I've been an SUV owner for over 13 years, but the 16 mpg that I'm getting on my Highlander is killing me. I'm considering a Camry hybrid with it's impressive 38-42 mpg, but would hate to lose the room of an SUV. I'm curious as to the real mpg that Escape owners are getting. If the difference between the FEH and the TCH is not too great, I just might go with the Escape. Can anyone provide some insight? Thanks.

http://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/

Click on the COMPARE button at the top of the page. There is a full database of user uploaded fuel usage data.

FEH 2WD owners are getting 30-33.5mpg
FEH AWD owners are getting 27-30mpg

I do a lot of inner-city driving in rush hour traffic. Winters I have to run the heat and summers I use AC fairly often because I have two little kids in the backseat. I pretty much think I have the worst scenario for a hybrid to shine (though my conditions are also bad for a non-hybrid). Short drives from "cold" starts. Lots of redlights and heavy traffic. No chance for regenerative braking to charge the battery. If it weren't for the occasional highway trips my average would probably be closer to 26mpg.

Note that I have an '06 AWD...the 08's and FWD versions get significantly better mileage.

Winter and summers I average about 24-26mpg in the city.
Fall and Spring I average about 27-28 in the city.
Highway mileage is actually better than EPA since I keep it 65mph or less. Average probably about 31mpg hwy, probably about 33-34mpg if I am rural/suburban areas with 50mph speeds.

This is over the course of 2yrs and 24,000 miels.

-Tim

2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD
Black with Pebble interior
Premium Package with Nav & Moonroof



Current ODO: 26,152
Typical Drive: 20 min crosstown in heavy traffic (3.5mi there and back twice a day)


532 Gallons of gas saved
That's 10,642 lbs less CO2 emitted

Tell us a little about how you would be using the car. Will it be long trips, short drives, heavy traffic, highway miles, suburban driving. Are you willing to drive a little slower and focus on fuel economy, or do you just want to drive and let the chips fall where they may? How you drive will play a very big factor in your potential hybrid mileage (both in the Escape and the Camry).

I am very in tune with the car and milk the fuel economy to the best I can--I usually get around 35mpg in our AWD Mariner. My wife cares about fuel economy, but she doesn't want to be bothered by it. She usually gets around 30mpg unless it's a really short trip where she'll get around 25mpg. More than half of our miles were put on last Christmas on a 2,500 mile road trip. Between the high speeds (70+mph) and the sub-freezing temps, we averaged 25mpg for that trip so our lifetime average isn't very good.

The 16mpg you quote for your Highlander is a bit below the EPA estimate right? In that case, I would expect you would get less than the EPA in a hybrid too--unless you modified your driving style. Post up some more specifics though about your commute and style and we can give you a better estimate.

Commuter car, grocery getter, and summer road tripper--average 10k miles per year.


Winter road trips and ski trips, bad weather commuter and my wife's "daily" driver--expected average 4k miles per year.

The hybrid will be will be driven >7500 miles annually. I'll drive it mostly on the weekends for short trips around town and about 30 highway miles a week. Currently, I'm lucky enough to have a company car that I drive to work daily. However, this perk could be removed at any time. In that case, my daily commute is about 22 miles each way. To work, it's stop-and-go traffic. Home from work, it's rush hour expressway driving. I'm trying to prepare for the worst-case scenario...that is, having my company car taken away. If that happens, my gasoline bill will rise to almost $400.00 per month. I live in Chicago which has the highest gas prices in the country. Regular unleaded is now $4.26 per gallon, and going no where but up. I'm hedging my bet with the hybrid.

Short trips around town from a "cold" start will probably get you in the 26-30mpg range in an '08 2wd or '09 range unless we are talking heat and/or AC. The rush hour highway mileage will really depend on what traffic is like. If it is stop and go bumper to bumper with the AC on it will be not so hot....if it is moving along at 40mph you'll be ok.

-Tim

2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD
Black with Pebble interior
Premium Package with Nav & Moonroof



Current ODO: 26,152
Typical Drive: 20 min crosstown in heavy traffic (3.5mi there and back twice a day)


532 Gallons of gas saved
That's 10,642 lbs less CO2 emitted

Your commute sounds like at least part of it will really be benefitted by driving a hybrid. That slow and rolling stop and go stuff can really generate some great gas mileage.

Short trips around town, if they are very short, are not the hybrid's cup of tea. You pay a penalty for warming up the car each and every time you start it up, SO, if you group your errands and make longer trips around town but less frequently, the hybrid will pay off big time.

I have both a Highlander and an Escape Hybrid. I don't often get to drive the Highlander, as it is my wife's favorite. She gets 26-28 per tank. I got 25.5 driving it 8500 miles from CA to RI and back. Drove it like I stole it.

The Escape, which I drive daily gets 30 to 32 mpg per tank if I am careful.

Lastly, gas is at 4.43 on one side of the street here in California and at 4.42 on the other side. At least you have someplace to be cheaper than!

Mark Mooney

Nice try, but I paid 4.37 per gallon here in LA on my last fill up!

Short trips around town, that is not the best hybrid useage. However, I think that even "worst case", in the winter, you would still be getting 22 - 24 MPG or more in the FEH, and possibly 25 or more. If your trips are around 10 miles in traffic, you might do even better. In the summer you could expect 30 MPG or better with the FWD.

But in any of these scenarios you would be better off than your current 16 MPG...

http://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/car/882.html

That's my real mileage. Would there be some reason you'd think we were fibbing?

Anyway, you can also use the manufacturer sites and the EPA to do a side by side comparison between the two vehicles.

First 4WD Hypermiler

Have you read the FEH FAQ?

Live in Michigan? Let it be known in Michigan Roll Call

Read My Automotive Blog at Rich Rambles

In order for all the stop and go driving to really allow the hybrid to shine, there needs to be juice in the battery first. That power comes either from the engine running or regen braking. In heavy stop and go traffic, there is NO regenerative braking to charge the battery and if the engine is running at idle to charge the battery you are not getting great mileage. Unless you have a full battery when you hit the traffic, and the traffic is only a mile or two backup, you will not get "great" mileage. If you get to cruise on the highway for a few miles and then hit the traffic with a full battery, that would probably be the best scenario for you.

That is NOT to say that a Hybrid is not the right vehicle, just that a Hybrid does not "show off" in those conditions. My MMH is supposed to get 31mpg in the city, but I only get 25-26mpg because of my driving conditions. Some people will argue that a hybrid isn't as good as advertised. My wife's car is supposed to get 17mpg city and only gets about 11mpg in the same conditions but no one looks at that...

Heavy traffic conditions will not result in exceptional mileage numbers, BUT the numbers you get will be far superior than those in a conventional vehicle.

-Tim

2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD
Black with Pebble interior
Premium Package with Nav & Moonroof



Current ODO: 26,152
Typical Drive: 20 min crosstown in heavy traffic (3.5mi there and back twice a day)


532 Gallons of gas saved
That's 10,642 lbs less CO2 emitted

All true, just experienced bumper-to-bumper traffic last week due to a major accident and freeway closure, I sat on the freeway parking lot for over an hour and my mileage actuall went down from 35.5 to 35.4! The ice kicked on a few times to recharge then turned off.
BTW, my actuall mileage when I check it manually is around 34.5