class action

[donsdinr]

In USA Today June 2, during an article about the new Honda Accord Hybrid which discusses gas mileage claims by Honda which are realisticly 40 mpg and not the window sticker of 47, the article mentioned a class action lawsuit against Ford regarding similar practices concerning the Fusion hybrid. It also quotes Consumer Report which cautioned against exaggerated hybrid mileage claims by Ford and others.

I have lowered my expectations to 40 mpg with ideal driving conditions for my 2013 FFH and accept that it will never get any better. I refuse to turn off the ac in summer or heater in winter and do not plan on drilling holes in the grill to install shutters. I will never get the mileage I got with my 2010 Prius, but I will accept 40 mpg as reality.

[djminfll]

If you are a regular member of this forum, you surely know that we all are achieving different levels of fuel economy. I think it is as much WHERE you are and what conditions you are driving in (weather, temps, wind, elevation, etc.) as it is HOW you are driving your FFH. I know there are other members in the same US No. Plains Region that are well into the mid-40s to low 50s on a regular basis.

[Sleddog]

My lifetime MPG is 51.6, my last tank was 54.1, this tank is 59.5 so far. I'm over the EPA 47mpg. It's all about how you drive, living in the flat lands of Florida does help. My trip meter fuel used usually matches, or is in .5 a gallon of what I put in it.

 

I followed a California women's attempt to sue Honda after opting out of a CAS. She lost on appeal. The judge basically stated, the EPA mpg is something you may or may not get depending on how you drive. The EPA number is just that, a number. The other people in the lawsuit got like 500 bucks or money off their next Honda purchase. At least I think it was something along that line.

 

I choose the FFH because I knew I could get the EPA MPG or more because of how it's driven, the miles per day and route. So far so good. If I was still doing an all highway commute (318 miles a day), I would be in a different vehicle. I can't say what that vehicle would be because I did not research a vehicle for that type of driving.

 

I firmly believe in matching the vehicle to the driving need.

Edited June 4, 2014 by Sleddog

[djminfll]

Sleddog, what part of FL are you in? I'm in Fort Lauderdale, and the highest mileage I've ever gotten in a single tankful is 48.9, my lifetime average is 43.5, although the average for the last few months is more around 45mpg. How do drive that you are in the 50's?

Edited June 4, 2014 by djminfll

[DeeCee]

I had the same basic expectation of 40 MPG going in when I bought my FFH. After a couple of years and 24K miles my lifetime average is 45.3 actual based on 58 fill ups. (the car's computer shows 47.4 lifetime average) For the 58 fill ups to date the lowest actual tank mileage has been 38.7 and the highest 50.1. Much better than I had anticipated. I basically drive at the posted speed limit and most often with ACC engaged. I don't try extra hard to hyper-mile and drive pretty normal accelerating quickly to the desired speed and then letting the car (ACC) do the rest. One thing I try to do is maximize regen braking score as this is "free" HVB charging.

 

Heard a little about the class action lawsuit early on in this forum but no mention of it lately. Not interested in it personally.

[Mehcoib]

I only drove ~300 miles with my brand new '14 FFH and I get ~47 MPG (still in break-in period). I kown I could get a better mpg but I just want to drive my car normally.

[Sleddog]

I'm in East Central Florida. I have a great view of the river and the VAB from my back yard. My drive is 28 miles each way. It's a combination of everything from 35 MPH zones to a stretch of 60 MPH. I try and hit the lights when there green. I can average right around 60MPG if I hit most of the green lights. My 2 week low for a 1 way trip was 51.8. In the summer I run the A/C set at about 76 in auto.

 

You're in Fort Lauderdale. You must have a quite a bit of stop and go traffic.

[Sleddog]

If you have a FFH, hybrid style driving is your new normal! :shift:

[Mehcoib]

If you have a FFH, hybrid style driving is your new normal! :shift:

 

:thumbsup: I now drive my non-hybrid '07 Nissan Sentra as I drive the FFH, hoping that long and soft breaking will generate energy :doh:

[djminfll]

You're in Fort Lauderdale. You must have a quite a bit of stop and go traffic.

