gang

good discussion. I see 2 points of view here. One is from a guy who has all kinds of awesome tips to get over twice what the automobile maker themselves tested and found possible, and the other point of view is -for reasons unknown- that the fellow is totally full of so much BS that his eyes are brown.

Now, i dunno if this feller really gets this gas mileage, and if its under the most ridiculous circumstances that he does so, why report it? What is the point. Next step is to airlift your hybrid up to the top of mount everest and ski down for about 5 miles, claiming 145,437mpg for the trip.

So i have to believe that his 75mpg is under some kind of normal repeatable circumstances, or what is the point? So i pointed out that he must now go to Ford and report his technics to the mechanical engineers , so that they can modify the FEH with overinflated tires and coolants for the engine to keep up to specs in the fellows findings.

I myself have a highlander hybrid. He has not done meticulous study on my vehicle -so he could not advise, but did give me some beginner pointers, which i think is swell.

However, i will stick to keeping my tires at the recommended safety level, and just throw out gas mileage. Call me stupid.

I also have chosen to use cruise on the highway instead of this ingenious idea of 'pulse and glide' as its hasnt for me done the wonders it seems to do for him. My EV needs to be continuiously charged to get the most mileage and pulse and glide does not allow the ICE to charge it as smoothly as the apparently idiot engineers designed it to do.

why didnt the engineers design the vehicle to 'pulse and glide' -i have no idea. Dummies.

But all and all, i believe this fellow to be an outright inspiration to us all. I know i cant get double the EPA out of my highlander. He is a genious.

 

I wish I lived closer so I could test-drive your Highlander. ( If you'd let me. )

The good news is, just today, in the parking lot at work, I saw a new Highlander Hybrid. Still has Temporary tags on it. I just need to loiter around a bit and find out who owns it.

Step 2 is to convince him/her to let me drive it! Fat chance with all the pride and joy that comes with a new car, right? Maybe if I offer to allow them to drive mine first?

To each his own on the tires. The way I see it, if I keep them pumped up, I can always let air out in a matter of seconds if I ever find myself in sand, or a sudden, unexpected snow storm. It's harder to put air in on a whim.

-John

 

Let's drift back on topic, and refrain from too much namecalling or finger pointing.

I think we can all agree on a few things:

1. If the driver has the right circumstances and skills, a hybrid can achieve out of this world MPGs.

2. Not everyone will achieve 1. Many because of personal choices.

3. There is no reason to get emotional about either achieving or not achieving 1.

4. Not everyone has the same vehicle, in the same environment, and drives the same way.

 

While John (GPSMAN1) and GaryG have developed specialized techniques, and use
selected routes to demonstrate unusually high FEH mileage, let me temper their
reports with real world numbers for my 06 FEH, which no has a mere 3300 miles.

This last Tuesday: 42.6 MPG for a 130 mile roundtrip from El Lay to Camarillo
and back, driving at the speed limit with 3 other adult passengers and the A/C
on during portions of the mid-day trip. BTW, last February, when my FEH had
less than 500 miles, I got 39.4 MPG over the same route, same conditions--you
can conclude that either the car (and/or the driver!) is learning, or I'm no
longer penalized by CA's winter gas...

Two weeks ago: 39.7 MPG for a 219 mile roundtrip from El Lay (sea level) to
Lake Arrowhead (5200 feet in the San Bernadino National Forest) and back,
driving at the speed limit with 3 other adult passengers and the A/C on during
portions of the mid-day trip.

And, my mileage is without "pulse and glide", coasting downhill with the vehicle
in neutral or with the ignition off (CA VC Section 21710), etc.

rb
'06 FEH owner

 

arbie



wow. you are getting good mileage too. Not as outrageous as that other fellah, but more realistic for my goals.



good for you!

 

arbie2! That is excellent! It was 6 months before I learned to get numbers like that. I didn't have the benifit of this group ( didn't know about it ) when my car was new. That's awesome.

Both the car, and the driver improve with age, IMHO.
-John

 

I got 38 MPG in my non-hybrid on a stretch of road between Payson and Phoenix. It's all downhill though.

 

That's very cool. And at highway speeds, your Escape is not that different than mine, other than I have a 4 cyl Atkinsen vs. your 6 cyl Otto.

I'd probably get lower 40's on that same stretch.
Now how does yours do in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic?
(wink)

-john