real mpg averages

[vichybrid]

How does the govt really get true mpg numbers? They are conservative, right?

If I am mostly driving my escape intown on city streets (going under 40mph), without ac,

isn't it likely to get higher mpg averages?

 

I don't have it yet,so I need to figure out all the strategies to achieve this.

I just wanted to know, how many of you get high mpg averages?

 

I still hear Prius owners say that gthey get will over 48 mpg even though that is their mpg statistic.

 

Also, when on the highway, how can I still get great mpg, do I need to keep it between 65-70, as I have been told by someone, or does it even matter?

Thanks

[akirby]

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/how_tested.shtml

 

Highway mileage is highly dependent on speed. Once you achieve high gear, the faster you go the higher the RPM and (more importantly) the more wind you're trying to push out of the way. 55 is better than 65 is better than 75. You'd have to test it yourself to see how much.

[Hook686]

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/how_tested.shtml

 

Highway mileage is highly dependent on speed. Once you achieve high gear, the faster you go the higher the RPM and (more importantly) the more wind you're trying to push out of the way. 55 is better than 65 is better than 75. You'd have to test it yourself to see how much.

 

 

Above 55 mph there is rougly an 8% drop in mpg for every 5 mph increase in speed.

 

http://www.cleanmpg.com/

 

has some interesting ideas.

Edited August 17, 2008 by Hook686

[Transpower]

Above 55 mph there is rougly an 8% drop in mpg for every 5 mph increase in speed.

 

http://www.cleanmpg.com/

 

has some interesting ideas.

 

 

In my 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD I recently completed a trip from Philadelphia to Minneapolis and back (plus driving in Minneapolis) for a total of 2400 miles, mostly at 65 mph. I got 31.3 mpg. This is with special Pirelli All-Terrain Tires and a tow hook. I think claims of 42 mpg are dubioius.

[theoldwizard]

In my 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD I recently completed a trip from Philadelphia to Minneapolis and back (plus driving in Minneapolis) for a total of 2400 miles, mostly at 65 mph. I got 31.3 mpg. This is with special Pirelli All-Terrain Tires and a tow hook. I think claims of 42 mpg are dubioius.

The government revised their test procedure a few years ago and they are "more accurate" than they used to be.

 

The old saying. "You mileage may vary" is true. How you drive (hard on the accelerator and brakes) will definitely hurt your mileage. While 42 mpg may not be obtainable by most in real world conditions, 31.3 mpg is low.

 

Please explain the term "tow hook". How many passengers and how much cargo did you have ?

[Walt]

While 42 mpg may not be obtainable by most in real world conditions, 31.3 mpg is low.

 

One can certainly get 42 mpg, but one has to be driving in a "very hybrid" manor, and be on an idea road that allows exploiting the max use of the hybrid system.

 

I don't think 31.3 is all that low either, for someone driving in a "very non-hybrid" manor, and be on a highway that just happens to not allow much, if any, use of the hybrid system. Basically, your mpg is simply the high efficiency of the Atkins cycle 4-cyl engine.

Edited August 18, 2008 by Walt

[billyk24]

On the highway, the eCVT allows one to vary (including lowering) the RPM's at a set speed. Thus, by varying the gas pedal pressure in an attempt to keep RPM's low while maintaining what ever speed you desire, you can enhance your fuel efficiency.

 

One can go to a site such as cleanmpg.com and read on all the hypermiling techniques and decide/ry the ones that make sense and are appliabile to your situation.

[stevedebi]

On the highway, the eCVT allows one to vary (including lowering) the RPM's at a set speed. Thus, by varying the gas pedal pressure in an attempt to keep RPM's low while maintaining what ever speed you desire, you can enhance your fuel efficiency.

 

One can go to a site such as cleanmpg.com and read on all the hypermiling techniques and decide/ry the ones that make sense and are appliabile to your situation.

 

2008 FEH Luxury Package AWD (reduces MPG) and side steps (reduces MPG).

 

I do some hybrid techniques in town, but on the road, I think I need to focus on driving, not hypermiling by attempting to "game" the eCVT. I use cruise control on all flat or near-flat terrain, so I can focus on the traffic and not other stuff. I also allow the CC to maintain my speed up a hill, though I realize it would be more fuel efficient to hold a constant RPM and let the speed drop. But here in LA, traffic does not safely allow such slow speeds.

