I am leaning to getting a 4WD FEH, though I have my doubts I'll need the 4WD. I am going to rent a 2WD FEH this weekend to check it out generally. I would be grateful if people with 4WD would post their MPG. It seems like with 2WD people are averaging around 30 (as I am heavy footed, I would probably get less).

 

Mine: 4WD 2006 delivered in late 05 now @42,800.

Overall average mileage: 28.9.

There is a very clear reduction in mileage with cold winter temps. This winter in the mid atlantic it dropped to as low as 20.4 on its lowest tank. More commonly it was 23-26 in Jan & Feb.

There is also a much stronger improvement with altitude: 37 on several tanks in Yellowstone Park (ie >8,000 ft).

Highway only mileage is around 31 or 32.

 

There is an entire database on 4wd MPG - see the above links.

I live in LA and have a 2008 AWD, and get about 30.4 overall. This past winter I have seen the tanks go down below 30, but in the summer 31 is not unusual, with moderate AC usage.

If you drive it hard the car will get 27-28 in town, on the freeway it depends on speed - 33 @ 60, around 26 MPG @ 75.

If you drive it like a hybrid, you will probably get around 30 in town, possibly better in the 2009.

 

[quote=diver110;200737[I]]I am leaning to getting a 4WD FEH, though I have my doubts I'll need the 4WD. quote][/I]


Why are you leaning towards an AWD FEH when you doubt you will need this function? Are you looking new or used? If you are considering new, have you considered waiting a few months more for a 2010 version (this summer) as found in the Ford Fusion Hybrid that will likely produce improved mileage for the average Joe and Jane SixPack drivers.

 

Good question, BillyK. I am trying to keep the option of going offroad open, though I doubt I will actually do much, if any. I could not claim this is terribly logical.

 

In 2009 they reduced ground clearance and added little air dams to improve mileage... things that could cause problems when off-roading.

In other words, FEH's are designed for streets and roads, not off-road.

 

'06 FEH 4WD.

Tooling around at 45MPH in the city with few stops.... I can get about 34MPG or higher.

Freeway. If I hold to 65MPH and no higher I can get 32-33. If I go up to 70MPH then it drops to 30-31MPH or so.

Overall... with stop and go. I travel each day 40 miles to work. about 1/2 freeway and I go 70 on the freeway. I get about 30-32 on that trip if the weather is good.

It does drop in rain and in the winter. In rain down to 28-29 or so. In the winter on VERY cold days it can drop to 26-27. the longer the trip in that weather the better though as things warm up.

All those numbers are off a ScanGuage.

I'm running standard tire pressures and my tires are a set of Nokian WRSUVs. I actually got a slight upward bump in MPG when I swapped out the conti's. The MPG seems much higher on these tires in the rain too.

 

In doing a search of off-road, people seem to think the FED is at least somewhat off-road capable. It can't climb Everest, but some off-road seems to be within reach. Are you saying that changed significantly in 2009, Colchiro, or that you don't agree that are off-road capable to begin with?

 

My lifetime average is 29.0 as figured from my miles driven, and the amount of gas I've put in my vehicle. I've ranged from 37 in the summer in Denver down to ~20 in the winter in Boston with a 2 mile commute.

At 75 on the freeway I drop to 27 mpg. At 60 or 65 that's up over 30. My best single trip was about 250 miles tooling around New England back roads at < 50 mph. I got over 45 mpg for that segment.

My opinion? Get the 4wd if you want it. You're more likely to keep it longer if you get exactly what you want in the first place.

 

As it happens, we went out to see the CA poppy fields, which turned out to be something of a bust as far as flowers go. But in the process of searching for the plants we decided to follow some dirt roads, and by "roads" I am being VERY forgiving in the name. Actually they were just tracks following the fences, but there were no "private drive" signs.

Anyway, we got into some very bumpy stuff, and eventually I decided to stop when the gullys across the road got to about 12 inches. I reversed and started up the slope, only to find my front tires spinning helplessly. I reversed and tried a slightly different approach; this time the front tires spun briefly before the REAR tires kicked in - and we moved right up the slope.

We would not have gone on this wandering path without AWD.

Having said all this, I bought the AWD because it had stiffer suspension, and the 2008 did not have stability control. Also, it was the only one on the lot (out of 40 FEH/MMH/MTH) that had the backup sensors! I also used it on a vacation to Yosemite last October, when we encountered icy conditions in the valley. I was not originally looking for AWD, but now that I have the FEH, I am glad that I got AWD.

I should note here that the 2008 has a similar "air dam" across the front; the 2009 model adds a few inches to the sides of the existing air dam, which is supposed to help highway MPG.