50+mpg trips

[RachelnLa]

Just noticed that gas went up 30 cents over night here in Ohio. It was 3.32 yesterday and is 3.65 now. Someone must have farted in a oil refinery last night so they had to raise the price. Sure glad everyone here has a C Max. It makes this crap a little easier to deal with.

Hahaha. I guess ours will start rising too.

[Recumpence]

I had a trip yesterday that was 45miles at 60.9mpg.

 

Matt

[Recumpence]

Here is my last two days of driving.  :)

 

The mileage is climbing with the warm weather and my ability to read the road and the car and adapt accordingly.

 

Oh, this is without any mods what-so-ever. I do not even run a grille block anymore.

 

Matt

[jmckinley]

213 miles in 9 hours, 23 minutes at 50 mpg.

 

That's a 22 mph average speed.

[Recumpence]

No, it isn't. That time reflects sitting with the car activated. I do alot of paperwork in my car with the radio going and my phone charging.

 

I think it is annoying that the time keeps counting down even when you are sitting. My bicycle speedometer does not do that.......

 

My average speed is 33mph. Still not highway speed, but typical in-town driving.

 

Matt

 

Oh, and it is 56mpg.   :)

Edited April 29, 2013 by Recumpence

[grggwlkr]

The hybrid gods were smiling down on me today. Perfect conditions for this car. Dry,  calm , and 60's to 70's for temps. 

 

 

First picture is the drive to work. Second picture is the drive home. Had to drive around a little to get this!!!

 

My life is now complete.

[fotomoto]

The hybrid gods were smiling down on me today. Perfect conditions for this car. Dry,  calm , and 60's to 70's for temps. 

 

Heresy!  Burn the witch, burn her!  Everyone knows you can only get 50+ mpg on gamed short trips!   :drool:

 

Seriously, nice driving.  :worship:    :rockon:

[oxnard]

No photo (not really worth it)  drove 7.5 mi.  got 51.4 mpg.  was surprised!  Overall this tank getting 44.3 mpg.  Lifetime now 40.0 mpg 

[BigRed]

This is at the tail end of my crappy MPG tank from a road trip last weekend (cold temps, freeway with lots of hills, I doubt I will brake 500mi on this tank), but was surprised with a warm drive on the way to work today.

 

 

Route taken is here:

http://76.191.127.130/Stuff/RoutetoWork.png

 

I take about a 3-4mpg hit on the way home. Mainly cause there is far more traffic and more stupid people. I get far less regen cause I have to hit the brakes more due to douchebags. Not much elevation increase. Maybe 100ft?

[HannahWCU]

My regular drive home yesterday.  Note, this was mostly (90%) highway at 60-65mph as opposed to my previous posting where I took a rural route to keep my speeds in the 45-55mph range.

 

[SnowStorm]

My better half has done me better - she has best "trip" so far.  60.0 mpg!  :wub2:  Home from the store.  Our little two-door Tercel from years ago would only do 40.  Short trips?  Who cares.  Numbers like this are sure fun!

 

[rmcmast]

Here is my best trip after stopping at the store on the way home from work. This was the last 14.2 mile leg of a 62.5mpg 33 mile trip home earlier in the week (before winter retuned to Kansas City). This was mostly 2 lane rural highway. On the round trip to and back from work that day I ended up with 56.3mpg over 63.7 miles.

 

Sorry about the image size. I need to figure out how to get them smaller. This is an shot taken with my iPhone 5.

 

EDIT: Fixed size to Medium:

 

Edited May 4, 2013 by rmcmast

[plus 3 golfer]

Guys, you do know you can post smaller sizes than large simply by selecting options under the photo in the gallery or right clicking on the photo:  thumbnail, small, medium, and large?  Medium usually works best.  If you're in photobucket or other pic host, there will be editing options to re-size (I usually re-size to 600 X...) to get the equivalent of about the size of the medium image shown below.

 

Here's medium for the above:

 

Here's small:

 

 

Edited May 3, 2013 by Plus 3 Golfer

[Jus-A-CMax]

What if we like it BIGGER Plus 3? Huh...huh...huh?

 

:runaway:

[plus 3 golfer]

What if we like it BIGGER Plus 3? Huh...huh...huh?

 

:runaway:

:nonono:  although it does depend on what "it" refers to.  Are you referring to AT&T? :headscratch: or something else?

 

Sometimes, Bigger is not better despite what the kids say (what do they know anyways).  

