1st Gen Summer Fuel Economy

[Gigi]

Fuel economy on the road today (according to the trip meter) was horrible, 34.3 mpg. Driving a black car in South Alabama and the Florida Panhandle in the middle of June (high sun angle), outside temperature about 95 degrees much of the day, AC set to 60 degrees, the fan on high, and interstate driving 65-70 mph on really flat terrain, FE went through the floor. My last tank of gas was about 39.5 mpg calculated at the pump for mostly mountain and interstate driving.

Is this common? Why is this? Battery inefficiency because of heat? Electricity to run the AC compressor and fan on high? Tires sticking to a hot road surface? Flat terrain with fewer opportunities for coasting? Humidity? Help me get my mind around this.

[corncobs]

All if the above :)

 

I would have to say setting your A/C not the refrigerator temperature should help quite a bit.

 

35* temp difference is a lot and getting 34 MPG is really that bad IMO.

[lolder]

Why are you set at 60 ? Put the AC on Auto, 72º F., Recirc on. When parked, use windshield sun shade, crack windows and moonroof, drive for several blocks with all windows open with heat soaked car. This car cools down really fast which might be 10 minutes which will hit your mpg.

[Gigi]

I've been thinking that the Max AC setting, which puts the temp down to 60 might be the main culprit. I'll spend half the day along the gulf coast before heading home. Maybe a more reasonable temp setting will help.

[machoman1337]

60F is 15.5C - that is excessively cold man! I recommend no lower than 70F. I understand that sometimes the car is REALLY hot after being parked in the sun, but you can alleviate that by lowering the windows just a little (like finger thickness) when parked.

[lolder]

I have just examined in my 2010 FFH the difference between Auto with Recir On and Max AC. Max AC turns Recirc on but it doesn't change the temp setting ( to 60 ?? ). In a heat soaked car there's no discernible difference between the two modes. In a stabilized temperature car, Max AC increases the fan speed slightly and the compressor slightly and keeps the panel vents on. This results in more airflow over the evaporator and more dehumidifying. There has to be some heat added to keep the temperature the same. I think the best compromise is Auto with Recir. on. Drivers choice.

[acdii]

The 13 sets the temp to LO on MAX ac. I dont remember the 10 since I rarely used AC. I rarely use it in my 13 unless its really humid. Today was mid 90's and used the 4.25x55 AC. 4 windows and sunroof vented driving 55 mPH kept us nice and cool

[Gigi]

The tank of gas that took me from So. Alabama along the Florida panhandle to Biloxi, back to Mobile, and up to Montgomery, calculated out at 35 mpg, a little better than it was looking when I stopped in Biloxi last night and started this thread. By the time I gassed up in Montgomery late this afternoon, the temperature was still in the 90s, but the sun wasn't as high in the sky. For my evening drive home to Atlanta, the trip meter tells me that I got 41 mpg, more like what I was experiencing previously.

 

I'm thinking that heavy use of the AC trying to keep a black car cool this time of year this far south in the middle of the day is just going to put a big hit on fuel economy. I have been buying white cars for almost the last 30 years. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought this black car other than that I needed to get a decent car within the budget I was given. I'm still happy with the car. It runs and rides great, but man does it absorb sunlight!

[acdii]

Yeah black cars do have that one undesirable affect. My 2010 was Atlantis green, just a shade above black. It kept getting written up as black by the dealer until I pointed out it was green. They looked close and said, oh wow it is green. It had a Dune interior though which helped out a lot.

[cincidaddi]

I've got a black 2013 FFH myself with black interior in Ohio. Good for cold, bad for hot but I knew that going in. I absolutely love the look. To mitigate heat, I tinted my windows, use remote start and global open. The global open feature on your remote allows you to open all windows (and vent sunroof if you have one) by clicking then holding the unlock button for 3 seconds.

I do see similar impact to fuel economy when running A/C in hot temps. Aside from the A/C energy sink, I would imagine the elevated engine and battery temps may also drain efficiency.

[Gigi]

Aside from the A/C energy sink, I would imagine the elevated engine and battery temps may also drain efficiency.

That's what I'm thinking.

 

Fortunately, the AC is powerful enough to cool the car, but only just able to do so until the sun starts going down. I figure that the air temperature is not the problem, it's sunshine. Maybe once we're past the solstice it will get better.

