2013 MKZ Tracking

[tanner83]

Driving in the foothills? a hybrid wouldn't get much better gas mileage..... That much is normal. No worries there Dedonut.

 

I'm about 180 miles in with about 50% highway and with no change in driving habits ( I don't want to try until I let the car work it ) and I'm over 38 so far.

 

For this nice a car to get anywhere in the 30s for the same price as gas is fantastic. If I hit 40, I'm thrilled. 45 or anywhere close to it and I'm heading to CA to waste a little gas in the foothills.

 

Tatonka that is a long drive to the foothills did you need a copilot????

[Tatonka]

U betcha!

[Serraph]

I'll be surprised if 45mpg is going to be real anyway. CR said they missed it I think they said by about 20%. Then (in good old litigious CA) someone from No. CA filed a false advertising suit month or two ago. Ford's response was that they followed the EPA testing guidelines exactly and I notice they haven't backed off the 45mpg in their ads. Already beats the 18-19 city/26 highway I got w/the 2011 and they don't charge extra for the hybrid.

Bingo, that's why we've stuck with the MKZ, no premium charge for the hybrid version and we're not heavy footers. We're looking for comfort and some nice amenities and the car looks NICE...

[Serraph]

On my 11 MKZ Hybrid I get aprox 39-40 average in the summer and 37ish in the Winter. Mostly highway. If the new car gets significantly less, I have a real problem with the quoted 45 then. There I go working myself up again. I've got to stop obsessing on this stupid car.

You're forgetting about the 2-3k miles breaking in period and winter fuel blend. Make sure you guys reset your lifetime when you first get it. Some one said it does make a difference in the long scheme of things. When we first got our hybrid, it was horrible but after 4years it's lifetime is now about 44.3MPG and was rated by EPA for 50MPG considering we're living in a colder climate.

[Serraph]

so I can tell you that the two times I have driven the hybrid Cmax I was able to hit over 47 mpg. Isn't that the same engine we have? Have you guys read about fuelly it is a site to track your fuel consumption???

Yes fuelly, I will make an account there eventually once we get our car. It's a great site.

[Iiari]

I never heard or saw anything about a loaded MKZ or the pano roof knocking off 3-4 mpg's > what article was that mentioned in ?

I knew I was organizing all of those MKZ media reviews for a reason! ;-)

 

It was in this review of the hybrid here. Below is the excerpt:

 

"...the new

. This particular feature was not equipped on our Hybrid tester because the added weight decreases the EPA mileage from the 45 MPG down to about 42 MPG according to the Lincoln representative."

 

On "another forum" (not sure what the rules are here) someone said they asked a Lincoln rep at a launch event the same question and got the same response.

 

Again, as long as I hit 40MPG in about 80% highway driving, I'll be happy with a future MKZ hybrid. If it's not hitting that, I'm not sure what the huge advantage would be over a 2.0 that gets 32-ish on the highway...

[Tatonka]

Ummm...isn't getting better gas mileage, even 5 mpg, and less wear on your gas engine for the same price a no brainer ???

[Dedonut]

LOL … good morning, Tatonka. Why are two who have their cars on here so early? Shouldn't we be out and about?

[Tatonka]

Good morning !!! Enjoying my commute to work just a little bit more this week Dedonut !

[tanner83]

Good morning !!! Enjoying my commute to work just a little bit more this week Dedonut !

Ahh guys, try not to rub it in ok???? ROFL

[Tatonka]

35.7 mi to work this am, about 50% highway... Any guesses to what my trip mpg was????

 

45.3 ! No joke.

 

I'm telling you pretty happy with 38 but even though I'm not trying this car is making me drive more economical as I observe how it's interacting and using the motors. I thought I read also that it will learn your common routes and adapt. Maybe I was dreaming that part

 

BTW Tanner hang on for the Bordeaux color. Don't settle for the red. My opinion

[xgman]

Tatonka, how do you like the Dark Grey compared to other typical dark greys? My original order is for Ruby Red just to get something different from my usual boring grey/black/silver cars of the past, but since my car is a no show, they are looking for a Drk Grey for me.

Edited February 26, 2013 by xgman

[Tatonka]

Tatonka, how do you like the Dark Grey compared to other typical dark greys? My original order is for Ruby Red just to get something different from my usual boring grey/black/silver cars of the past, but since my car is a no show, they are looking for a Drk Grey for me.