 

I took a short trip to Disneyland last weekend, 55 miles each way. On the way down I got 36.8 MPG, on the way back about 34.6 (on the built-in displays). Speed was 65-68 MPH.

 

Since I have been driving around town for a couple of days it is back down to 32.6, which is about normal (my MPG is generally 31-32 MPG).

 

So I don't drive "maximum MPG". That is my choice and my opinion. I realize that some people are more ardent about MPG, but heck, in my view, it is a car - transportation. I enjoy maximizing MPG, but part of my "game" parameters are that I don't impede traffic or do "extreme" hypermiling like Pulse and Glide. So far I am pleased with my mileage.

Edited August 19, 2008 by stevedebi

[exbauer]

I just picked up my FEHL last night and quite impressed with it. I traded in a Prius and could easily match or beat what it was rated for. On my 25 mile drive home I was able to get 40 mpg. But, it was creeping on the highway. So, it shows that the FEH really shines in stop and go traffic. I was able to get it to drive without the ICE turning on from a stop till 35 mph. The street was empty so no worries about people behind me. I am really surprised how easy it is to get it to drive in electric mode. But, not as easy as a Prius.

[GaryG]

I just picked up my FEHL last night and quite impressed with it. I traded in a Prius and could easily match or beat what it was rated for. On my 25 mile drive home I was able to get 40 mpg. But, it was creeping on the highway. So, it shows that the FEH really shines in stop and go traffic. I was able to get it to drive without the ICE turning on from a stop till 35 mph. The street was empty so no worries about people behind me. I am really surprised how easy it is to get it to drive in electric mode. But, not as easy as a Prius.

 

You'll find that the '09 FEH will go into EV even under slight acceleration. I've developed a strategy by setting the cruise control under 40mph and the FEH will go into EV when the battery SoC reaches 42%. You get a restart at 40% to recharge the battery. After a restart at 40%, I do a P&G with the CC still set to take advantage of DFSO and regen while charging the battery back to 42%. I started using "L" for a quick regen charge and full DFSO on the glide back to the pre-set CC.

[EricC5Vett]

You'll find that the '09 FEH will go into EV even under slight acceleration. I've developed a strategy by setting the cruise control under 40mph and the FEH will go into EV when the battery SoC reaches 42%. You get a restart at 40% to recharge the battery. After a restart at 40%, I do a P&G with the CC still set to take advantage of DFSO and regen while charging the battery back to 42%. I started using "L" for a quick regen charge and full DFSO on the glide back to the pre-set CC.

 

I don't mean this in an adversarial way so please don't take it that way, but you seem so obsessed with figuring out how to milk every last mile you can out of it. Doesn't it take away from your attention to driving & the overall driving experience itself?

 

To each, his own, right? I take a slightly different approach. I drive it the same way I drive my other cars except this one is the slowest of them. I step on the gas when its time to accelerate and I definitely keep up with traffic and no one behind me is ever wondering when I'm gonna move. I don't crawl around, I move, and I don't even know what hypermiling means, sounds like a respiratory problem. And being this way, I average 33.6 mpg most of the time with all types of driving combined. I think thats great, I used to get 14 with my 2001 Explorer Sport that I just sold. I loved that thing, but I was spending $80 a week on gas and now I'm spending $25, big difference, that's why I bought it & waited 5 months for it. By the way, most Hybrid people are usually shocked when I tell them that my 2005 Corvette gets 26 mpg on the road, it's not a gas guzzler, it's highly efficient, almost green... :yup:

[GaryG]

I don't mean this in an adversarial way so please don't take it that way, but you seem so obsessed with figuring out how to milk every last mile you can out of it. Doesn't it take away from your attention to driving & the overall driving experience itself?

 

To each, his own, right? I take a slightly different approach. I drive it the same way I drive my other cars except this one is the slowest of them. I step on the gas when its time to accelerate and I definitely keep up with traffic and no one behind me is ever wondering when I'm gonna move. I don't crawl around, I move, and I don't even know what hypermiling means, sounds like a respiratory problem. And being this way, I average 33.6 mpg most of the time with all types of driving combined. I think thats great, I used to get 14 with my 2001 Explorer Sport that I just sold. I loved that thing, but I was spending $80 a week on gas and now I'm spending $25, big difference, that's why I bought it & waited 5 months for it. By the way, most Hybrid people are usually shocked when I tell them that my 2005 Corvette gets 26 mpg on the road, it's not a gas guzzler, it's highly efficient, almost green... :yup:

 

I consider my FEH's like a fine piece of machinery and operate it rather than just driving it. Hypermilers are constantly paying attention to the road, other vehicles, traffic and signals, to navigate smoothly and efficiently. In other words, it's a hobby that saves me money and our environment. I have many hobbies like skin and scuba diving, fishing and cooking and have fun with those also. I use to built race engines and drag race, but that hobby was to expensive and not good for the environment.

 

I also write articles on hypermiling and share what I've learned in case someone else with a FEH/MMH wants a little help with there mileage or problems their having with their vehicles. I may sound hard core and drive slow in traffic, but there is nothing worst being behind someone holding traffic back to me. I drive fast when I need to and still use techniques to save gas at the same time. Also, we have great beach roads with 30mph limits I travel to increase my average mileage on my commute.

 

The term "Hypermiler" was coined by a friend of mine in 2004 and has just made the dictionary. Read the story:

http://blog.oup.com/2008/11/hypermiling/

[NickF1011]

The term "Hypermiler" was coined by a friend of mine in 2004 and has just made the dictionary.

 

Can you slap him for me the next time you see him? :D

[GaryG]

Can you slap him for me the next time you see him? :D

 

I can see why people could care less about hypermiling here.

 

This site is not about getting the best gas mileage but Wayne's CleanMPG.com site is. He started it around January of '06 and its grown to the largest I've posted on. Wayne is truly the best hypermiler in the World. He drove a friends Honda Insight in the 27 mile MPG Challenge at Hybridfest and got a record 180mpg for 1st Place. Wayne doesn't own a hybrid tho. Wayne is on National News all the time now giving reporter lessons in hypermiling in their big gas SUV's.

[mgfaron]

I can see why people could care less about hypermiling here.

 

This site is not about getting the best gas mileage but Wayne's CleanMPG.com site is. He started it around January of '06 and its grown to the largest I've posted on. Wayne is truly the best hypermiler in the World. He drove a friends Honda Insight in the 27 mile MPG Challenge at Hybridfest and got a record 180mpg for 1st Place. Wayne doesn't own a hybrid tho. Wayne is on National News all the time now giving reporter lessons in hypermiling in their big gas SUV's.

 

You may be on the extreme side GaryG but I enjoy reading your tips - When I'm not in a hurry and traffic isn't built up around me (I live in Wisconsin - so thats not much of a problem) I enjoy trying different things out to increase the MPG's on my 09 FEH. Thanks for the knowledge you share!

[akirby]

I can see why people could care less about hypermiling here.

 

Not when the hypermiling techniques are reckless and dangerous (overinflating tires, taking turns too fast, turning off the engine while moving, drafting semis, etc.).

[Hook686]

I can see why people could care less about hypermiling here.

 

....

 

Gary I tend to agree with:

 

akirby who wrote:

 

Not when the hypermiling techniques are reckless and dangerous (overinflating tires, taking turns too fast, turning off the engine while moving, drafting semis, etc.).

 

 

I consider myself a 'Quasi-hypermiler' in that I do not do things I consider dangerous for me, such as drafting, turning off the engine, checking the ScanGauge II too closely, or often, or even worrying about tire pressure, or vehicle loading.

 

I do really appreciate your information simply because I have caught myself using the P&G, the speed control operation and the ScanGauge II in order to improve my mileage at times. The ScanGauge II is really a solid device for monitoring fuel economy, and I thank you for your input on that.

[rscalzo]

I found many of the tips interesting and found that many are already in use based on my driving.

 

Many are easy and safe but drafting is just too dangerous. Get too close to a large truck and you have no idea of what's in fron tof him. The slight savings in gas is not worth a mva. But checking tire pressure, timing the lights and spped control are a no brainer.

[GaryG]

I don't do dangerous things IMO in my FEH's to get great mileage. There are much more dangerous drivers on the road and I consider myself one of the safest drivers on the road today.

 

I've been a Ford man for 40 years and I've converted more people to a Ford product than any single person I know. More people PM me and tell me I was the reason they bought the FEH/MMH and thank me for my opinion and suggestions. It maybe possible Ford may make it through the times ahead, but no one can say their fall was a reason of mine.

