Actual Mileage for Ford Escape Hybrid

oh - some important info... NJ driving, escape hybrid 4wd.

Oh yeah, and how does it do in 4wd?

Joan - sounds like you are averaging about what we would expect. You should get better economy numbers in city driving because part of the time you are operating on electric motor power only.

I've been told that if you run with the A/C on, it will keep your gas engine running and affect the city numbers.

Question for new Escape Hybrid owners - Is the steering effort hard to manage with the gas engine off? Has Ford figured out a way to electrically boost the steering, rather than relying on a gas engine hydraulic pump?

If the steering effort is high, Mama is not going to like it. If it is as easy as the Aviator, she will love it.

Red-
You're right..."A/C max" keeps the engine running, but I am able to run on battery only with the lower, regular A/C setting. My mileage is getting better as I learn to coast and stay off the gas pedal. I also live in a hilly neighborhood north of Malibu, so the inclines are taking more engine power.

As far as steering, I have no trouble negotiating parking or turning when running on battery, the Escape handles well...I do not perceive any difference in steering from engine to battery. Don't know how cold weather will effect mpg, will be interesting to hear from the colder climate owners.

Just thought I'd chime in. I've had my Escape 4WD HEV for a month now, logging over 1500 miles of mixed driving in the CA Bay Area (Oakland) -- city, freeway, foothills. It took me a while to re-learn how to drive in order to take full advantage of the hybrid's benefits. Here's what I've found:

First, I've been averaging about 27mpg on my first 4 tanks of gas. Second, the traffic conditions don't always allow for optimum economy. For example, when I accelerate from a stop, I'll drive differently if there's someone behind me. When I ramp on to the freeway, I want to get to 60-65mph as quickly as possible to get with the flow of traffic. As much as I love watching my fuel economy, I want to be considerate of other drivers and don't want to sacrifice safety for economy. Finally, having driven an Escape and now an Escape Hybrid, the Escape is definitely a peppier car.

That all being said, I love my Escape HEV so far. I was running a Honda Civic (32/38) for a few years, but found that its utility was limited. It was great for jaunting around the city, but became a bit of a drag on long trips. I coach a traveling team, and on a couple of occasions, I needed to rent an Escape to haul members of my team (and their gear) up to Reno for tournaments. There's just no way I'd make that trip in a Civic with 4 kids and their attendant equipment.

The Ford has proven to be of great utility. A given weekend might include a pleasurable drive up to the foothills with my wife and 4-year-old daughter, blasting Queen or Chris Whitley on the upgraded stereo. The Escape HEV navigates dirt roads and twist country roads with equal grace. With the three of us and a weekend's worth of gear, we still manage to grab a good load of firewood which gets stashed in the rear. All this, and 27mpg.

Sure, a Porsche Boxter would be more fun, a Prius gets better fuel economy, and a pickup would do a better job of hauling loads, but the Escape Hybrid, while a compromise in every area, still represents an excellent 1-vehicle solution.

I've had an Escape Hybrid AWD for about 3 weeks now. I've driven about 600 miles in all types of traffic conditions and have only been able to squeeze out 22 mpg! I've taken it to the dealership, and they don't seem to know what is causing this. Has anyone else had similar problems?

"There seem to be two schools of thought with respect to economic driving. One is to accelerate a slowly as traffic will allow, the other is to get up to cruising speed quickly to extract the maximum energy from the gas engine since it's running anyway. "

There is one way to find out, and that is with a controlled test.
One could drive to a seldom used country road and find a flat, level dry patch about 2 miles long.
Make sure the pack has a normally full charge and you've driven it for at least 1/2 hr to 45min. (Warmed up)

At one end of the road find a "Finish lline" landmark then go back to the beginning.

Reset your Fuel Consumption Display.
When all is clear floor it and hold it until 55MPH is reached, then back off to the ammount to hold it steady at 55 until you reach the finish.

Write down your MPG.

Now go back to the beginning again, this time accelerate extremely slowly up to 55MPG and hold it steady there at 55 until you reach the finish.

Compare your MPG with the first time.

Do the test a couple more times to confirm your results.

Try it half throttle.

If you take the short time to do this then you will learn your vehicle that much more and know better how to handle certain situations more efficiently as long as you own it.

Yes the Honda IMA is a different puppy but wide open throttle plunges my HCH's MPG down by half.
"Brisk" throttle was better, but very slow starts are the key.
Your Escape is different than my HCH.....why not do the test?

I've learned over the years on automotive sites that you can't diagnose a vehicle on line. Nothing replaces seeing and driving the vehicle.

Some of the questions I would have relate to the load you are carrying, how much the gas engine is running and why, the terrain, speed, traffic, tire pressure, brakes dragging, AWD/FWD, miles on the vehicle, modifications, intake/exhaust restrictions, etc. Seeing the vehicle might answer most of these questions and generate a few more.

If this is your first 1,000 miles, they will likely want to to wait 'till it is broken in to determine if there is a problem with the vehicle. While there are variations between vehicles, generally the driving style dictates your actual mileage.

just an update, after several months of owning my 4WD HEV (escape) I average when driving conservatively - about 33mpg in mixed city, highway. Around town I still do a bit better.

When I drive as I did with my gasoline car I do something closer to around 26-28mpg for the same trips.

Note for me conservative driving is basically maintaining posted speed limits and no jackrabbit starts. I did notice a small drop when it's very cold (under 20 f).

Driving "normal" is typically a bit more leadfooted and driving 70-80mph.

Hope this helps

In response to my last note, we just went through the big SNOW of Jan 15 here in the mid-Alantic states. We got about 4-5 inces on top of sheer ice.
My hybrid Escape 4 wheel did wonderful. All I did was drive. Have had a big 4 wheel prior to this, I purposely when into a fe wsnow piles to test it out. It did great! I am so pleased. Good job Mr. Ford!

Hi Jim-

Congrats on getting your new Escape HEV and on doubling your mileage from your Bronco days. I'll have to look for you on PCH...I'm on there quite frequently. Haven't seen any other Escape HEVs on the road yet, hope to soon! I'm getting 30-32 mpg regularly, now that I know how to handle my 2WD model.

EITHER YOUR FULL OF BS or you need to take the PARKING BRAKE OFF!. Only if the elec. motor is locked up, could you be getting that mileage. Go to a srink, he or she might fix your problem, not Ford.

Anon, he did not offer any driving conditions, good or bad. He talks like FORD is the problem. He doesn't compare any other thing or car here. He says the dealer knows "nothing". Most people would take that issue higher up in Ford if they paid that much for a vehicle and got that mileage. He gave no mech. problems he is having like poor performance if the computer wasn't working right.

If you own a FEH, I think you might think this person doesn't own a FEH. I thought his statements were to bad mouth FORD. His statements also bad mouth all Hybrids in my opinion.

I could be wrong about the intent of His statement and I agree I was harsh. People who are looking at this site thinking of buying a Hybrid need true facts. Not strange problems without any details.

BTW, maybe I should have ask him if he has problems with math also! Just Kidding

I am a new Ford Escape Hybrid driver. I am getting about 21 miles mostly round town and doing about 5/6 miles per trip. I am in the Nevada City/Grass Valley area California. I was disappointed at first but when we called Ford we were told that it would do better when we had put on more mileage. They did not give a figure. I think also I am still not using it in the best way. I am driving as I drove my last car, a volvo. I intend to try new tactics and see what I can do that may give better mileage. I am not bothered about the mileage at present. I love the car, the visibility, the space and the handling. I feel more in control and I am comfortable in it. It is useful to have learned from other drivers that I should not be using air conditioning and expecting good mileage at the same time. Thanks.

Anon Woman Driver:

As I am sure you have seen -- short trips, like the 5/6 mile trip you write about are not the most efficient. Try taking a 25-45 minute trip. My guess is that if you do it in a city (without to many San Francisco style hills) or a mix of city, highway, and country roads (45 speed limits) you'll get an idea of how/when the car is most efficient.

Terrain and time of travel are really big components in mileage.

Enjoy the car.

"We're trying to switch to hybrids and just bought a Honda Civic Hybrid to replace another car which is supposed to get 48-50mpg. However, after a number of months, attempting to drive optimally, many miles, trips, etc., it gets around 37-38mpg, especially on long highway trips at 70+mph. "

I suggest a diesel. They are much better at long highway trips. Our Passat TDI will typically get 38-42 mpg at 70 mph cruise (in winter except in the deepest cold!) in straight highway driving, and it is a larger car than a Civic. Our Jetta will break 50 mpg on long highway trips. Diesels = highway, hybrid = city.

Mike G.

Gary - Your results certainly sound optimal. What, specifically, do you do to achieve those results with respect to your ongoing driving habits that might differ from what other people seem to report. And, when you see those mileage results, are you primarily the only driver with no other cargo in the vehicle? If so, do you have mileage results for when you are not the only person in the vehicle and when the SUV is loaded for a fun outing (which is, theoretically, why you would need an SUV). Thanks for any insight you can provide.

