting in how large the % decrease in efficiency is. That is probably a large part of the issue with those claiming the Fusion Hybrid falls so far short of the EPA 47mpg combined number.

 

[hybridbear]

Very interesting about the gas mileage decline on all cars at 75 MPG. We saw better gas mileage than they did with a fully loaded car. We were able to average 43-45 MPG at 65 MPH and 38 MPG at 75 MPH on our recent road trip

Edited July 5, 2013 by hybridbear

[MaineFusion]

The 75mph drop in fuel economy they recorded is very similar to what I saw on a trip to KY. I lost about 10mpg at 75 vs. 65 mph.

[acdii]

 

Posting these because they include the Fusion Hybrid in them:

http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2013/07/the-penalty-for-speeding-a-loss-in-fuel-economy.html

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2013/08/the-mpg-gap/index.htm

 

While the accuracy of Consumer Reports is questionable, in the mpg gap article they do an "across the board" comparison of different manufacturers and come to the same conclusion that everyone falls short of the EPA MPG estimates. This indicates that it is not a hybrid issue nor a Ford issue, but rather a testing issue.

 

The speed vs fuel economy article is interesting in how large the % decrease in efficiency is. That is probably a large part of the issue with those claiming the Fusion Hybrid falls so far short of the EPA 47mpg combined number.

 

 

 

That or they just need to hire drivers who can drive sensibly and actually get EPA numbers. After all, the 2010 FFH was only rated at 36 Highway, yet I easily exceeded its city rating of 41 on the highway, nothing special either, I just drove at the speed limit, and it happens.

[MaineFusion]

 

That or they just need to hire drivers who can drive sensibly and actually get EPA numbers. After all, the 2010 FFH was only rated at 36 Highway, yet I easily exceeded its city rating of 41 on the highway, nothing special either, I just drove at the speed limit, and it happens.

It's amazing how just driving the speed limit and accelerating/braking moderately can improve fuel efficiency. I like to say that having to apply the brakes just wastes gas. The less braking that is needed the less gas that gets wasted.

[corncobs]

... try explaining that to the people around especially behind you when there is a red light ahead or it just changed to green with 10 cars still waiting to get going.

[MaineFusion]

... try explaining that to the people around especially behind you when there is a red light ahead or it just changed to green with 10 cars still waiting to get going.

People in general are just impulsive drivers who rarely observe traffic conditions around them. When in heavy traffic, watch the car weaving in and out and racing off the start. You'll be amazed how often after quite some distance they haven't gotten very far ahead. All they've done is wear their brake pads and burned extra gas.

 

When I was in training to drive tour buses they drilled into us to look several traffic lights ahead to see what traffic and traffic lights are doing and to plan for lane changes. With a tour bus full of passengers, this type of looking ahead was critical to the safe operation of the vehicle. With a car it just helps get better fuel economy by knowing when to be light on the gas peddle and when to prepare for stops.

[corncobs]

I'm 120% with you on this statement. I watch the weaving game every single day mostly by the same cars/drivers and one or two lights later I roll up right next to them or even ahead.

One of them is my neighbor he is a very bad example and in some spots where you can see 2 miles down the road you can see him switching lanes like a maniac. To his defense he made it home about 5 min before I did over about 18 miles.

[MaineFusion]

One of them is my neighbor he is a very bad example and in some spots where you can see 2 miles down the road you can see him switching lanes like a maniac. To his defense he made it home about 5 min before I did over about 18 miles.

At what increase risk of being in or causing an accident not to mention extra mechanical wear on the car and wasted gas? Aggressive driving is really hard on a car and does increase maintenance costs.

[hybridbear]

I think I commented on this elsewhere, or maybe I just thought it and never said it lol

 

But I wonder how many miles they drive at the highway speeds to get those numbers. As we know with speeds above the EV threshold your first even 20 miles will have poor fuel economy because of how the ICE has to charge the battery up before getting high fuel economy. If they did shorter distance tests they will see poor results in our hybrids because of that programming.

