frustrated hybrid owner with poor mpg

[Easy Rider]

You can't use just one fill to draw any conclusions.

Maybe you filled it fuller this time than last because of a difference in the auto-shutoff of 2 different pumps.

 

Mine consistently reports .4-.6 gallons low on the fuel usage......and a corresponding inflation of the MPG number.

 

But so does my Prius.

And so does the Volt, according to reports.

And so did my Elantra and Malibu.

[Texasota]

You can't use just one fill to draw any conclusions.

 

I have found this to be very true. I have been tracking my fuel usage and after 13 tanks my spreadsheet shows that on average the trip computer is showing 1.87 MPG inflation. However, at the extremes, one tank showed 4.46 MPG inflation and another showed -3.26 (deflation?).

 

There are many variables involved but my FFH's trip computer seems to have more variability than other recent cars that I have owned. The average inflation I am measuring (1.87) still seems high to me and is so far the only complaint I have about this car. It is a very minor complaint that I can easily live.

[Waldo]

 

I have found this to be very true. I have been tracking my fuel usage and after 13 tanks my spreadsheet shows that on average the trip computer is showing 1.87 MPG inflation. However, at the extremes, one tank showed 4.46 MPG inflation and another showed -3.26 (deflation?).

 

There are many variables involved but my FFH's trip computer seems to have more variability than other recent cars that I have owned. The average inflation I am measuring (1.87) still seems high to me and is so far the only complaint I have about this car. It is a very minor complaint that I can easily live.

 

You can't look at absolute MPG numbers, you have to look at the percentages. 1.87mpg in the 45mpg range is a lot finer of a measurement than 1.87mpg in the 25mpg range. The computer only knows the amount of fuel used, so when you are using less fuel overall, the margin of error will be greater when converting to an "inverse" measurement, like MPG.

[Texasota]

 

You can't look at absolute MPG numbers, you have to look at the percentages. 1.87mpg in the 45mpg range is a lot finer of a measurement than 1.87mpg in the 25mpg range. The computer only knows the amount of fuel used, so when you are using less fuel overall, the margin of error will be greater when converting to an "inverse" measurement, like MPG.

Your point is valid. Using my FFH numbers the 1.87 inflation with 45.2 overall MPG indicates about 4.1% error. My 2012 Focus typically under reported true MPG by about 1.2 MPG and the overall MPG was very close to 34 which indicates about 3.5% error. Looking at it that way, the FFH appears to have only a moderately higher error rate.

 

I think there is an emotional element, in my case, that I had not considered until now. The Focus under reported the true MPG which always made me happy when I performed the hand calculations. I liked that the car was humble. With my FFH, it is boastful which results in disappointment each time I do the hand calculation.

[ptjones]

Your point is valid. Using my FFH numbers the 1.87 inflation with 45.2 overall MPG indicates about 4.1% error. My 2012 Focus typically under reported true MPG by about 1.2 MPG and the overall MPG was very close to 34 which indicates about 3.5% error. Looking at it that way, the FFH appears to have only a moderately higher error rate.

 

I think there is an emotional element, in my case, that I had not considered until now. The Focus under reported the true MPG which always made me happy when I performed the hand calculations. I liked that the car was humble. With my FFH, it is boastful which results in disappointment each time I do the hand calculation.

If you want to feel better about your MPG's check your odometer with GPS and you will see it's off by about 1.5-2% which is .5-1mpg better than you think you are getting. :)

 

Paul

[Texasota]

If you want to feel better about your MPG's check your odometer with GPS and you will see it's off by about 1.5-2% which is .5-1mpg better than you think you are getting. :)

 

Paul

I read your post as saying that my odometer is under reporting actual miles traveled (i.e. when the odometer says I have traveled 100 miles it is actually 101.5 - 102.0 miles). I have a long trip coming up which will give me plenty of opportunity to check on that. Thanks.

[acdii]

Once I confirmed my car gets what I expected it to get, 38-43 MPG for my daily commute, I stopped caring about Fuelly or gallons used. As long as it doesnt report 34 MPG on every trip, I am perfectly happy with its inflated reports. I still trust but verify every so often, but haven't had a need to for months since I go about the same miles on each tank with about the same amount of gas used. When I get a 50 MPG trip in to work in the morning, I am like, COOOL!

[GrySql]

Once I confirmed my car gets what I expected it to get, 38-43 MPG for my daily commute, I stopped caring about Fuelly or gallons used. As long as it doesnt report 34 MPG on every trip, I am perfectly happy with its inflated reports. I still trust but verify every so often, but haven't had a need to for months since I go about the same miles on each tank with about the same amount of gas used. When I get a 50 MPG trip in to work in the morning, I am like, COOOL!

I don't commute and don't watch my fuel gauge like a hawk. Whether I put in 8 gallons or (once) 13.4 gallons really doesn't matter to me, I fill it when convenient.

My wife has a health condition that makes the HVAC mandatory in warm/hot weather so I quit worrying about pennies and concentrate on how nice a car it is to drive.

We've taken as much as a 5,000+ mile trip in it, it's a wonderful car for traveling with 2 people.

Trust but verify is right, the car gets new EPA, and without the A/C on will get 45-50 mpg pretty easily. For a very early FFH I am content that it's performing as intended.

I keep it very shiny so even after 33,000 miles we still like walking up to it and getting in, and on those days when conditions are right we still smile when the dash tells us we just got 50+ mpg for an outing.

 

The key for me has been if something doesn't seem to work right, read the Owner's Manual first, maybe twice.

Then if it's still not right, see the Dealer.

If that doesn't work, get in touch with the Ford Rep on this Forum (Rachel) to escalate the issue, which usually will get things moving and the problem solved.

[acdii]

I had to take a trip today for work, and got 47 there and 46.5 back, highway. Old EPA, :)