In the case of the Honda Civic Hybrid, it begins to pale rapidly under load. If any out-of-work jockeys are looking for jobs as Hybrid EPA rating test drivers for Honda, send in your resumes!

After purchasing ours, we noticed that it had a cargo limit of 800 lbs. (I think that's right). So, if you're planning on carting around 4 big guys, that's probably not a good idea. :-) I'm not sure how that compares to other non-hybrid cars in the same class, however.

I'll have to check - does anyone know if the FEH has a reduced weight allowance vs. the gas-only version? Does anyone have any off-road mileage stats?

Dave - I am the primary driver but the FEH is now the family car. Everyone in my family is on the large size with me at 280 pounds. With regard to the weight effect on the FEH, it does real well. The only thing that seems to matter is taking off on Electric. Keeping it in elec. mode from a start to 32MPH is harder but can be done with a full load. Weight does effect gas mileage but alot less than you would think. The tork of the electric motor helps.

My wife drives the FEH like she drives any other car with no regard of the electric motor or saving gas. She has a heavy foot BTW. She mainly drives the kids places, shopping, etc. and she always drops my computer 15 min. average of about 41.5MPG a few MPG.

Right now the FEH is in the driveway with a 15min average of 55MPG on the computer. I filled up yesterday and reset the computer. I drove about twelve miles along the Jupiter Island coast where the speed limit is 30MPH most of the way. With my battey fully charged, I can stay on elec. only for about 1.6 miles at 30MPH. The engine starts up (1500RPM's at 30MPH) to charge the battery for about the same distance (1.6 miles) and the battery is full and ready for another 1.6 miles on electric, just tap the brakes. During this drive along the coast, the computer stayed at Max MPG which is 60MPG or above. The reason I have 55MPG on the computer is because I had to drive in rush hour three miles to my driveway from the Island.

I try to find as many routes like this as I can so when I get on the Interstate, fast traffic etc. My average is overall great. Parking the FEH with a low battery is also my goal. The engine will alway run till it reaches a set temp., why not let it charge the battery during this time. I also reset the computer at differant speeds to find out at what speed I got the best average MPG with the engine. Between 40-46MPH the computer average stays at around 42MPG. Under 40 and over 46MPH the mileage drops off due to overdrive (under 40) and wind resistances (above 46MPH). I try to drive routes with a 40-45MPH speed limit also. Normally you would choose a lane at a stop light with no big truck in front of you. I choose the big truck lane so I can take off as slow as it and stay on elec. longer. I use speed control on elec. and gas speeds. Others have said it reduced gas mileage. Not here in South FL.

Joan, if your happy with 30-32MPG, that's fine. I was not talking about resetting your computer to make it seem you are getting better gas mileage. I was stating it was a test to find the best gas mileage at a set speed. This is with a fully charged battery in ideal conditions.

The point I was tring to make was if you want better gas mileage with the FEH, it's up to you to find routes and control the SUV to save gas. What I like about my FEH, it give me that choice to run on elec, gas or both. When my wife drives the FEH, I have to work harder to get the computer average back to 41MPG, not reset the computer. This is not easy in some cases but my average is much better than 30-32MPG. It maybe because of living in a flat area in warm weather, I'm not sure. I just know I control the MPG better than than I ever did before.

I'm happy with my FEH at 37-40MPG also.

Staying in the elec. mode is the key. Saving gas was my first goal but now I've gone to saving battery life also. If you have the nav computer, you can watch the battery level and which way power is going. You'll find that when your on elec. and let off the gas pedal, you stop draining the battery. I found that cruise control on elec at 32MPH was nice but it also keeps the pedal draining the battery. The more use of the battery the longer it takes the engine to run to charge the battery. This causes the engine to use more gas to charge and drive.

Same thing is true in the engine mode regarding the use of gas. Get off the pedal whenever you can and coast to slow traffic or stops. Also, when you reach your desired speed, let off the pedal to stop the high revs from the CVT. The trans will settle alot quicker and you save alot of gas.

You control the pedal and the pedal controls the MPG. As far as weather, if you have a garage, use it. Not much else you can do.

Overall on my first tank of gas, I got 28 mpg.

So far in my second tank, I'm getting 30 mpg, with about half the driving coming on the highway and half in town. I've been as high as 42 mpg in town. I was also pleasantly surprised to see my mileage, at 65 mph on fairly level terrain and with wind less than 10 mph, to be 30!

If you're paying attention you're wondering where the low mileage must be coming from. I've noticed that it takes about 4 or 5 miles of in-town driving to get the engine and battery optimally "synced". But my commute is only 8 miles, and in the morning, includes a couple of significant uphill runs. Thus, my morning mileage is "only" 25 or so.

I have to keep reminding myself that even my lowest mileage in the FEH is higher than anything I got in my conventional Escape 4WD.

I drive 52 miles to work and on I-95 in Maryland (65 mph) I am averaging 35 mpg (35.5 now and climing) on the highway. I belive my success is due to setting the cruise control at around 68 mph in 65 mph road and around 59-60 on a 55 mph road. I've always gotten 40 - 42 mpg on just short trips around home. They stated that just running on the battery would work at > 24 mph, butmany times I have it running just on electric at 35 mph.

certainly - use it.

the hybrid is a basic combustion engine with an electric assist.

it will not hurt the car in any way.

see ya

Garry:

I tried doing your over-speeding and coasting idea and it seems to work great. I get it going just a little faster then I really want to go and then I trottle back, coast a little and give gas a little. It seems like it stays in hybrid mode longer (both doing a more electric then gas thing). My mpg has increased from 30-32 to 34-36 in mixed traffic.

Hi, I just purchased an Escape HEV FWD. So far so good. When I first picked it up from the dealer it had 14.5 MPG, now I'm up to 24.5 MPG. I think it had alot of idle time on it before I got it. This is just after 170 miles and I still have about 2/3 tank left. I haven't reset the average MPG. Most of my trips have been short, just 2 or 3 miles. After warm up I can travel at 30mph on electric only with the cruise on. My problem is the battery never gets fully charged. Is there any techy out there that might be working on adapting a 330 volt charger to plug in and top off the battery with a peak charge? It can be a trickle charger with auto shutoff like the battery tenders for motorcycles. I don't want to burn gas just to charge the battery. Now if Ford can make this an E-85 vehicle as well I would be in seventh heaven.

I have 4800 miles on my FEH now and the besy mileage I have ever gotten so far is 24.2. That sucks! I am a mechanic too so I understand ully about the throttle down, driving conditions, heavy foot, everything...Ford can't give a reason either. I have done everything driving conditions wise to the "tricks" mentioned in all these post...reving up then coasting, easing the pedal, staying in electric mode the longest, etc. etc. Check my air pressure- nothing gives me more than 24.2. That is horrible. I can't believe how all these people are getting in the 30's. I wouldn't complain if I could get 28 MPG, but that seems like a long shot. This vehicle has become the worse deal I have ever purchased. I wished I never would have bought it because the primary reason I purchased it was soley for the fuel mileage, which it DOES NOT get. I think I have bad luck and got a bag egg from the factory because mine doesn't put out so matter what you do. I thought it was the "break-in" but come on, surely in 4800 miles it is broken in already....

DMS,

Are you Josef Anon the mechanic?

I have heard a couple of cases of lower than anticipated mileage in the Escape, but I've also heard several cases of well over EPA mileage.

So far we've been unable to figure out what the difference is. I have a 4wd model with about 10,500 miles and am getting right around 29 MPG with my regular commute (about 30 minutes each way, anything from freeway speeds to stop and go driving). Some folks are approaching 40MPG.

I do know the "sweet spot" for mileage on the Escape appears to be in the 40-45 MPH range. Speeds above or below that see a drop off of efficiency.

Hey DMS-

So sorry for your bad mileage experience. I get 30-32 with my front wheel drive FEH, but I recently took a trip up interstate 5 where high speeds, max A/C and a full load brought my mpg down to 22...but these were extremes. I hope your dealer and Ford are quick to respond.

Best,
Joan

I've done everything there is to do. I've done the rev up to 4000 RPM and then coast and it backs off. Most of my trips are 20 min or less but, like I said, I think it's a ford problem with mine b/c out of all the times I get it to drop into the EV mode it doesn't get good milage. Actually when I baby it I drop off .1-.3 MPG then when I drive agressively. It's weird, and oh...btw I never use max a/c. I live in New England and don't need max a/c so it's dropping into EV a lot but not getting good gas milage. I got a lemon I'm afraid. The only other thing I can think of is that CT adds ethynol to the petro up here and maybe that's why I'm not getting good fuel efficiency is b/c the gas up here isn't pure gasoline...it's gasohol.

