I have an approximately 15 minute drive to work. It's mixed evenly between city/hwy. In the FAQ (and elsewhere) it says that with short drives, the hybrid doesn't really help. Indeed, one FWD FEH I test-drove showed 50 miles and an average MPG of 19.8!

I am weighing the FEH against an Xterra (yeah, different vehicles!). I like the XTerra better, but the FEH has a good 4WD system, and really I'm all-in on the FEH for mileage. If I won't get that advantage, there's no point since I'd be making several other sacrifices.

-Pie

 

The payoff (at least to me) with the FEH is when you get to stop-and-go traffic. I live only 3 miles to work (freeway optional) and I have been getting about 28+ MPG pretty consistently in my first 1000 miles. This is the 4WD model.

 

Live just a little less than 4 miles (the short way thru town) or nearly 6 miles (the long way via 4 way expressway) from work. I have been able to get into EV with the onset of cold weather during the work commute but naturally it occurs later.

 

No, I said that short drives doesn't utilize the vehicles full potential, not that it wouldn't help.

I'm not sure actively trying I could get the MPG that far down. Even on those uber-rare occasions where I run short errands during the winter, an under 2 mile round trip I usually average 23 MPG with a 4WD FEH.

If you treat the FEH right, you're going to see double the MPG of the XTerra in all likelyhood (According to the EPA the XTerra is only good for 16 MPG). The vehicle choice is ultimately up to you, but there's a lot more then simple MPGs that the FEH can offer you, both in the short and long run of things.

 

i wouldn't put a lot of stock in the numbers you saw on the test drive vehicle. you have no idea who drove or how they handled it. they could very well have just left it running while doing work on it and that would drive it down.

you might possibly get slightly lower FE than someone with a longer commute, however you will still get a lot more than with the other choice. consider that whatever that one is rated, you will get less, and the FEH will give you the tools you need to get better mileage no matter what you do.

 

10-12 miles, if you can go 40 MPH or less is ideal for this car.
The first 2-3 miles will be warm-up and you will get ~25 MPG.

The last 7-10 miles, if you utilize all the "hybrid" features and get that engine off and use the battery as much as possible, will get you 40-50 MPG.

2-3 mile trips are the only "killers" to MPG. More than that, and this car does awesome. I did a "cold start" at 11 degrees last night, just to take movies back to the rental store.

3 miles out - no EV, and I got 25 MPG.
3 miles home - EV most of the way, and I got 45 MPG.

6 Mile AVE. = 32.1 MPG @ 11'F

If my trip was longer, I would have crept closer and closer to the 45 MPG mark. Speeds were in the zero to 40 MPH range.

-John

 

If you could get the dealer (not likely) or a friend to let you drive one on the same route, you might find out more about what economy you can expect. You must let the car cool down before starting your trip in order to know what the mileage will be, as the first few minutes warming up are the worst. Unless it's very cold, you should be on electric operation in about 7-10 minutes or three to four miles. If you immediately get on the freeway, you won't get much benefit unless it's stop-and-go traffic and then you'll get a lot of benefit!

Don't put too much faith in numbers from dealer test drives. The car usually doesn't warm up enough, the engine is too new, and you haven't learned how to drive the vehicle for best mileage.

But overall, if you only drive a short distance for work, you might use a lot more fuel for recreation and other things. That is where the FEH will shine.

 

I have 7 miles of almost all highway. I am still getting around 29 mpg. My vehicle is garaged and heated to 60 though. So my warmup time is very quick.

can you slightly modify your route to include more slow driving? i.e., country roads.

 

I drive my son to daycare every morning. It is about 3.5 miles and takes about 15 minutes. This is mostly in traffic. The WORST tanks I ever got were in the 22mpg range. This is in the peak of summer with the AC on full. In freezing winter temps, the lowest tanks tend to be in 24-25mpg range. Running the heat will sap warmth from the engine and will thus delay the onset of EV mode.

Will the FEH/MMH operate at its peak full potential on short drives? No. Will it still outperform any other SUV on the road? Yes.

I bet that with my commute in an Xterra I would be lucky to get 14mpg.

 

XTerra, properly equipped, has awesome capability off road. They are a bit of a compromise in normal driving as far as both ride and gas mileage. Because it uses a conventional 4x4 system with a transfer case, I would not get one as a ski vehicle. It's more likely to get stuck in deep snow and on ice covered streets than an AWD vehicle.

In those rare cases when we have blizzards here in Denver, it always cracks me up how many conventional 4x4s like Pathfinders, Rodeos, Montero Sports, etc. get stuck when a young person in a CR-V has no problem. The vehicles that are best off roading are rarely good snow cars. If they have a torque distribution system, a la Grand Cherokee or Land Rover, they do fine.

But the XTerra is definitely superior off road. XTerras are well made and have a great "active lifestyle" image.