Did owning a hybrid like the C-Max change the way you drive?

[11StiLimited]

As my name suggests, I HAD an 11' Subaru STi Limited, so YES, I changed my driving habits.  I HATE this car for everything it isn't, but LOVE it for everything that it is.

 

I was used to do spirited driving on a daily basis, whipping country road corners, playing in the snow, and generally toasting most cars on the road, at my pleasure.  It is a great car and had nothing wrong with it when I traded it in.  Now I sip acceleration from the pedal, coast much more often, brake a sh*t-ton sooner (and softer).  Driving the C-max is a harsh reality check for me.  I am saving a ton of money over the STi and being much nicer to the planet, but don't think for one second I won't be looking at a sport compact again in my life.

 

Bottom line is we live in at the mercy of Big Oil these days and I could not find better value for my money than with the C-Max.  It does everything I NEED (not want).  My passengers are more comfortable, I saved $100/mo. on payments and lowered my insurance by $575/yr.  Never mind the fact I was getting 15cty/20hwy for mpg's with a 15.9 gal. tank range of around 200-210miles.

[MacGyver]

I have come to regard my C-max as "the Fast hybrid" because I had been trying to drive it with what I THOUGHT would be the most efficient style, i.e., slowly.

 

Tried to keep it in EV as much as possible, to the annoyance of anyone behind me.

 

Tried to drive it at 55-60mph on freeways.

 

Then I read an article that interviewed a ford engineer, who explained that people were getting low mpg because they weren't driving them HARD ENOUGH to charge the battery.

 

Found out that I got BETTER mileage at 65-75mph than at 55mph ( 55mph=30mpg 65-75mph=40-50mpg).

 

Found out that if I used the EV to start off the line until ICE kicks in, then accelerate briskly up to speed limit, do a quick liftoff of foot off gas to re-engage EV, I would get 0.1 MORE MPG. It's not a lot, but it's easier to drive that way, and doesn't annoy the people behind me, and recharges the battery better with the higher RPMs as I accelerate, and I'm burning more gas for a shorter period to reach cruising speed. This is my city driving style now. It's kind of funny when you see the people behind you realize they're behind a hybrid beginning to look to go around you, until EV switches off and I accelerate past all the other drivers.

 

I also draft behind semi's to reduce wind resistance, (at a reasonable distance, it doesn't make that much difference) but not concrete trucks anymore since one dropped a big chunk of concrete that shattered and nicked my nice new car.

 

Anyone know any numbers of how much more efficient brake recharging is vs. when you're just coasting and seeing the arrow above the batt display? I assume that depending on how hard I brake, that changes the CVT gearing ratios to generate more power? Or is that an incorrect assumption?

 

I've come to drive progressively slower as I age, both for reasons of maturity, but also for comfort and FE. Also, my back hurts after driving so much ( I drive all over L.A. for my work) which was also why I chose the C-max over the Prius, which is a really harsh, tight ride.

 

I almost bought an 2006 Honda insight, but couldn't find one with a nice ride (some have a VERY cushy ride, some bottom out constantly, it's fixable, at least according to a guy on the internet, but still) that I liked and didn't have multiple problems at a reasonable price, and both for safety reasons, greater storage capability (those little compartments behind the seat were a big deal to me! Sometimes it's the littlest things...) and to make my wife happy, bought the C-max.

 

I wouldn't say it changed my driving habits much, my preferred ride is a full size van, which rides like a luxury car, which is no race car, so I drove that pretty slowly, as I do grandma's lincoln.

Edited April 21, 2013 by MacGyver

[rnoble]

Yes. Owned my C Max for 48 hours and already changed.  Learned about pulse and glide on the forum and focused on smooth acceleration and got over 50 on my last trip into town. Traded in a 300 with Hemi and while I didn't leadfoot with that as much as in my youth (with for example,  my father's Impala SS), I definitely wasn't gliding and focusing on my brake coach.