I think vehicle weight and driving habits play a big part in MPG. The FEH is 3,800 lbs and has a small ICE which is subject high RPMs. If you try to move the FEH like a light weight car , the higher RPM's will kill your MPG. Thats why I say let off the gas and let the RPM's down for a second. You can then stair step your speed using the electric motor assist.

If there is a problem with the FEH or programing, that is one thing. If its running as designed and your getting bad MPG, you need to figure out the FEH or sell to someone else and buy a vehicle you can drive for your needs.

What I like about the FEH is I have a big say in how much gas I will burn. Example, yesterday I needed to run up and down the highway (225 miles) with a little city stop and go. I let a semi cut a hole in the wind in front of me on the highway at 65-75 MPH and my MPG averaged was 44 with the A/C on. When I got off the highway with a full battery charge, I drove in EV and brought my average to 48 MPG when I got back to the highway.

When I found out I could not only match EPA estimates but far exceed them, let just say I plan to buy an FEH for my son when he graduates at MIT in 2007. BTW, the Nav. computer/GPS is very nice if you can af-Ford it.

Driving style has NOTHING to do with it in my FEH. I have tried numerous driving habits. I've driven it "jack rabbit style", slow grandma style. Driving paying attention to every little weight and balance of my foot to mak it drop into EV mode and stay there from a dead stop and longer, etc. etc. etc. In my FEH it doesn't matter which method I use. It doesn't matter the wind velocity. it doesn't matter how light you are on the pedal or how heavy you are. I get the same thing + or - (.1) mpg. It's ridiculous. I wish I would have never bought this piece of crap. The best vehicles out there are the TDI VW's. They Do get 44mpg+. I've had one and I regret ever getting rid of it. And you don't have to change your driving style for those either. I have been a mechanic most of my life and the flaw with my FEH is in the vehicle, not the driver. I assure you...

I have test driven two at local (Las Vegas) Ford dealers. I saw about 20 MPG on the first one but didn't know about resetting the trip computer so it probably had a lot of running-in-the-parking-lot 0 MPG time on it.

The second drive, I saw 22.7 after some rush hour stop and go driving and city street driving. However it was 117 degrees outside (no kidding) so I was using MAX A/C which I know keeps the engine running all the time.

I am considering buying one because I think the MPG will sort itself out. But, two questions for the group:

1) Those of you getting 30+ MPG - how are you using the A/C? What MPG do you get at, say, 65 MPH on the interstate with the A/C on?

2) I'm moving to Italy in about 3 months. Anyone have any idea what getting a FEH serviced in Europe is going to be like? I know there is a Ford dealer in the town I'm moving to (Ferrara), but I don't want to be left high and dry if the battery won't charge or something.

Thanks in advance,

Hey Brion-

Your 17 mile commute on surface streets should get you the 30-35mpg you're looking for. I'm assuming streets are relatively flat, lights are timed and your speed will be between 20-40 mph. That's when the Escape HEV really shines, because you'll be able to drive in electric mode for most, if not all, of the commute.

I get my best "in town" mileage driving surface streets for longer than 15 minutes (usually 32mpg). My best average mileage overall is stop and go L.A. freeway driving (36mpg)...the HEV has provided a silver lining to rush hour traffic. Just had my 10,000 mile service, and am still really happy with my Escape.

Good luck with your decision,
Joan

"Driving style has NOTHING to do with it in my FEH. "

I hate to be harsh, but that is an absolutely ridiculous statement. Every car - Echo, VW, Grand Caravan, Hummer - will get different amounts of MPG based on the user's driving style. Science, government studies, and empirical data bear this out -- you can effect your MPG by at least 25% depending on how you drive, maybe more.

Making a statement like this just calls into question the rest of your argument.

I have no idea what mileage to expect from any of the new hybrid SUVs. But what I *do* know is that your driving style will without question make a profound difference in your results.

I bought a 2005 4WD Escape Hybrid 1 week ago. I have been trying to the most MPG by trying to keep the gas engine off as much as possible. ( very slow starts, never use MAX AC and unly used regular AC twice ) At least 75% of the driving has been city driving. The strange thing is, the computer says I am getting 26-28 MPG but I have only traveled 200 miles and have used up 3/4 of a tank of gas!! My calculation says with a 15 gallon tank, this is only about 18 MPG. The "Miles until empty" screen started at well over 400 miles but drops 20-30 mile for every 10 miles I drive. I asked the service department and they said they did not know why this was happening. Anyone else have any suggestions or insite?
Thanks

Thanks Randy,
Can you point me to a site that discuss driving techniques?

The FWD FEH are the only ones getting good mlage. The 4WD don't. 24.5MPG is what I'm at now at 5400 miles. It has gone up frok 22 since I bought the vehicle. I get the best milage now by following the practices of accelerating up to 4000RPM and then letting my foot off the gas pedal. If you want an efficient vehicle buy a VW TDI for milage. You won't ever get it on a AWD or 4WD vehicle, hybrid or not. That's just the truth speaking...I am still going to contact the area Ford manufacturer representative to discuss the false EPA sticker numbers of MPG on the 4WD FEH b/c they are very wrong....

I have had my FEH for about 3 months now. 2006 model. I am getting about 29-31 mpg fairly consistently. I heard tonite on the news something that was interesting, that the Civic Hybrid isn't tuned to gas mileage, but to performance, using the hybridized component to cut about a second off the 0-60 acceleration time.

Also for those interested, www.calcars.org reports to have had success improving the gas mileage of the Prius to 250 mpg by replacing the battery pack, tweaking the computer to allow more electric driving, and adding a plug in at night feature that costs 25 cents to 1.00 in electrity cost a night, but gives you the first 40-60 w/no gas. Their site says they will be trying to mass produce a retrofit in the next year. To me this would be great.

PS I bought my car after a cousin of mine died in Iraq. I won't politicize this conversation by stating my opinions, but I will say that the cost benefit justification of buying a hybrid really doesn't matter as much to me anymore. Decreasing dependance on oil does.

Any purchase of this technology supports what will come later, and what will come later will far surpass the mpg we get now. I'm looking forward to 250 mpg!

Hey Joe-

You and your wife experienced what so many of us have been noticing for years...the nightly news used as marketing tool. NBC/RCA/Vivendi Universal is owned by parent company GE, which also owns many energy and gas companies. Wonder why they wouldn't like hybrids and would want to discourage folks from purchasing them? hmmm...
Check out the new documentary "The Corporation" for an interesting look at conglomeration in the U.S. Very eye-opening. It's available on DVD.
Congrats on your hybrid and keep enjoying the money you're saving...and keeping out of the wallets of rich middle eastern and Texan oilmen!

Have had a 4WD Escape Hybrid for 5 months now, and have never gotten more than 310 miles on a single tank. Strangely, whenever I go to fill up (I run the car until there's an eighth of a tank left), it always fills up to 10.5 gallons, but the car has a 15 gallon tank, so there's 4.5 gallons that are not being accounted for. The dealer says in New Jersey (where I live) the gasoline sold contains high amounts of sulfur, which coat the gas sensors, and this causes the fuel gauge to misread the amount of actual fuel in the tank. Does this make sense? Anybody else have this problem?

I agree in that the mpg does work out to a good number. My problem is that I don't trust those trip computers. They are notoriously inaccurate in all other cars I've driven, but I'll give your suggestion a try. The screen name is a college nickname that we gave to one of our friends who always had bad breath because he ate too much tuna fish. Gross, but that's the story behind it. Thanks for your advice!

I didn't notice if anyone else had mentioned the effect of ethonol blends on the Escape Hybrid milage. I got some of the 10% blend in Minnesota or Kansas and it reduced my highway milage from 32MPG to the 22 to 25MPG range. I don't know if milage is reduced as much in regular cars but the Escape doesn't appear to like ethanol. I'm not sure I didn't get more than 10% ethanol. The 85% ethanol is selling about 40 cents a gallon cheaper than unleaded so there is some incentive to put more ethanol into the mix and increase the profit per gallon. Anyway, I would avoid any fuel with ethanol if you want to brag about your gas milage.

Right now we have a full size truck and are getting killed on gas cost. We do alot of highway driving. For instance, I drive 136 miles roundtrip each day for work. This drive consists of about 80 miles at 70 miles per hour and the remainer around 50 miles per hour.

From what I have reviewed here, I can expect 27-30 mpg with the Hybrid AWD escape under these driving conditions.

At the above gas mileage, why not just get a Honda CRV or Toyota Rav4? Any thoughts on this?

I have a strange question. If you run out of gas, can you still drive (albeit very slowly) for a short distance to reach a gas station?

I've have a FWD since May and was tempted to try yesterday. I was on my third "beep" for low fuel and wanted to get to the cheaper station.

Does any one have experience with putting trailer lights on FEH?
I use my feh on my farm. can only fit 30 1/2 bushel boxes in the back with the seats down need more cargo capacity. Needed minor modification to attach oem hitch. I also installed a moon roof- I don't like AC.

A point of interest- the slow leaking tire I had had a bigger impact on fuel than my other modifications. It took a week to notice the tire was going down but the fuel gauge showed the problem first.

Regarding my experience over the last 11,000 miles-
-battery is not strong enough for rolling hills even at slow speeds engine kicks in too soon for my liking.
-the engine will kick in regardless of recharge demand -for example coasting down a hill, careful to keep under 40mph and careful to gentle brake to get charge not actual braking, the engine will still come on to recharge?
-My v8 dodge pickup got 8-15 mpg my FEH gets 25- 29 with the same application- you know I love that,,
-awd is excellent.
-Road trips of 10 miles or more can result in best mpg, short trips shoot the average, unfortunately in my life I do lots of short trips.
-my best tank average was 30 mpg. 22 worst.
-My son and I who are geeks about the car get at least 3 mpg better than my wife who thinks it is just a car with a good cd player
-computer overstates actual fuel use by +/- 2mpg
-it is still hard for me to get used to 4000rpm needed on steep hills. I do try hard to keep rpms below2000.
-for best results. the idea of start on battery then once engine kicks in -usually between 20and 30mph, but always by 40- push up to appropriate driving speed by going to 2500-3000 rpm, then drop back to under 2000 results my FEH best efficency

Hi, Bill H. Good to hear of your driving experience with the FEH. My wife drives ours most of the time but I got to drive it for 10 days on vacation. I tried to get maximum gas mileage since gas was mostly over $3 per gallon and learned most of the techniques you described. Some of the things you learn driving the FEH carry over to conventional vehicles. I presently have gone well over 300 miles on a tank in my 2003 Explorer driving to and from work. I used to have to fill it at about 250 miles. If more cars had the MPG feed back of the FEH, drivers would find out where they are wasting gas and could develop driving skills that would save a lot of fuel. One of the tricks that seems to help the Explorer the most is to cut idling time to a minimum. I don't start the engine untill I am ready to roll and cut it as soon as the transmission is in park.

In Feb. 2005 we bought our FEH at Old Bridge Ford in Old Bridge, NJ (it was an excellent buying experience by the way). My wife had it for a while but she ended up getting a Toyota Sienna minivan to haul our pack of young uns easier. So, only since May, have I been using the FEH. I drive the kids to school through Princeton traffic and then along Route 1 a short distance to the office, and then in the evening back home on either Route 1 (lots of slow traffic) or through Princeton.

The good news: my mileage keeps going up from tank to tank. Unfortunately, with a 25 mile round trip per day and the very good gas mileage I'm getting from the FEH, I don't get to fill up the tank too often. I heard that gas prices went up recently but haven't had an opportunity to fill up over the last couple of weeks so haven't really noticed it. The last tank was 36.2 MPG average and currently I am sitting at 37.0 with about 300 miles run on the current tank of gas. Maybe next week I'll get to fill up and see what has happened to prices.

In my opinion, the secret to good gas mileage is truly driver-dependent. Here are my observations:

(1) Accelerate carefully. Watch the little gauge on the left with the needle that indicates gas (white) versus electric (green) engine usage. There is a certain point in the green part of the gauge above which the gas will always come on. Keep in electric for as long as possible by watching the needle and keep it in the green (and ignore the horns behind you, over time your foot will get better tuned at accelerating while keeping in electric)

(2) Over 40 MPH the gas engine will always come on. Stay below 40 MPH whenever you can.

(3) Plan your route to enjoy stop and go traffic on streets that don't tend to have cars going more that 30 of 40 MPH. It'll keep you in electric longer.

(4) Learn to use the Hybrid Tap(TM), that gentle tap on the brake you use when you are going less than 40 MPH which can cause the gas engine to shut off and switch to electric. I use this on down hills and approaching stop lights and stop signs.

(5) Get into the inventive spirit about seeing what you can do to improve your MPG. You'll be surprised at what you may be able to do.

A final note, the other car I drive sometimes in place of my FEH is a 1992 Porsche 968. By my reckoning, my FEH has better power then the Porsche, but the Porsche handles better in the curves. The gas mileage can't be compared. But how often can you compare a Ford to a Porsche in a head to head and the Ford come out ahead?

I've only had my 4wd HEV for a couple of days now. I guess there's no definitive driver's guide for it, just the tips and tricks fellow owners come up with in these forums. Can anyone tell me why sometimes I find that from a dead stop, the vehicle will begin its acceleration with the ICE instead of the electric drive?
The battery appears to be normally charged and I am only attempting to accelerate slowly.
Also, when this occurs, tapping the brake does not switch it over.

Thanks Jay.
Assuming that my battery needs charging when this happens, I guess it stands to reason that letting the engine charge the battery while idle, then shut off before I drive would be better for fuel efficiency.
I'm interested in knowing if you are still seeing an improved MPG without the racks on the roof.

Ray and Jay, for some reason the computer hangs up and the only way to go Electric drive is to stand on the brakes for about 15 seconds at a stop. This pisses me off about the FEH because I have to stop completely and this waste fuel.

Never sit and let the battery charge, that waste fuel also. I find that the best way to charge the battery is at 35mph and above. Learn how to use the MPG and energy screen if you have the Nav. Computer. You are SOL if you don't have it.

My best tank so far is 44.32mpg but I know now I can do better with my bag of tricks. I have 15,000 miles in just 9 months.

GaryG

I have 1600 miles on my 2006 Escape Hybrid 4WD now and live in the mountains of Colorado. The best mileage I've gotten during warmer weather is 30.12MPG. Yesterday, during 20 below zero weather, my mileage was 27.4MPG.

Richard, with my FEH, the gas tank plays tricks on me. I try to top it off where I can see the gas at the top every time. I then shake and bounce the back end to see if the gas drops so I can top it off again. A few days ago I tried to top it off to get a picture of my MTE (mile to empty). Mine is reading over 600, which is hard for many to believe. I only had 46 miles on that tank. All I could put back in the tank after trying everything was .4 of gallon. This would mean I got over 100mpg which I couldn't take to be my mileage. Since I was driving EV charge after charge and the computer said I was at 50-60 (max), I thought a number in that range would be correct. What I'm saying is over a half gallon could be an air pocket in your tank.

It turns out the MTE did not reset at this point for a reading over 600 miles. At about 40 miles of driving, the guage started to drop and my MTE reading changed to read 614. So I got a picture then.

It turned out at a latter fill up, I got 44.9mpg as an average over a few top off's. You must take an average over at least a few tanks.

One other point I'd like to share is many people have said they were able to go 40-80 miles past the 0 MTE reading. The fact that the MTE did not change when I added the .4 of a gallon tell me why this is happenning. The tank is full at 15 gallons according to the tank guage. Gas pumped in over the guage (the neck) goes through the computer system as miles to empty deducting from a 15 gallon capacity. After that happens, your at 0 MTE. The extra gas allows you to go further that was above the 15 gallons added to the tank in the neck and pockets of air.

GaryG

I would just add this. My 2003 Escape with the V6 would get maybe 20 -21 overall or even less. I even got as low as 18 which was about what I was getting with my big heavy F-150. This was running around town. I think the best I ever got with the other Escape was about 24 mpg. Which really isn't much better than the Explorer.

With the Hybrid, no problems. I'm going to get 40 mpg out of this baby someway, somehow. I wouldn't be surprised if I don't someday get 50 mpg. I have a very light foot and used to get in the low to mid 30's in my '81 Saab. And I could get a pretty consistent 26-27 mpg on the highway with my '94 Crown Vic. Around town a different story.

And tires should not be overlooked either. There IS a difference in rolling resistence between tires and check your air pressure often.

I don't have the fancy screen. Pretty much just a standard XLT except for the Hybrid. I've lived with the same thing in my previous 2003 model and I didn't miss all of that stuff anyway. It was here and it was now and I liked the color and the deal so I bought it. The only real differences between this one and my new one are the four wheel disk brakes and the automatic door locking.

I have read somewhere (perhaps on the Ford site) that it is possible to go up to 20 miles on battery power alone. I don't anticipate doing that but it is nice knowing that there is that available.

I would forget about the air bubble situation. Just keep good records and average them out. That will be sufficient. You'll be within a 10th or so and that is good enough to suit me.

Its been almost a year now owning my '05 FWD FEH and posting here. Learned alot on improving mpg from here and greenhybrid.com (GH). GH has been bought now and I've basicly said good by to that site. Hope Brad can do some upgrades to this site to increase visitors and members for its future. Others from GH are talking about creating a new Hybrid Site which will include Fuel Efficient (FE) enthusiast also.