 

Hey XG, Smoked Quartz is quite a bit darker than is shown in any pictures or even the online build tool. I was expecting a more Titanium type color. It's a pretty handsome color on this car and I'm not unhappy with it but if you're in the shade it almost looks blue it's so dark. In the sunlight it really looks sharp.

 

I would go to a dealership and look at the color on an MKS or MKX and see if you like it.

[xgman]

I checked dealer incoming from New York to North Carolina and the only cars similar to my order are White/Hazelnut White/Charcoal. Hmmm . . . . What to do? (on the other hand they are also "awaiting shipment", so probably no difference in when I could get them)

Edited February 26, 2013 by xgman

[md3184]

Tatonka- if you're happy with the mpg now just wait 2-3 weeks until your car learns your frequent destinations and EV+ mode kicks in. It makes it so much easier to stay in EV mode in the the last mile of your trip. What an incredible car.

[jjbklb]

35.7 mi to work this am, about 50% highway... Any guesses to what my trip mpg was???? 45.3 ! No joke. I'm telling you pretty happy with 38 but even though I'm not trying this car is making me drive more economical as I observe how it's interacting and using the motors. I thought I read also that it will learn your common routes and adapt. Maybe I was dreaming that part BTW Tanner hang on for the Bordeaux color. Don't settle for the red. My opinion

Are you basing your MPG on the instrument reading?

Reason I ask is,our '06 Avalon shows the MPG use on the NAV screen as say 26.5mpg.

 

But if I track the actual gas I put in & calculate by miles driven since last refill,it doesn't come out to what the car computer says it did.

[Tatonka]

Mark I'm really impressed with the hybrid technology. Very smooth and basically undetectable if you didn't have the guages. There's so much information available too I know I've just scratched the surface. It's fairly peppy too, no hesitation or weakness at all.

 

Like I said I've really not been trying to drive differently, in fact I'm going to run through this tank and see how I fare and then see how I do.

 

Lets see a Prius, or the MKZ .... ?

 

By the way, the stereo is pretty rockin' too. Great car so far and to an earlier post if it matters, I have not found any fit and finish issues or odd fitment pieces whatsoever.

[Tatonka]

Are you basing your MPG on the instrument reading?

Reason I ask is,our '06 Avalon shows the MPG use on the NAV screen as say 26.5mpg.

 

But if I track the actual gas I put in & calculate by miles driven since last refill,it doesn't come out to what the car computer says it did.

 

I've had cars where that is the case also. The comment above was using the reading the car gave me for that particular trip. It breaks it down by EV mode / gas etc. I haven't used an entire tank yet to do any comparison though

[Dedonut]

I thought I read also that it will learn your common routes and adapt. Maybe I was dreaming that part.

You read it right, Tatonka, e.g., if you follow the same route to work, it'll memorize and economize.

 

LOL. I wish it would memorize my entrance into my home garage. There are two of us and when I pull into the garage, it senses how close I am to the side wall and to the other car (and I am- it's a tight fit) and when I pull forward, what's in front. And that's not quite as active as when I maneuver to get out! Hope it learns those moves. First time it scared me to death. I thought I was going to hit something for sure until I realized I was OK but the car wasn't so sure.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Dedonut

[tanner83]

Wow, you guys remember my post a few days ago, about speaking to a really professional and knowledgable resource from Lincoln. I guess I must have done something because he has gone silent!

 

Oh man back to regular customer service..... Bummer!

 

Tatonka, your right I know I want the Bordeaux, just don't know if I have the patience.....

 

In regards to the computer vs... the number of gallons put in the tank method. You have to really be consistant with putting fuel in the tank. I have been reading alot about hypermiling and calculating correctly. The problem that many have with number of gallons pumped is that you never really know how full your gas tank is, thus you never really know how many gallons consumed. Also because you have more piping that just the tank, if you really filled it full you could exceed the tank capacity which would affect your numbers too. For me, this is one of the reasons I am buying this car is the technology. So I plan on going with the numbers shown on the computer. DeDonut I think you mentioned about resetting lifetime average, very important step. One thing you may not know though is that if you do a lifetime reset, you will also loss your "known places" resulting in your car having to relearn your frequest desitnations for the EV+ mode. So recommend right as soon as you get the car, do a lifetime reset, all trip resets, etc.... Start Fresh!

