Getting 30-32 MPG mostly city some highway mileage. Car has been on the road since October 2004. Now has 10K miles. Just came off a nice 600 mile trip NYC to northern Virginia. Mileage was approx 30K. And with the AC on and driving about 75 MPH on I-95 up and down, with a Pat's cheesesteak in Phila on the way back (for me not the car)
I just recently purchased a new Ford Escape Hybrid. The car only has a few hundred miles on it, and already I am impressed by the mileage. First, I have light foot when it comes to the gas petal. In town with stop and go traffic (less than 25 mph), I am getting from 49 to 50.3 mpg. When traveling at 40 mph, I am getting 37 to 39 mpg on the average. At 55 mph which is my normal highway speed, I am getting from 31 to 34 mpg on the average.
I gather these are from the trip computer. What mileage are you getting when you divide the miles driven on the odometer by the number of gallons required to fill the tank at the gas station? This is the true MPG.
Mine gets 29.5-31 mpg (dividing miles by gallons) which is impressive as I'm not doing city driving - I climb a 5-mile sea-level to 1200 feet elev. road every day to get to work/store. If I were in the city, it would def. have better mileage than this, but I'm not complaining!
"Mine gets 29.5-31 mpg (dividing miles by gallons) which is impressive as I'm not doing city driving - I climb a 5-mile sea-level to 1200 feet elev. road every day to get to work/store. If I were in the city, it would def. have better mileage than this, but I'm not complaining!"
Actually, going up hill allows the battery to provide more relief from the ICE. I think the hills may actually help the MPG, particularly if they keep your overall speed down.
I have 10,000 miles on my 2005 AWD. The mileage display is at 27.2 overall. Heavy commute traffic for a week is 36mpg, top speed around 50mph. Highway at 70mph is 30mpg.
I did have a stretch in stopped traffic of about 7 miles with no engine. That was showing 99mpg. I expected it to come down slowly once the engine started, but it dropped precipitously, and was down to 38 for a 10 mile stretch.
My normal driving is in a hilly area, 400 foot elevation changes on steep routes being the norm. On downhill stretches, the engine will shut off for a while, and come on for no apparent reason... I suppose the electric steering drains the battery. I've had it shut off at 45mph, which I didn't expect, but unless you are staring at the tach, you might not notice it shut off. I can usually tell when it turns on.
Hi. I'm sold on the mileage of the Escape hybrid. I'm curious to know how the car rides on the freeway, i.e. road noise, wind noise etc. Also, the Atkinson Cycle engine is new to me. 4 bangers tend to be noisier than v-6's. Any comments?
The '06 is much quieter than the '01 Escape XLT I traded in. The '01 with the 1.8L was geared really high to compensate for lack of horsepower and screamed down the highway.
The 2.3L with CVT is much quieter. Mine cruises 70mph at about 2200 RPM, wich is only 100 RPM higher than my F-150. The road noise is improved but you won't forget you're in a small economy SUV.
Anything interfering with the aerodynamics of you car can affect mileage. Even though the roof rack is just a few thin metal bars, it can create turbulence and hence, drag, not to mention noise. You might consider removing the cross-bars. Just try to avoid putting anything on top of the car. That’s where you really take a hit.
I have 2 Escape Hybrids. I am a contractor in Phoenix. The one I use for work has 18k miles and was purchased in march 2005. I do a great deal of driving my moving mileage by miles by gallons has been from 39-43. Towing which I do a lot of about 1000 lbs up to a mountain town of payson I get 26-28. When summer hit its peak I lost 2-3 mpg because you can't sit at a light in Phoenix and not have the AC run for any period of time. In this car I use HiTest gas and the tires are set for max towing capacity recommended by the manufacturer which is 43 lbs. I change oil and filters every 6k. I keep right on hyways and drive the speed limits while the other idiots race by me to get to the gas station, I have also eliminated jack rabit starts from a light. The second unit is driven by my wife to and from work a comibnation of hyway and city. She has a very heavy foot she gets 31-33 moving mileage. Obviously your car engine shuts down at a light under normal circumstances. Your saving a lot when your car doesn't idol for long periods. This car has 8k miles and was purchase in January 05 Both are 05 models
I have 2 Larry. One I use for my contracting business and the tires are pumped to the max capacity recommended by the manufacture for towing. My car still rides great. Its only a little hard bounce when I go over speed bumps even slowly.
