25-27 mpg! on highway!? Is something wrong?

[opfreak]

so my first longer distance trip. Filled up full, then drove 268 miles in one direction, and then the 268 miles back home the next day. The trip down to my location, using hand math - 25mpg, one the way home ~27mpg.

 

Yes I did drive fast 75-80miles using eco cruise in both directions.  But this mileage is shockingly bad.

[obob]

I don't know, buy I would be asking the same question if got that kind of mileage.

 

With ECO cruise I get about 41 in the summer at 70 mph on a clear day with tires 45-50 psi cold with my hybrid, not an energi. 

Rain lowers mileage.  Cold lowers mileage.  Car still breaking in lowers mileage.  Air Conditioning lowers mileage.

 

Inflating tires to 45-50 psi increases mileage.

 

(By the way, there is an cmax energy forum that is separate from this one, not that you are not welcomed here.)

[plus 3 golfer]

What did the trip display say your FE was? What were the climatic conditions? Extra weight in car? I'd suggest running a controlled test say at 70 mph for 10 miles or so in each direction in hybrid mode and see what the displayed FE is. 25 mpg seems unusually low at 75 - 80 mph but depending on conditions (low temps, rain, head wind), it might not be. I get mid 30s with Eco-cruise set at 78 mph (gps) with AC on in summer.

 

Also, how many miles on your NRG?

[Brent Bevil]

Running around 70 with AC returns around 40 for me in the summer.  Pushing 80 yields 36 with AC with three occupants and luggage.  Sounds like you have an issue.

[opfreak]

What did the trip display say your FE was? What were the climatic conditions? Extra weight in car? I'd suggest running a controlled test say at 70 mph for 10 miles or so in each direction in hybrid mode and see what the displayed FE is. 25 mpg seems unusually low at 75 - 80 mph but depending on conditions (low temps, rain, head wind), it might not be. I get mid 30s with Eco-cruise set at 78 mph (gps) with AC on in summer.

 

Also, how many miles on your NRG?

I'll try to post in the enregri forum.

 

Total miles just crossed ~8000, about 3000 of those are ev.

 

It was cold 20's. But still imho terrible mileage, the trip was the same in both direction, temps very similar, winds were also similar. tires @ 41psi. 2 passengers. inside temp set @ 72.

[fotomoto]

First thing I'd check my tire pressures.

[fotomoto]

20's F and 80mph and winter grade fuel.  Yup that would do it.

 

Edit:  on second thought, maybe 30-32mpg so yes 25-27 sounds too low.  

Edited November 20, 2014 by fotomoto

[scottwood2]

Just did a trip on the weekend with temps in the 20's.  Heat at 69, tires at 48 PSI, eco cruise for most of it at 60 MPH and did 44 MPG.  Have not tired 80 for long drives but 68-70 seems to be a sweet spot.  Did 47 MPG at 70 in the past but it was warmer.   Tried 60 on this trip just to see what it did. 

 

Also finding that 71 degrees vs 69 degrees in the cabin seems to make a difference.  Seems the ICE runs a lot more for just 2 degrees. 

 

I found a good jump in MPG with tire pressure.  They were set to 32 from the dealer. 

[fbov]

Since no one's mentioned it, what were the wind directions?

 

We did a trip from Rochester to Louisiana last February, and despite the well-known mileage temperature dependence and a large change in ambient temperature, my mileage using eco cruise at 70-75 mph was 33mpg going down and 36mpg coming back. My only good explanation was prevailing winds are from the SW, so I have a head-wind going  down and a tail-wind coming back. Add some speed, remove the benefits of high tire pressure and the aero mods I've done to the car and you're right in the expected ballpark.

 

HAve fun,

Frank

Edited November 20, 2014 by fbov

[vmmvmmm]

That sounds like something is wrong.  I recently did a 5 hour drive at 85mpg in very cold weather with winds against me the entire time upwards of 40mph and ended up with 37mpg.  If you really had mileage that low, I would have things checked out.

