Odd MPG question

[DanaL]

I spoke with my dealer and they had nothing for me, so here I am.
Sorry for the length.

I recently picked up some relatives 130 miles away.
For some reason my Maverick does better on the highway then the city.
I was just about 4000 miles and had a 42.9 mpg average.
After the trip down I was at 42.7 (riding with no AC). (I forgot to look at the trip mileage)
I pulled in and was waiting when a spot opened up. I started the truck and it started with the ICE. (It was in the 70s.)
It hadn't done that in months.
I figured I was having some issue and I would call the dealer the next day.
After the trip back, fully loaded using AC I was back at 42.9. (Again I forgot to look at the trip mileage).
Taking them back again, using AC, I got 55 mpg and was up to 43.1 average mpg.
On the way back home, no AC and finally remembered eco mode, I was down to 42.8.
In between trips I found out about the current trip mileage screen.
I looked at it at points and watched it drop from 44 to 38.2.
While that is still better than EPA estimates, it's just odd.
It's not that the trip there is more downhill or uphill because the mileage was inconsistent on the trips.

Does anyone have any idea as to what is going on?
It seems weird to think I need the AC on to get good mileage. That has not been the case on local highway trips.
And why would it start with the ICE after probably using very little battery for 2 hours?

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[Waterick]

Well, the ICE does start periodically all the time, it is a small battery and it is possible that it was just ready to start when you engaged the ready button. As to your unusual or non-logical MPG readings, I have no answer. Not really enough detail known like winds, cross winds, temperature, traffic conditions etc. Some of those reading averages may have still been adjusting due to different load conditions. I really can't say. They do say that hybrid MPG improves significantly after about 4000 miles. I tend to agree.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

It sounds all like coincidences.

I will say this:

At 40,000 miles my City MPG and Hwy MPG are about the same.
And better than ever.

Both about 45 to 46 MPG.
Not just trips.
Whole tanks. 700 miles each.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

 

[Dad]

You have a lot going on. I know my hybrid gives off very different mileage readings for the same trips I take on a frequent basis, i.e. to and from the Home Depot.
You're getting better mileage in the city because you're using the electric motor more often. Highway speeds require more of the ICE.

 

[SafetyGuy]

Interesting.

I think you may need to start tracking your mileage and amount of fuel added when you fill. I use a book and hand calculate and track.

I dont know if you are just repeating what the truck is calculating for you as your mileage or not. I know I have adjusted my 2025 Lariat and have read many others who needed to adjust their Mav's to be more accurate in their fuel mileage as well as the distance to empty (DTE).

Not an answer to your question, but a way to verify what your fuel mileage actually is.

Some use an app (fuelly, I believe is one) to track their mileage.

Have a good one,

Andy

 

[Cherokee]

You can loose 10-15, even 20% of your fuel mileage if your windows are down, especially at big speeds. That blows your aerodynamics.
I guarandamteeya my Ecoboost would show less mpg’s at highway speeds with the windows down.

 

[Geo8866]

My girlfriend just bought a hybrid. (Toyota). I told her if she starts obsessing over mpg like some hybrid owners on this forum, I’m dumping her

 

[EffNo50]

My girlfriend just bought a hybrid. (Toyota). I told her if she starts obsessing over mpg like some hybrid owners on this forum, I’m dumping her

Why? She'd be saving fuel and driving more conservatively. There are much worse things she could be obsessing over.

 

[Geo8866]

Why? She'd be saving fuel and driving more conservatively. There are much worse things she could be obsessing over.

I was joking. But obsessing over any insignificant thing is not worth it to me. Life’s too short.

 

[Cherokee]

Wait until this happens to you

I will never need validation from others on any of my life’s choices.
I’m not one to follow the Pied piper over the cliff :XD

 

[DanaL]

Interesting.

I think you may need to start tracking your mileage and amount of fuel added when you fill. I use a book and hand calculate and track.

I dont know if you are just repeating what the truck is calculating for you as your mileage or not. I know I have adjusted my 2025 Lariat and have read many others who needed to adjust their Mav's to be more accurate in their fuel mileage as well as the distance to empty (DTE).

Not an answer to your question, but a way to verify what your fuel mileage actually is.

Some use an app (fuelly, I believe is one) to track their mileage.

Have a good one,

Andy

I use Fuelly. It's not a matter of the exact mileage, it's that it dropped substantially when I was alone. The truck is supposed to get better mileage in the city. Mine seems to do better on the highway. The only difference in these trips is the AC being on on the trips I got better mileage. That's backwards too, but I've driven on the highway with no AC and this didn't happen. The trips were just not as long. The dealer couldn't explain it. I've gotten incredible information from this forum and was hoping someone here had an idea, but that's not the case. I'll see what happens next time.

 

[DanaL]

You can loose 10-15, even 20% of your fuel mileage if your windows are down, especially at big speeds. That blows your aerodynamics.
I guarandamteeya my Ecoboost would show less mpg’s at highway speeds with the windows down.

The windows were up all the time. The only difference was the AC being on. So weird.
The same trip both in both directions.

 

[HeyBales]

You can certainly drive in the city, or have normal city routes - that either lends itself to good mileage, or totally kills the opportunity for the hybrid to do it's thing.

Beyond relying on figures that have little to do with accuracy (any of the figures while actually driving), it almost sounds like you are seeing the normal difference between ICE vehicle usage with highway being better than city.

And that could easily happen if you normally drive the city in such a bad way that you aren't getting as much benefit from the hybrid as possible.

Also - when you say highway but only give a distance, no time for that 130 mile trip - we have no idea what avg speed you are going. And don't claim a speed you keep on the highway - as most people seem to be terrible at that - they'll claim 75 mph and cruise control, but their whole trip time shows the avg was actually 60 mph say, with large chunks of slower driving being forgotten.
So again not useful figures.

 

[DanaL]

You can certainly drive in the city, or have normal city routes - that either lends itself to good mileage, or totally kills the opportunity for the hybrid to do it's thing.

Beyond relying on figures that have little to do with accuracy (any of the figures while actually driving), it almost sounds like you are seeing the normal difference between ICE vehicle usage with highway being better than city.

And that could easily happen if you normally drive the city in such a bad way that you aren't getting as much benefit from the hybrid as possible.

Also - when you say highway but only give a distance, no time for that 130 mile trip - we have no idea what avg speed you are going. And don't claim a speed you keep on the highway - as most people seem to be terrible at that - they'll claim 75 mph and cruise control, but their whole trip time shows the avg was actually 60 mph say, with large chunks of slower driving being forgotten.
So again not useful figures.

I love the adaptive cruise and use it all the time on the highway. I had it set to 67 or 57 depending on the limit. There was one slowdown on the first trip coming back, but nothing on the others. That would have helped that mileage a little but not 8-10 mpg.
I'm guessing there is really no answer, I just find this forum amazing and figured if there were, I would find it here.

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