My Real World Hybrid MPG

[sophiam]

This is my first hybrid vehicle and I’m trying to figure out how to get the most MPG and what options to use (normal vs eco). Flat land around here and most of my errands including work are within 3 miles from home.

Took this photo after an errand. Does it mean I’m getting 34.8 miles overall? Seems low for a short trip and driving like a grandma.

UPDATE: It took a few weeks to learn how to get the vehicle to kick into electric mode, but my MPG's have considerably improved, mostly in the 40's on average. I used the EV Coach to learn when it's in Electric or Hybrid mode but have been in Normal driving, not Eco mode, cause I want to compare a full tank of gas in Normal versus Eco.

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[icegradner]

Short trips are not very efficient unfortunately. Also, you don't have enough miles on the vehicle to get an even remotely accurate reading from the computer yet.

 

[Cactus-Maverick]

This is my first hybrid vehicle and I’m trying to figure out how to get the most MPG and what options to use (normal vs eco). Flat land around here and most of my errands including work are within 3 miles from home.

Took this photo after an errand. Does it mean I’m getting 34.8 miles overall? Seems low for a short trip and driving like a grandma.

I would use the Eco mode and set the display to EV Coach, it's helps me get some high mpg. I found that cruise control under 60 mph keeps it on electric more than my foot does. If you are doing a lot of turns and accelerating it will be a lower mpg but level roads and constant speed under 60 will get you high mpg.

 

[Naranjita]

You would think that with a 1.4 mile trip and 1 mile of it being electric, the MPG's would be stratospherically high. Maybe you had a lot of idle time? 10 minutes seems like a long time to travel 1.4 miles. When I sit at idle for awhile, I watch my MPG's drop on the trip computer.

 

[STARCOMMTREY1]

You would think that with a 1.4 mile trip and 1 mile of it being electric, the MPG's would be stratospherically high. Maybe you had a lot of idle time? 10 minutes seems like a long time to travel 1.4 miles. When I sit at idle for awhile, I watch my MPG's drop on the trip computer.

This engine is not effecient at low speeds

 

[maggie06]

Half kidding....do you have any holes in your gas tank?

 

[jsus]

Short trips are incredibly inefficient as the engine etc never warms up to peak efficiency. The displayed mpg also includes any time spent idling, say sitting in the car for a bit before or after driving.

 

[Mavforever]

I would use the Eco mode and set the display to EV Coach, it's helps me get some high mpg. I found that cruise control under 60 mph keeps it on electric more than my foot does. If you are doing a lot of turns and accelerating it will be a lower mpg but level roads and constant speed under 60 will get you high mpg.

Mine just kept going up over time, give it time….

 

[icegradner]

This engine is not effecient at low speeds

Huh? Low speeds are where hybrids excel (under 50MHP). It's short trips that kill MPG in a hybrid at low speed, unless the ICE is already warmed up.

 

[CZaugg]

This is my first hybrid vehicle and I’m trying to figure out how to get the most MPG and what options to use (normal vs eco). Flat land around here and most of my errands including work are within 3 miles from home.

Took this photo after an errand. Does it mean I’m getting 34.8 miles overall? Seems low for a short trip and driving like a grandma.

What fuel type are you using. If still using fuel from dealer, it's "Regular". Manual recommends using "Premium" for better performance and fuel economy. However, negative part of using premium fuel is you'll be paying more for "Premium". Side note, premium fuel has more detergent which helps keep engine cleaner. The higher octane makes fuel burn more efficient. Another thing to keep in mind; It is winter . . . COLD out there. When you have the heater on in the car, the engine will kick on more often to utilize the heat exchange unit keeping hot engine fluid running through. Meaning the more you sit with the engine idling, stop signs, traffic lights, traffic congestion, etc. means more fuel being consumed. When not using heater or when the heater isn't going all the time, fuel economy will increase. Just a few thoughts. Elevation also can make a difference. I'm still waiting for my Maverick Hybrid but only relating my experience with my 2021 Toyota Venza. As soon as the cold weather hit, I noticed when my heater is on my engine runs more. Prior to the heater use, anytime I stopped the engine would shut down. When accelerating slowly the electric motors did all the work, (unless battery nearly depleted). The more your electric motor(s) run the vehicle or assist the gasoline engine, the better your fuel economy. My Venza is an AWD whereas the Maverick is a FWD. Just have to experiment. Try using experimenting with the fuel types. The Maverick will run fine with regular fuel. If the manufacturer recommends a certain fuel type, go with that recommendation. With the Maverick, it is a "recommendation" and NOT a requirement. Meaning you're alright using regular fuel. However the performance claimed by Ford may not be what you will be experiencing. If a manufacturer says to ONLY use a certain fuel type, by all means only use that type of fuel. Hope this is helpful. By all means do some research and come to your own conclusions. You will read on this forum many differing opinions. Will say one thing you most definitely need to consider. Brilliant minds engineer the vehicles of today. Extensive design and testing go into the vehicles of today. So if the manufacturer "recommends" certain things, I suggest listen to the engineers. Good luck in your research and own experimentation. Hope this helps and answers your question.