 

Toyota and Honda Hybrids are kicking the Big Three's Ass, but if you look at my record MPG in a Ford Hybrid SUV, I'm converting many of them. I post the truth and if Ford screws up, I post it. The new Fusion Hybrid is over priced, but I'd like to help but may not.

[vnmous1]

I just averaged 36.2 on my first 150 miles, mostly highway at 65-70 mph. When on surface streets, I was very light on the throttle.

 

bj

[scottfisher]

I just averaged 36.2 on my first 150 miles, mostly highway at 65-70 mph. When on surface streets, I was very light on the throttle.

 

bj

 

About 2000 miles into this venture and I'm around 32 mpg mixed driving, Nav/info center is reading about 1.7 mpg higher than actual.

 

I am up to speed at end of on ramps for highway, and nobody is irritated that I know of behind me when city driving.

 

I have about 7 hours of highway driving coming up Thanksgiving weekend and will my first true test of highway driving.

 

I will be pleasantly suprised if I can pull off 36 mpg on the highway, don't see it happening though.

 

I must add that I can pull off some averages in the fifties under right conditions, but over the course of a week I come back to reality, I do

get into long stretches of 25-35 mph driving where I empty the battery and the ICE has no choice but to take over, even at 20 mph.

Edited November 16, 2008 by scottfisher

[GaryG]

About 2000 miles into this venture and I'm around 32 mpg mixed driving, Nav/info center is reading about 1.7 mpg higher than actual.

 

I am up to speed at end of on ramps for highway, and nobody is irritated that I know of behind me when city driving.

 

I have about 7 hours of highway driving coming up Thanksgiving weekend and will my first true test of highway driving.

 

I will be pleasantly suprised if I can pull off 36 mpg on the highway, don't see it happening though.

 

I must add that I can pull off some averages in the fifties under right conditions, but over the course of a week I come back to reality, I do

get into long stretches of 25-35 mph driving where I empty the battery and the ICE has no choice but to take over, even at 20 mph.

 

I agree the '09 nav sys reads ~4% higher than gas pumped back into the tank. My best tank was this past 6th tank at 48.06mpg and the nav sys was at 50.0mpg. My SGII set at 10.4% higher read 48.7mpg so I set one at 10.8% and the other at 11.1% to match the actual gas pumped better. Now that I know to calculate the nav sys at 4% higher, I can determine what my mileage is during the tank and compare the SGII for adjustments.

 

The '09 has DFSO in "D" and 36mpg highway is not that impossible even without drafting or shutting your engine off and coasting. In fact, never shut your engine off for coasting because it's not of any value in a hybrid and Ford will void your warranty. Even the gas version of the '09 Escape has DFSO and those owners can improve MPG on the highway and in the city if they know how to take advantage of it.

[fmorriso]

I just averaged 36.2 on my first 150 miles, mostly highway at 65-70 mph. When on surface streets, I was very light on the throttle.

 

bj

I let the Miles To Empty indicator reach 30 miles before I filled up for the second time. I put as much in as I thought, but still barely reached 13 gallons after driving 380 miles. I'd be interested in knowing what others experienced in terms of how accurate the MTE value is for you.

[vichybrid]

I have had my FEH for over a month now and I can report, I average between 40.2 and 40.7 mpg in my city streets within 6 miles of my house. This is where I do my driving 5 days a week. On the weekends, if I go visit friends/family on the highway, I only average 37 mpg... If I drive a long ways on the highway and there is not slow traffic so I can drive fast, I only am getting 33 mpg..

I used to drive like a bat out of hell when I was younger, but now that I can "see" my mileage per gallon, it is this incentive to drive like an old grandpa, and I am a 36 year old female!

 

When my husband drove on a trip, he only got 29mpg... he was so annoyed with me because I teased him about how I was kickin his but and was the "hypermile queen"!

 

:happy feet:

[GaryG]

I let the Miles To Empty indicator reach 30 miles before I filled up for the second time. I put as much in as I thought, but still barely reached 13 gallons after driving 380 miles. I'd be interested in knowing what others experienced in terms of how accurate the MTE value is for you.

 

The MTE in the '09 FEH/MMH is closer to empty than earlier models but you still have about .8 gallons left at 0 MTE. You have a 15 gallon tank so I estimate based on your mileage you had a total of 14.8 gallons at fill-up.