 

Also, I imagine that they spend a lot of time idling in between tests. In a gas only car they would exclude the fuel burned during those sessions from their overall numbers. But in the hybrid the ICE wouldn't run at all, they'd just deplete the battery leading to poor fuel economy numbers the next time they drive the car. They likely don't bother to factor that battery usage in and thus it makes their results look worse. I would bet that some of the magazine editors do the same thing, leaving the hybrid idling where they would otherwise turn off a gas car reasoning that the hybrid won't waste as gas idling. But, since all the energy on board our hybrids comes from gas one way or another it is a waste of gas to idle the car.

[acdii]

People in general are just impulsive drivers who rarely observe traffic conditions around them. When in heavy traffic, watch the car weaving in and out and racing off the start. You'll be amazed how often after quite some distance they haven't gotten very far ahead. All they've done is wear their brake pads and burned extra gas.

 

When I was in training to drive tour buses they drilled into us to look several traffic lights ahead to see what traffic and traffic lights are doing and to plan for lane changes. With a tour bus full of passengers, this type of looking ahead was critical to the safe operation of the vehicle. With a car it just helps get better fuel economy by knowing when to be light on the gas peddle and when to prepare for stops.

I took CDL classes and earned my CDL through training, and this was also drilled into us during those classes. Never look directly in front of you, look several cars in front of them. What they do will become what the person in front of you does. Look ahead at lights, a long green, prepare to stop, pace yourself so that you dont have to come to a complete stop, saves on fuel. Interesting how things learned decades ago can be implemented driving a Hybrid.

[MaineFusion]

I took CDL classes and earned my CDL through training, and this was also drilled into us during those classes. Never look directly in front of you, look several cars in front of them. What they do will become what the person in front of you does. Look ahead at lights, a long green, prepare to stop, pace yourself so that you dont have to come to a complete stop, saves on fuel. Interesting how things learned decades ago can be implemented driving a Hybrid.

This stuff should be drilled into every single student driver. It isn't only about saving fuel, it is also about being a safer driver.

[Eddie Sessum]

At what increase risk of being in or causing an accident not to mention extra mechanical wear on the car and wasted gas? Aggressive driving is really hard on a car and does increase maintenance costs.

 

 

 

Remember, If people didnt drive like shit we wouldnt have this traffic and aggressive driving in the first place. Most of it anyways, you still have some nuts out there.

[MaineFusion]

Remember, If people didnt drive like shit we wouldnt have this traffic and aggressive driving in the first place. Most of it anyways, you still have some nuts out there.

Hence we have something like 34,000 traffic fatalities per year in the U.S.

 

Makes one dream even more for a Tesla Model S now that it has earned the best safety rating ever for any car.

[B25Nut]

 

I took CDL classes and earned my CDL through training, and this was also drilled into us during those classes. Never look directly in front of you, look several cars in front of them. What they do will become what the person in front of you does. Look ahead at lights, a long green, prepare to stop, pace yourself so that you dont have to come to a complete stop, saves on fuel. Interesting how things learned decades ago can be implemented driving a Hybrid.

Since looking several cars ahead is one of the basics of safe driving, it has always made me question the use of ACC. It only knows what the car ahead of you is doing and I can't help but think that relying on ACC results in more ware and tear on your brakes, and therefore lower mileage.

[Eddie Sessum]

I took CDL classes and earned my CDL through training, and this was also drilled into us during those classes. Never look directly in front of you, look several cars in front of them. What they do will become what the person in front of you does. Look ahead at lights, a long green, prepare to stop, pace yourself so that you dont have to come to a complete stop, saves on fuel. Interesting how things learned decades ago can be implemented driving a Hybrid.

 

 

Something here to think about.. How the HELL do we see ahead? If I have a old explorer in front of me i cant see shit now in front of them. Lol.. Just a fact there :P

[MaineFusion]

 

 

Something here to think about.. How the HELL do we see ahead? If I have a old explorer in front of me i cant see shit now in front of them. Lol.. Just a fact there :P

If you can't see ahead, you are following too close. You also don't have to see ahead every second, but what you need to see is what is going on down the road in general.

