I'm shopping for an Escape or Mariner...been leaning towards a hybrid version for some time...but everyone, including my salesman seems to think I'm nutz...the salesman who we've been using for years and is as honest as I've ever seen hasn't sold one hybrid version yet....he claims for a rural area where it's not alot of stop and go/idleing type traffic driving that the gas version makes more sense, even has it all calculated out with gas savings etc...but I'm sure he's using the EPA mpg....
I've been reading post after post on here about mid 30's mpg...what kind of driving conditions should I expect that in? For some background....my daily driver now is a Ford Focus with the smallest 4cyl they make...which I got just for the 30mpg (I have a truck if I need to go to home depot etc)...but I need more space for hauling my dogs....I have 3 other Escapes/Mariners I drive occasionally (girlfriend, mom, sister) all have V6's...I'm not so crazy about the 20ish mpg in them for my daily driving.....but can I hope for much more in a hybrid version if around here everywhere you want to go you get up and go 55-65mph? My drive to work is only 5-10minutes from 45-55mph...alot of other miles put on around town in the same speed range.

 

You WILL get better mileage EVEN on long drives. The hybrid isn't just more efficient because it can turn the engine off for stop and go. Bascially your salesperson isn't completely informed.

At 70MPH in my 4WD I usually get 28-29MPG in the summer, about 27MPG in the winter. The V6 doesn't do that well.

I usually get about 31MPG commuting about 38miles. About 2/3 of that mileage is 70MPH on the freeway. If I was going slower (ie 55MPH) I'd do a whole lot better.

Incidentally... I pretty much just drive it normal... no hypermileage tricks, standard air pressure, I don't draft, I use my cruise control.

 

The reason he hasn't seen one is because Ford only allocates to larger markets. In Florida there were a lot of FEH around. Here in Utah I've only seen 2 in 6 months.

 

Yeah I kind of assumed he hadn't sold any because he just didn't want to, I'm a salesman to an extent and I know we all sell what we know to a certain extent He should be able to get one for me, he's in a larger market than I am (buffalo, ny) and at a high volume dealership....I'm on the Z plan though, but he said I can still use it. Guess I need to crunch some numbers and see....his number showed after 5 years the gas escape was still ahead...doesn't seem right to me though...

 

I didn't buy my escape for economy i bought as a statement to invest in alternative fuel. even at 0% from FOMOCREDOCO and the tax incentive, it will take me years to realize a savings. Your salesman could find one for you if he really wants to but expect to pay a premium. i suggest you talk to a salesman in another dealership and have him get you a price then play one against the other, only way to get a deal.

 

The "rural area" argument doesn't hold much water. The hybrid advantage is reduced (but doesn't go away, as pointed out above" at steady highway speeds. However, I live in a rural area where the typical driving is 40 to 60 mph on secondary roads and small towns, with stop signs every mile or so. The hybrid does very well in that type of environment. It's not just for stop and go city congestion.

 

Slick-
How cold does it get there? I ask because I am running into a reduction in MPG in Minnesota since we've dropped into the single digits and stayed there. I am considering selling my 2008 FEH FWD and the price I'd sell it for would be a little less than Zplan. Only 10,000 miles on it. All broken in for you! :-)

 

Are you really that disapointed with mileage? I just put several of my tanks on the web, and I filled up two days ago, drove the last two days in 0 - 21 weather, and when I filed up tonight, I was still at 28 MPG. I am so happy with that.

 

If you are asking about gas milage in rural areas, I got some good news for you. I actually got over 39 miles a gallon on Interstate 70 this past summer keeping the speed at 60mph--except for the brief stretches where traffic demanded a faster speed. I have driven on the Pa. Turnpike (much more vertical than I-70) and have gotten as much as 37 mpg. However, my usual mileage is between 34-36 mpg and this does requires keeping an eye on RPMs and using some of the hypermiling techniques presented by other well known posters. Naturally colder weather will reduce your mileage. The length of your daily drive is important as shorter drives will not allow you to reach high mileage figures. I actually found my vehicle located in a small rural Ford Dealership.

 

Another rural FEH here. The averages posted above are about spot on for me. I live in the prairies/rockies and see a lot of wind and cold but still average between 25-35mpg depending on the time of year. I had a couple trips recently, and even driving at about 80mph with wind and temperatures around -15c and my average didn't drop below 23-4 mpg.