Hybrid vs Eco for mostly highway driving.

[Landric]

I don’t yet have a Maverick.

That said, my current RAV4 Hybrid is averaging in the low 40s for highway MPG (most recent fill up was 42 MPG for about 90% highway driving). IIRC it is rated 41 city / 38 highway/ 40 combined.

My 2015 Ford Fiesta S with a 1.5 liter gas engine, 5-speed manual, and a much lower vehicle weight had an overall average of 36 MPG over 80,000 miles of driving with about 80% of that highway.

Definitely get the Hybrid Maverick over the Ecoboost if the goal is fuel economy even if it is mostly highway driving.

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[chrisehyoung]

Remember, running a hybrid you can game the system in a way that ICE can't. You can focus on when and how you're going into and out of electric mode and optimizing your pedal pressing to extend that time as much at possible. The EPA estimate is based on the same driving you'd do in a standard ICE. Put your foot down and go. Hybrids can be finessed if you're willing to go a bit slower here or there or accelerate just a fraction of the power less off the line. ICE has no where near the payout for babying the gas pedal.

I do accelerate slower off the line than most vehicles. Because I can see real world advantages to that. When I get 50 or 60 mpg on my mornings, why would I put my foot down to erase all that just to get to the next traffic light faster?

My regular morning commute. Why wouldn't I strive for that? And that 50mpg was me running faster since I was late.

Here's some freeway driving. Total ON time was still 52mph and still averaged 40.8 mpg.

Oh...

And I wasn't babying it all the time.

Once you drive a hybrid you'll see how much you can improve or harm your mileage that you will start adjusting your driving when it's beneficial.

I'm just happy to know that i'm not the only one who takes pictures of the mileage often. I have a folder of mileage photos to refer back to.

Your mileage looks very similar to mine. I average 48-52MPG for my daily commute which is only 27kms of 65% highway and 35% city. The other day I did a bunch of city driving with my kids and got 63MPG for 20 kms of around town driving.

 

[YOBY]

Many folks comment on this topic, claim no benifit in having a hybrid for 90% plus highway driving. So many mileage claims out there that just seem like B.S. Hoping for some input and opinions now the many have had their Maverick for some time. I drive for my business,, 60 to 70K a year,, 95% on the highway.

Real Data:

All highway driving at speeds between 65 and 75mph. From Pa. to Kansas through 5 states. Mountains and flat lands. Fords numbers and real hand calculated data.

Trip Data:

I started with a full tank and ended with a full tank right up to the gas cap and have all the receipts in between. Will add up to see if the dash calculations are correct provided the Gas Stations are honest.

Edit: From Gas Station Receipts - $321.58/67.4606 Gals 2227.3 miles/67.4606 = 33.016 MPG

3.6 MPG Discrepancy in Fords favor.

 

[stoptothink]

Like others, we are averaging WAY over EPA estimates on highway drives. We're currently averaging 48mpg overall in mixed driving, with longer highway drives usually in the low to mid 40's (computer estimates). I suspect the tipping point for where the ecoboost becomes more efficient than the hybrid is 80+.

 

[respi133]

I have the EcoBoost and I’m averaging around 35-37 on Highway and 32-33 in town driving. I’m pleased with my results.

holy shit really?? I'm struggling to keep 22mpg on the cluster, 60/40 highway/city, CC often as possible and coast always. highway in texas means I'm 65-75 mostly but that can't be the reason you're over 30mpg with the same setup - maybe my light foot is not as light as I felt... can't seem to find the FordPass app's driving style readout that it used to have...

 

[The64]

Get the hybrid if economy in any sense is your goal. First, you will be using 87 octane gas instead of premium. Second, the cost of the car is less. Third, you will be amazed how many times, even on the highway, you are taking advantage of the hybrid. Fourth, you will be spending less on brakes.

 

[ShadowBlack XL440]

Get the hybrid if economy in any sense is your goal. First, you will be using 87 octane gas instead of premium. Second, the cost of the car is less. Third, you will be amazed how many times, even on the highway, you are taking advantage of the hybrid. Fourth, you will be spending less on brakes.

I use regular in my EB, premium is not required. Only reason for considering the EB is if you need AWD or will be regularly towing. The only other reason for choosing the EB, in my case, was I missed the hybrid order cutoff date. Still happy with the EB XL FWD getting 30-32 MPG daily on rural roads.

 

[Johnkn]

I returned Sunday from a 900 mile trip, Southern Maryland to Erie, PA. ~860 of those miles were highway at 70-80 mph. Hand calculated mileage for the trip was 41.8 MPG.

My truck consistently delivers better fuel economy than rated.

Good luck......