[acdii]

 

 

Something here to think about.. How the HELL do we see ahead? If I have a old explorer in front of me i cant see shit now in front of them. Lol.. Just a fact there :P

 

 

If you can't see ahead, you are following too close. You also don't have to see ahead every second, but what you need to see is what is going on down the road in general.

This! If you cant see 2 cars ahead, back off.

[neod192]

 

 

This! If you cant see 2 cars ahead, back off.

The problem with keeping that much space between you and the car in front of you is that some moron will pass you and get between you and the other car. Then you have to back off again to keep that distance. If you're already going slow (the speed limit) you have to slow down even more. ACC does help, but I find it too aggressive when I drive 45-50 MPH.

[MaineFusion]

The problem with keeping that much space between you and the car in front of you is that some moron will pass you and get between you and the other car. Then you have to back off again to keep that distance. If you're already going slow (the speed limit) you have to slow down even more. ACC does help, but I find it too aggressive when I drive 45-50 MPH.

Even when I've driven freeways around New York City (e.g. Garden State Parkway), I typically do pretty good keeping a reasonable following distance. Maybe not as good as I can keep in Maine, but still acceptable. Sometimes it's just about reading traffic around you. For instance, if I see a car a car weaving in and out of traffic coming quickly from behind, I might pinch them off with a vehicle in my left or right lane. Just slightly closing off their ability to weave into my following distance for a moment will force them to weave elsewhere. It doesn't always work, but it does help protect following distance with a fair amount of success. Sometimes, it even leaves them boxed in by a couple of big rigs, which seems like due justice for aggressive driving.

 

When being trained to drive tour buses, it was drilled into us that we needed to keep our eyes moving and to look at all mirrors at least every six seconds so that we knew who was around us and what they were doing. When protecting following distance, knowing what is going on around you and what is coming up from behind is extremely helpful.

[corncobs]

Even when I've driven freeways around New York City (e.g. Garden State Parkway), I typically do pretty good keeping a reasonable following distance. Maybe not as good as I can keep in Maine, but still acceptable. Sometimes it's just about reading traffic around you. For instance, if I see a car a car weaving in and out of traffic coming quickly from behind, I might pinch them off with a vehicle in my left or right lane. Just slightly closing off their ability to weave into my following distance for a moment will force them to weave elsewhere. It doesn't always work, but it does help protect following distance with a fair amount of success. Sometimes, it even leaves them boxed in by a couple of big rigs, which seems like due justice for aggressive driving.

 

When being trained to drive tour buses, it was drilled into us that we needed to keep our eyes moving and to look at all mirrors at least every six seconds so that we knew who was around us and what they were doing. When protecting following distance, knowing what is going on around you and what is coming up from behind is extremely helpful.

... and I thought I'm the only one having fun with that game. For me it's boatload of fun when it works and just the opposite for the blocked one but some drivers just need that.

[hybridbear]

Even when I've driven freeways around New York City (e.g. Garden State Parkway), I typically do pretty good keeping a reasonable following distance. Maybe not as good as I can keep in Maine, but still acceptable. Sometimes it's just about reading traffic around you. For instance, if I see a car a car weaving in and out of traffic coming quickly from behind, I might pinch them off with a vehicle in my left or right lane. Just slightly closing off their ability to weave into my following distance for a moment will force them to weave elsewhere. It doesn't always work, but it does help protect following distance with a fair amount of success. Sometimes, it even leaves them boxed in by a couple of big rigs, which seems like due justice for aggressive driving.

 

When being trained to drive tour buses, it was drilled into us that we needed to keep our eyes moving and to look at all mirrors at least every six seconds so that we knew who was around us and what they were doing. When protecting following distance, knowing what is going on around you and what is coming up from behind is extremely helpful.

Hahaha :hysterical: Be careful though because some drivers will get really angry when you do that!