[Riddley]

I used to be a strictly left lane or middle lane driver. I find myself in the right lane much more these days. I am rarely in the left lane now.

 

With what I am reading about the improved efficiency possible at 60+, I will be doing some testing and see if I can get good MPGs in the 60-65 mph range. That might set me back in the left lane again. I try to drive where I am not a nuisance to others.  

 

For the first 1000 miles (which was not too long ago) I was OCD about MPG.  More recently I sometimes find I have traveled for many miles without looking at the left gauges. THe more I can do this, the better. I don't want to be so anxious about efficiency.

 

I hope that eventually driving the C-MAX will turn out to be meditative, kind of like "Zen and the art of driving".  I picture getting to a point where I might normally check the MPG estimate only after shutting it off at my destination.  I can dream.  

[DR61]

 

Anyone know any numbers of how much more efficient brake recharging is vs. when you're just coasting and seeing the arrow above the batt display? I assume that depending on how hard I brake, that changes the CVT gearing ratios to generate more power? Or is that an incorrect assumption?

Ford's eCVT does not change gearing ratios.  It is a planetary power-split type trans. similar to Toyota's, but with larger electric motors. Here is a description:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car7.htm

[Edsel]

Then I read an article that interviewed a ford engineer, who explained that people were getting low mpg because they weren't driving them HARD ENOUGH to charge the battery.

Do you have a link to this article?  Thanks.

[Adair]

^{Oh, absolutely! I came to my C-Max from a Jeep Liberty. I  drove dirt roads every chance  I got, passed anyone unlucky enough to be in front of me,swore at pokey drivers, did U-turns in the middle of downtown A2 to get a parking space, pealed away from stop signs/lights and drummed my fingers on the steering wheel if the driver in front of me didn't.. I am a changed driver.}

 

^{I've often wondered, is this a novelty for, not just me, but all of us here? Will we still be driving the *hybrid way* this time next year or will some of us go back over to *the dark side*?}

[fotomoto]

My last three cars have been hybrids so, no, the C-Max hasn't changed my driving.  What car really did was my first new car:  a 1984 Honda CRX-HF that my dad helped me buy.  The HF stood for high fuel.  Back then with the 55mph national speed limit, it got 45ish on the highway with a personal best 54mpg tank benefiting from a tailwind on most of the trip and regularly got 40-43mpg in town.  I got real spoiled by the $20/month fuel bill back then.

[armoredsaint]

I drive it like I stole it.   ;)

 

[Jus-A-CMax]

As my name suggests, I HAD an 11' Subaru STi Limited, so YES, I changed my driving habits.  I HATE this car for everything it isn't, but LOVE it for everything that it is.

 

I was used to do spirited driving on a daily basis, whipping country road corners, playing in the snow, and generally toasting most cars on the road, at my pleasure.  It is a great car and had nothing wrong with it when I traded it in.  Now I sip acceleration from the pedal, coast much more often, brake a sh*t-ton sooner (and softer).  Driving the C-max is a harsh reality check for me.  I am saving a ton of money over the STi and being much nicer to the planet, but don't think for one second I won't be looking at a sport compact again in my life.

 

Bottom line is we live in at the mercy of Big Oil these days and I could not find better value for my money than with the C-Max.  It does everything I NEED (not want).  My passengers are more comfortable, I saved $100/mo. on payments and lowered my insurance by $575/yr.  Never mind the fact I was getting 15cty/20hwy for mpg's with a 15.9 gal. tank range of around 200-210miles.