Here is a tip I picked I up from Wayne Gerdes (xcel) after running some test on coasting. Normally, I coast as much as I can to improve MPG but I had no idea it could be improved so much.

The Coasting test was done like this per xcel instructions:

Get up to 43mph, shift to "L", at 40mpg, there will be a drop in RPM's. At this point, shift back to "D" and go electric vehicle (EV). Coast in drive to till you must shift to "N" at 10mph so "creaping" will not take place in the FEH. Continue untill coming to a dead stop. Take a measurement of that total "Glide" from 40mph to the stop. My results was .5 miles.

Next, do the same things but when you go EV at 40, shift to "N" (neutral), turn off the key and coast to a dead stop. My results was .68 miles, a 36% increase in distance.

After seeing the results, I tried the test without turning off the key and coasting in "N". My results was .6 miles, a 20% increase over "D" coasting in EV.

Took the testing two steps further and tried the coasting with the engine running (no EV). With the engine running, your burning a little fuel coasting of course, but we all know from those with the nav energy screen at idle coasting your at max instant mpg >60mpg most of the time.

Coasting in "D" engine running (used AC max) from 40mph to 10mph shifting to "N" and to a dead stop. Results was .6 miles, the same as EV in "N". It seems the engine took the drag off the gear set better than EV in "D" coasting.

Coasting in "N" engine running (used A/C max) from 40mph to a dead stop. Results was .82 miles. This is over a 36% increase with engine running in "D" coasting.

One important change from the standard automatic transaxle to the eCVT is that it does not have a torque converter. It is not damaged by coasting in "N" like other automatics. In fact, the manual states that you can tow the FEH up to 75mph with both the FWD and AWD tires on the road. The eCVT is a drive by wire system and there are no gears change machanicly when changing the shifter except "P" (park).

Does anyone realize here the benifits of gliding in the FEH in "N" yet. Let here from you Toyota Hybrid owners also.

Good point Jim

You are correct about while coasting in neutral, there is no charge going to the battery during EV gliding. There is very little regen in gliding or coasting in "D" either. In both situations, when coming to a stop, I shift down to "L" before applying the brakes to get max regen. Low is not a gear but is the wheels and axles turning the traction motor/generator while slowing and charging the battery. Also to capture the most posible charge while the ICE (engine) is running in the pulse back to the desired speed, I use what I call the "Fake Shift". The best way to perform the fake shift for recharging the battery is to watch the Assist/Charge needle. When the battery needs a recharge, the ICE is turning the generator providing a steady charge to the battery. However, by letting off the gas pedal, you send a high boost from the axles to the Traction motor giving the battery an even faster way to recharge the battery. Again, this is all seen by watching the Assist/Charge needle. Accelerate slowly and watch the charge needle come just to a point it shows no charge then release pressure on the gas pedal, the needle will show a large charge. When the the needle returns to a normal charge again, accelerate slowly (about 300 more RPM) till the needle is back off the charge position again and repeat. Continue as needed.

The fake shift can reduce the charging time and distance to almost half normal ICE recharge. A low battery is never a problem while using "N" for coasting in EV for the best FE. A round trip of about 23 miles using EV/ICE recharge above has gotten me over a 58mpg average at speed limits that averaged 33mph.

On the other hand, coasting in "N" with the ICE running is not a problem at all for me. While gliding/coasting in "N", the ICE is charging the battery if needed through the generator. Shifting back to "D" adds regen through the traction motor/generator. You can always use a fake shift in "D" to lower RPM's in your pulse if needed and pick up additional charging. When accelerating, I have choosen to take it slow if I can depending on traffic conditions. The scangauge has been very helpful determining the load at which to accelerate for the best FE among very many other things it does.

Chris, can't help you with the soft sand driving, but you can still coast in "N" with the engine on or off on hard roads. Just speed up slowly to a higher speed and glide down to acceptable speed and repeat.

The scangauge (see scangauge.com) plugs in above the brake and sits on your dash (takes less than 5 min,) and can give you instant MPG reading. By seeing the instant mpg reading, you can learn how to improve your driving for better mpg. The cost of the scangauge is $129 and it does so many other things.

The term "normal driving" you use tells me you don't want to change your driving habits or style. You can't have it both ways. I'm getting twice your mileage out of my FWD in ideal conditions but I have to make those short trips also. Example, this morning I had to run to a store (2 miles away) and return home. The speed limit is 35mph so I went up to 40mph, shifted to "N" and coasted back to 35mph. During the coast about an 1/8 of a mile, my scangauge showed I was getting over 70mpg while the engine was warming up and also charging the HV battery. I was able to return home a great deal of the distance in EV. I drive like this during all warm ups and throughout my day.

Hope this helps.

Chris,

Running the math I'm seeing that it could be the sand driving you're doing. If you only got 5 mpg on sand, it would only bring your average down to about 24 mpg (assuming 30 mpg on pavement).

This coupled with short trips with a lot of stop-and-go plus A/C or defogger could bring you down to around 20 mpg.

Try to run about 100 miles only on the road and see what your mpg is. A scangauge might help you identify your sand mpg for real.

Some of the people posting are getting low mileage. I notice many of those posts are in December. Is it cold where you live? ALL cars get worse mileage when it is cold, part of the physics of internal combustion engines. My friend with a Prius gets 30 MPG or less in the winter, 40+ in the summer.

Hi Peter H

If you don't have the Nav display, you might want to buy a scangauge for $129 that plugs in above the brake pedal and sit on the dash. It can scan for trouble codes and reset warning lights. It give you so many gauges (can read 4 at a time) like instant MPG, engine load, coolant temp and manifold presure. See scangauge.com for details. My driving is extreme city and I have got over 58mpg on 23 mile round trips with my FWD FEH.

The Charge/Assist gauge gives more info than most think. When you let off the gas pedal, not only does the RPM drop, but you get a big regen charge to the HV battery (I call this the Fake Shift). You can pump up the battery accelerating very slowly (300-400rpm's higher or between 1,100 and 1,800 max) in about 1 mile at 30mph. Anytime you see the assist needle move with the ICE ON, you are at MAX LOAD (99%) of the ICE at that RPM. I try to stay under 90% load while accelerating but 70-80% load is where I try to accelerate. The AWD will have a harder time I would think to maintain these % loads.

The double tap to go EV works fine for me in Drive ("D") under 40mph, but if the HV battery is in an Overcharge State, I shift to Neutral ("N") and tap till it goes EV. The other way to go EV at or under 40mph is to shift to "L" at 43mph and let off the gas. "L" will cause EV under 40mph unless there is an overcharged battery. "L" is not a gear, it is the regen braking of the traction motor with no brake pad friction. Instead of trying to increase EV speed to the max from a stand, go EV below 40mph and coast to 30-35mph and stay EV with tire pressure at 44psi. Try this: Set your Cruise at 30mph, increase speed to 43mph and shift to "L", let off the gas pedal. At 40mph you will see the tach start to drop and then shift back to "D". Coast down to the preset cruise in EV and the FEH should gently stay at 30mph in EV. My FWD FEH can be set between 30-37mph on flat roads.

Always keep RPM's below 2,000 RPM's if posible by using the fake shift method. This will help set the eCVT in an overdrive mode. To charge the HV battery, keep the RPM's as low as posible and use the fake shifts. After you let off the gas pedal and RPM's drop to around 1,100, slowly in crease RPM's to around 1,800 and let off again. You can pump up the battery (soc) from the bottom to the top in a little over a mile at 25-40mph.

As far as coasting, you can chop as much as 38% less drag on the powertain by shifting to "N" in EV or ICE ON. There will be no regen in "N" but with the ICE ON, you will get regular generator charging. Gliding in "N" is safe because there is no torque converter.

Many of my FEH question were answered in the patents, Helms Shop Manuals and FEH articles I've bookmarked. Any more question just ask?

GaryG

What about tire pressure? Gary has written about using 44 psi in his 2WD. The placard on the door of my 4WD says 35psi. Anyone running above spec have any comments on performance, tire wear, traction on or off rd? I plan to bump mine from 34 to 38 cold and see what this does if anything.
Anybody running other than stock tires?

Donna, it sounds like you have good driving skills from the highway mileage you get. Short trips are a killer on mpg period. What I do on short trips with the engine cold, is pulse (get above speed limit slowly) and glide in neutral to a reasonable speed and repeat. If you are getting 10-18mpg warming up, your coast may get you 50mpg for the same distance. The average will come out better and you charge the HV battery with the generator. The warm up is the worst part for FE.

Donna, placing the shifter in "N" is what I meant. This takes the load off the gear set and you can coast 38% further than in "D" with the ICE at idle or up to 1,500 RPM's when the battery needs a charge by the generator. Keep your stock tires at 44psi. This is all safe in the FEH, but other cars with a torque converter should not do it. The manual states that the FEH can be towed up to 75MPH in neutral with all four wheels on the road. This makes the FEH a good vehicle for motor homes that pull a smaller vehicle behind them.

Hi Chad:

You can't go by the gas you add to the tank. The tank in the FEH is so screwed up that you can forget about a MPG reading period. After going 21,000 miles, every reading is so screwed up you will never know your MPG.
Get a scangauge and you will find this out with the fuel burned reading much better. After comparing the scangauge with the Nav computer, they read much the same. Go to http://scangauge.com/ and get yourself a $130 gauge that plug in near your brake pedal that will be the best investment you will ever make.

Forget about charging your battery with a plug in charger. If you learn the fake shift in "L", you may hit the kind of mileage I'm getting (50 -55mpg city tank) in my FWD FEH.

GaryG

R&S, go to http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/hybrid_ford_escape/
and ask GPSman1 if he would check out you FEH. John is a high MPG person like myself and lives near Denver. It would not take him or me 5 minutes driving your FEH to find if there is a problem or not. He may fix it right there with a suggestion or help you with Ford if it's a software or mechnical problem. You will have to join the group, but it's safe.

I can't believe the poor mileage figures that people are getting. I have a FWD version w/ less than 500 miles on it and I would need to make a concerted effort to get less than 35mpg out of it.

Have you tried re-setting the average MPG calculation? Basically, scroll to the MPG figure and then hold in the SET button. Onde I did this, the average moved out of the 20's and into the mide 30s. My first fill-up confirmed that the figure in the average MPG display was way too conservative and that I was rally getting mileage in the mid 30s.

I am looking forward to getting even better mileage as the computer adapts the power management and I master the car.

One trick is "bump and run" -- Once you are warmed up, on flat stretches or slight downhills, accelerate to 40 relatively quickly, then tap the brakes to turn off the IC. You'll recover the energy from the jack-rabbit start when you brake again. Slow acceleration is not necessarily a benefit, so don't expect to be rewarded for it.

On steep hills with low speed limits, ride the brakes to keep the car just under 40. That will keep the IC off and charge the battery up at the same time. The higher the charge in the battery, the more of an assist you'll get from the electric motors later on.

Avoid short trips. You just can't eke out good mileage until the car is warmed up a bit.

Hi All,

I've been having a blast w my 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid.

Recently I read an article about a Honda Civic Hybrid owner who was getting approx. 50+ mpg. I took some of his tips and am now getting approx. 35-36mpg!

I'm driving in Orange County California. And what I noticed helps the most is using the cruise control on flat local roads. Instead of getting approx. 30-33mpg, I'm getting around 35mpg by setting it to 45mph.

On the freeways it is MUCH better to use your foot and drive approx. 65mph.

My current tank is going to get about 430 miles before the 50m low fuel warning comes on.

This is my third tank this way.

Cheers!
-Ben

I want an SUV because I don't care for small uncomfortable cars, but I am not comfortable buying a gas hog. After a little on-line research, the Escape is the most appealing SUV hybrid to me, however, I am not sure a hybrid is the answer for me.

I live outside a small city, and for shopping and errands, I drive a winding, semi-hilly road about 15 miles, ranging from 30-55 mph. I will also travel a 200 mile round-trip about once every two weeks at 60-70 mph highway with few stops. Not much of my driving will be in the city among slower traffic.

Is the FEH the right car for me?

Thanks for any opinions.

Hi:

I am new to this world, but enjoying it. This site has been great in the advice. I picked my fwd feh a week ago and did ok with my first tank getting 29.2 on ave.

I started out making lots of errors in driving. I have now had 15 minutes here and there of 45 - 55 mpg on flats and down hill strecthes. The highway driving on the PA TP around Philly has yeilded consistant 33+ mpg using cruise control set at 68. Very cool.

Where I at issue is how to handle all little and big hills and pushy stop and go traffic. I am not getting good milage 27-28 in that environment. Any suggestions?

For anyone new. Keys I have found.

1) Cruise control
2) Coasting
3) the double/triple tap on brake to turn off ICE.
4) This Blog for tips.

Please give me some ideas.

In flat central florida, my FWD Escape Hybrid is getting between 30 and 31 very consistantly in both city and highway since sept 05.

I've played 'stay electric' in the city and draft games on the highway to get to 34, but for short times.

Sad to see people reporting mid 20's. The only time i've seen that low was a fast (75) interstate trip against wind.

My previous was an Expedition, and I felt increasingly guilty with each fill. I've been a loyal Ford buyer and I have a setter (http://inters.com/fewinston.jpg) so for me it was a pretty easy decision. So far I love the car. But I'd love to see a F hybrid sedan soon, and plugin would be even better. Anyway, I love the Escape. MPG dead on my expectations considering all estimates are inflated.

I think the talking gps nav system has saved me plenty of gas a well :)

I just got my '06 Escape Hybrid today and am excited to drive and add my experiences...and to read all that is here...there is certainly a lot of info...mixed results...I hope mine is one of the efficient ones! :-)

I have an off-topic question: I noticed the oil change intervals are every 10K miles. Is everybody following this schedule or changing earlier?

Did anybody get a tow package standard on their HEV? My dealer didn't know anything about one and put on an aftermarket 2" reciever after I specified 5 times 1-1/4"...they say the 1-1/4" is not available and that Ford offers no towing package for these...I find that hard to believe since they specify a towing limit. I just want it for hitch-mount bike rack. It seemed that I knew more about the car than anyone at the dealership...something I noticed earlier on in this post...rather dissapointing.

I get around 25.3-25.4 MPG, as stated on the console. I also get an average of 280-300 Miles per Tank when the "Low Fuel" indicatore rings on.

I have over 6,000 miles and I can't seem to go beyond these numbers. I've tried many of the driving methods on this website to no avail. I'm not at all a lead foot and bare with the cars honking me as they pass me bye. It takes me an awfully long time to speed up the electric motor to 30 mph. Too much pressure on the gas and the gas engine kicks in.

I live in LA and I drive daily the same route from flatland hollywood up Cahuenga blvd to Barham and then over the Hollywood Hills to get to Burbank. It's not a steep ascent and they are only hills, so I would expect I should get at least 28 mpg, especially since I will be rolling down on the other side of the hills.

I also get better gas mileage on the hwy compared to local driving. Go figure. Seems strange to me.

I was wondering if anyone has noticed the following while driving their Escape Hybrid:

Gas Engine kicks in over 1,000 RPM's. I would think that 2,000 RPMs would be more effective, since under 1,000 RPM's provides very little power to get to speed.

When accelerating onto the highway, the Gas Engine rev's quickly to 4,000 RPM quite often and is noisey overall. This never happened with my prievious SUV and neither with my girfriends honda civic. My last SUV would rev to 2,500 (3,000 max) while picking up speed.

Why is this engine reving up to 4,000 RPMS to maintain the same speed?

Anyone have similiar problems?

Hi Haskell

The Atkinson 5 cycle has limited torque at low RPM’s. The best way to accelerate is at 1800rpm’s and 2300-2500rpm’s. This means hold those RPM’s till you reach your speed. There are pockets in the RPM range that are like spinning a clutch and just waste gas. The worst RPM areas are between 1900-2200 and 3000-3500rpm’s, try to keep the FEH out of those ranges.

The generator turns the engine to start at a little over 1,000rpm’s, why would you want to jump to 2000rpm’s? If you want to save gas, your going to have to back off the gas pedal. Every RPM is filling the four combustion chambers with a fuel mixture, which means at 100rpm’s, you have filled the cylinders 400 times with a fuel mixture. If your hitting 4,000rpm’s, your wasting a lot of gas. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you need the power, but you can do without it most of the time.

The assist/charge gauge on your dash can let you know when you are at 100% of the load or max power of the engine. Even though the throttle is not wide open like you use to have when you floored a vehicle, you are at the maximum output of your engine. Ford has set up the FEH so that at maximum load, the electric motors assist the engine. If you are getting the assist needle to move to the assist area of the gauge, you have exceeded the max load of the engine. If you drive at or near max load, you are getting the worst mpg of the FEH at that speed and RPM. The lower the load, the best mpg can be had.

There is so much to learn about the FEH to improve your MPG. You can choose how you want to drive for FE, it’s your gas money. I have decided to learn all of the gas saving techniques, and use them whenever possible. Many AWD owners are reporting near 40mpg tanks now. My FWD FEH is getting better than 45mpg tanks and I have been able to push over 70mpg on a 20 mile round trip. The FEH has a strong EV mode compared to other hybrids. This is why I choose to use EV as much as possible by choosing my routes wisely.

