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AMB4 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-05-2007, 07:39 PM

I've had my 08 FEH 4WD for about a month and a half, and I noticed a week ago (~1600 Miles on the car) that things seemed to be better on the MPG front. Now, I was doing "okay" beforehand ... "lifetime" average between 32 and 33 MPG ... but is this is the "amazing breaking-in" that I kept hearing about?:

1) My last tank the NAV was a lot closer to my hand-calculated MPG than it had been for the previous two. Tank #1 was almost identical, Tanks #2 and 3 the NAV was well off, and Tank #4 is back to being a bit closer.

2a) The FEH goes to EV faster. I have a nice 2.5 mile drive to/from the expressway each day, with only 3 stoplights and a speed limit of 25 or 30 miles per hour. Once the car is warmed-up (in the morning), the ICE shuts off quicker when just coasting than before.

2b) The FEH goes to EV at higher speeds. For the first month of ownership, even when the engine was warmed-up and the battery had plenty of charge, I couldn't get the ICE to shut off until I was at almost 30 miles per hour. Now, when I'm on a highway exit ramp for example, I'll look down and see the needle drop into EV as I'm around 37-39 miles per hour, and ...

2c) The FEH stays in EV longer at higher speeds. I can maintain the above high-30-miles per hour for a short while, although it does require the lightest touch.

What 2 a-c all wrap-up to - as I tell my friends - is that "I can't keep the car from shutting off the ICE if wanted to."

3) My MPG this tank is noticeably higher on the NAV. After about 85 miles on this tank the NAV shows my MPG at 35.5 MPG ... though it still does fluctuate for periods of heavy accerlation (getting on the highway) and EV mode (on the side streets near home).

4) My "Miles to Empty" - when added to my Trip odometer for this tank - finally total greater than 450 miles "to empty." With 85 on the tank and an estimated 425 to empty, I am hoping to break 500 miles with this run.

I hope this helps some of the newer FEH owners by providing some things to look for. And for the veterans out there, is this the "breaking in" we've heard about? Or is there more to come (please say there's more to come!)? Thanks!

-Andrew