Funny bout that, I always wanted an STi, or an Evo but circumstances never worked out. I really luved the 97 with the blue and gold rims, long time ago. Gas was cheap then, even in Aus. So it's helluva change to jump from 11STi to a much slower utility CMax, the hoon phase is out of yer... unless u have a bike stashed in her garage  ;)

Edited April 25, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[11StiLimited]

Funny bout that, I always wanted an STi, or an Evo but circumstances never worked out. I really luved the 97 with the blue and gold rims, long time ago. Gas was cheap then, even in Aus. So it's helluva change to jump from 11STi to a much slower utility CMax, the hoon phase is out of yer... unless u have a bike stashed in her garage  ;)

I had a 2004 WRX, a 2005 STi, then an 2011 STi.  That phase of my life is not over.  I love modding cars and it is a long standing hobby of mine.  There is no bike, but it isn't over.  I bought this car for all the money savings.  In a few years, I will be able to have a toy car again, but it is the wrong time right now, so I made the grown up decision.

 

Here is the way MY situation broke down, compared to the STi:

 

Yearly Insurance differential: -$564/yr

Monthly Payment differential: -$1200/yr

Octane: Regular vs Premium fuel: Average price difference in my area is about -$0.30-0.40/Gal

Fuel tank size differential: -2.5/gal

Vehicle range: STi - 200 miles city miles (refilled at 1/4 tank, without fail); C-Max - 550+ for me so far. (refilled at 1/8 tank, without fail)

Fill-up's per month: STi - every 7-10 days; C-Max - 3.5 week average so far

[11StiLimited]

I drive it like I stole it.   ;)

 

lmao :drop:

Edited April 25, 2013 by 11StiLimited

[JAZ]

Can you testify that it isn't stolen?

[Jus-A-CMax]

Can you testify that it isn't stolen?

Of course its stolen...he's a Subaru driver.....-ouch-.... :hysterical:

[11StiLimited]

I am not the one who drove like I stole it, lol.  I was just laughing.  Altho, I did drive the Subaru like it was meant to be driven :wub2:

[acdii]

YES!  Even though I have been driving hybrids since 2007, when I got the new Fusion Hybrid, it had a problem where it just got terrible gas mileage, no matter how I drove it. Fast, Slow, moderate, no consistency at all with it. Ford said nothing wrong, yet, there was something not quite right with it. Anyhow, having that car for the few months I owned it has made me a much better driver as I am now getting consistently over 40 MPG in my 2010 Fusion Hybrid, and the Flex that replaced the Fusion I am seeing above 20 MPG in that one now thanks to the techniques I picked up driving the 13 Fusion( I know, seems weird to go from 35 MPG and being pissed, to 20 MPG and being happy),.  I learned so many new tricks in my experiments that I apply them to both cars, and it has helped quite a bit. 

 

 

Drive Smarter, Not Faster has become my new motto.    I love it when bubba tailgates me, passes me when they can, then I catch up to them at the next light and breeze past.   It takes a Special Kind of Stupid to race to a red light is my other saying now. 

[11StiLimited]

Drive Smarter, Not Faster has become my new motto.    I love it when bubba tailgates me, passes me when they can, then I catch up to them at the next light and breeze past.   It takes a Special Kind of Stupid to race to a red light is my other saying now. 

:rockon:

[hybridbear]

I don't think I will ever reset it either.  There are two trip counters and I'm trying to figure out what to do with the first one.  The second I like to reset for every gas fill-up.  Any ideas?

 

I reset one at every fill-up and the other every 1000 miles. The 1000 mile trip meter provides a longer-term data point than the tank by tank readings but is a smaller data point than the Lifetime Summary. Right now I am debating resetting my Lifetime Summary when I hit 10,000 miles or just leaving it forever. My thought is to reset it at 10,000 miles because Fuelly will be my "forever" MPG average. However if I reset the Lifetime at 10,000 miles then I will lose my accurate EV miles & Regen miles counts...decisions, decisions!

[11StiLimited]

I reset one at every fill-up and the other every 1000 miles. The 1000 mile trip meter provides a longer-term data point than the tank by tank readings but is a smaller data point than the Lifetime Summary. Right now I am debating resetting my Lifetime Summary when I hit 10,000 miles or just leaving it forever. My thought is to reset it at 10,000 miles because Fuelly will be my "forever" MPG average. However if I reset the Lifetime at 10,000 miles then I will lose my accurate EV miles & Regen miles counts...decisions, decisions!

