elle Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Maybe I'll drop Mike and his sales manager a line today and see if they want to take an order. The only other problem I'm having now is that I'm starting to want the appearance package, which gets more affordable for me with the X-plan. Oh, the agony of indecision Better go take another look at the pricing before I commit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elle Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Oh, never mind on that. I'd be giving up more than I'd be getting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MineralstangGT Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 If power is the only thing holding you back versus the 1.6L - yes. I'm also worried about the combo falling flat on its face when you need to get up a big hill, etc. In the Edmund's review, they mentioned the motor working hard to keep the car at upper freeway speeds, so I wonder how it would be if you need to pass or gain speed when you're already going 65-70 mph. I guess I need to ask some people in Denver who drive a hybrid to see if its adequate or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmp180psu Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 Power and the fact that the one I test drove had window noise. But everyone has assured me that this is a real fluke, and not something to worry about. Plus I am still working on getting the X-plan PIN but it looks like that may happen in the next few days. I think I do have to have the PIN before I order, is that correct? On my test drives of the Hybrid, and 1.6 SE last Friday, I did not notice any noticeable/abnormal wind noise. Like others have said, it was most likely an issue with that particular car. I am going to test drive a 1.6 with Appearance package tonight to see how the ride and noise levels are since I would get the Hybrid with the Appearance package. I don't expect much of a difference (negatively anyway), so I hope to order my Hybrid this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I'm also worried about the combo falling flat on its face when you need to get up a big hill, etc. In the Edmund's review, they mentioned the motor working hard to keep the car at upper freeway speeds, so I wonder how it would be if you need to pass or gain speed when you're already going 65-70 mph. I guess I need to ask some people in Denver who drive a hybrid to see if its adequate or not. It really should not be much different than the base 2.5L or the 1.6L EB. It will obviously lack power compared to the 2.0L EB if that's what you're comparing against. But compared to the 2.5 or 1.6 EB it should be similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elle Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I rarely do much more than drive to and from work and other very local trips. We do live not far from the Sierras and the Prius has always handled the mountains well enough, so I'd guess this one would be about the same. Mostly my husband drives through those areas because it's usually to go and visit his dad. Sacramento is very flat, in general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckokie36 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 http://www.insidelin...-full-test.html What Works (pros):Excellent fuel economy no matter how you drive, predictable and precise handling, quiet cabin, solid rear seat room. What Needs Work (cons):Grabby brakes, loud electric air-conditioning compressor, reduced cargo capacity, not much front end clearance. Bottom Line: Ford's new Fusion Hybrid backs up its great new looks with a sophisticated, fuel-efficient powertrain and a lively chassis that rarely reminds you that you're driving a hybrid. Fuel Mileage: 40.2 mpg (Edmunds observed) I am starting to wonder about getting the Hybrid. I looked on fuelly.com for the C-Max, and the 2 people that have registered their fill-ups are having a tough time getting 40-42. I think it is just me getting nervous, especially when I am wondering if I would be making a $3000 "mistake" getting the Hybrid if the MPG doesn't live up to expectations (mine would be no less than 42 mpg). I do think my type of driving/commute will help maximize the chances but I don't want to make a mistake. I could get a 1.6 SE model right now (with 200+ miles on it since it has to come from western MD), but really liked the Hybrid on the test drive. I just have that lingering doubt...ughhhhhh. Go for the hybrid 11 I have a 2007 Prius and a 2005 Accord Hybrid ( I bought both new)and I would not go back to a non Hybrid,. remember, the around town mileage where most people do most of their driving, exceeds what you can get in all but a very small car in highway driving under ideal conditions.. I will be be ordering a Fusion Hybrid Titanium as soon as they are available to order.You will not be sorry you purchased a hybrid 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolder Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 (edited) I'm also worried about the combo falling flat on its face when you need to get up a big hill, etc. In the Edmund's review, they mentioned the motor working hard to keep the car at upper freeway speeds, so I wonder how it would be if you need to pass or gain speed when you're already going 65-70 mph. I guess I need to ask some people in Denver who drive a hybrid to see if its adequate or not. The eCVT hybrids excel at high speeds and passing. The reason is that you get contiuuous full power when you floor it. The RPM goes to redline and stays there without dropping back during gear shifts. The electric motors assist then also. The ICE does speed up and down in hilly country in response to power demands. That's because it's usally close to full throttle at the lowest rpm that will yield the desired power. When you want more, the electric motor gives you a transient assist until the computer controls the transmission to give the higher Rpm. In the eastern Appalachin Mts., The "old" FFHs need about 1900 rpm to