We are in the market for a new vehicle this summer and have been strongly considering a Ford Escape Hybrid for the mileage and to move up into a midsize SUV, but we have been Saturn people for a long time (the vehicle we will be replacing is a leased Ion), so I want to at least give Saturn a chance, but the mileage difference between the Escape and the Vue GL seems so big as to almost make it not worth even considering...

We live in north Florida so we'd have the A/C running on max nearly every day of the year except for maybe Dec-March when it does cool off enough most days to just roll down the windows, etc.

Our longest trip is normally around 10 miles, with 8 of those miles on a highway. All other trips are shorter, generally, and on 45 mph roads with some stop lights, but we don't normally spend much of any time in real stop-n-go traffic.

Based on my readings of the Vue GL the most benefit is on highway miles, but we don't have to make a lot of long trips on the highway (like I said, 10 miles to work in am and pm with most of that on a highway) - do you GL owners think our short hwy trips would see any benefit, especially considering we'd have the A/C running so much?

The vehicle we normally drive to work is a 99 Nissan Altima that averages around 27-28 mpg for those work trips and such. From what I've read on these forums I will be hard pressed to find a Vue GL that reaches 27 mpg under even ideal circumstances, no?

All that said, check out our numbers - we are averaging about 22.4 MPG which can probably be put down to short commute and a lot of potential start/stop on 45 miles per hour roads.

We live in Northern California and do use A/C a lot of the time (not as much as you would). We simply drive the car like a normal one so we don't try all that hypermiling stuff (it's a car not a competion...).

Overall, we're rather disappointed with the MPG's but must say the system does work very, very, well as a performance booster. Try a standard 4 against the hybrid and you'll see what I mean - the battery boost as you start off is very noticable and makes the engine feel much more like a 6. I believe BMW is planning on rolling out a similar system soon and is going out of their way to distance themselves from fuel savings and emphasizing performance gains on smaller engines. In cheaper gas times I'm sure that would have been the marketing angle for all hybrids.

Do we get more economy than a standard 4? Probably 1-2 MPG, nothing to write home about, but like I said the performance feel as you drive away is the obvious feature. Honestly, it's all down to your use pattern.

I think you'll find the Ford Escape much more expensive so consider that when you buy. That price difference buys a lot of gas.

Next car for us will be a plug-in we hope if someone actually gets one to market at a decent price. It would suit our pattern of use ideally and we'd rarely fill up, whereas the existing GL does not. Will we need more energy from the grid? No, we're having a 3.2KW solar electricity system installed as we speak which would offset any carbon emissions and then some. Aren't we the green ones :-)

Smugly yours,
Mark

To Mark:

Congrats on the solar installation. I looked at installing one as well, however Maryland only kicks in $3,000 towards the installation. The Federal government adds another $2,000 but that still leaves me $20,000- $25,000 out of pocket. My break even cost would be 25 - 30 years out. Granted - installing solar does add to the value of the house but that value is not realized until the house is sold.
(So while it is good for enviornment it is not good for my pocket book .)

Massachusettes is one of the best states to install solar. They kick in 50% of the qualified cost for a Multifamily or Small Business setup. So on a $30,000 system - it would only cost you $13,000 out of pocket (30,000 less 15,000 from state less 2,000 from federal.) Ones break even point would be within 10 - 15 years a much better ROI (Return on Investment)

Mark - how do the numbers work out on your system?

This site is a great help in deciding whether or not the VUE GL is right for you, and as HybridVue said, congrats for taking the time to make an informed decision. It really appears that short commutes really take a toll on the GL, so if yours is indeed that short, a full hybrid such as the Escape might be a better choice (though you'll have to work out the economics of it for your particular situation). This is where the VUE has bitten a few folks. Most, if not ALL other hybrids, offer superior city mileage and only marginally better highway MPG. The VUE is different in this regard, and it isn't readily apparent. If you have a good mix, the VUE can be a great choice given its price.

Single-tank MPG is nearly meaningless, but I'm happy to report our latest tank at 32.3 mpg! This was with NO highway driving, but just our typical commute in the country and town. With my wife in her thrifty VUE and me on my 68 mpg motorcycle, this was an efficient week for us.