My other one is my wife's and you can't tell to much diference except the S bump issue. Thanks Doug
I'm curious... why HiTest gas? I thought one of the benefits of the Escape Hybrid was the ability to run effeciently on lower octane? Any insights you can offer would be appreciated. cheers, Aubrey
Hi I got the last available unit of 2005 Escape Hybrid delivered to me yesterday and the dealer said it is a test unit with 282km on it. It is a 4WD with navigation system. After driving it several times I notice that the gas consumption is averaging 24mpg which is very low compare to what I have read on this forum. Is there any problem with my escape hybrid? Right now it consumes gas as if it was just a regular Ford Escape (not hybrid). Can anyone give me some advice please? :confuse:
I live in Northern Nova Scotia Canada...snow from dec to mid april sometimes...temp average in winter is about 10 F. Anyone with any experience using the escape hybrid in cold weather climates and how is your mileage? Thanks
Hi, it's funny you mention this because I test drove a 2005 Escape Hybrid AWD yesterday with only 75 miles on it. I would love to buy it. But, after an hour of driving, the best I could get out of the MPG meter was 24.6. This Escape didn't have the Nav system so the display is under the speedo. Do these Hybrids inprove their gas mileage as they get more miles on them?
That's what the dealer's service department told me, but I read information on internet forum like this where owners claim that the day they got their FEH they said they were averaging 30-34 mpg. The only thing I don’t know if they are just bragging.
I'm also wondering if the battery of my hybrid does not charge up properly which causes the engine to run most of the time. I'm saying this because the unit I got is the last unit of 2005 FEH.
I will appreciate it, if someone there who got same experience as mine would tell me about their experience on their FEH.
Right now I’m not happy with the mileage I’m getting out my hybrid; it’s like driving a regular Ford Escape with the price of Hybrid. So please, please give me some advice and I will be grateful for the information you will share to me. :lemon:
Why are you at KM kilometers are you outside the USA. If you are in KM you will need to calculate your mileage and convert. Listen the Eco meter is a good piece of equipment to see how you are doing on 15 minute intervals but you should start a log when you fill up with your mileage. and use your gallons and mileage to calculate your MPG. NExt, yes you must break the car in. I takes time for your computer to adjust to the data its getting from your driving. The instint meter is better to get an idea of how you are crusing , starting stopping etc. Try and stay in battery mode as long as possible. So don't let the idiot behind you push you into a jack rabit start. On the hyway, do the speed limit not 20 mph higher. At these gas prices we are starting to see people finally slowing down. Doug
For the first few weeks your car will run to charge batteries a little more often. As the batteries discharge and charge they will gradualy deliver the data to the computer which will start to readjust the charging cycle. The book also says that you will leave battery mode at 25 mph. I have been able to stay in that mode up to as high as 35 mph. depending on road conditions. As the electric moter breaks in you will see changes in your capabilities, just like the gas engine as it breaks in. I use Hi test its not necessary but I am getting slightly better results with it. One important thing check you tire pressure. If you are under the recommended pressure by even 1-2 lbs on any tire you will definately get lower mileage. In 1980, the company I owned converted Renault Le Cars to total electric. We used a 48 v motor and 16 lead acid batteries. I do wish Ford would allow the batteries to discharge more before charging, It would be better for the life of the battery pack, They could also increase the assist speed level from 25 to 30 but they have know idea of warranty liability on the motor. I am hoping in time that Ford will allow firmware changes as they have more data. This could increase mileage also. Doug
Hey Canada I was wondering how your mileage has been doing. I now have over 20k on my care I have hit 43 mpg. I seem to have leveled in at 39-41. carrying a load of tools daily. One thing I have noticed in my travels up to our mountain projects I have switched to Synthetic oil with Shell V-power hitest. My instant econo meter indicates that I am taking the hills a little easier which should translate to higher mileage when you fill up and log MPG. There is another guy in phoenix that I meet the other day that has been getting 44mpg and he uses the proper calculationto get that, Hes not relying on the 15 minute meter. Doug
You will see a bump in fuel economy after about 5000 miles. The biggest factor in my driving is trip length. The Escape will not do really well until it's fully warmed up. On longer freeway trips (longer than an hour) I can easily best the EPA 29 MPG highway in my 4wd.