I live in Las Vegas i have a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid 4X4 it was used i bought from a toyota dealership December of 2006 with only about 7,000 miles on it. It was shipped there for the guy from Missouri and he got rid of it because he was going threw a divorce and he didn't want his wife getting it. Anyways our little on dash mileage was displaying 410 to 420 Miles to the tank when we were 1st driving it. Now its summer time and we drive with the A/C on all the way up "RED" and were only getting 312 to the tank. I know i takes a toll on the gas doing that, but when you fill up at a station before you start your A/C again it should display a higher gas mileage, no? Also i know when buying a new car MPG drops after its i.e. "Broken In" but it was bought used, so i wouldn't think that would be a factor here. I have tried tank cleaner, and octane boost i think. I keep my oil changes up to date and I do my own tune ups, any ideas? Nothing seems to help. I'll have to wait till it gets cooler when i start turning off the A/C to see if there is a real problem. Thanks. Willson.

Thank you for the reply, i do use 87 octane and i try togo to AMPM because the tank says recommend BP gas and there a byproduct of BP i guess. Thanks for the info about the SG ill have to check that out.:)

I have both the Nav Sys and SG11 and the SG11 gives me much more detailed information to improve my mileage. At the MPG Challenge at Hybridfest, my Nav system maxed out at 60mpg on the 26 mile course. I came in first place for that event in our vehicle class, so my numbers are a little higher than most drivers.

It has been in the 90's in So. FL. where I live this summer, and I filled up my tank today. The Nav sys 15 minute average number in the white line is not for 15 minutes, the graph across the screen is 15 minutes. The MPG average on the navi drops data and cannot give you an entire tank average, the SG can. The factory trip OD gauge always reads higher than the SG because I never increase the percentage of speed to match the dash trip. Here are the readings:

Navi - 58.6mpg average. Note this system is not complete data for the tank.

Dash Trip - 649.5 miles

Scangauge Tank Readings

44.9mpg tank average

22mph average speed

1.6 hours to empty

27.8 hours driving

35.9 Miles To empty

638 miles SG trip gauge

.8 gallons to empty

14.2 gallons used

Gas Pump - 14.108 gallons, $2.789 a gallon, Fuel cost $39.35.

Calculated MPG - Dash trip OD 649.5 divided by 14.108 = 46.037mpg tank average. Now, at 0 miles to empty my dash trip OD read 615.6 miles. At 0 miles to empty, you have 1.3 gallon left. This means I filled up over the 15 gallon tank size at the last fill-up and again today by about the same.

The many trip data, instant MPG, all the other gauges and the scan tool make a great addition to leaning how to drive.

GaryG

Hi Billy

Yes, it's me who does the side bump because I know the shape of the gas tank by the drawings in the manual. The up and down rock thing doesn't seem to help much. I was lucky that time I posted I got all that much gas to fill the vapor space though. Must have bumped it just at the right time of the gas level in the tank that time.

I looked back at the numbers again from my last post because I remember looking at the remaining fuel on the SG11 tank reading when I hit the dong at 0 miles to empty. The reason I remember it was the SG11 showed exactly 13.7 gallons used and 1.3 gallons remaining. This means I had 15 gallons exactly at my last fill-up and didn't over fill. This brings up your point why we always don't normally get 15 gallons in the tank. I do the bump thing by habit every time I fill up, and I also fill to the top of the neck. Don't get me wrong, I have been on a slope at this one station and I filled-up putting over 15 gallons in many times.

This tank reading is a good example to calculate the percentage the SG11 is off from the factory trip OD. Every fill-up, the mileage on the SG1 and the SG11 was lower than the dash OD by a percentage. It appears one of the gauges is wrong. Ron Delong has told me in the past it was because of how the SG rounds its numbers off from the metric scale to standard scale. If you take the dash OD at 649.5 and the SG11 at 638 miles, this means we must increase the percentage of speed on the SG by 1.7%. Does everyone agree?
Has anyone made any adjustments to speed? If your filling up at 350-450 miles into the tank, you may only see 4-5 miles off between the SG and the factory trip OD, but you start to see larger numbers with more miles. Check the 1.7% number out with your reading and let us know. If we make the adjustment on the SG, our true mileage could be a little better than we thought.

GaryG

Thanks Billy

When you reset the tank data at fill-up, the SG11 starts to count down as you drive from the tank size amount you gave it when you set-up the SG. For instance, the SG ask for you to set the gallons of your tank. My SG is set for 15 gallons, so if I add only 12 gallons and reset the tank to zero, it will start counting down from the 15 gallons again. Whenever you check gallons used on the SG, it will show that amount (say 4.2 gal) and the remaining figure of gallons will always add up to 15 gallons (which will be 10.8 gal). The tank average MPG will be from the time you reset it and does not give you the real amount of gas you have left. If you overfill or under fill the tank, it does not matter to the SG because when you reset the tank data, the SG assumes a full tank at 15 gallons and begins a new tank average.

The FEH has many more sensors that the SG doesn't use to determine the remaining gas in the tank. I use the gas gauge, MTE reading, the point of the gong at 0 MTE and where my MTE was when I filled up. From this I can determine if I had a low or high fill at the pump. At the gong at 0 MTE, I know I have at least 1.3 gallons left to get gas. There could be as much as 1.5 gallons left, but I will never run out of gas to find out unless I see the need with bad gas again.

GaryG

Hi
I've been thinking of getting the 4wd hybrid escape for Reno driving but read that in icy/snowy conditions it's not that good. I see you live in Utah, and was wondering about your experiences. Can you advise?
Thanks
Galen

The Escape Hybrid is known for great winter traction. Going thru snow--in a safe manner--is no problem. No one should drive on iced over road conditions as it is not safe.

Just received a 2008 iAWD Hybrid 2 weeks ago. NJ hilly suburbs to New York City commute. Averaging 27 MPG so far. Mix of highway and complete dead stop traffic. Very happy so far. My CRV got only 22MPG or less under these conditions. I am not too interested in changing the way I drive. If I drive the same as I always do and get 27 I am thrilled. I can do a whole week on 1/2 tank. My CRV- a whole week 3/4 tank- it makes a difference. Yesterday went through the entire Lincoln tunnel on battery power alone. Very nice. Also- a GREAT looking car. Drives way better than I thought it would (did not test drive one so bought it on faith).

I am a Minnesotan, I have been seriously considering the Ford Escape Hybrid and have tirelessly looked online for a site that could explain to me how people are liking this vehicle. I am very excited about this site as I can read about all the experiences people are having. I currently am a mini van driver and receive 19-22 mpg so anything above that will make me happy. My concern was winter driving and how it will do cuz its MN and winter is almost all year lol and how it handles with the wind. I love my mini van but with the kids moving out I can be picky now.

Thanks everyone for their comments, I am excited about test driving.

I have parents that live in Northern Wisconsin and the FEH had no trouble handling winter. You want to make sure you get an engine block heater with your vehicle. It significantly shortens your warmup time. The colder weather will drop your mileage for a variety of reasons including that cold air is denser than warm air and the computer system injects more fuel because of it. If you want to maximize fuel efficiency, then you want to go with the FWD. Tires make a difference and the stock Continental EcoPlus tires are not the best for winter conditions. I ran the Goodyear Triple Treads during the winter and was very happy with it.

The Escape Hybrid is known for great winter traction. Going thru snow--in a safe manner--is no problem. No one should drive on iced over road conditions as it is not safe.

see more http://car-user.blogspot.com

I have to agree, There are many things we don't know about the guy in Mass, he could be a heavy footer or the enigne had not broken in yet, or he could have falsified his report.

I did want to point out www.fueleconomy.gov, its a great learning site and that you will lose MPG in the winter, its a matter of fact. 22MPG is way better than my 16 and in the summer that number is going to go up. Mine has already hit 18MPG, I expect 19 in a few months, but then the airconditioner will keep it all in check.

You want PHEV? Go to Hybrid-Plus out of Boulder, Colorado and for a mere $36,000 they will convert you FEH to a PHEV. Look on the internet for this company.

I now have 3000 mile on my 2008 AWD HEV Escape. The first five tanks of gas have returned, in order, 31.8, 31.8, 31.5, 32.6, and 31.8 mpg. My mileage is about 50% commuting, and rest for pleasure. Pleasure drives include mostly backcountry roads (mountains, desert; getting there and back) and driving the beaches of Southern California. Clearly, style of driving makes all the difference in mileage; commuting is worse, getting about 28-30 mpg, and, casual slow and go is much better, about 35 mpg. One drive on coastal routes, which did not include the freeways, from Santa Barbara to San Clemente (all day, with about hourly stops) returned 40+ mpg, for 226 miles under ideal conditions; that is, no A/C and windows open, and no hurray to do more than just have fun.

The colder weather during winter will drop your fuel mileage. Use an engine block heater (should be standard equipment on vehicles sold in your area) and front grille block to help cope with this. I would install different winter tires for the vehicle (I personally use Goodyear Triple Treads--Nokian WR are highly valued also). There are advantages for AWD in your location.
You might obtain a Mercury Mariner Hybrid sooner than the Ford Escape Hybrid due to a lesser number of these vehicles produced at the only plant which is located in Kansas City, Missouri area.

