1.6 Mileage - EPA vs Real World

[CheesyRider]

I haven't seen a thread started about 1.6 fuel economy. I hope that's a sign that people are pleased with their mileage.

 

In past cars, my experience with EPA estimates is that I get about the same as EPA with gas automatics, I get slightly better with gas manuals, I get slightly better with diesel automatics, and I get way better with diesel manuals. I don't have any experience with hybrids.

 

I don't have my 1.6 manual trans yet, but I'm hoping this thread will give me an idea of what to expect.

Edited January 4, 2013 by CheesyRider

[vincep5]

I'm slightly below, but that might have to do with a cold winter

[bucky919]

Ive been averaging around 25.5mpg, I drive 130 miles a day, with the cruise set at 72mph. Warmest weather ive drove the car in is 20F, ive seen as high as 32mpg with a tail wind. I have currently 2,000 miles on it, im sure it will improve as it gets more miles on it.

[CheesyRider]

I have my car now! The car only has 42 miles on it and is averaging 25mpg so far. Those mile were mostly stop and go with only two short drives on the freeway. It seems right in line with the EPA estimate of 25mpg city. I should know in a week or two how it does on the highway, and what the hand calculated mileage looks like.

[CheesyRider]

The fuel economy is looking to be promising. My wife got 35mpg on her 30 mile commute home today in very cold weather. Unless the trip computer is way too optimistic, I don't think we'll have any trouble beating the EPA estimates when the weather warms up. This weekend we might be going on a 250 mile trip, so I'm curious to see how it does. My last stick shift gas car would get about 2mpg better than highway EPA for that same trip.

[jimmyvman]

1.6 Auto I have averaged 26mpg the first 800 miles of mixed city suburbs. I have not done any highway driving. I avg around 30 when traffic is light on a 30 mile commute. I think that is good for cold weather.

According to the instant readout the engine seems to do better mileage wise accelerating in the boost between 2000-4000 rpm. Anything slower accelerating and it does not seem to help mileage or people behind you. Anyone else notice this?

[MineralstangGT]

I would also like to hear about mileage. If I get the 1.6l stick, it would be for a 30 mile daily commute at about 35-40 mph average. Has anyone with a 1.6 started a fuelly account? Especially the ones with the manual.

[bucky919]

Lifetime average on the car is now 26.5, last two tanks of gotten 28mpg, I just hit 3,000 miles this morning, the mpg's keep getting alittle better, im not going to complain about the mileage until I hit 10,000 miles.

[CheesyRider]

I took the car on a 250mile round trip over the weekend. On the way up it was very windy and on the way back it was very cold. I tried to vary the speed a lot as the car is still being broken in. The average for the trip was 32mpg.

 

So far, judging from the times I've reset the average mpg, it is very easy to beat the EPA estimates for city. But, it is very difficult to match the EPA estimates for highway. Hopefully once the weather warms up and the car is broken in I'll be able to get 37mpg on the highway.

[akirby]

I took the car on a 250mile round trip over the weekend. On the way up it was very windy and on the way back it was very cold. I tried to vary the speed a lot as the car is still being broken in. The average for the trip was 32mpg.

 

So far, judging from the times I've reset the average mpg, it is very easy to beat the EPA estimates for city. But, it is very difficult to match the EPA estimates for highway. Hopefully once the weather warms up and the car is broken in I'll be able to get 37mpg on the highway.

 

What were your highway speeds?

[CheesyRider]

What were your highway speeds?

 

I varied the speed between 50-70mph for the trip. Going by the instant mpg readout, I seemed to get about 37mpg at a steady 50mph, 32mpg at 60mph, and 28mpg at 70mph. Right now, it seems the only way to reach the highway EPA is to drive at a steady 50mph. However, my wife did somehow get 35mpg on her commute to work and that includes a little stop and go traffic. I have no idea how she managed that, but she always seems to get better mpg than I do.

Edited January 22, 2013 by CheesyRider

[MineralstangGT]

In response to CR releasing their newest article about small turbo engine mileage, i wanted to get an update from the 1.6 owners to see what their mileage numbers were looking like. Especially the manual transmission owners. Thanks!

[Christoph_C]

I'm on my 2nd fill-up with a 1.6 Manual. I'm averaging about 29 MPG with mixed highway and city driving. I'd say sitting around eating my lunch in the car (a couple days a week) with the heater going has cost me at least 1 MPG.

 

Here is what I'm seeing:

 

-- From 55 - 64 MPH = ~38 MPG

-- From 64 - 70 MPH = ~32 MPG

-- From 71 - 80 MPH = ~28 MPG

 

-- City, stop & go = ~ 27 MPG

 

Just an example... I drove about 20 miles doing exactly 74 MPH immediately after my most recent fill up. When I reached my destination and parked, the display said I had averaged 38.6 MPG. It did seem that much of the trip was disproportionally down hill though.

[MineralstangGT]

I'm on my 2nd fill-up with a 1.6 Manual. I'm averaging about 29 MPG with mixed highway and city driving. I'd say sitting around eating my lunch in the car (a couple days a week) with the heater going has cost me at least 1 MPG.