I love! my new 2006 4WD Escape Hybrid, only 1000 miles on it. Normally get 25 mpg in 'normal' SoCal competitive driving around town, but can ease it up to 28-29 mpg if monitor in-dash screen (keep it high green) and tach under 2000, while watching the road (need three eyes!). I can get over 30 on the highway, if not fighting the crowd. Secret is to be easy on the pedal, like you have an egg under your foot, and coast as much as you can get away with. Otherwise, step on it and have fun! This baby can mooove!
I noticed the same thing on my 4WD Escape 2006 hybrid, that I can nurse the mpg closer to 30 once the engine warms up. If my drives are short stints of only a few minutes, which means I'm turning the engine on and off, the best I can manage is 25 mpg, which is normal driving around to do groceries, stopping at library, pick up laundry, etc. Longer trips, once the engine is warm, I can manage closer to 28-29 in normal driving, and got it over 30 if road conditions allow (there's nobody else around, and coast a lot in the 'green') but most conditions are busy roads. Also, if I cruise around the block under 25 mph, my mpg goes through the roof, since am running on electric motor only, with braking recharging the batteries. But that can't last indefinitely, per laws of physics. Hey, it's an SUV!
I have had my '05 4WD fully loaded Escape Hybrid for about 6 months now and have tried to learn the most best ways to squeeze out every drop of mileage I can get. Your driving habits have to be re learned all over again and also your thinking about what is coming up (lights, traffic, hills - - ) and plan for them in advance and you might get the finger or horns honked at you - but what the heck. We just took a trip to the north GA mountains this past weekend and started out with our Nav reading 31.4 MPG after having gone on short trips and used about 1/4 of a tank. On the way up I was trying to make a deadline so I went the speed limit (possibly a little more) which was posted at 65 & 70. When we had made our approx 100 mile trip the milage read 30.2 so I had probably gotten below 30MPG on the way up. Well on the way back I said to heck with the time and speed and set the cruise on 55. Well when we got home it was reading 34.4MPG!! Had to be getting about 36 or so on the return trip. I have tried different speeds with the cruise and also trying to keep the gas pedal constant (slow up hill but pick it up on the down hill side) but that 55 on cruise still seems to be the best for me. Just a note around here it is hilly - I am sure that the vehicle would do GREAT in a flatter road environment. Over all I am VERY happy with my Escape Hybrid and will be looking for the next generation in a couple of years.
At 55 mph in heavy traffic, a FWD FEH was worth ~ 46 mpg and fell to ~ 42 mpg depending on outside ambient and lesser traffic when I drove it out to Dearborn from Chicago last month? I changed GPSman’s oil before we moved an inch after he arrived at my home. That was with Mobil1 0W-20 half way between the marks as well as pressing up the ContiTrak’s to 46 #’s 70 + mph in an Escape, P/U, or SUV w/ a Cd of ~ .40 + is a killer
I have owned my Escape Hybrid since late June. I have been getting 28 - 31 mpg highway and 32-34 in mixed driving conditions. I drive to work (12 miles; 17 traffic lights) along a busy commuter road in the suburbs West of Boston, MA.
I attribute the differences to hills and temperature and my driving habits. Cold weather lowers mpg, hills lower mpg, and sometimes I'm in a rush and don't try to stay in battery mode.
To those of you who are getting relatively poor mpg with your Hybrid----I'm a direct person, so you can get mad at me for being direct, but I still hereby yell "Americans don't know how to drive (efficiently)".
I have practiced at getting more mpg out of the Hybrid. I keep the console display on the setting that shows the LH for fuel-use efficiently.
While I have tried to coast to stop-lights, avoid jack-rabbit starts, and keep the efficiency indicator at the "H" end, my fellow commuters are zooming to the next stop-light, slamming on the brakes at the last second, and tailgating me because I'm doing only 5mph over the posted speed limit. Meanwhile, the newspapers are filled with complaints about the high price of gas. But few people seem to have examined and changed their driving habits.
I have managed to stay in battery mode for upwards of 1.5 miles on side roads and have stayed in it for upwards of 35-37 mph. The best tankful mpg I have achieved was just over 35mpg. Given the over-estimating of the EPA, I'm satisfied.
Two other things: Yes - the mpg seems to go up after the first approx 2K miles. The car actually seems to have gotten more efficent on my customary commuter route. Yes - The car needs to warm up before you will achieve optimum battery performance. It's cold up here now in MA, and I have noted it takes longer to get into battery mode now than it did in the summer.
