Greetings. Just joined. No hybrid yet, but am leaning strongly towards an Escape and doing some research. My (first) question is this: what type of mileage should I really expect in Florida since I will have the A/C running probably 10 months out of the year?

Either way I'm sure it will be better than any other SUV out there. We've been Saturn people for ten years, but want to move into an SUV and the Vue Greenline mileage is pathetic compared to the Escape, etc.

Thanks for the help - I'm sure I'll have more questions as we get closer to purchase (around August 08 probably).

 

You only use the AC 10 months out of the year? Where in Florida can you ever turn it off for more than a few days? I live in Fort Lauderdale. We leave the AC on just about year round. Occasionally we get a cold spell, and then we can turn it off for a day or two.

I don't know about the Escape. I drive a Camry Hybrid. I think the loss of mileage due to running the AC down here is probably about the same as the loss of mileage due to cold weather up north. Warm air is less dense than cold air, so it takes less fuel to make the required fuel/air ratio, and consequently uses less fuel per revolution than when the air is cold. Combine that with the extra heat needed to keep the system up to temperature in cold weather, and you get a real effect. The guys who live up north are constantly complaining about their mileage during the winter. In south Florida, the engine warms up once and stays warm until you turn it off.

I'm sure the heavy traffic, stoplights, and idiot drivers cost me more mileage than the AC ever could.

You should know that staring in 2008 the EPA mileage numbers are much more realistic than they used to be. I actually get a little better mileage than the EPA sticker most of the time, if I drive conservatively.

 

Texas heat and humidity here which should be pretty close to Florida climate. I haven't had my hybrid for a full year yet, but you can look at my mileage starting in July of last year. I'm already using the AC this year. I use the 'Econ' button with the AC so the fans just blow air when the engine shuts off. If you don't use 'Econ' with the AC, your engine will stay on to run the AC and your MPGs will drop.

I see more effect on MPGs from driving style. When I let me teenage son use the car, my MPGs nosedive.

 

I run the A/C all summer here in Cleveland. The humidity is often over 70%. I usually get 28 to 31mpg in the summer with the AC. If you have the A/C on the High setting, the engine never shuts off and will drive your milage closer to 25mpg.

Now with that said, my Mercury Mariner (your future car's cousin) has four wheel drive, so I think you can actually expect better if you get 2wd.

You will really be pleased with your Escape Hybrid. They are great cars.

Rick

 

This site has a famous poster, GaryG, who lives in Southern Florida and has a lifetime average of something like 47mpg! in his 2005 FWD Escape Hybrid.
It will be difficult for almost of any of us to match this figure.

 

I have to say that is pretty impressive mileage for that vehicle. Must have a lot of down hill roads......

 

Nope. Florida is level. You can read articles about his FEH hypermiling at cleanmpg.com. GaryG also won last year's hybridfest driving challenge by obtaining 60mpg in another person's vehicle and on a course in Wisconsin he never saw before.

 

Where in Florida do we still get cold weather sometimes? Up north, of course. (Jacksonville, actually.) We still get cold weather from at least December through February (with some warm days still, of course) and use the heater or nothing at all with the windows down for the nice days - hence why I said 10 months instead of all 12. I went to college in South Florida and only remember one cold day the three years I was down there, but up in NoFla we get freezes or close to it regularly and sometimes even light snow (not often - I'm 28 and have seen snow here about 4 times).

Thanks for all the replies everyone. My mind is more at ease now.

 

Using normal driving technique, my 2008 MMH consistently turns in 35.6 mpg with mostly local driving around Stuart, with occasional I-95 trips to West Palm.

I should add that Gary Gattis has driven my car, and just using his techniques, turned in a 49.7 driving from Hobe Sound to Jupiter and back.