 

Here is what I'm seeing:

 

-- From 55 - 64 MPH = ~38 MPG

-- From 64 - 70 MPH = ~32 MPG

-- From 71 - 80 MPH = ~28 MPG

 

-- City, stop & go = ~ 27 MPG

 

Just an example... I drove about 20 miles doing exactly 74 MPH immediately after my most recent fill up. When I reached my destination and parked, the display said I had averaged 38.6 MPG. It did seem that much of the trip was disproportionally down hill though.

Thanks. This kind of info is making me more solid on the fact that I'll be buying the 1.6L stick, but I'll be making that decision in April or so. Who knows if the stick will be around for the '14 model year, so it may be a slightly rare car.

[Christoph_C]

Yeah, I'm definitely happy with the mileage. It's actually improving as well. Reset the computer today, drove between 65-72 the whole way, quite a few hills, and the car was averaging (according to the computer) about 36.2 MPG. I've found the computer to pretty spot on so far.

 

I hadn't thought about the '14 model not having a manual available. Could make for an interesting resale situation.

[MineralstangGT]

Yeah, I'm definitely happy with the mileage. It's actually improving as well. Reset the computer today, drove between 65-72 the whole way, quite a few hills, and the car was averaging (according to the computer) about 36.2 MPG. I've found the computer to pretty spot on so far.

 

I hadn't thought about the '14 model not having a manual available. Could make for an interesting resale situation.

Thanks for the info. Those are definitely good numbers. It certainly may be available in '14, but who knows what ford will do for that model year with changes. I wonder how many they have built with the manual so far.

[wickedaids]

I only have a little over 1000 miles on mine and im having a hard time getting over 22mpg I have a 30 mile commute to work which only about 20 is highway, but I reset it one day and it was still only around 25, I'm hoping once it gets broken in the mpg will be drastically higher, I had a scion tc before and was averaging 28

[theoldwizard]

I wish CR ad tested the 2.5 non-turbo so we could see what numbers they got on it !

[FordBuyer]

I wish CR ad tested the 2.5 non-turbo so we could see what numbers they got on it !

 

I don't remember anyone complaining about fuel mileage on that engine since it was the bread and butter engine for so many previous generation Fusion model years. Now we have long threads about many complaining about mileage figures from their EB engines. Ditto for new Escape. Ford may have to instruct dealers how to instruct its customers how to drive their EB vehicles for optimum fuel mileage just like their tutorials on MFT.

[sterlinggray]

I have a 2.0L but I also noted the below claimed average mpg.

 

Anyways saw this ob motortrend. They test drove the 1.6L and found below claimed mpg as well. Coukd be because they probably were driving it pretty liberally, but just something I thought ppl might be interested in reading.

 

www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1212_2012_2013_midsize_sedan_comparison/ford_fusion.html

[CheesyRider]

I've got about 1800 miles on the car now. Overall average so far is 30.5. The trip computer matches the hand calculated mpg average. I hit 37mpg for the first time yesterday when traveling mostly at 65 mph for a 25 mile trip.

 

I'm surprised that folks with the automatics are having such a hard time getting the EPA numbers. I'm curious if people with automatics would do better if they kept the car in "manual mode" instead of letting the car decide when to shift.

[MineralstangGT]

I've got about 1800 miles on the car now. Overall average so far is 30.5. The trip computer matches the hand calculated mpg average. I hit 37mpg for the first time yesterday when traveling mostly at 65 mph for a 25 mile trip.

 

I'm surprised that folks with the automatics are having such a hard time getting the EPA numbers. I'm curious if people with automatics would do better if they kept the car in "manual mode" instead of letting the car decide when to shift.

Yeah, I'm really curious as to why the transmission choice seems to have that kind of affect on mileage. Does the auto hold gears neadlessly while you would have already shifted in the manual? Maybe the ratios in the manual have an effect?

 

Cheesy, has your mileage included some spirited driving or just pretty mild driving?

[bucky919]

I hit 6,500 miles and my mileage was doing better averaging around 29, until a couple days with temps no higher then -10 and a head wind. Outside temp, seems to affect my mileage more then anything.

[CheesyRider]

Cheesy, has your mileage included some spirited driving or just pretty mild driving?

It's a mix of both. It's hard to resist blasting through a twisty stretch of road.

[MineralstangGT]

It's a mix of both. It's hard to resist blasting through a twisty stretch of road.

 

I bet! It would be tough for me to resist that too!

 

Back in the day, my dad had a '96 Contour SE V6 with the stick and I would come up with every excuse imaginable to drive that car around, It just handled well and the suspension tuning was fantastic. I liked the SE even, but I wish I could have driven an SVT version when it was out. I know the Fusion is much bigger and heavier than that car, but I'm hoping that it may have some elements that remind me of the Contour in driving feel if I get the 1.6L stick. My wife will never get me inside if it does!

Edited February 26, 2013 by MineralstangGT