 

XG still no movement on my car from what I can tell, have you had any luck getting more information? Oh I found out who Mark is (you rememeber the guy you said your case got elevated to) appears he is the COO for Ford.

[Dedonut]

Did you guys really not know who he is? I believe he's next in line to Alan Mulally.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Dedonut

[Iiari]

Ummm...isn't getting better gas mileage, even 5 mpg, and less wear on your gas engine for the same price a no brainer ???

Well, I saw it as follows if there isn't a big highway MPG difference:

 

1) Gauge cluster:

I really haven't liked Ford's cartoon style leaves flanking the central speedo in other vehicles I've seen and imagine I wouldn't like them better here. OTOH, I really do like what I've seen of the standard MKZ gauges at shows. I'm already ready to spend thousands for other MKZ options, so is a couple of hundred dollars of gas a year worth it to look at gauges for 90 minutes a day that I find more attractive? I think so... Wouldn't be a problem if I could get standard gauges in a hybrid, but I don't think it's possible... Sounds trite and small I know, but such are personal preferences when one is spending 45+K...

 

2) Less weight and mechanical complexity of a hybrid (for future off warranty repairs)

 

3) What I'm presuming would be a bit better drivability (but we'll see in test drives)

 

This is, of course, theoretical. I'm not looking to hypermile here, getting a pano with 19 inch wheels. If the MKZ hybrid can hit 40 MPG with those options on mostly highway driving according to owners such as yourself, I'll probably stomach those leaves on the gauges at that point and buy a loaded hybrid...

Edited February 26, 2013 by Iiari

[xgman]

Wow, you guys remember my post a few days ago, about speaking to a really professional and knowledgable resource from Lincoln. I guess I must have done something because he has gone silent!

 

 

XG still no movement on my car from what I can tell, have you had any luck getting more information? Oh I found out who Mark is (you rememeber the guy you said your case got elevated to) appears he is the COO for Ford.

My regional Lincoln rep is trying to find me a similar car that is closer to being here than mine. He so far has not been able to get the top secret plant workers to go look for my car and report back. It would be easier to get information out of Area 51! So I have 3 choices. Wait and hipe they find my car and push it out. Find another dealer order. Re-order. I guess I'll choose whichever way gets here fastest. The only choices I have now though are Red or White. The ETA's on the white cars are apparently now 3/11. I need more info from my guy on those compared to mine in the chain of shipping events to see what would be a better bet. He told me that trucking might be able to be arranged from Flatrock, but not before. Bottom line is that they are very sympathetic, but there is apparently little anyone can do on the ground in the delivery chain, especially with regard the the Mexican nightmare of a system that even they have to tear out their hair and apologize for. You can sort of tell they are as frustrated with this stupid system as we are although they are obviously more careful as to what they can say. What's not said after I make certain comments speaks volumes. I let him know that I am expecting some help from him when I have to bring in my less valuable higher mileage trade to the dealer.

Edited February 26, 2013 by xgman

[xgman]

I'll probably stomach those leaves on the gauges at that point and buy a loaded hybrid...

The first thing I turn off when I get a car. I prefer the graph.

[Tatonka]

The first thing I turn off when I get a car. I prefer the graph.

 

Definitely agree

 

Well, I saw it as follows if there isn't a big highway MPG difference:

 

1) Gauge cluster:

I really haven't liked Ford's cartoon style leaves flanking the central speedo in other vehicles I've seen and imagine I wouldn't like them better here. OTOH, I really do like what I've seen of the standard MKZ gauges at shows. I'm already ready to spend thousands for other MKZ options, so is a couple of hundred dollars of gas a year worth it to look at gauges for 90 minutes a day that I find more attractive? I think so... Wouldn't be a problem if I could get standard gauges in a hybrid, but I don't think it's possible... Sounds trite and small I know, but such are personal preferences when one is spending 45+K...

 

2) Less weight and mechanical complexity of a hybrid (for future off warranty repairs)

 

3) What I'm presuming would be a bit better drivability (but we'll see in test drives)

 

This is, of course, theoretical. I'm not looking to hypermile here, getting a pano with 19 inch wheels. If the MKZ hybrid can hit 40 MPG with those options on mostly highway driving according to owners such as yourself, I'll probably stomach those leaves on the gauges at that point and buy a loaded hybrid...

 

We've all got decisions to make... do what works for you. This is my first experiment with a hybrid myself and basically share the thought process. Being no premium as there normally is on a hybrid is a huge plus.