I reset my Lifetime at 1,000k.  I won't be resetting again for the same reason as you.

[Edsel]

To me lifetime is what it is.  Can't get myself to reset it.  You really have four options to keep averages.  Trip 1&2, lifetime, and the customizable screen on the left side.  I reset the latter when I picked up the car. 

[11StiLimited]

I reset my lifetime because the car had 260+ miles on it, a 75% brake score, LMPG of 25.6, and only 150 EV miles.  I picked to reset at 1K because the rest of those nearly 700 miles I used to learn how to drive a hybrid.  Since the flip, 98% brake score, 45.5 LMPG, 249 miles, 174 of those are EV miles :)

Edited April 29, 2013 by 11StiLimited

[zhackwyatt]

I decided to keep Trip 1 for every Oil Change and Trip 2 for every Gas tank, and lifetime for lifetime.

[Recumpence]

I have always driven cars with relatively OK mileage. I have also been conscious of how I was driving. About a year ago I bought a ScanGauge for my Caravan work vehicle. That taught me how to go from 19-20mpg to 22-25mpg by teaching me the sweet spot of mileage for that van. That started me on a MPG mission........    I have always had numerous hobbies. Most of them use up time and resources while providing some fun. However, this hyper-miling actually saves me money and reduces the risk of a ticket.

 

Anyway, as far as owning my C-Max making my driving better, I can say that it has alerted me to how many factors affect mileage. What I mean by that is, internal combustion engines are horribly innefficient, while electric motors are very efficient. So, driving a typical cas only cars, you do not see the loss of mileage for things like temperature, barametric pressure, etc. However, in a hybrid, with the electric side being so efficient, you notice those things. They are typically not noticeable in a gas car, but VERY obvious in a hybrid or electric car.

 

I will end by saying that since I drive 100-150 miles per day, it is really nice driving such a comfortable and efficient car. It is also nice being able to see exactly what is going on with the entire system, both gas and electric.

 

Matt

Edited May 3, 2013 by Recumpence

[Jus-A-CMax]

I have always driven cars with relatively OK mileage. I have also been conscious of how I was driving. About a year ago I bought a ScanGauge for my Caravan work vehicle. That taught me how to go from 19-20mpg to 22-25mpg by teaching me the sweet spot of mileage for that van. That started me on a MPG mission........    I have always had numerous hobbies. Most of them use up time and resources while providing some fun. However, this hyper-miling actually saves me money and reduces the risk of a ticket.

 

Anyway, as far as owning my C-Max making my driving better, I can say that it has alerted me to how many factors affect mileage. What I mean by that is, internal combustion engines are horribly innefficient, while electric motors are very efficient. So, driving a typical cas only cars, you do not see the loss of mileage for things like temperature, barametric pressure, etc. However, in a hybrid, with the electric side being so efficient, you notice those things. They are typically not noticeable in a gas car, but VERY obvious in a hybrid or electric car.

 

I will end by saying that since I drive 100-150 miles per day, it is really nice driving such a comfortable and efficient car. It is also nice being able to see exactly what is going on with the entire system, both gas and electric.

 

Matt

 

Recumpence - it would make a great idea if you can post a thread in the hybrid tips/tricks section about what you recommend as the most efficient driving methods aka P&G for example. For example, some argue for long regen while some argue for shorter quick pulse, what does your scangauge say? <---stuff like that would really help the driver here a lot. Let's hear it.... ;)

[11StiLimited]

Recumpence - it would make a great idea if you can post a thread in the hybrid tips/tricks section about what you recommend as the most efficient driving methods aka P&G for example. For example, some argue for long regen while some argue for shorter quick pulse, what does your scangauge say? <---stuff like that would really help the driver here a lot. Let's hear it.... ;)

:happy feet: