Getting the best possible MPG

[ptjones]

Never had the energi on the list as the big hump for the battery in the back is a deal breaker. No way my wife can give up that much cargo space coming from her Toyota 4Runner.

 

It's the hybrid all the way since her commute to work is about 25 miles over 3 freeways and sometimes traffic and mine is 14 one way so we drive a moderate distance. The nrgi is better for short around town commutes <5 miles or so; a diesel for a long hauler so the hybrid fits best right in between where we do both city and highway driving.I do more city as sometimes I take the streets all the way to work and if I take the freeway I still have 4 miles on the street just to get to the freeway on ramp. She is forced to drive mainly freeway. so I will get to play and see how much EV I can get out of the CMax on my commute in the city portion.

 

Yes I've learned a lot here in the forums but it will be her car and so I will only get to drive it when we swap vehicles every week or so (at least that is my plan to get to play with it for a whole week so I can report back here with my results). 

I am helping to pay for some of the down payment so that will let me get a "ticket to drive" . We'll see.

Since her SUV is now 15 yrs old she won't be wanting to let the CMax out of her hands to much once she falls in love with all the cool stuff it has. Her CD skips in her suv and the a/c has a loose solder joint on the panel causing it to be intermittent and not always work or not be able to be controlled how you want it to be, thus wasting more gas/ mpgs over its already bad mpg rating. She doesn't have heated seats in her suv sms she loves mine in my Passat so she will be driving the CMax around a lot I believe.

Just wish they would fix the darn battery issue so we could sleep sound knowing she won't get stranded one day.

If that is what you are worried about it would seem like buying a used one makes more sense that hasn't had any battery issues as opposed to taking a chance.. IMO :) 

 

Paul

[salsaguy]

No thanks.the cmax will be flee my wife.I got MY new car after my last Passat (2004.5) was totaled out after getting rear ended by a semi trunk. Now it's HER turn for a new car. She was supposed to get her new car before I did but the accident happened and that forced things out of order.

Her current car is a 1999 Toyota 4Runner that gets about 19 mpg avg.

She is the one that needs a hybrid and new car badly more than anything. She hates filling up weekly instead of monthly as it will be with the cmax. And we want new to get all the latest updates and process changes from the factory and the 14's have the new modsfor better mpg (supposedly). With our salaries there is no reason to get used cars. She babies her cars like I do mine and hers has lasted a long time. She deserves a new car after 15 years. But she doesn't want to part with the SUV as there are too many memories from that car as her only son was born around that time when she got it so he grew up in that car.

Used is great flee some but not us.

Nothing like new car smell. Used is not as great and you don't feel as connected to a car when you inherit the smells of someone else..

[Adrian_L]

With two kids, we took one look at the Energi's trunk and shook our heads.  Then the saleswoman starts to tell us we just need to pack more efficiently.  So my wife says---"sure, everything for a family trip in two shoeboxes.  Great" 

 

Went with the Hybrid SEL and couldn't be happier (62 mpg today on my drive to work)  but I secretly lust after the Focus Electric.

 

And yes-----you can't put a price on the new car smell.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Adrian_L

[salsaguy]

Youll be glad you got the Hybrid instead

keep up the great mpgs

yeah if they made the Escape Hybrid that got the mpgs that the CMax got it would be a no brainer.

lots more room, more SUV like seating/space and great mpgs

thats all we want

[Jus-A-CMax]

Today, I made a great case for a hybrid vs an Energi, I had to haul 2 loads of crates & stuff for my wife, from her stable. If I had the Energi hump, none of the crap would have fit. Ford should have made the Energi without the hump, then it would have been a better seller. Jus my 2c. :flirt:  64MPGs for today (45 odd miles), gotta luv that AND hauling her junklovey stuff back to the house.

Edited June 1, 2014 by Jus-A-CMax

[Adrian_L]

Ford should have made the Energi without the hump, then it would have been a better seller. Jus my 2c. :flirt: 

 

Sure, but easier said than done.  I'm sure Chevrolet would have loved to have a third seat in the back of the Volt.  I can't remember how big that trunk was but after driving the C-Max, the Volt seemed as unappealing as the Prius to us.

 

I have to admit the Energi was a blast to test-drive.  I loved zipping around town on pure electric power.   But in Canada the Energi is $10,000 more than the Hybrid SE and $7,600 more than the SEL. 

[salsaguy]

Great article that matches what our super hypermiler Jus-A-CMax always tells everyone here, to find the BEST route and know it like the back of your hand to get the best mpgs:

http://www.mpgomatic.com/2012/03/19/get-better-gas-mileage-by-picking-the-right-route/

 

[Adrian_L]

Does everyone know that there is an "ECO" option in the NAV settings?   You can choose fastest route, shortest route or most ecological. 

[kostby]

For us, the 'Most Ecological' option always says "walk"  ;)

[HPRifleman]

Does everyone know that there is an "ECO" option in the NAV settings?   You can choose fastest route, shortest route or most ecological. 

 

I have tried enabling this setting. It seems to eliminate high-speed highway routes from the trip.

[Jus-A-CMax]

ECO route option is a great start. However, if you drive this car for 9 - 5 for work, then its worth scouting the roads. Major hints:

1. Look for roads that have timed traffic lights

2. 35-40mph

3. Less travelled the better

4. Less traffic lights the better

5. Do go out a little way if the route is down-slope. Rolling hills should NOT be avoided, you can leverage some "umpf" from them

6.  Do not go out of your way if you have to head home uphill. Go short and save the gas for the  trip out.

 

Understand that what you save in the gas & get high MPGs, you lose in time. Its a trade off. For me, I enjoy these MPG games to save $$$ in gas ($4+ gas here in LA), and my routes are almost perfect and the daily MPGs reflect this.

 

If you are a newbie - this forum contains A TON of info to read up on. Some of it is old like 13b07 (which use to enforce a limit EV to 63 mph) but some threads/posts hold true especially by us "old" hypermilers.

 

:)