go 70 mph on level roads ( that's a low rpm for a 2.5 liter 4 ). That will vary on hills from 3500 to 1000 as the power needs change. Remember there is little loss in the planetary gear type of eCVT thar Ford and Toyota use. The ICE is not working any harder at highway speeds than any other similar horsepower engine except it is usually providing it's power at a lower RPM and almost full throttle. There is little additional power available until the rpm increases but the electric motor fills in the gap. A non-hybrid can't run the ICE that way because they can only get instantaneous power increase from opening the throttle plate. Edited October 23, 2012 by lolder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FusionHybrid2013 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I've had my 2013 Fusion Hybrid for 6 days and have about 300 miles on it so far. About half of those miles have been highway miles. I'm averaging right around 44mpg so far without any tricks like pumping up the tire pressure. I have had trips as high as 55mpg and trips as low as 39mpg. I don't know if it matters, but mine has the 18" wheels. The car has no wind noise and it has enough power for me; although it does feel like it is struggling sometimes on big hills. This is the first time I have ever driven a hybrid, so hopefully my mpg will go up with driving experience. I am realy enjoying the car so far. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jinx8402 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I'd go with the Hybrid, but I need the trunk space. As it is, my Lincoln LS has little space for travelling with a little one and the hybrid Fusion has less space than the LS. I go to VA from RI several times a year, so this is a big deal to me, unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elle Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I've had my 2013 Fusion Hybrid for 6 days and have about 300 miles on it so far. About half of those miles have been highway miles. I'm averaging right around 44mpg so far without any tricks like pumping up the tire pressure. I have had trips as high as 55mpg and trips as low as 39mpg. I don't know if it matters, but mine has the 18" wheels. The car has no wind noise and it has enough power for me; although it does feel like it is struggling sometimes on big hills. This is the first time I have ever driven a hybrid, so hopefully my mpg will go up with driving experience. I am realy enjoying the car so far. I think you are the first person I've read about who has actually taken delivery on their hybrid! So glad to hear that it's quiet and that you like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolder Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I've had my 2013 Fusion Hybrid for 6 days and have about 300 miles on it so far. About half of those miles have been highway miles. I'm averaging right around 44mpg so far without any tricks like pumping up the tire pressure. I have had trips as high as 55mpg and trips as low as 39mpg. I don't know if it matters, but mine has the 18" wheels. The car has no wind noise and it has enough power for me; although it does feel like it is struggling sometimes on big hills. This is the first time I have ever driven a hybrid, so hopefully my mpg will go up with driving experience. I am realy enjoying the car so far. The cruise control on hills has more variation by design. The ICE is really fairly small and the RPM increase is normal on hills. Watch how low it goes coming down hill ( zero if you're below 62 mph ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSKershaw Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 This might be a dumb question. When you type ICE are you referring to the 2.0L Internal Combustion Engine? I have been given an ETA of November 5th for delivery of my Hybrid. Under two weeks away and I can't wait! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 When you type ICE are you referring to the 2.0L Internal Combustion Engine? Yep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmp180psu Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 I've had my 2013 Fusion Hybrid for 6 days and have about 300 miles on it so far. About half of those miles have been highway miles. I'm averaging right around 44mpg so far without any tricks like pumping up the tire pressure. I have had trips as high as 55mpg and trips as low as 39mpg. I don't know if it matters, but mine has the 18" wheels. The car has no wind noise and it has enough power for me; although it does feel like it is struggling sometimes on big hills. This is the first time I have ever driven a hybrid, so hopefully my mpg will go up with driving experience. I am realy enjoying the car so far. Congrats on the new Hybrid! Glad to hear real life reports of the mileage, especially with the 18" tires, and that it is possible to be around the EPA figures early in the car's break-in period. I should be submitting my order for the Hybrid on Thursday night (Appearance package, MFT tech package, and moonroof) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FusionHybrid2013 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Congrats on the new Hybrid! Glad to hear real life reports of the mileage, especially with the 18" tires, and that it is possible to be around the EPA figures early in the car's break-in period. I should be submitting my order for the Hybrid on Thursday night (Appearance package, MFT tech package, and moonroof) I'm up to 45.5mpg over my last round trip to work and back (~80 miles). I think the car doesn't kick into the highest gear until around 70mph because I get better gas mileage (according to the instantanious guage) driving 70mph+ than I do from 62-69mph when on the highway. So I drove faster on the highway and raised my mpg to 45.5. I got mine with the luxury package, MFT w/naviagtion, moonroof, driver assist package, 18" wheels, and backup sensor. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmp180psu Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 Interesting observations regarding highway fuel economy. I generally drive around 70 mph, so I will have to see where that sweet spot is regarding mpg and highway speed once I get mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmstng Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I'm up to 45.5mpg over my last round trip to work and back (~80 miles). I think the car doesn't kick into the highest gear until around 70mph because I get better gas mileage (according to the instantanious guage) driving 70mph+ than I do from 62-69mph when on the highway. So I drove faster on the highway and raised my mpg to 45.5. The Hybrid doesn't have gears... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolder Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I'm up to 45.5mpg over my last round trip to work and back (~80 miles). I think the car doesn't kick into the highest gear until around 70mph because I get better gas mileage (according to the instantanious guage) driving 70mph+ than I do from 62-69mph when on the highway. So I drove faster on the highway and raised my mpg to 45.5. I got mine with the luxury package, MFT w/naviagtion, moonroof, driver assist package, 18" wheels, and backup sensor. There really aren't any fixed gear ratios. The computer controls the transmission to set the ICE rpm for the horsepower required. It is unlikely that you get better mileage at higher speeds. Many little things increase mileage when you're getting over 40 mpg.; tailwinds, quiet and dry roads, downward slopes you never knew were there, moderate traffic ( creates a tailwind ), warmer temperatures, lighter loads, higher tire pressures, lower AC loads as temperatures inside car stabilize, and an HVB that is above the normal charge level that is contributing power to the traction motor until it's charge is normal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FusionHybrid2013 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 There really aren't any fixed gear ratios. The computer controls the transmission to set the ICE rpm for the horsepower required. It is unlikely that you get better mileage at higher speeds. Many little things increase mileage when you're getting over 40 mpg.; tailwinds, quiet and dry roads, downward slopes you never knew were there, moderate traffic ( creates a tailwind ), warmer temperatures, lighter loads, higher tire pressures, lower AC loads as temperatures inside car stabilize, and an HVB that is above the normal charge level that is contributing power to the traction motor until it's charge is normal. The instantanious mpg guage was pretty consistent on my drive. It read about 25mpg at 62-70mph and about 40mpg at > 70mph. I'll monitor my drive for any of the variables you mentioned and see if I can pick up on any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elle Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I don't know if the Fusions will be the same, but I tend to get better mileage in the Prius when I use the cruise control than I do when I just drive normally. I end up using cruise control a lot more than I used to because of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolder Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 The instantanious mpg guage was pretty consistent on my drive. It read about 25mpg at 62-70mph and about 40mpg at > 70mph. I'll monitor my drive for any of the variables you mentioned and see if I can pick up on any. The new 2013 FFH will cycle between EV and ICE below 62 mph. The "old" FFH did so below 47 mph. During these cycles, when the ICE stops, the mpg. goes to infinity. When the ICE starts again, it will go to somewhere around 30 mpg. because then the ICE is driving the car AND recharging the HVB that was discharged during the EV mode. I'm unfamiliar with the gauges on the 2013 but I think you can display bar graphs of mpg. for past time intervals. Turn that on and set it to the longest interval ( 6 minutes ? ).That will even out the Instantaneous mpg. readings. Read the Owners guide several times and you will profit by it. Search this and other Ford hybrid forums for insights on hybrid operation. All the Ford and Toyota hybrids work pretty much alike and are very elegant devices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmp180psu Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 I could have made a new topic for this question but it seemed like overkill. This may be a vain question, but can anyone confirm that the Hybrid with the Appearance package gets the leather wrapped steering wheel WITH the silver accents on the bottom spoke? The 1.6 with Appearance package does, but I haven't seen a Hybrid with the package so I just want to make sure. The steering wheel looks a lot better with the silver accent on the bottom spoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSKershaw Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 (edited) I could have made a new topic for this question but it seemed like overkill. This may be a vain question, but can anyone confirm that the Hybrid with the Appearance package gets the leather wrapped steering wheel WITH the silver accents on the bottom spoke? The 1.6 with Appearance package does, but I haven't seen a Hybrid with the package so I just want to make sure. The steering wheel looks a lot better with the silver accent on the bottom spoke. It doesn't matter what engine you get. If you get the Appearance Package and this is a feature of the package, then it will come with it. I'm not sure what silver accent you're talking about. Can you post a pic? Edited October 24, 2012 by JSKershaw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmp180psu Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 Here is a pic of an base SE model. The bottom of the steering wheel (the "V" spoke) is a black plastic. It was also black on the base Hybrid I drove. Here is a pic with the silver "V" spoke: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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