Ok, my Escape is now pushing about 8,000 miles, and I have yet to get 30. If I am really really good, I can get 29. from a tank.

I have added an extra pound of air to the tires. I have removed the roof rack for better aero.

Yet 28 is about average, 29 if I really really work at it.

70 max on the freeway,

I snail from traffic lights

I coast when I can,

I use low, but this seems like a waist as this does not let you coast it brakes and puts a charge into the battery.

Unless there is a way of changing the computer program to force it to stay on electric more, I am about ready to ask the ford place to give it a check up.

Mine is a 2006 front wheel drive.

anyone have the nav system with the hybrid display does this have any added features? mine does not have it.

also just as a note, mine was making a creaking sound when you exited the vehicle coming from the rear shock as ford told me. Anyway it was replaced, and then not a week after I got it back, the sound started again.

No I am not complaining I really like the car, but I really really want 30 plus mpg.

Phillip

 

I don't have a FEH, but since the Ford and Toyota technologies are fairly similar, I might suggest not using Low Range. This does put the charge in the battery, but what is better is to not need to put that charge in the battery. Every time energy goes into or out of the battery there are conversion losses. That energy would be better spent propelling the car forward. Now if the alternative is to loose the energy to heat through the brakes, then yes it would be better to put it in the battery, but just lightly applying the brakes should automaticly do that. There should be no need to shift down to increase this affect. Now if you are going down a hill, and you would need to ride the brakes for a while, then low gear would be a good tool, but in normal driving it is best to anticipate the stops and coast to them as much as possible.

 

I own both the FEH and the Highlander Hybrid. The way that the 'low range' works on the two vehicles is markedly different. On the Toyota, running in L causes engine braking, which is helpful for slowing down, but not helpful for fuel economy. On the FEH, running in L causes a different strategy for regenerative braking. It also seems to make starting and maintaining EV easier. On the Toyota one doesn't have to go through a bunch of tricks to get it to drop to EV. Take your foot off, and the ICE stops. On the FEH, one might have to double tap the brake, or shift down to L to get it do drop to EV. The HIghlander will run in EV at any speed where EV will actually push the car, like at 65 on a long downhill on the freeway. The FEH will re-start the ICE at any speed over 40.

Next time you are on a nice long stretch of flat road. Set the cruise at 60 re-set the average mpg thingy, and run it for at least 8 miles. The manual says that this helps the computer train itself for fuel economy. I'm certain your average for the 8 miles will be at least 30. A steady state 48 mpg gives a steady state 48 mpg.

 

I have an 05 FEH with AWD. We average between 27 to 31mpg depending on time of year and how long our trips are. On long trips, 30 to 31 is normal.

Some suggestions.

- Don't snail from traffic lights. It takes more gas to recharge the battery than to accelerate normally from a light.

- Don't use L unless you really need to control your speed on a hill, or want to "encourage" the FEH to go to EV mode (when under 40mph). I prefer to "double tap" the brakes to encourage EV mode and then coast or very gently assist my speed with the battery in EV mode.

- Avoid using the A/C or defroster. It cuts the mileage by about 3mpg

- Drive with the load. Slow a bit as you crest a hill. Gain a little extra speed going down hills.

- Try to keep the engine under 2400rpm when possible. Obviously when climbing a hill or merging this is not possible.

- Anticipate traffic. Look ahead, way ahead. The goal is to maintain your momentum as much as safely possible. Anticipating traffic, stale green lights, stop signs, etc., helps you to avoid braking (and is safer than following right behind the car in front of you )

 

Some people swear by "L"....my preference is to drive in D. Yes, L kicks in regenerative braking as soon as you release the pedal...but it also begins slowing you down. I think the people who drive in L learn to lightly keep a foot on the pedal to allow the vehicle to coast. I prefer to drive in D and coast whenever possible and 'downshift' when I want to slow down. I think it is a matter of whether you'd rather keep light pressure on the GO pedal or shift back and forth from L to D.