I've heard that the European version of the FEH has an option to flip a switch to force electric only mode. Is this an upgrade we can do after-market in the USA?
I have a 2005 FEH. Sounds like I get the same MPG as most. On the highway 65mph I get 33, at 75 I get 25-27. Around town 24 until it has really warmed up and then 35 is not unusual. Does anyone know if we can use E85 in our cars? I almost caused a fight in my local dealship when I asked that question, and Ford customer relations thought this was a technical question.
We have an 06 FEH all wheel drive with about 5000 miles on it, drive with a light foot and are lucky if we can get 24 mpg. Dealer tells us everything to blame is driving habits, colder weather, not broke in yet etc. etc. I told them to mention that in all their ads on TV and internet. Oil change is about $15.00 higher than most cars due to special filter. This is going green?! We can't wait to get rid of it.
I was at a Ford hybrid event in Dearborn last October. The use of E85 came up in discussion. The engineers said negative, and to stick with good 'ol 87 octane. Moot point here in the East, yep we do have 10% ethanol in our gas each winter, but no one sells E85 in the Northeast. Ford has shown an E85-capable flexible fuel Escape Hybrid at auto shows, and it's still in research. Ford says the E85 hybrid gets 25% less mileage per gallon on E85 than on regular 87 octane gas, and doesn't meet the fossil-fuel Escape Hybrid's partial zero emissions vehicle standards. :lemon:
The book also says that you will leave battery mode at 25 mph. I have been able to stay in that mode up to as high as 35 mph.
I bought my HEV two weeks ago. It seems the gas engine comes on before I even get past the crosswalk. I hope it improves. I'm encouraged by the posts on this forum.
My 4WD FEH now has over 5K miles, had it over 6 months. I also found the engine kicks in too quickly if you step on it, but if easy on the pedal, and batt charged, it can smoothly accelerate to over 30 mph on battery mode. I've taken it in batt mode well over one mile, quietly sneaking up on unsuspecting peds.
My mileage driving around on short trips is around 26 mpg, but on highway, once warmed up, it gets about 30 mpg, though I got it up to 35 or higher. The biggest mpg loss is at startup, when the engine runs to recharge batts, and the numbers fall off initially. But I must admit I enjoy pulling out from a light and leave all that traffic behind, when I feel like it. Smooth and fast!
I have a new 2006 AWD Escape Hybrid. I have used it for about 1000 miles and am getting only 23 mpg. I have read the literature that says that you can run the electric motor only until you reach 25 mph. My experience is that this is true if you barely touch the accelerator. Otherwise it goes to gas mode immediately. I wondered if my particular car is going to gas mode too soon, hence my poor mileage. Or does the car need to break in more to get the better mileage. It also appears that after initially staring the car, the gas motor stays on for at least 10 minutes before the car is allowed to go to electic only mode. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I have driven the FEH two ways. First, Very easy and w/out the a/c on most of the time. Thus far it will pull 28.3 average mpg. Secondly, I drive like a bandit with the a/c on full throttle and get 26.7 mpg. I was hoping that the mileage would be better. Maybe when it breaks in a little more it will go higher. Overall, I pleased with the performance but if you real put your foot into the FEH it seems to rev high. The engine seems to spin more than it should.
Dear Poor, don't worry. My 2006 4WD FEH was same at first, rarely over 25 mpg. Now with 6K and 8 mos. later, it gets over 30 mpg on longer trips, 27 mpg short hops, closer to 28 mpg longer hops. I think this new transmission needs to break in, and your driving habits will change some too, like easy on pedal to stay in electric mode. I take it to 30 mph in electric, if easy on pedal; but when I need to move, it accelerates beautifully. Also, try to keep tach meter under 2000 when safe. You mpg will improve in time, don't let it sit and idle too long when starting it, but start rolling if safe. This is an SUV so won't get those super high mpgs, but pretty good for a larger vehicle with AWD. Good luck and enjoy. It's a great car.
ps: be sure to reset the mpg screen at times, since it seems to have a natural 'drift' downwards over time.
Thanks, for the input. I will wait and see if the mileage improves. Both my wife and I are both getting use to the slower start to keep it in electric only mode. I will also start keeping an eye on the tach to keep it under 2000.