I'm actually doing a lot better now since I got a new job in early April - I now have a long commute on I-95, but I have the coveted HOV sticker, permitting me to drive in the carpool lane even when I'm driving alone. Most days, I achieve between 48-50mpg each way.

[acdii]

I went into the 13 FFH expecting 38-43 MPG, not 47. I based it on 5+ years driving Prius, TCH and 1st gen FFH. The first one unaffectionately known forever as the Blue Devil, did not even come close to this. It had issues. I contacted the attorney who started that CA against Ford, but dropped out when I got rid of it and got the HyTi I have now. That case I believe has been put to bed though when Ford dropped EPA on the Cmax. The Fusion fell through since so many can hit EPA they dont have a case. My HyTi is doing Exactly as I predicted, 38-43 MPG and better. Some days it impresses the hell out of me by going past 47 MPG when I least expect it to.

[Kcouture25]

This car is fully capable of getting the advertised mileage per gallon. I drive it a little differently than I would a normal car because IT IS A HYBRID. This is not a normal gas powered vehicle. My last tank of fuel dropped my lifetime mpg from 49 to 47 and change because I was driving in a new area and wasn't prepared for the sudden hills, etc. I think I will be able to maintain my current 47+ though.

 

The people that aren't getting the advertised mileage are either a) not driving the vehicle as it is intended to be driven, b) driving it in a manner that is comfortable for them, but getting a little less mileage, or c) driving it in a super hilly/elevated area where there's a lot of accelerating up hills. The region you're in can certainly play a factor.

 

Ford advertised a number which is backed up by the EPA. If the consumer chooses to not make changes in order to get that advertised mileage, then maybe they shouldn't have bought a hybrid in the first place. There are plenty of micro and compact cars out there that will get you decent mileage without changing your driving style. Buying a hybrid isn't something you should do without investing some thought and research. This lawsuit is probably founded by people that were too stubborn to change their habits, and just want to sue in our legal-happy country.

[acdii]

C for me, which is why I lowered my expectations on MPG. Knowing your daily drive is part of knowing what you will get. If you do everything possible to get good MPG, and still can't, something IS wrong with the vehicle, proving it though is difficult, even when there is physical evidence something isnt working correctly. However, the lawsuit is bogus. The only ones who will make out are the lawyers.

[Howie411]

I'm not getting over 40-41 mpg, This is my 2nd Hybrid. I had a FFH and I always came very close to the 41/36 mpg and occasionally hit a lot higher without even trying. I'm having a hell of a time with this car. The other day I filled up and got it up to 48ish but that was coasting for multiple miles downhill. On my return trip I ended up going back to 40ish again. No matter how good I drive the car I don't think I will ever get 47. And even worse my wife is hitting 42-43 mpg with her 2013 C-MAX.

Edited June 5, 2014 by Howie411

[acdii]

I'm not getting over 40-41 mpg, This is my 2nd Hybrid. I had a FFH and I always came very close to the 41/36 mpg and occasionally hit a lot higher without even trying. I'm having a hell of a time with this car. The other day I filled up and got it up to 48ish but that was coasting for multiple miles downhill. On my return trip I ended up going back to 40ish again. No matter how good I drive the car I don't think I will ever get 47. And even worse my wife is hitting 42-43 mpg with her 2013 C-MAX.

Switch cars, see if it trends. I also had a first gen FFH and also saw similar to what you did, and had a hard time transitioning to the new one at first, but eventually figured out the trick to it. I went from 34 to 36 after a while in the first one, then when the one I have now came in, first trip in it hit 47. It doesnt drive the same as the first gen, close, but different. Best method I found to accelerate from a dead stop, start off light pedal in EV to about 15 MPH then transition to ICE at 2 bars on Empower. If you do it right, you will be at 2 bars when it switches. Keep it there until you reach your speed then feather the pedal to maintain speed. If your roads tend to be slightly inclined like a few by me, and are 55MPH zones, i found keeping the HVB charge at or above 80% and staying on ICE gives the best MPG, the instant will be at or above 40 at that point. Quite a bit different than the 1st gen, the ICE worked more in the old one, higher RPM, but at 55+ it also could maintain speed with little effort. It was direct drive at that point where the new one is EV+ICE, EV for the most part using energy coming from the ICE/Generator, and ICE coupling when more power is called for.