I also tend to stick to the speed limit on highways which around here means 65. I actually get my best mileage on the highways....in the high 30's for runs at around 50mph.....about 32-33 MPG in the 65mph range. In the city, which for me is alot of stop and go traffic, my MPG is closer to 27-28 (mine is an AWD though). Overall (55/45 city/hwy) my average is about 29mpg lifetime. I run 40psi in my tires, no crossrails on the roofrack, and minimal usage of defrost/AC.

 

My driving method is like TImK, and my mileage is similar.

I drive in D mostly to get the best coasting without much afterthough. However, I use "L" anticipating needing to brake and aproaching red lights. So in city driving I shift between "D" and "L" a lot.

When I want to play with EV, I do use "L" to get into EV (I have a hard time using the brakes to get into EV consistently and still maintain over 35mph speed). Once "L" gets me into EV when it slows down the car to ~40mph, I lightly keep the speed constant in EV by applying the gas lightly, then shift back to "D". Playing with EV does get my average mileage up a bit. Otherwise I get ~32mpg @65mph, and ~27mpg@75mph on the freeway. I get ~25mpg@75-80mph on long highway trip up/down California I-5, including mountain climbs @ ~70mph

Like TimK, in the city, we get ~26-27 without doing too much. MMH is AWD.

 

This thread would probably get more attention if it were in the FEH/MMH forum....maybe a mod wants to relocate it???

 

Thanks for all the Info.... Wow there are lots of ways to drive this car and lots of thoughs. Thanks.

I had already taken off the cross bars on the roof rack. I try not to use the AC or the defroster.

To me L, is hard to get the car to keep the speed up as it really brakes when you put it in L.

I am going to try the 60 MPH cruise control reset tonight to see if that will coerce the Escaped into drinking less gas.

I am going to try the double tap on the brakes again this evening, tried that on the way home from the office today, around 30 MPH really didn't do anything.... Tap hold tap hold down to 25 and yes it kicked in.

I agree with the guy in the other thread who was asking, is there a mod to the program or another set of ROMs out there that can keep the car in EV up to 35.

Also sometimes there just seems to be no ryhm or reason as to why the ICE comes on

Not sure why all these people are getting 30 MPG with their Escapes, when I can only get 29.6 at my best.

 

The Escape is a brick aerodynamically, I think the Cd is aaround .40. In comparison, the Prius is .26. Hence, for comparison's sake higher freeway speeds will affect the Escape proportionally more than the Prius. I would suggest making an evening run down to Gilroy and back at 60mph, cruise on, filling before and after at the same station/pump and manually calc'ing the mpg - I bet you will be over 30mpg.

Only then, if below that, would I look at taking it in.

 

A couple of things.. MMoony Suggested that I put the cruise on 60 and reset the ave mpg thingy. So I decided to to that, I got on 101 and headed south. set the cruise to 60 and pressed reset on the ave mpg thingy.

I was over 30 going to cochrane rd, but not by much, also found out that you lose more going up the hills then you gain coming back down the other side.

Also I had never touched that button before, and thought I had read the book completely so I was amazed to find the mpg moving around so much. When I got the FEH it said 12, and I been watching it slowly move up over the past 10 months, and after it got to 28.4 it can go down to 28.2 and up to 28.6. so I figured that was my average over the life of the FEH.

So MMoony where did you get that info on the button, and does it really retrain the computer? Or does it reset the ave so you see what you are doing now. So if I want to take a trip to LA, do I press that in the garage before I leave, to get my average for the trip. or will I be retraining the computer again.

So anyway, coming back I took Monterey highway... much move level road than 101 and my average coming home was 38.

Something else I noticed from my little trip. It does seem to get better mpg on the highway than the city even with the electric helping everytime you pull away from a traffic light you can see that mpg drop a tehth or two. and YES I know if it were not for the hybrid system it would be worse. Hey, I am ready for a plug in hybrid.

BUT from the systems I see out there, 12 k to 36 k and void the ford warrenty... OUCH... I am not a rich man.

Lets see what GM has to offer next year with the Saturn plug in from the factory.

But don't get me wrong love my Escape. If My company I am starting kicks off well, I will use FEH as my company trucks, and will put the kit on them for plug in.... My company is going to be a solar company,,,, I have to right!!!!
Later
Phillip