Hey all,

I recently bought a 2005 FEH (25K miles), and have logged only 25's for gas mileage in 4 tanks thus far. I have started to integrate the tips listed here, but suffer from several issues:

rolling hills where I live (Hawaii)
Slight grades in straight aways (bad for staying electric)
slight dieseling when engine kicks on
Reluctace of engine to accelerate in electric.

Now, I talked to the previous owner, who said he "drove it like a normal car" and "didn't really look at the charge bar or the MPG indicator". Is it possible that the computer "adapted" to his driving style, and that is effecting my efforts to push past 26-27 MPG? IF so, has anyone had their compter reset by a dealer? (is it even possible?)

Thanks! -Scott

Thanks for the input. The dealer that looked at it said it is not actual dieseling, just the engine turning on and off... I guess it's normal to start sluggish?

I always keep the AC in Air/Swamp cooler mode (meaning in HI, when the combustion turns off, the humidity in the car goes up.)

The hills are a blessing and a curse. Some I can get good coasting on, but the ups and downs mean that a 45-55 mph road I drive daily sucks gas in either manual or cruise control mode. very hard to use the turbo boost method as well, as the traffic is usually pretty thick and steady at about 50 mph.

Finally, what are your thoughts on cruise control? sometimes it seems I get worse milage after putting it in cruise for awhile... Especially on the highway (60-70 mph range)

Biggest Gas culprit is it being AWD. I would NOT reccamend anyone to buy a FEH AWD unless you have a GREAT need for the 4wd. The gas cut makes it not worth it. (roughly 2-3 MPG.)

mdensch, I found the rolling hills at the MPG Challenge was better for gas mileage than my flat roads here in So Florida. When I was told that Debbie Katz's '05 FWD FEH that I drove was filled with E-10 (ethanol) during that competition, this really made me feel that I'm at a big disadvantage without hills in Florida. The strategy of climbing hills at low RPM's (2,000 - 2,400) and in EV in the '05 got me 61.8mpg in that 26 mile course in Madison WI. I couldn't come close to that mileage with E-10 on my flat roads.

You are right and I agree the average driver that lets RPM's run away while climbing hills will do worst with MPG. Coasting in neutral is the other key to gain speed on the downhill. I also use "L" to stay under 40mph and prevent kicking on the engine. The extra regen to recharge the battery is also good with using "L".

My '09 FEH is much better at climbing large bridges than my '05 FEH. The added power allows faster climbing speeds at lower more controllable RPM's.

Looks like you've met the gang mdensch! I finally met them all at Hybridfest '07. Debbie road with me in the MPG Challenge and thought it was strange how I climbed hills in EV as much as possible. Your AWD most likely has to much drag, but I climb some pretty steep bridges at 25mph in EV in my '05 FEH. I always gain a little MPG after the bridges here.

Wayne Gerdes came to Florida and we met up to compare techniques and he made a comment about my conditions here in Florida. What it amounts to is the heat and flat roads leave many hypermiling techniques off the table and I've had learn to overcome other ways to improve MPG. For instance E-10 is much worst on flat roads because there are no hills for coasting. Here I've learned to be a master at coasting, so when I get in hills I'm in heaven. Debbie looked at me after her and said "You Coasted The Entire Challenge!"

Hey Cougar,

Now that you've had a taste of the kool-aid, it's going to be hard to stop hypermiling when you get behind the wheel. I once had the need for speed, but I have all new habits since I bought my '05 FEH. It's still hard when I look at one of those new GT 500s and want to take it through the gears like I did with my '67 GT 500 so many times.

I don't like holding traffic back when people can't go around me so I plan my routes accordingly. The '09 FEHL allows higher and stronger speeds in EV, so I've changed many of those routes to get where I want in must less time than I did in my '05 FEH. The '09 FEH is a challenge for me to drive still because what worked in the '05 doesn't work in the '09 and it's getting hard to go from one FEH to the other now.

It's hard not to get outstanding mileage in the '09 verses the '05 FEH, even though it's no where near what it can get after break-in. My '05 coast much better than the '09, but I know that will change after about 15,000 miles where I peaked in my '05 after break-in.

I find there are so many conditions to adjust to that the same technique doesn't work the same in all conditions. Heat, cold, wind, and traffic change all during the day and week and that has an effect on speed I drive for the best FE. I take a headwind slower and a tailwind faster generally speaking, but the '09 has a much stronger EV mode and a much stronger gas mode at lower RPM's. There is much to play with in the '09 and things will change as break-in occurs. There is no question the EPA rating of 34mpg City was under estimated. I can get my average above that starting with a cold morning start with a very low SoC within a mile and a half from my home. The '09 also heats up much quicker and goes EV faster from a cold start than my '05 FEH.

Things will change as the '09 gets broke-in Cougar. You may find your '09 can climb steep hills at 40mph in EV and stay in EV on the coast downhill while using "D" and the brake for regen to recharge the HV battery. The sky is the limit in rolling hills with this new '09 FEH. Someone should hit close to 90mpg or even better at the '09 MPG Challenge next year in the '09 FWD FEH.

OK, been experimenting with L gear. Uphill the first part of my commute seems to be working better with less gas usage. I have been using the D gear for flat/highway, and L for any hills and or <40 zones.

I am concerned about the non-stock tires effecting my MPG.

From a previous post:
>As far as the Eco Plus tires, yes they have great rolling resistance.
>After just replacing one because of side wall damage, I found >you must go through a Ford dealership to get them. Retail cost >was $95 and it took a week or longer to get it.

I switched the tires almost immediately after buying my FEH with my tires on my 02 escape (they had less than 5K on them, the 05 FEH had 25K on them, so I thought it made sense)

Has anybody experienced or read any tangible evidence that using other than the "eco plus" tires will make a signifigant difference on gas milage?

scott

It sounds like you are mastering the skills.It is nice to hear about the mileage and the ride.Can you give a more detailed study of that if possible.

My Goodyear Triple Tread tires do not have knobs or aggressive off-road tread. These triple treads are "all-seaon" tires. I use them because they offer much better road traction during winter conditions than the stock Eco-Plus tires. They are the most likely reason for decreased winter mileage. The other is the cold air which is denser and thus cause more fuel to be sent into the engine.

As for driving and fuel efficiency, read up on what GaryG posts. Almost all of it can be utilized by the rest of us.

Scott, Ford recommends 87 octane in all FEH/MMH models. I've put Premium in my tank by accident and got at least a 3mpg reduction on the tank. Premium fuel burns slower and is needed in higher compression engines to prevent pre-ignition. For the best mileage in the FEH/MMH, use straight 87 octane without ethanol if you can find it. E-10 (10% ethanol) will reduce our mileage up to 15%.

Gary,

Did some more research... 85% of gas sold in Hawaii is required to contain E-10. There are several marina/airport locations that sell Ethanol free gas... Question is, is it worth it to buy? I have a feeling the Octane will also be higher.

There may be some Aloha Stations that sell Ethanol-free gas... will have to check around for one of these locations. If anyone knows of a station on Oahu, please let me know.

Gary,

Thanks for the in depth info. I'll def be on the prowl for an E-10 free gas source. I'm wondering if the Premium is helping to offset the effects of E-10 and that is one of the reasons I am seeing a 2-3 MPG boost in milage? I'm sure the synthetic oil helps, but I'm wondering if this PCM has adjusted to the premium blend and is better tuned to use it than the 87 E-10 it was getting.

Finally, I get a "Groaning" sound in my back end when I take turns. it does not sound at all like a fan, which I think I've heard, and is a much lighter sound than what I am hearing.

Will the regenerative brakes ever make any kinds of noises? Shorcks and struts perhaps? Should I be concerned and bring it to the dealer?

Hi Scott

I found this link:

"Two marinas, both on Oahu, already are buying ethanol-free gasoline from Aloha Petroleum, and at least three others intend to when their tanks are prepared."
http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2007/03/12/daily9.html?from_r...

Good Luck

I have a comment for anyone looking at possibly purchasing the Ford Escape Hybrid. I purchased my previously owned 2006 AWD model in April 2008. I have to say the AWD is great in the snow. I live in Washington State and it never has slipped in the snow. I have been very impressed with its capabilities. In regards to the mileage, in the winter we are averaging only around 25-27 with mostly short trips. The longer trips even in the winter will bring the mileage up to around 29-30. This past summer we averaged 30-34 on mixed highway and around town driving. I actually believe the vehicle does better on the highway. The mileage seems to constantly improve. The only thing I wish could be improved is adding plug in capability with a larger battery pack. I am a very happy owner and this was my first Ford to own. The quality is outstanding. Anyone know of any companies that do modifications? Change SOC, add additional batteries with charger, etc. I want a plug-in hybrid!!