[Jus-A-CMax]

An incorrectly applied 13b07 shows similarly bad MPGs - so OP, fill us in on the history of your CMax. The fix is to have the dealer look at it and they can re-apply. Remember, this update is really finicky - dealers have to use LAN vs Wifi to apply this update and a few owners here got these issues and they did not know about it initially.

 

Wind plays a huge part, as I found out driving back from Vegas to LA in literally a sand storm (in parts), be lucky to eco cruise 38MPG like those Consumer Report boyz were reporting.

 

I recently did a 200 mile round trip, 50MPG at 65 to 75 mph freeway speeds, P&G and eco-cruise. but 44MPG is about right for eco, no frills easy peasy driving at speed. I had 1 passenger and 2 sets of golf club as load this time :)

[obob]

I'll try to post in the enregri forum.

 

 

 

http://fordcmaxenergiforum.com/topic/3326-25-27-mpg-on-highway-is-something-wrong/

[JohnnOhio]

Sounds like something is wrong. I drive 70mph here and get 47+ in the summer and 42 in the winter with heat on.

[opfreak]

An incorrectly applied 13b07 shows similarly bad MPGs - so OP, fill us in on the history of your CMax. The fix is to have the dealer look at it and they can re-apply. Remember, this update is really finicky - dealers have to use LAN vs Wifi to apply this update and a few owners here got these issues and they did not know about it initially.

 

Wind plays a huge part, as I found out driving back from Vegas to LA in literally a sand storm (in parts), be lucky to eco cruise 38MPG like those Consumer Report boyz were reporting.

 

I recently did a 200 mile round trip, 50MPG at 65 to 75 mph freeway speeds, P&G and eco-cruise. but 44MPG is about right for eco, no frills easy peasy driving at speed. I had 1 passenger and 2 sets of golf club as load this time :)

 

how do I check the history of this? 

[ScubaDadMiami]

I have never had to use heat, but I hear that this can severely affect MPG, and that the better option is to use the heated seats, if you have them. Still, your report sounds way too low. I've run at 80 mph with air conditioning, and I got about 38 MPG.

[markd]

We went from Nebraska to Indiana, a distance of 840 miles, driving 75 to 80 mph and averaged 34.5 mpg.Our car was brand new and it was cold and windy. Sounds as if something is wrong.

[BIG ROCCO]

I have never had to use heat, but I hear that this can severely affect MPG, and that the better option is to use the heated seats, if you have them. Still, your report sounds way too low. I've run at 80 mph with air conditioning, and I got about 38 MPG.

 

:) You just made me realize I don't know that we have ever used heat either

[ScubaDadMiami]

:) You just made me realize I don't know that we have ever used heat either

I wouldn't say that so loudly in present company. We might get a few :swear: thrown at us. Hey, it did go down to the low 60's, this week down here.

[Kelleytoons]

Even at 48 yesterday we didn't use heat -- my wife and I were dressed warm, though (well, warm for Florida - long pants, which I seldom wear, and an actual jacket).  If we hadn't planned on spending more time outside the car than driving we might have dressed lighter and turned on the heat but as it was it wasn't needed even for a 30 minute journey (which averaged 50.1 mpg -- love our Maximis!)

 

But we may end up turning on the heat if we are out and about at night during December/January (then again, we're old people who like to be warm).

[opfreak]

Even at 48 yesterday we didn't use heat -- my wife and I were dressed warm, though (well, warm for Florida - long pants, which I seldom wear, and an actual jacket).  If we hadn't planned on spending more time outside the car than driving we might have dressed lighter and turned on the heat but as it was it wasn't needed even for a 30 minute journey (which averaged 50.1 mpg -- love our Maximis!)

 

But we may end up turning on the heat if we are out and about at night during December/January (then again, we're old people who like to be warm).

 

I dont know much about the non-energi packages, but the engergi has auto climate. And I just have it set for 72, rarely do I even think about it.

[Kelleytoons]

Ours has auto (don't they all?) but in the summer I *want* to be cooled down but do not need heat in the winter.  So it's set for 73 degrees whenever it's 80 or hotter outside.  Otherwise I turn it completely off (because it *will* try and turn on the heat/AC depending on what the interior temps are).