 

I completely agree about the checking your mirrors often. That's another point my dad always shared from his defensive driving training from driving the city buses. They were taught that their eyes should constantly be moving between their mirrors and the road ahead. I do the same thing in the car and it makes it easy for me to react when someone else does something stupid because I know my surroundings. This is one of the things I've tried to teach my wife but she just doesn't seem to get it. Especially for when we've done our road trips across the country. I almost never have to take the car off cruise to react to other drivers because I know my surroundings and can seamlessly change lanes etc to account for other drivers. My wife tends to react at the last second and all of a sudden hit the brakes hard or all of a sudden floor the accelerator when someone is merging and coming into her space and she can't change lanes instead of seeing the car coming down the on ramp and shifting lanes a few hundred feet in advance when there was an opportunity. Same thing when you're coming up from behind on someone slower than you. I'll recognize that from a few hundred yards back and then carefully watch traffic in the other lane so I can smoothly change lanes at the latest possible moment so as to not block other drivers who want to go faster but while also never having to take the car off cruise and adjust my speed. My wife just doesn't seem to understand that.

[MaineFusion]

Hahaha :hysterical: Be careful though because some drivers will get really angry when you do that!

When you know they're coming from far enough back you can make the necessary adjustments without it being obvious as to what you are doing.

 

 

I completely agree about the checking your mirrors often. That's another point my dad always shared from his defensive driving training from driving the city buses. They were taught that their eyes should constantly be moving between their mirrors and the road ahead. I do the same thing in the car and it makes it easy for me to react when someone else does something stupid because I know my surroundings. This is one of the things I've tried to teach my wife but she just doesn't seem to get it. Especially for when we've done our road trips across the country. I almost never have to take the car off cruise to react to other drivers because I know my surroundings and can seamlessly change lanes etc to account for other drivers. My wife tends to react at the last second and all of a sudden hit the brakes hard or all of a sudden floor the accelerator when someone is merging and coming into her space and she can't change lanes instead of seeing the car coming down the on ramp and shifting lanes a few hundred feet in advance when there was an opportunity. Same thing when you're coming up from behind on someone slower than you. I'll recognize that from a few hundred yards back and then carefully watch traffic in the other lane so I can smoothly change lanes at the latest possible moment so as to not block other drivers who want to go faster but while also never having to take the car off cruise and adjust my speed. My wife just doesn't seem to understand that.

A lot of people have a problem with the concept of planning ahead when driving and are reactionary drivers instead. This is probably a major contributing factor to why there are so many accidents and fatalities on our highways each year.

 

I was taught "All Good Kids Like Milk After Dinner":

• Aim high in steering
• Get the big picture
• Keep your eyes moving
• Leave yourself an out
• Make sure they see you
• Allow extra distance (I think, don't remember for sure)
• Drive in a manner in which you can control the outcome.

[hybridbear]

 

I was taught "All Good Kids Like Milk After Dinner":

• Aim high in steering
• Get the big picture
• Keep your eyes moving
• Leave yourself an out
• Make sure they see you
• Allow extra distance (I think, don't remember for sure)
• Drive in a manner in which you can control the outcome

I don't ever remember hearing the mnemonic device but I recognize 1-5 for sure as ones that my dad shared from his training too. All of these items also help you get better gas mileage versus being a reactionary driver.

[acdii]

 

When you know they're coming from far enough back you can make the necessary adjustments without it being obvious as to what you are doing.

 

 

A lot of people have a problem with the concept of planning ahead when driving and are reactionary drivers instead. This is probably a major contributing factor to why there are so many accidents and fatalities on our highways each year.

 

I was taught "All Good Kids Like Milk After Dinner":

• Aim high in steering
• Get the big picture
• Keep your eyes moving
• Leave yourself an out
• Make sure they see you
• Allow extra distance (I think, don't remember for sure)
• Drive in a manner in which you can control the outcome.

 

I recall something similar, but then that was 20 something years ago. In any case, everything on that list is spot on.