 

[TRQ427]

holy shit really?? I'm struggling to keep 22mpg on the cluster, 60/40 highway/city, CC often as possible and coast always. highway in texas means I'm 65-75 mostly but that can't be the reason you're over 30mpg with the same setup - maybe my light foot is not as light as I felt... can't seem to find the FordPass app's driving style readout that it used to have...

This is exactly what I'm talking about,, mileage claims all over the place. I've watched disscussions with these kind of dissapointing results often, and I cant see anyway you could murder 20+ MPG,,, unless you were driving with the throttle wide open,, and the brakes applied, smoking and glowing red,, I just dont get it.

 

[TacoHolder]

Yep. Not downtalking the EB, it is great. But, the hybrid costs substantially less to buy, and on equal trips is more efficient, city or highway.

The only real reasons to get the EB are AWD or if you plan to mod for power. The hybrid is cheaper and does everything else better. It's not even noticeably slower in real world passing situations. This all only applies if you order and wait. Otherwise you gotta take what you can find. Any potential fuel savings from a hybrid could be offset upfront by a dealer markup.

 

[Angel]

I’m 50/50 highway and city and my MPG is averaging 42-44.

 

[KenT]

In my analysis, for vehicles with comparable body styles, the most important figure of merit in determining mileage at a level grade and constant speed is the product of engine displacement times engine revs per mile. This is because there is one fuel:air ratio which optimizes emissions, the stoichiometric ratio. Since the fuel:air ratio is constant, gas usage will vary with the amount of air breathed by the engine each mile. Air volume will entirely depend on engine displacement times the number of times the air is displaced each mile. That in turn will depend on tire size, transmission top gear ratio, and differential ratio.

If the hybrid is not receiving electric assist, the EB should get better highway mileage because because it has a 2.0 liter engine, and the hybrid has a 2.5 liter engine. And on a level highway at constant speed, there will be no electric assist. After the first few score miles or so, the battery will be depleted, and at a constant speed, there will be no regenerative breaking to recharge the battery. The 2.5 l. engine will be powering the Maverick entirely.

The other variable, though, is overall revs/ mile. That is something of a black box for Maverick. Ford lists the top gear ratio and final drive ratio for the EB in its technical specs, but not for the Hybrid. But it’s possible that the Electronic continuously variable transmission on the hybrid lowers the revs/ mile more than enough to compensate for larger engine size. So any recorded improvement in highway mileage—after driving long enough to deplete the battery—should be attributable to the transmission, and not the IC engine or electric motor.

If the overall revs/ mile is not significantly different though, then after a certain number of miles driven after the battery is depleted, the overall highway mileage will equalize between the EB and the Hybrid, and thereafter the mileage will be better for the EB because of its smaller displacement.

 

[icegradner]

In my analysis, for vehicles with comparable body styles, the most important figure of merit in determining mileage at a level grade and constant speed is the product of engine displacement times engine revs per mile. This is because there is one fuel:air ratio which optimizes emissions, the stoichiometric ratio. Since the fuel:air ratio is constant, gas usage will vary with the amount of air breathed by the engine each mile. Air volume will entirely depend on engine displacement times the number of times the air is displaced each mile. That in turn will depend on tire size, transmission top gear ratio, and differential ratio.

If the hybrid is not receiving electric assist, the EB should get better highway mileage because because it has a 2.0 liter engine, and the hybrid has a 2.5 liter engine. And on a level highway at constant speed, there will be no electric assist. After the first few score miles or so, the battery will be depleted, and at a constant speed, there will be no regenerative breaking to recharge the battery. The 2.5 l. engine will be powering the Maverick entirely.

The other variable, though, is overall revs/ mile. That is something of a black box for Maverick. Ford lists the top gear ratio and final drive ratio for the EB in its technical specs, but not for the Hybrid. But it’s possible that the Electronic continuously variable transmission on the hybrid lowers the revs/ mile more than enough to compensate for larger engine size. So any recorded improvement in highway mileage—after driving long enough to deplete the battery—should be attributable to the transmission, and not the IC engine or electric motor.

If the overall revs/ mile is not significantly different though, then after a certain number of miles driven after the battery is depleted, the overall highway mileage will equalize between the EB and the Hybrid, and thereafter the mileage will be better for the EB because of its smaller displacement.

In my experience driving a hybrid for 6 years, albeit an older model without current gen tech, this is true for the most part. I always got better fuel economy in city and lower speed rural roadways (up to 40ish MPH). Flat highway driving at 55-60MPH was very efficient as well, but beyond that the numbers went down fast. Any sustained hill climbing made it even worse, as one would expect.

What you do have to keep in mind, displacement aside, is that the 2.5L engine is running in the akinson cycle, which is inharently more efficient to start with. In a normal vehicle that would lead to a drop in power, but the hybrid system use the gas motor as a power generator and so the ICE is always working at the most efficient RPM for the needed power level. The ECO Boost simply cannot do that.

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