[TheMgnt]

New member here. I'm about a month into ownership of my 2014 Titanium. I have a 30 mile commute and about 1700m on the odometer.

 

My drive in to work, during rush hour stop and go, is solidly around 42/43mpg. My drive home, however, has been closer to 47/49. I hit 50.3 mpg the other day. I filled up my car for the third time since buying it and it came out to 44.25mpg for the tank according to my FuelLog app, 486 miles driven. I expect this to get better. I solidly believe 47mpg avg over time is doable and how you drive is a major factor in acheiving that. I do not have ACC, however after reading the comments I wish I did!

 

I'm very happy with this car. The only thing I don't really like (and that's overstating a bit) is the effort it takes to drive effectively. I find myself focusing on every little thing about how I drive instead of just driving. I'm sure this will become second nature, but I'm forever checking to make sure I just broke effectively enough, or checking my MPG and easing up on the gas to get it back up, etc.

 

I do have a question tho - the above poster says 'start in EV then transition to ICE'. How do you do that purposfully? I'm assuming starting slowly then accelerating to get the gas engine to kick in. Just wondering if there's a trick to driving that I'm missing.

[acdii]

 

 

I'm very happy with this car. The only thing I don't really like (and that's overstating a bit) is the effort it takes to drive effectively. I find myself focusing on every little thing about how I drive instead of just driving. I'm sure this will become second nature, but I'm forever checking to make sure I just broke effectively enough, or checking my MPG and easing up on the gas to get it back up, etc.

 

I do have a question tho - the above poster says 'start in EV then transition to ICE'. How do you do that purposfully? I'm assuming starting slowly then accelerating to get the gas engine to kick in. Just wondering if there's a trick to driving that I'm missing.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Hybrid driving. For most people this is exactly what happens, for others they just dont care and drive it like any other car and really don't complain if they dont meet EPA because what they got rid of most likely got under 20.

 

It will take quite a bit of muscle training to get to the point where you can ease off the line in EV and transition to ICE. Once you find the technique to do it, you will find it gets easier over time until it just happens on its own. After the car breaks in after 10-15K miles(yes it does take that long), you will find it take NO effort on your part to get good MPG. Right now mine is at 24K and change and I just drive it and get mid 40's, and have actually got over 50 when I put some effort into it. It really didn't start getting this easy until I hit high teens on the Odometer. I think tire wear has a lot to do with it too.

[lolder]

It's interesting to read this thread and see the complaints about people getting 40 instead of 47 or 50 mpg. The difference is a very small amount of fuel. If you live in the Warmth, you'll get EPA or better. In the Cold EPA and worse. Aggressive driving worse, hypermilng better. It's fun so don't get upset by it. Who thought 10 years ago you could drive a nice Ford midsize car and get 40-50 mpg.

Edited June 5, 2014 by lolder

[GrySql]

It's interesting to read this thread and see the complaints about people getting 40 instead of 47 or 50 mpg. The difference is a very small amount of fuel.

Reading your posts last year and the math that you supplied regarding the differences in various mpg numbers made me calm down about not getting EPA all the time.

I never thanked you properly.

Thank you.

[acdii]

When you get 34 MPG in a car this size, that isnt bad at all, however, when it is supposed to get 13 MPG more than that, it does make you go WTF?? 38-43 is Damned good for a car like this. If you can't get that in this car, you either are driving it hard, or it has an issue, and usually its the former. When it was extremely cold last winter I was seeing minimum of 34, usually 38 was what it did in the cold, and now its doing 45 and better.

[donsdinr]

It would be helpful for someone on this forum to list, very simply, the steps to correctly driving a Fusion Hybrid. Please eliminate any abbreviations,which are just confusing to those of us who are not engineers or with a tech background. Please be kind and helpful. The multiple gagues are very confusing to some of us and the dealer didn't bother with any hybrid driving tips when he sold the car to me. I have difficulty understanding some of your advice, but do want to learn.

Thanks.

 

[jeff_h]

It would be helpful for someone on this forum to list, very simply, the steps to correctly driving a Fusion Hybrid. Please eliminate any abbreviations,which are just confusing to those of us who are not engineers or with a tech background. Please be kind and helpful. The multiple gagues are very confusing to some of us and the dealer didn't bother with any hybrid driving tips when he sold the car to me. I have difficulty understanding some of your advice, but do want to learn.

Thanks.

 

 

See the following thread that is pinned in the welcome area, has references to tips and also info about acronyms too...

 

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/6816-read-this-first-useful-information-for-all-new-forum-users/

[Kcouture25]

For me, it starts with acceleration. I don't press the gas pedal, I gently ease onto it. Once I hit 15-20 miles per hour in EV mode, I'll press the gas a little more and let the gas engine get me up to speed before I ease back off and try and maintain in EV mode. If there's not a lot of cars behind me, I'll go ahead and maybe go a couple miles an hour slower in order to prolong the EV mode.

 

Here's one thing I do on the highway in ECO cruise. Sometimes when I get to the top of the hill in ECO cruise, it will take the car an extra couple of seconds to realize I'm going downhill. So, when I hit the top of the hill and level out or start going downhill, I'll drop the cruise by 2 MPH quickly to drop the car into EV mode, then instantly set the speed back where it was. I don't know how much this helps in the long run, but it's become a habit of mine, and it keeps the brain occupied on my 315 mile (each way) weekly commute.

 

Braking: do it easily. As easily as you can. The regenerative braking reuses all the power from braking to charge your battery, so look at it as a way to get free mileage. Obviously in traffic you can't always brake easily, but do it as often as you can.

 

Speed: the mileage difference between 60, 65, and 70 miles an hour is distinct. I get the best highway mileage if I keep it at 63 or less. I get pretty decent mileage at 65 and 70, but not 47 mpg. On city or country roads, I don't mind being the slower guy if I know that I am getting really good mileage. I could go even slower, but an extra tenth or two of a mile per gallon isn't really the most important thing.

 

Some people suggest different settings on the AC can impact MPG, but I haven't seen that for myself yet. I keep my AC on low, set in the mid 70's. If it costs me a tenth of an MPG, then I'm ok with it because it's for my comfort.

 

Bear in mind that I am still a new FFH owner. I have 2,000 miles on my car and I bought It April 30th. I still have a lot to learn about the car. On the flip side, the fact that I'm a new FFH owner is interesting because I've read that many people had to adapt and it took time to achieve the mileage results. I think my driving style was one that crossed over to a hybrid very well. I have always tried to get the best mileage for my money.

 

Some of the more experienced FFH drivers can probably give you more tips, like those in the above link. I read through all the forums on here prior to my purchase, and I think it helped me out extensively.

[nv rick]

It's been mentioned that one should be getting better mileage "if you live in the warmth". Is there a point where heat (a/c use) negatively affects mpg?

I live in "balmy" southern NV. where temps are already close to 100, and in the summer regularly top 110.

I expect that in early spring, late fall and winter, our temps would be considered living "in the warmth" as daytime highs range from the 70's to mid 80's.

(The lease on our '11 MKS expires in a few months and we look forward to getting an MKZ hybrid.)

Edited June 8, 2014 by nv rick

[donsdinr]

The "experts" on this forum repeatedly blame the driver or hilly conditions for not acheiving the posted EPA mileage figures on the FFH. They contend it is not the car because it is absolutely capable of getting Ford's stated 47 mpg. If that is true, why did Ford just recently lower the EPA figure to 42? It admitted it screwed up the test, and rather that go the Huyndai route and pay lawyers a lot of money, it is sending all of us a nice rebate check. They admitted that the car doesn't get 47 in the real world with normal driving.So . . . experts, maybe you were wrong, because Ford admitted it was the car. You. were. wrong.

As you all celebrate your good fortune, thank the whiners who whined on the message board, who whined to Ford, and who whined to their dealer, because that caused Ford to redo the test, find their error, admit it to the EPA, and choose to send a rebate to everyone involved, even to those "experts' who thought there was nothing wrong with the car.

On behalf of all the FFH whiners, we accept your apology.