Cleveland to Raleigh

[alz]

First, thanks again to all of you wonderful posters who have taught me how to drive my FFH. My dealer gave me absolutely no information as to how to get the best mileage from my car but with your help I am now at 46 mpg!

 

Now I have a question. In a couple of weeks we're doing a "sisters trip" from Cleveland to Raleigh (disregard the information about me as my husband signed up on this forum). I'm very comfortable with the Ohio and NC part of the trip but I am clueless as to how to drive the hills of West Virginia and Virginia to maximize my mpg. Just fyi -my car is currently at the dealer getting the update.

 

Thanks in advance!

Karen

[acdii]

Use the Eco Cruise, let the car figure it out. Corncobs & Hybridbear can probably give the best on this one since they have both done the most driving across country in theirs.

[Aquineas]

Hills kill mileage, unfortunately. I would put the car in eco-cruise, set the cruise to a speed you're comfortable with, and let the car handle the speed, knowing that you'll get like 20mpg uphill and 60mpg downhill. Just hope the downhill spurts balance things out.

[alz]

Thanks, gentlemen. Eco-cruise should have been obvious to me but I tried to over-think it. I'll post my results after my return.

Karen

[corncobs]

I agree with all the above EC is your best option and let the car figure out how to use its weapons.

 

Also constant driving is a key factor don't "mess" with the speed going up or down the hill over a long distance everything is about the average.

 

Sometimes the behavior might not make sense to you but somehow it will turn out right. You might also be disappointed at your mileage at first but if you have never driving interstate for long periods of time the car adjusts its behavior based on this new adventure.

 

Have fun, drive save and enjoy a comfortable ride.

[aaronj1159]

Hills don't necessarily kill mileage. Route 77 through WV is generally a 70 MPH speed limit, if I remember correctly. If you set eco-cruise to 70 and let it go, you should average somewhere around 42 MPG for that leg of the trip. This depends on weather and other outside factors as well, but that's generally what I got. Once you get into Virginia, the hills are a little smaller and the speed limit might actually drop too. Using eco-cruise (like others here I highly recommend it) your average might go up a bit.

[hybridbear]

I agree with the comments about set and forget Eco Cruise. At times I would fiddle with the speed, gradually slowing down 1 MPH at a time when going up and gradually increasing 1 at a time when going down. However, I have no indication that this helped MPG.

 

One time when I would say not to leave it in Eco Cruise is if you're going down a really long grade. While there's nothing wrong with engine braking, it's best to avoid it because engine braking wastes the potential energy of the mountain by "wasting" it with the ICE. If you know a long downhill is coming up you can use the Engage & Empower screens and your right foot to try to manipulate how the car works and get it to run down the battery SOC as much as possible. Then as you go down a long hill if your battery starts getting near full you can start increasing your speed to try to minimize the energy wasted by engine braking and get as much as possible harnessed by the car, either as battery charge or as kinetic energy by increasing your speed.

[alz]

You guys are the best! I am so happy with my 46 mpg average and I really didn't want to take a big step backward and with your help I'm feeling so much more confident. Last year we took my sister's Lexus and we were happy with her 30 mpg. Who needs a Lexus when you have a FFH!!!

[acdii]

:worship: :hi5:

[DeeCee]

You guys are the best! I am so happy with my 46 mpg average and I really didn't want to take a big step backward and with your help I'm feeling so much more confident. Last year we took my sister's Lexus and we were happy with her 30 mpg. Who needs a Lexus when you have a FFH!!!

Speaking of Lexus, my daughter recently bpught a Lexus hybrid. I had an opportunity to take a ride in it to a resturant. I rode in the back seat. Very cramped space wise and very noisy. Lots of road noise and could feel every bump in the road. No comparison to my FFH which I would take any day over her LexusH

[alz]

UPDATE!

We got back last night and I couldn't be happier with the results. From Cleveland to Raleigh I got 43.5 mpg and the return trip was at 43.1. My sister drove part of the way and is not familiar with the car so I think the mpg could have been a little higher if I had driven the whole way. We had a bit more construction on the trip home with a lot of stop and go but no long braking so that may have explained part of the lower mpg. Regardless, I think the results were great.

 

Again, thanks for the earlier comments and your help!

Karen

[hybridbear]

Glad you had a safe & enjoyable trip :)

[keithhk]

Hi, I have a 2013 Fusion Hybrid and have not done much freeway driving and was wondering what kind of mileage I could expect as I see some really high mileage numbers and do not think I will ever get close to that and was wondering how they are able to achieve them I am getting ion the low 40;s and a little above but that is it on mostly town driving or city and I have 2900 miles on the car now so could use any tricks or tips that anyone would like to share with me. I really enjoy these forums as you can get educated on alot that did not know as this is the 1st Hybrid for me and it does take driving a little different if you want to maximize the gas mileage. Thanks and do enjoy you all. Keith

[corncobs]

Hi, I have a 2013 Fusion Hybrid and have not done much freeway driving and was wondering what kind of mileage I could expect as I see some really high mileage numbers and do not think I will ever get close to that and was wondering how they are able to achieve them I am getting ion the low 40;s and a little above but that is it on mostly town driving or city and I have 2900 miles on the car now so could use any tricks or tips that anyone would like to share with me. I really enjoy these forums as you can get educated on alot that did not know as this is the 1st Hybrid for me and it does take driving a little different if you want to maximize the gas mileage. Thanks and do enjoy you all. Keith

Hi Keith not much you can do about it just set the ECC (EcoCruiseControl) or ACC if you have that and enjoy the ride.

Depending on the speed and terrain you should see around 40 at 70 MPH less at higher speed and more at lower speed.

 

There are quite a few threads on roadtrips from forum members. I believe hybridbear and myself have done the most roadtrip driving which you should be able to find easily.

[acdii]

Hi, I have a 2013 Fusion Hybrid and have not done much freeway driving and was wondering what kind of mileage I could expect as I see some really high mileage numbers and do not think I will ever get close to that and was wondering how they are able to achieve them I am getting ion the low 40;s and a little above but that is it on mostly town driving or city and I have 2900 miles on the car now so could use any tricks or tips that anyone would like to share with me. I really enjoy these forums as you can get educated on alot that did not know as this is the 1st Hybrid for me and it does take driving a little different if you want to maximize the gas mileage. Thanks and do enjoy you all. Keith

35 @80, 43 @68 Could be higher at the lower speed depending on the temp, terrain and wind.