Max mpg - worth the trouble?

[WPWoodJr]

I've been trying to eek out some great gas mileage from the FFH and having some success (currently at about 45mpg), but it requires a lot of concentration and sometimes painfully slow driving. I began thinking about what I was really saving per year - the answer might surprise you.

[nelsonlu]

I've been trying to eek out some great gas mileage from the FFH and having some success (currently at about 45mpg), but it requires a lot of concentration and sometimes painfully slow driving. I began thinking about what I was really saving per year - the answer might surprise you.

 

My feeling is: I paid for this car rather than the Toyota Prius so that I can save gas without having to worry about driving unsafely and/or uncomfortably. Let the Fusion Hybrid be what it was designed to be -- a no-compromises hybrid.

[GaryG]

I've been trying to eek out some great gas mileage from the FFH and having some success (currently at about 45mpg), but it requires a lot of concentration and sometimes painfully slow driving. I began thinking about what I was really saving per year - the answer might surprise you.

 

Great job!

 

The time factor is an issue sometimes for me but I try to work around that with my overall average MPG. I don't like holding people up behind me so I plan routes with speed limits I can travel and still maximize MPG. Also, I pick routes with extra lanes for those who can go around me if they want to go faster. It's funny when people go around while I timing a red light to turn green and when I get to it I end up passing them while they are just getting moving again. It does not have to get ugly to increase your mileage but it does take concentration on your driving and the traffic around you. These are things you should consider to avoid an accident in my opinion any way.

 

Saving gas has a lot more benefits than just the cost at the pump.

 

1. Reducing engine and drivetrain wear.

 

2. Reducing brake pads, drums and rotor wear.

 

3. Reduces tire wear.

 

4. Fewer stops for gas.

 

5. Slower speeds can decrease safety hazards and property damage.

 

6. Prolongs the life of the vehicle.

 

7. Reduces emissions.

 

8. More concentration on your driving as well as others around you.

 

9. Reduces stopping distance.

 

10. Avoids speeding violations and Insurance increases.

 

The change is a change in driving habits that can effect every vehicle you drive for the rest of your life. Once your driving habits change everything becomes natural so adding a new technique for saving gas is that much easier. I think of operating my vehicle like a fine piece of machinery to produce the best that we can in the most efficient way possible. Operating a vehicle like the FFH or FEH can get to be an enjoyable hobby when you start seeing the benefits and outcome. If you don't want to take advantage of operating your FFH like this you always have the choice of driving like others (so called normal) anytime.

 

Most people have learned to think that getting the EPA rating of a vehicle is the best that can be done in normal driving. Some thought the EPA way over estimated their ratings and the EPA was forced to lower those ratings in 2007. I say forget about the EPA ratings and change your driving habits to improve your mileage even if it's just a little.

 

Think about the mileage you were getting with the vehicle you replaced with your FFH, not a non hybrid version of the Fusion. I considered the savings from driving my EB V8 '02 Explorer at 14mpg for the '05 FEH 4 years ago. My lifetime average at 52,000 miles on my '05 FEH was 45mpg. This was money I was saving each week as gas prices went to over $4 a gallon. Was it worth the trouble of going to a smaller SUV and changing my driving habits? You bet it was! My credit is still excellent because I made the right choice at the right time to save on gas and pay my bills at the end of the month. Would I do it again? I just did last July when I purchased my '09 FEHL and my lifetime MPG average at 12,000 miles is growing at 49mpg. I know I'm on the upper end of the scale than most drivers in a FEH, but you folks can get closer to my numbers with your new FFH with some concentration and learning a few simple operating techniques. It's real easy for me now and save gas money with everything I operate today. Don't forget about gas credit card interest you pay if you don't pay cash or pay them off each month.

[mirak]

Another interesting comparison is how many miles you'll have to drive to justify in gas savings the premium you paid for the FFH versus a comparably-optioned Fusion.

 

Assuming a $3k premium, average gas price of $2.50, and 10MPG advantage, it would take 160k miles to pay off that $3k premium in gas savings. At $3.00 gas, it will take 135k miles.

 

If you want to play with the numbers yourself, you can use the following equation:

 

X = ACD / (DB - CB)

 

X = Total Miles necessary

A = Hybrid Price Premium

B = Avg Gas Price Per Gallon

C = Avg Non-Hybrid MPG

D = Avg Hybrid MPG

 

Buying this hybrid just for gas savings makes very little sense, unless you're expecting gas to spike upwards of $4 a gallon (and maybe that's not so crazy). I like the hybrid technology because it's fun to drive, and maybe I'll break even down the road.