[lolder]

Elevated engine temperatures improve efficiency and the HVB is cooled by cabin air. It likes the same temperature people do. My 2010 has the quickest and most powerful AC of any car I have owned in S. FL. It should do fine anywhere. A heat soaked dark car will always take longer to cool down.

[Gigi]

I'm really curious to see how mpg for this tank of gas turns out. Memphis to Atlanta today, the display shows 43.9 mpg. I know not to believe that and to calculate actual miles and gallons, but this looks promising. The last tank, Montgomery to Atlanta to Memphis came in at 37 mpg. The difference on this drive - moderate temperatures, low 90s in the middle of the day, clouds and some light rain in the afternoon. By the time I was home at 7:30, it was below 80 degrees. The other difference is that I set the cruise on 65 and stayed there even though the speed limit was 70 much of the way. Really, it's not that bad riding in the slow lane, less stress, and more importantly, less resistance trying to push through the air.

 

I have another long trip coming up next week. I'm interested to see how this tank of gas calculates out if I just keep the speed down.

[acdii]

Here is something to strive for. All highway trip.

 

[Gigi]

Here is something to strive for. All highway trip.

How's this (see pic):

 

I had my first 700+ mile tank of gas yesterday. 16.3 gallons to fill, suggesting that there was still 1.2 gallons left in the tank. 42.93 mpg actual, though the gauge was reading 44.5 mpg. Temperatures were mild and for the entire 700 miles (Memphis to Atlanta to Nashville), I never went faster than 65 mph. The drawback of driving the slow lane is that Atlanta to St. Louis took an hour longer than my usual speed limit +4 driving. I have to admit that there's less stress driving in the slow lane, but the difference between 8 and 9 hours on the road is, well, a whole hour.

[acdii]

Money talks, all else walks? Just think how many Starbucks those extra MPG gets you! :)

[Gigi]

Money talks, all else walks? Just think how many Starbucks those extra MPG gets you! :)

You've got a point. The difference between 43 mpg and, say, 37 mpg for 700 miles is about $7.00.

[acdii]

You've got a point. The difference between 43 mpg and, say, 37 mpg for 700 miles is about $7.00.

It's a good example to use when talking about a hybrid vs non Hybrid. Non Hybrid gets say 20 MPG, the Hybrid gets, say 40 MPG. A gallon of gas is $4. I drive 40 miles, I use one gallon of gas in the Hybrid, I drive the non Hybrid, I use 2 gallons of gas. By driving the Hybrid I saved $4, enough to buy 4 large McDonalds Coffees.

 

I would love nothing more than to drive my MKT every day, but $8 a day adds up quickly. Thats the difference between the Fusion and MKT round trip. (though the HyTi is getting 47+)

[tr7driver]

The problem is you only get to spend it once. So if you decide you will use the gas savings to justify paying the premium for the hybrid, you don't get to buy the coffee too. Well, maybe after your reach the pay back point you can....

[acdii]

I never considered the higher price of the Hybrid a Premium, its all part of the package. When you add it lack of maintenance costs too, that "premium" goes down considerably. Oil changes every 10K, brakes every 100K or so. Tires wear no matter what you drive. In a non Hybrid, if you get 30K on a set of brakes you are doing good.

 

When you put on the miles that I do though, $150 or more a month in gas savings alone adds up fast. If the "premium" is $1500, 10 months, done.

[Gigi]

Here is something to strive for.

Got it beat! Though I did get some help from change in elevation from Newfound Gap, TN 5,048 down to Blue Ridge, GA at 1,762.

[lolder]

The altitude added 10 mpg to that figure if it took you 1 1/2 hours to do it. The altitude gave you 6 hp hrs. 40 mpg is a good summertime figure and your long term is right even with mine.

[Wingmn]

No one buys a car expecting to earn money back. I buy a car based on how far that gas will take me. Any new car you buy you lose close to 6k when you drive off the lot. I think the "premium" is the same if you want to buy a luxury car or a cheap economy car - you chose to buy the more expensive vehicle based on your preference, not because the car will "recoup" costs... It just so happens that a hybrid reduces your monthly fuel cost. Once your auto loan, if you have one is paid for (just like the rest of us who buy a car on a loan) all you pay for is maint. and fuel. The fuel costs just happen to be lower with a hybrid, sorry for soap boxing.