A national finance magazine is looking to interview current hybrid owners who purchased a hybrid within the past year or two. The reporter is wanting to know if you have been satisfied or not with the gas savings you’ve been receiving. Please send an e-mail to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Saturday, June 10, 2006 by 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET containing your daytime contact information and the make and model of your hybrid vehicle.
It seems to fluctuate a little with the temperature. On a hot evening, driving home ( 25 miles, through the city, avg 45 mph ), I get around 32 with the AC on. If it's a cool morning, I get 35 with the air on. In Tampa, the air stays on. Driving in the noon heat, the mileage slips back to 32.
I've had it peg at 40 on a misty, rainy day. So it will be interesting to see how it performs after the summer ends this October
Own a 2006 4WD FEH-with 11,000 miles-the actual mpg calculated at filling station will be around 2mpg less than the computer shows -have navigation 1st generation and hoping to get a 2007 with nav-dvd instead of the CD type in 2006 which have to change discs -although so far have only used three regional discs-love the car-trying to get a FWD 2007 as gas mileage should average over 3 to 4 mpg over our 30 mpg getting with the current 4WD FEH. Rides a bit European-especially over cross line bumps in off parkway highway-but smooth as silk on good roadway surfaces. The Frontal and roll over tests are only three star-not as good as most competitors -Crc,Rav and Forester. But Ford has come along with this one-reliability is good since first ones produced and that is encouraging for American built-my wife drove a CRV for two years prior to this-she loves FEH and enjoys driving so much more-and the CRV was a great car.
I only have one week's worth of experience with my 2007. My average is 31.8 which isn't bad for an AWD model. I found if I begin braking early, the engine will cut out long before I get to the intersection. With any kind of down grade, I begin braking early. Pittsburgh is a hilling area so it is possible to go a while in stealth mode. I brake often to charge the battery and this also keeps the engine from starting. Starting slow helps to keep the engine off. I like flat roads with no traffic for starting without the engine and keeping it off. I have not taken any major trips. Will be doing that soon. I like the Escape so far.
Tell you what, thus far the FEH has disappointed. I could have bought a NON HYBRID vehicle and obtained better numbers. I thought w/time that my mileage would increase. NOPE. It has gone down, I have about 3-k miles on it and the real world MPG is about 25.3. That's not good. Hopefully, it will come up. Also on the highway, the vehicle does not perform well. It revs WAY WAY 2 high and seems breathless. Another issue is resale. Toyota Prius often sell at a premium. Well, the Escape Hybrid does not. I have been offered a $35oo.oo loss w/ only 3-k miles from a local dealer. Gee, wonder why the big 3 are losing market share. To boot the manufactors also came w/ a stronger rebate 2 weeks after I purchased. Very soon the FEH and I will part company. Soon it will be....." OH WHAT A FEELING." To me it's oh what a shame.
"Another issue is resale. Toyota Prius often sell at a premium. Well, the Escape Hybrid does not. I have been offered a $35oo.oo loss w/ only 3-k miles from a local dealer."
To be fair, that is not unusual for any car in the late 20's with only 3K miles. You lose 2-3K dollars the moment you drive it off the lot. You would have the same problem if you were attempting to trade in a normal Escape.
Sorry to hear your MPG is less than 30. I now have 1100 miles on my 2007 and have never seen less than 31 MPG. With my fill-up today my average is 32 MPG. I do find ways to keep it in EV mode as much as possible. Pittsburgh has lots of hills. I love going down hill but I agree the 4-cyl engine works hard going up a hill. I get to do a lot of city driving and find it easy to travel a lot in EV mode. I used to drive like a "bat out of hell" but no more. I do start slowly and keep the air-conditioning off. If I have to use the air, I do not use the Max Air setting.
What happened to that "bullet-proof" quality Bill Ford has been boasting about on his TV ads??? Mine squeaks as well. And, Sunday I had to stand on the brakes at 65 to avoid a rear-ender and the car wanted to go left. The wheel didn't pull; it just kind of "mushed" left, and I wound up about 2 feet over the lane marker. Luckily, no one was on my left.
Why is the mileage all over the place? I've heard 35+ and under 25. I'm averaging about 26-27. Sucks.
I think if you check the resale on Blue Book for private sale, you'll come closer to it's 'market' resale value, rather than turning it back to dealer for a discount.