[rtw819]

Another interesting comparison is how many miles you'll have to drive to justify in gas savings the premium you paid for the FFH versus a comparably-optioned Fusion.

 

I'm not disagreeing here, but... something that I find myself continually having to remember is the gasoline savings I'm getting effortlessly by NOT actually driving, but while sitting and waiting at stop lights, stop signs, long lines of stop-and-go traffic, drive thrus, etc. in primarily EV mode. (Not to mention emissions, heat, etc.) What would otherwise arguably be wasted gasoline in a normal non-hybrid vehicle is saved, but it effectively does not factor into your MPG calculations in the FFH. There's not a way to calculate or measure gas saved while idling in EV mode that I'm aware of? While it may not be much in total over the life of the vehicle, but it is yet another point of savings provided nicely by the FFH, IMHO. It's one that is difficult to quantify.

 

Now granted, you could turn off the ignition in a normal car and realize the same gas savings while not moving, but you lose A/C in most cases, and it very quickly gets old in stop-and-go traffic, not to mention the extra wear and tear on the starter, etc. Not an issue with the FFH. So all in all I have to admit I much prefer the effortlessness of the FFH for this!!

 

Thought it was worth mentioning.

[nelsonlu]

I'm not disagreeing here, but... something that I find myself continually having to remember is the gasoline savings I'm getting effortlessly by NOT actually driving, but while sitting and waiting at stop lights, stop signs, long lines of stop-and-go traffic, drive thrus, etc. in primarily EV mode. (Not to mention emissions, heat, etc.) What would otherwise arguably be wasted gasoline in a normal non-hybrid vehicle is saved, but it effectively does not factor into your MPG calculations in the FFH. There's not a way to calculate or measure gas saved while idling in EV mode that I'm aware of? While it may not be much in total over the life of the vehicle, but it is yet another point of savings provided nicely by the FFH, IMHO. It's one that is difficult to quantify.

 

Now granted, you could turn off the ignition in a normal car and realize the same gas savings while not moving, but you lose A/C in most cases, and it very quickly gets old in stop-and-go traffic, not to mention the extra wear and tear on the starter, etc. Not an issue with the FFH. So all in all I have to admit I much prefer the effortlessness of the FFH for this!!

 

Thought it was worth mentioning.

 

If you calculate properly, that should already be accounted, since the gas burned by the conventional Fusion will lower the MPG of that model, while the Fusion Hybrid (which does not actually burn no gas at all when idling, in total -- since burning off electricity means that it will be less efficient once the car gets moving again, but obviously is a lot, a lot better than the gas-only model in that respect) will not be hurt nearly as much in the MPG calculation.

 

And no, turning off the ignition in the gas Fusion wouldn't realize the same gas savings, since restarting a conventional gas engine burns gas as well (and, as you noted, you lose A/C, but more importantly it's pretty unsafe to do so).

[nelsonlu]

Another interesting comparison is how many miles you'll have to drive to justify in gas savings the premium you paid for the FFH versus a comparably-optioned Fusion.

 

Assuming a $3k premium, average gas price of $2.50, and 10MPG advantage, it would take 160k miles to pay off that $3k premium in gas savings. At $3.00 gas, it will take 135k miles.

 

If you want to play with the numbers yourself, you can use the following equation:

 

X = ACD / (DB - CB)

 

X = Total Miles necessary

A = Hybrid Price Premium

B = Avg Gas Price Per Gallon

C = Avg Non-Hybrid MPG

D = Avg Hybrid MPG

 

Buying this hybrid just for gas savings makes very little sense, unless you're expecting gas to spike upwards of $4 a gallon (and maybe that's not so crazy). I like the hybrid technology because it's fun to drive, and maybe I'll break even down the road.

 

You forget the $1,700 tax credit as well as the lesser money and time cost in maintenance. And the advantage is more than 10 MPG. (The Fusion Hybrid is rated at 39 MPG; a similarly-equipped I4 -- which will have to be either an SE or an SEL, not an S -- is rated at 25 MPG.) I drive 25,000 miles per year, and my own calculation is that monetary break-even point is at 100,000, not counting the time saved.

[mirak]

You're right - I didn't realize the FFH got that much better milage than the regular Fusion! So let's say an advantage of 15mpg.

 

My calculation of the $3k premium was after the $1700 tax credit, so I do think this is about right.

 

The extra 5mpg makes a big difference in the calculations. At $2.50/gallon, the premium is paid off in 108k miles. At $3, the premium is paid off at 90k miles. And if gas were to soar to $4, the premium would be paid in just 67.5k miles. (Let's not hope for this, though.)