Hypermiler Wayne Gerdes just got the '10 Milan Hybrid for two days to test drive and will be reporting from now to March 11. His first drive:

Hi All:

___Whooa did Ford knock one out of the park so far… I drove to my parents home so they could have a look and the Milan allowed 65.0 over 15.2 miles and this is in 38 degree temps! 47 mph glides are Kick @$$

___Warm-up hit from 105 degree F coolant was 40 MPG on the first 5-minute bar too!

___There is an EV moving Threshold bar based on SoC and torque within the EV gauge that works magnificently, Empower EcoGuages are spectacularly clean and concise and glides are as easy as letting your foot off the gas. The average Joe is going to love this one.

___Std. Ford cushy ride even with the Michelin Energy’s at 60 psi.

___Front windows fog up pretty quickly unfortunately so you will be cracking the windows
http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19886

Stay Tuned!

GaryG

 

65 mpg in 37 degree temperatures! Wow! That means the GaryG and Wayne of the hypermilers should be able bust the 70mpg figure in warmer weather. 70+ mpg times 17 gallon tank could break the 1200 mile tank range!! Who is going to be the first driver to bust the 1000 mile range in a Ford Mid-Size vehicle?

 

That's great! I live in a mild climate, so it'll be interesting to see if I can beat that on average.

The one thing I'm a little surprised by is the comment about road noise by Wayne's mom. In the recent C&D hybrid round-up (FFH, TCH, NAH, and CMH), the FFH had the quietest sound level at full throttle, and second quietest when at 70-mph cruise.

I wonder if his family has really sensitive hearing, or if the FFH really is louder than the Prius. I've driven a Saturn Aura rental (which they compared the FFH sound level to) and found it to be pretty quiet too. Hopefully it's just a case of nitpicking!

 

Interesting comment about the fuel spilling on top off. Personally, I see no reason to top off. It is your own fault if you keep going after the auto shut off and spill some fuel. Just let it go already.

 

Everything I've read about the FFH has been it's quite, here is a new article today:

"Overall, Ford's hybrid system is more than just an admirable effort. It has the smoothest operation of any of the systems that have passed through the AutoblogGreen Garage, and drivers will have a hard time detecting the transitions between the engine running and the switch to EV mode. Cruising on the highway with the radio off, the Milan is remarkably free of wind or road noise and Ford offers a choice of flashy or subdued faces on an excellent mid-size hybrid sedan, so what's not to like?"
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/10/r...-milan-hybrid/

GaryG

 

Thanks - that's similar to what I've heard from other sources.

The car I currently drive is excessively noisy on rough asphalt and some concrete roads, so this is one of the attributes that I think I'd appreciate, especially on longer road trips.