BTW, I found my 4WD FEH 2006, with 7K miles, gets steady 31+ mpg on highways driving, but only 26-28 mpg in city driving. That's reverse of advertized numbers! My in city commute is about 15 mins., so engine never really reaches its full capacity before it's turned off, which may account why mpg drifts lower on short drives. If I go longer drive, the mpg drifts back up again. But I think there is a natural drift downward for computer showing mpg, because I tested against fill up and found the reading mpg, 27, was lower than actual gas mileage, which was closer to 30. I guess you just have to enjoy driving more!
I don't have any squeaks or breaking anomalies, but I did once have a 'flutter' inside my dash when going over 60 mph, which mysteriously disappeared some half hour later, never figured what it was. Maybe debrie in vent?
I bought a 2007 FWD Escape Hybrid last week. I have 260 miles on it so far and geting an avg.mpg of 35.4 That is all city miles / no hwy miles. The top speed in battery mode so far is just under 35MPH I can go about a mile in battery mode B4 the motor kicks in to re-charge
Comments
12K miles
Car has been on the road since October 2004. Now has 10K miles.
Just came off a nice 600 mile trip NYC to northern Virginia. Mileage was approx 30K. And with the AC on and driving about 75 MPH on I-95 up and down, with a Pat's cheesesteak in Phila on the way back (for me not the car)
Actually, going up hill allows the battery to provide more relief from the ICE. I think the hills may actually help the MPG, particularly if they keep your overall speed down.
The mileage display is at 27.2 overall.
Heavy commute traffic for a week is 36mpg, top speed around 50mph.
Highway at 70mph is 30mpg.
I did have a stretch in stopped traffic of about 7 miles with no engine. That was showing 99mpg. I expected it to come down slowly once the engine started, but it dropped precipitously, and was down to 38 for a 10 mile stretch.
My normal driving is in a hilly area, 400 foot elevation changes on steep routes being the norm. On downhill stretches, the engine will shut off for a while, and come on for no apparent reason... I suppose the electric steering drains the battery. I've had it shut off at 45mph, which I didn't expect, but unless you are staring at the tach, you might not notice it shut off. I can usually tell when it turns on.
Thanks,
Larry :confuse:
The 2.3L with CVT is much quieter. Mine cruises 70mph at about 2200 RPM, wich is only 100 RPM higher than my F-150. The road noise is improved but you won't forget you're in a small economy SUV.
The second unit is driven by my wife to and from work a comibnation of hyway and city. She has a very heavy foot she gets 31-33 moving mileage. Obviously your car engine shuts down at a light under normal circumstances. Your saving a lot when your car doesn't idol for long periods. This car has 8k miles and was purchase in January 05 Both are 05 models
My other one is my wife's and you can't tell to much diference except the S bump issue. Thanks Doug
cheers, Aubrey
After driving it several times I notice that the gas consumption is averaging 24mpg which is very low compare to what I have read on this forum. Is there any problem with my escape hybrid? Right now it consumes gas as if it was just a regular Ford Escape (not hybrid). Can anyone give me some advice please?
:confuse:
Do these Hybrids inprove their gas mileage as they get more miles on them?
I'm also wondering if the battery of my hybrid does not charge up properly which causes the engine to run most of the time. I'm saying this because the unit I got is the last unit of 2005 FEH.
I will appreciate it, if someone there who got same experience as mine would tell me about their experience on their FEH.
Right now I’m not happy with the mileage I’m getting out my hybrid; it’s like driving a regular Ford Escape with the price of Hybrid. So please, please give me some advice and I will be grateful for the information you will share to me.
:lemon:
I now have over 20k on my care I have hit 43 mpg.
I seem to have leveled in at 39-41. carrying a load of tools daily.
One thing I have noticed in my travels up to our mountain projects
I have switched to Synthetic oil with Shell V-power hitest. My instant econo
meter indicates that I am taking the hills a little easier which should
translate to higher mileage when you fill up and log MPG. There is another guy in
phoenix that I meet the other day that has been getting 44mpg and he uses the proper calculationto get that, Hes not relying on the 15 minute meter.
Doug
Cheers. Ivan
Hey, it's an SUV!
