I recently bought an 07 MMH and am getting 26 MPG and can only tow 1000 lbs. Tell me why i didn't get a used THH that people on this website claim are getting 26 MPG's and can tow 3500 LBS. ? What is the difference? Don't they both have eCVT's, I know the THH is a V6, but shouldn't my MMH be able to tow at least 2000lbs ? Does anyone think that Ford is just underreporting the tow capacity in fear of someone getting crazy and tearing it up?

2. Also, does anyone have any experience towing more than a 1000lbs or close to it a long distance?


3. Why am i only getting 26 MPG's? I drive slow as hell. In Town.


Thanks in advance,
Zack

 

Zach-

1. The Toyata Highlander gets 26 MPG BEST CASE SENARIO.
2. The MMH gets 26 MPG WORST CASE SENARIO.
3. The THH won't get 26 MPG in your driving conditions.
4. The THH costs $10,000 more.
5. The MMH can tow 1000 pounds forever, at any speed.
6. The MMH can tow 3500 pounds for short distances, at slower speed
7. I once saw a guy moving in his... over the Colorado Rockies 7% mountain grades. He had the largest U-Haul trailer on the market. He had 4 people in the car, and the car itself had luggage on the roof. He was going 55 miles per hour up a 7% grade. The car will perform. It's just not recommended.
8. What is the weather like were you live. I assume it is below freezing. 26 MPG in below freezing is a good result.

-John

 

How many miles are on the MMH? There is a break-in period for the hybrid system (involves the battery being conditioned and the computer learning how it all operates and how you drive). Don't expect to see anything special until you have at least 3,000 miles on it. Even the manual says not to watch mileage early on in ownership.

In the winter the mileage will be greatly reduced in any vehicle, especially a hybrid. Mostly because the cold temps will cool the engine quickly and the system requires minimum engine temps and will run the engine to keep it warm. Also, at ultra low temps the system will disable regenerative braking altogether. Another reason for reduced MPG is because fuels in many areas are blended with ethanol which will reduce your FE by 10-15%. Then I assume it is an AWD since it is a MMH. Driving slow in town may or may not be good for mileage. If you drive in heavy traffic in a city with lights every block you won't get "great" mileage period. The vehicle relies on braking to charge the battery and supplement the engine. If you only go from light to light the battery doesn't get charged by braking and so the engine has to run to charge it....thus lower mileage. If you live in a small town or the burbs you are in an ideal setting and should get great mileage (after the break-in). If you are like me, and live in a major city and drive in heavy traffic....winter mileage may be as poor as 24-26mpg. In warmer temps you should see improved mileage. Check my signature....I am currently averaging 26mpg. I drive in some of the worst conditions for hybrids (aside from subfreezing temps up north!). My driving consists of repeated short trips in rush hour traffic in a major city on a cold engine. John is right in saying that 26 is the low end of what this vehicle will get. In the spring I am usually getting near 30mpg.....on the highways I keep it under 70 and get between 31-33mpg.

Tow capacity is low for several reasons. One of which is there is NO REVERSE gear in the transmission. All reverse is powered by the electric motors, either via battery or via electricity generated from the engine. There is NO engine powered reverse. This can be an issue for towing. Another issue may be that ford is concerned with overtaxing the electric motors...considering that this is only a 4cyl engine with electric assist. That said if you do a search on the forum for "towing" you will see that a few members have towed heavier loads without issue. That said, I will say what I always say....."Just because you CAN do it doesn't mean you SHOULD do it."

The MMH/FEH and the THH are two different vehicles in two different classes and two different price ranges. The THH is a full-size SUV that has available 3rd row seating and more storage. It is a much larger vehicle and has a V6 (hence the lower MPG) and can tow more. The MMH/FEH are compact SUV's have less storage. They are smaller, lighter and have a 4cyl engine. They can only tow 1000lbs, and seat 5 but cost thousands less and get better fuel economy. The vehicle for you depends on your needs.

 

It 40-50 F. It worries me cause i drive like i should. It has 19000 miles on it. Cost $21000, is this a good price?

 

What part of the country do you live in? When you say in-town do you mean a small town or the downtown of a city?

What kind of driving do you do? Short trips? Stop and go? Heavy traffic? Typical speed? Do you get out on the highways at all?

There are other things you can do to help. Up your air pressure to 40psi. You will sacrifice a little ride quality but get better FE. Don't let the car warm up or idle. Just start her up and go. Shift to N at redlights to lock out the engine and keep it in EV mode to avoid idling.

 

Please note that the non-Hybrid Mariner with the I-4 2.3L has a tow rating of only 1500lbs. If you're looking to tow more than 1500lbs with an SUV and stay on the manufacturers good side, you're gonna need a bigger engine than the I-4s. The Escape, Mariner, Tribute, Vue, CR-V and RAV4 are all offered with similar I-4 engine sizes and all have the same 1500lb tow rating. Given the MMH/FEH carries an extra 200lb battery pack on the back suspension and doesn't have an actual reverse gear, 1000lbs is a pretty good number.

 

So what if i tow and never put in reverse? Would this help up the load? I live in stop and go traffic and hardly ever get it over 40 miles per hour. I have yet to take it on any road trips. I live in OK. IT's in the 30's today with a bit of wind and i'm getting 25MPG. Someone told me about upping my pressure like yall mentioned but to 43 psi's. Is this really safe to do? Oh, does anyone know the tongue weight it can handle?

 

All I can add is you buy a vehicle on your needs. You to to tow 3500#+ frequently, you buy a vehicle for towing, your sick of stopping at a pump everyother day, you buy a vehicle for FE. Can they be combined? possibly, will the be efficient at both, probbly not. Just like you can't get outdoor grill taste in a microwave. They both are great at what they do, just not great at both things (fast vs taste).

I'm also in OK, and cold directly impacts FE. Lately I'm pressed to beat 27-29 in the near freezing temps. I've read here that you need a few miles to "warm" everything up. My commute is over in 5 miles, and it's just warmed up then, so a 10-20mi commute I suppose would be better. I also live in the country, so no stop & go, mostly 1-2 miles at a time, 45-60mph between stops. Apparently not Hybrid friendly, but still beats the 12mpg I get in my V8 Expedition I use when I need to move stuff/tow.

 

In suburban and rural driving this vehicle will excel. When I am driving over in NJ were it is mostly 35-45mph with lights every 1/2 mile or more my gas mileage is in the 30's. When I say stop and go traffic, I mean a red light at every corner and never getting over 25mph. This is not ideal for these vehicles as there is no opportunity for regen. Also, my commute is about 3.5 miles and back twice a day. This means cold starts at least twice a day....hence my winter numbers in the 25-26mpg range. You'll see better numbers as it warms up outside.

Bryan, as for your 45-60mph drives....don't be so sure they aren't hybrid friendly. It has been posted here numerous times that the IDEAL speed for driving this vehicle is actually 48mph (other than sub 40mph in EV mode of course). On a flat surface doing 48mph you will actually see mpg's in the high 30's-or even 40's depending on temp and fwd/awd. Try accelerating slowly and maintaining your speed around 50mph and you'll be surprised what you see.

 

You have to realize that all these ratings are conservative recommendations. If you exceed them, you take on some responsibility but common sense has to guide you. Towing a 2000 lb trailer for limited distances isn't going to damage an FEH. Regularly towing a heavy trailer is going to result in a very worn out FEH in less than 100,000 miles. I occassionally seriously overload my Dakota pickup. I just don't drive very far or fast that way. I wouldn't worry about a 1500 lb trailer on the FEH, but if I need to tow 3500 lbs - that's why I have a pickup. It's all about common sense.