 

[Bushpilot]

Half kidding....do you have any holes in your gas tank?

Perhaps a spray-in bedliner?

 

[Blackrain]

I’m new to hybrids as well, and I’ve definitely noticed that short trips kill the mileage. My trips to and from work (20-30min commute) average 44mpg (between stretches of less than 45mph and stretches of over 55mph). However, trips to my mailbox (5-10min) are like 30mpg (sits there and idles for a couple minutes). My husband got 60mpg babying it for 2mi to the gas station a couple times though…

 

[Bushpilot]

Side note, premium fuel has more detergent which helps keep engine cleaner. The higher octane makes fuel burn more efficient.

Neither of the above statements about premium fuel are accurate.

Disclaimer - Some premiums might have more detergent, but likewise some lower octane fuels might have more detergent. The octane rating has nothing to do with detergent.

Premium fuel does not burn more efficiently, no disclaimer needed. Nor does it burn less efficiently.

 

[sophiam]

You would think that with a 1.4 mile trip and 1 mile of it being electric, the MPG's would be stratospherically high. Maybe you had a lot of idle time? 10 minutes seems like a long time to travel 1.4 miles. When I sit at idle for awhile, I watch my MPG's drop on the trip computer.

I drove to the post office, through drive by mailbox, and came home, so this is stop and go for 1.4 miles, with only .4 miles not using electric I’m guessing. That’s why the MPG number surprised me but someone else mentioned that I may need to let the computer figure it out once I have more miles in.

 

[mamboman777]

What fuel type are you using. If still using fuel from dealer, it's "Regular". Manual recommends using "Premium" for better performance and fuel economy. However, negative part of using premium fuel is you'll be paying more for "Premium". Side note, premium fuel has more detergent which helps keep engine cleaner. The higher octane makes fuel burn more efficient. Another thing to keep in mind; It is winter . . . COLD out there. When you have the heater on in the car, the engine will kick on more often to utilize the heat exchange unit keeping hot engine fluid running through. Meaning the more you sit with the engine idling, stop signs, traffic lights, traffic congestion, etc. means more fuel being consumed. When not using heater or when the heater isn't going all the time, fuel economy will increase. Just a few thoughts. Elevation also can make a difference. I'm still waiting for my Maverick Hybrid but only relating my experience with my 2021 Toyota Venza. As soon as the cold weather hit, I noticed when my heater is on my engine runs more. Prior to the heater use, anytime I stopped the engine would shut down. When accelerating slowly the electric motors did all the work, (unless battery nearly depleted). The more your electric motor(s) run the vehicle or assist the gasoline engine, the better your fuel economy. My Venza is an AWD whereas the Maverick is a FWD. Just have to experiment. Try using experimenting with the fuel types. The Maverick will run fine with regular fuel. If the manufacturer recommends a certain fuel type, go with that recommendation. With the Maverick, it is a "recommendation" and NOT a requirement. Meaning you're alright using regular fuel. However the performance claimed by Ford may not be what you will be experiencing. If a manufacturer says to ONLY use a certain fuel type, by all means only use that type of fuel. Hope this is helpful. By all means do some research and come to your own conclusions. You will read on this forum many differing opinions. Will say one thing you most definitely need to consider. Brilliant minds engineer the vehicles of today. Extensive design and testing go into the vehicles of today. So if the manufacturer "recommends" certain things, I suggest listen to the engineers. Good luck in your research and own experimentation. Hope this helps and answers your question.

Neither of the above statements about premium fuel are accurate.

Disclaimer - Some premiums might have more detergent, but likewise some lower octane fuels might have more detergent. The octane rating has nothing to do with detergent.

Premium fuel does not burn more efficiently, no disclaimer needed. Nor does it burn less efficiently.

What @Bushpilot said. This. Yes. I also do not believe the notes in the manual about premium fuel pertain to the hybrid; I think they are Ecoboost specific.

I will say this, though what burns most efficiently is ethanol free gasoline. Furthermore, if premium fuel is more efficient, for some reason, it's almost never more economical. (The money saved on mpg doesn't make up for the money spent on premium over regular).

The only instance where I would consider premium is when towing hauling, like the manual says, but like I previously stated, I'm not convinced it does anything for the hybrid, only the Ecoboost.

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