 

How about, Bigger "pics" is better if one beats all previous records  :rockon:  and Bigger always trumps posting  :censored: thumbnails. :) 

[MacGyver]

Yesterday I drove 200 miles at 70 mph and got 34 mpg.  My Chrysler minivan on the same road at the same speed gets 27 mpg. And it's a lot roomier!

 

It was 70 degrees, the car was not loaded, it has over 6,000 miles and I was not running the 

A/C.

 

I am not impressed.  Don't tell me to drive slower-- It's dangerous on I-75.  If I wanted to impede traffic, there are any number of cars that when driven slowly get good mileage and cost a heck of a lot less than the C-Max.

 

And, by the way, the GPS decided there was no SD card exactly when I really needed it.  Had to pull the card and reinsert and wait for reboot.  Yes, I've had the 13-3-11 TSB done.  I won't even get into the GPS' annoying habit of calling freeway exits "Slight Right Turn" and announcing them at the last possible moment or sometimes after you've passed the exit.

 

Speaking of not impressed, I am not impressed by all the posted short trips with huge MPG's.  There's a big hill outside of town and I can coast down it and get 90 mpg or I can drive on a flat road at 30 mph and get big numbers, but so what! I'd be interested in seeing some trip times to go with those big numbers so we can see what these guys are really up to.

 

 

Well, the 5 cents you're saving by buying gas with 10% alcohol in it is not worth it because it's impacting your mpg by about 10%.

 

If you would have gotten 60mpg, that's 6mpg(!) 50mpg=5mpg lost, 40mpg=4mpg lost so 36mpg, which I can understand why you're underwhelmed with that.

 

If only gasahol is what is available in your area, I'm sympathetic, but just understand that that alcohol is lowering your max mpg by the same percentage as it is mixed into the gas. And that might be 9%, or 10% or even 11%. If you can, try a tank without gasahol, you should get 10% better mpg just from that.

 

And like you, initially I had some wrong assumptions about the most efficient "hybrid driving style" which don't apply to the C-max that I had to discover. Namely, better mpg at 60-65mph=40-50mpg (yes really) than 55-60mph=30-35mpg.

 

I also read an interview of a Ford engineer saying you need to drive a little faster than you would think to better charge the battery. Not stomping the gas, but the C-max is designed for American driving styles, i.e., FASTER, not so grandmotherly like a prius. Also, the quick liftoff the gas pedal to return to EV once you reach the speed limit is a biggie.

 

Also, looking at how little you got on any given trip is kind of a glass half empty attitude- I like to focus on how all-around fantastic the C-max is; performance, ride quality, quietness, etc.

 

I once got 70mpg REAL in traffic, so much stop and go EV/recapturing all the energy spent, and that's what I like to focus on, that that is how efficient the C-max can be. If you focus on how little mpgs you get when flooring it, or fail to take into account that time spent doing paperwork with the A/C on can lower lifetime mpg by 2,3,4,even 5mpg, of course you're going to be unhappy.

 

I just think that's an unrealistic way to look at it.

 

As for Ford using the EPA numbers, that may have been the least bad of several bad options- if all the other car companies are using the EPAs numbers, where does that leave Ford in marketing their car? 

 

And as someone who travels different routes all the time, I sometimes get 50-60mpg trips, and some much less. So I don't think the 47 is inaccurate, but there are a LOT of factors that are going to affect whether you get 47 or more or less or whatever.

[salsaguy]

how do you get your real/true avg mph if the display doesnt accurately count actual drive time?

avg mph is critical to show %city/hwy ratio for reporting on fuelly.comcom

 

No, it isn't. That time reflects sitting with the car activated. I do alot of paperwork in my car with the radio going and my phone charging.

 

I think it is annoying that the time keeps counting down even when you are sitting. My bicycle speedometer does not do that.......

 

My average speed is 33mph. Still not highway speed, but typical in-town driving.

 

Matt

 

Oh, and it is 56mpg.   :)

Edited May 6, 2013 by salsaguy

[plus 3 golfer]

 Delete

Edited May 7, 2013 by Plus 3 Golfer

[viajero]

Well, the 5 cents you're saving by buying gas with 10% alcohol in it is not worth it because it's impacting your mpg by about 10%.

 

If you would have gotten 60mpg, that's 6mpg(!) 50mpg=5mpg lost, 40mpg=4mpg lost so 36mpg, which I can understand why you're underwhelmed with that.

 

If only gasahol is what is available in your area, I'm sympathetic, but just understand that that alcohol is lowering your max mpg by the same percentage as it is mixed into the gas. And that might be 9%, or 10% or even 11%. If you can, try a tank without gasahol, you should get 10% better mpg just from that.