The following might help in regards to your slower speed areas
The Low Gear Advantage
At 55 mph in heavy traffic, a FWD FEH was worth ~ 46 mpg and fell to ~ 42 mpg depending on outside ambient and lesser traffic when I drove it out to Dearborn from Chicago last month? I changed GPSman’s oil before we moved an inch after he arrived at my home. That was with Mobil1 0W-20 half way between the marks as well as pressing up the ContiTrak’s to 46 #’s 70 + mph in an Escape, P/U, or SUV w/ a Cd of ~ .40 + is a killer
Good Luck
Wayne R. Gerdes
I have been getting 28 - 31 mpg highway and 32-34 in mixed driving conditions. I drive to work (12 miles; 17 traffic lights) along a busy commuter road in the suburbs West of Boston, MA.
I attribute the differences to hills and temperature and my driving habits. Cold weather lowers mpg, hills lower mpg, and sometimes I'm in a rush and don't try to stay in battery mode.
To those of you who are getting relatively poor mpg with your Hybrid----I'm a direct person, so you can get mad at me for being direct, but I still hereby yell "Americans don't know how to drive (efficiently)".
I have practiced at getting more mpg out of the Hybrid. I keep the console display on the setting that shows the
LH for fuel-use efficiently.
While I have tried to coast to stop-lights, avoid jack-rabbit starts, and keep the efficiency indicator at the "H" end, my fellow commuters are zooming to the next stop-light, slamming on the brakes at the last second, and tailgating me because I'm doing only 5mph over the posted speed limit.
Meanwhile, the newspapers are filled with complaints about the high price of gas. But few people seem to have examined and changed their driving habits.
I have managed to stay in battery mode for upwards of 1.5 miles on side roads and have stayed in it for upwards of 35-37 mph. The best tankful mpg I have achieved was just over 35mpg. Given the over-estimating of the EPA, I'm satisfied.
Two other things:
Yes - the mpg seems to go up after the first approx 2K miles. The car actually seems to have gotten more efficent on my customary commuter route.
Yes - The car needs to warm up before you will achieve optimum battery performance. It's cold up here now in MA, and I have noted it takes longer to get into battery mode now than it did in the summer.
Does anyone know if we can use E85 in our cars? I almost caused a fight in my local dealship when I asked that question, and Ford customer relations thought this was a technical question.
Moot point here in the East, yep we do have 10% ethanol in our gas each winter, but no one sells E85 in the Northeast.
Ford has shown an E85-capable flexible fuel Escape Hybrid at auto shows, and it's still in research. Ford says the E85 hybrid gets 25% less mileage per gallon on E85 than on regular 87 octane gas, and doesn't meet the fossil-fuel Escape Hybrid's partial zero emissions vehicle standards. :lemon:
I bought my HEV two weeks ago. It seems the gas engine comes on before I even get past the crosswalk. I hope it improves. I'm encouraged by the posts on this forum.
Larry
My mileage driving around on short trips is around 26 mpg, but on highway, once warmed up, it gets about 30 mpg, though I got it up to 35 or higher. The biggest mpg loss is at startup, when the engine runs to recharge batts, and the numbers fall off initially. But I must admit I enjoy pulling out from a light and leave all that traffic behind, when I feel like it. Smooth and fast!
Cheers, Ivan "9 E16 J" CA :P
ps: be sure to reset the mpg screen at times, since it seems to have a natural 'drift' downwards over time.
Thanks,
Chintan Talati
Corporate Communications
Edmunds.com
I've had it peg at 40 on a misty, rainy day. So it will be interesting to see how it performs after the summer ends this October
To be fair, that is not unusual for any car in the late 20's with only 3K miles. You lose 2-3K dollars the moment you drive it off the lot. You would have the same problem if you were attempting to trade in a normal Escape.
Why is the mileage all over the place? I've heard 35+ and under 25. I'm averaging about 26-27. Sucks.
BTW, I found my 4WD FEH 2006, with 7K miles, gets steady 31+ mpg on highways driving, but only 26-28 mpg in city driving. That's reverse of advertized numbers! My in city commute is about 15 mins., so engine never really reaches its full capacity before it's turned off, which may account why mpg drifts lower on short drives. If I go longer drive, the mpg drifts back up again. But I think there is a natural drift downward for computer showing mpg, because I tested against fill up and found the reading mpg, 27, was lower than actual gas mileage, which was closer to 30. I guess you just have to enjoy driving more!
I don't have any squeaks or breaking anomalies, but I did once have a 'flutter' inside my dash when going over 60 mph, which mysteriously disappeared some half hour later, never figured what it was. Maybe debrie in vent?