 

This is incorrect.  Ethanol has 33% less energy per gallon as does gasoline, so if you have 10% ethanol, you will have 3.3% less energy, and get between 3-4% worse fuel economy.

 

http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=27&t=4

 

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ethanol.shtml

[Recumpence]

I just had my best full day of driving yet. I went 135 miles at an average of 59.1mpg    :)

 

I think I have this car figured out!

 

Matt

[Jus-A-CMax]

Matt, that is freaking amazing, wish I had your terrain there. Good stuff :)

 

I had a small run today, 24 miles (13.8EV) at 54.3MPG and then coming back, it was 24.1 miles (12.9EV) at 52.1 MPG, for an average of 53.2MPG. 70% 118/210 Freeway, temps were a wet and cooler 60F (or thereabouts) and up and down the Rocky Peak grade to Simi and back to San Fernando (for those who live here in SoCal). I'll take those numbers anyday with that grade climb on both side to Simi.

[Recumpence]

I went out of state last weekend. It was a 400 mile trip with 300 of those miles at 70mph on the expressway. I averaged 44.3mpg.

 

Part of my high mileage is the area I live in and part of it is technique.

 

I have stopped drafting behind semis, though. They kick up too much crap.

 

Matt

[Jus-A-CMax]

Yeah..and if those nick the glass, ouch, not worth the MPGs. I still draft now and then but way back and I always check the semi mud flaps, if they don't exist then I am outta there. I'll tell u what, if I gave you the temps that I drive in, you'll shoot the 700 barrel easily. Someone from here has to do it...seems like the 600 is now so passé, lol. ;)

 

On another note, I am finding more ways to improve but predominantly the route selection. Sometimes the short way is the least MPG friendly. I think we'll always tweak the techniques with this car till the cows come home. Makes it fun though, no more boring A to B driving for sure.

[Recumpence]

No kidding. I completely agree.   :)

 

I just filled up today. I am at 60.1mpg on this fillup so far (about 40 miles). I am really hoping to hit 700 soon. I know I will. It is just a matter of time. Oh, and that 59.1mpg for the day today included one full throttle blast up to 70mph to keep some jerk behind me. I was over 60mpg until I did that. Sheesh, I need to keep my foot under better control.

 

Now I am looking into wheel discs and I want to add a belly pan extension under the car to cover the area behind the rear wheels/in front of the rear bumper. That is one huge open area acting as a parachute. Jimmy Hoffa could fit up there!

 

I am determined to hit 700 miles without any aero mods, though. I do not even have a grille block on the car.

 

I figure 730 miles is about the practical limit. The absolute limit would be about 770 miles. Of course, once I hit 700, I will begin the aero mods to try and tickle the 800 barrier! That is a dream, though. 700 is still not happening. It is in my sights, though.

 

Matt

[Jus-A-CMax]

No kidding. I completely agree.   :)

 

I just filled up today. I am at 60.1mpg on this fillup so far (about 40 miles). I am really hoping to hit 700 soon. I know I will. It is just a matter of time. Oh, and that 59.1mpg for the day today included one full throttle blast up to 70mph to keep some jerk behind me. I was over 60mpg until I did that. Sheesh, I need to keep my foot under better control.

 

Now I am looking into wheel discs and I want to add a belly pan extension under the car to cover the area behind the rear wheels/in front of the rear bumper. That is one huge open area acting as a parachute. Jimmy Hoffa could fit up there!

 

I am determined to hit 700 miles without any aero mods, though. I do not even have a grille block on the car.

 

I figure 730 miles is about the practical limit. The absolute limit would be about 770 miles. Of course, once I hit 700, I will begin the aero mods to try and tickle the 800 barrier! That is a dream, though. 700 is still not happening. It is in my sights, though.

 

Matt

 

Gotta be careful back there, the batts are right underneath in that general area. Not sure how much cooling it gets from the airflow underneath. I think I saw it once when I went looking for the rear sensor that picks up our Ninjitsu kicks, didn't find it though.

 

I always believe with the right terrain and temps the 700 was it. I still believe you can't do freeway and grades to get it though, sucks too much gas, even if you get a return on the backside of the grade, your gas is gone. I think you're closer to the 700 or making it possible than myself, there is no way I can run the canyons and grades which separate the 2 counties for the same high MPGs, high 49s to low 50s like 53 is possible with the right traffic flow but 700, you need 55MPG to bring that FAT baby home. Go for it.

 

Hey, drop a Googlemap one day for it so we can see the terrain to have some sense of your travels, if u don't mind :)