Test Drove a XLT AWD 4k Tow the good and bad!

[JBnorthTX]

People's perception of savings is obviously subjective but your analysis does confirm one thing for me: looks like the savings for the "typical driver" could break out to right at about a buck or two a day, which is PERFECTLY in line with the "price of a cup of coffee per day" comparison I've used borderline ad nauseum to make this point. Nice to see some more corroboration and thanks for throwing that graph together!

While I agree that any kind of savings are nice (I'm a warehouse/Costco shopper at heart), it's still a buck or two a day. The average person would find WAY, WAY more financial relief by cutting out a couple restaurant trips a month or any of a thousand other tweaks. Of course, by all means, if you've already cleaned up all the other areas of your finances, tweak away and be excited beyond belief for that extra buck or two a day. But given the debt load/overall financial situation of the average person these days, I believe those folks are few and far between.

At the end of the day, I just feel sorry for anyone who thinks that moving to a hybrid will be some panacea for their finances. For the average person, it just won't be. And I really understand how easy that would be because I fall victim to that type of thinking more often than I'd like to admit. I'll still occasionally get hit with the impulse to drive a bit out of my way to the "cheaper gas stations" when I see a frustratingly high gas price until I think to myself "dude, all that effort to save $2? WTF are you thinking!".

And so ends WAY, WAY more words than I ever thought I'd type on the subject of "hybrid pocketbook implications". ~fin

His 70/30 scenario looks pretty applicable to me with about $800 per year of savings. But in the past most hybrids have been priced at a point where this type of analysis shows the gasoline cost savings are actually less than the premium paid for buying a hybrid. Yet people have been buying them anyway, because for some it's just a feeling of doing their part to save gas. The Maverick finally provides a clear financial benefit, even if isn't Earth shattering. Also, the analysis should include saving the additional cost of the Ecoboost engine, since the hybrid is the base choice.

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[Down]

His 70/30 scenario looks pretty applicable to me with about $800 per year of savings. But in the past most hybrids have been priced at a point where this type of analysis shows the gasoline cost savings are actually less than the premium paid for buying a hybrid. Yet people have been buying them anyway, because for some it's just a feeling of doing their part to save gas. The Maverick finally provides a clear financial benefit, even if isn't Earth shattering. Also, the analysis should include saving the additional cost of the Ecoboost engine, since the hybrid is the base choice.

No doubt that the Mav presents a FAR more intriguing foray into the hybrid world than has ever been offered, IMO. My original order actually was for the hybrid before changing my mind, so it's obviously perking up the ears of folks that had never seriously considered it before.

If one is going to calculate the total cost of ownership, as opposed to just the gas, I'd agree, the EB premium should be included with a ton of other variables from estimated depreciation to reduced wear on brake pads for the hybrid, and tons in between.

 

[vjvjMali]

I'm not sure how much (or if) others over/under estimate the savings, but since it came up I thought I would share this (in case it helps folks with those estimates).

Based on the known numbers (might change with the final hybrid numbers), the hybrid should save someone between $125 and $1075 a year under "normal mileage" (although I'm not quite sure if someone could actually drive 100% hwy miles--100% city might be possible). For typical driving (EPA's 60/40 city miles), people should save between $400 and $700 a year.

City %	Hwy %	Ecoboost AWD	Hybrid	% diff	MPG diff	$/yr (@15K $3.50)	$/yr (@10K $3.00)
100​	0​	22​	40​	82%​	18​	$ 1,073.86	$ 613.64
90​	10​	22.7​	39.3​	73%​	16.6​	$ 976.90	$ 558.23
80​	20​	23.4​	38.6​	65%​	15.2​	$ 883.49	$ 504.85
70​	30​	24.1​	37.9​	57%​	13.8​	$ 793.20	$ 453.26
60​	40​	24.8​	37.2​	50%​	12.4​	$ 705.65	$ 403.23
50​	50​	25.5​	36.5​	43%​	11​	$ 620.47	$ 354.55
40​	60​	26.2​	35.8​	37%​	9.6​	$ 537.34	$ 307.05
30​	70​	26.9​	35.1​	30%​	8.2​	$ 455.95	$ 260.54
20​	80​	27.6​	34.4​	25%​	6.8​	$ 376.01	$ 214.86
10​	90​	28.3​	33.7​	19%​	5.4​	$ 297.26	$ 169.86
0​	100​	29​	33​	14%​	4​	$ 219.44	$ 125.39

'''you will save on the wear and tear with an Hybrid. On hybrid's the breakpads

Oh yeah, if one didn't care about performance, towing capacity or getting a quick delivery, I don't see ANY reason not to get the hybrid. Those savings are basically passive income. It's definitely a landmark move by Ford that I applaud in many ways.

But I also see one fundamental thing that makes our perspective likely to be quite a bit different. I'm strictly referring to the average person in my examples. And from what I've seen, I think even considering opportunity cost for the average person distorts reality.

IMO, the only opportunity cost many people are really paying is "what" they're throwing their money away on; gas or something else. If most people would take that small amount they're saving and invest it or even pay off other, high interest debt, I'd totally see the benefit and agree. But most people are just gonna use it to go out to eat an extra time a month or add a new streaming account to their monthly bills. Of course, there are many who would make good use of that extra savings, those are the ones I originally exempted from the scope of my thoughts though. People that pay that much attention to their finances are also likely to have a more realistic understanding of the real impact that buck or two a day is going to have.

This really mirrors my thoughts on paying cash vs financing at a low rate. The prevailing wisdom seems to dictate that you should always finance in that situation. I think that's spot on advice.....if you're responsible with money. But most people aren't, that's why the Dave Ramseyish approach of alleviating debt at every pass is so helpful for so many people, even though it's not an approach most financially successful folks use.

I drive a Rav4 hybrid the breakpads lasts almost twice the number of miles compared to regular cars.

 

[Down]

'''you will save on the wear and tear with an Hybrid. On hybrid's the breakpads



I drive a Rav4 hybrid the breakpads lasts almost twice the number of miles compared to regular cars.

Yep, I just mentioned that in the post directly above yours. Definitely worth considering!

 

[Up North]

I got 27.4 mpg first tank of gas XLT AWD tow package about 2/3 highway and 1/3 city miles. The dash mpg reading was close but not exactly what fill and calculate proved. What I noticed was when reset values in dash after full up mpg readout starts about 18 mpg and goes up as you drive.computer need info to give you a true reading. Don't think after 8 miles that it's there

 

[ron34]

Got to drive an XLT AWD yesterday...two things come to mind.
The cloth seats are hard I would not want to drive 500 miles and the seat cut into the back of legs, that could be an adjustment but the hard seats can't...maybe time will soften them up
Can anyone confirm whether the Lariat seats are softer?

Also, I heard the engine a lot winding up and down...Coming in from the feet area

The good., ....its a rocket lol, yea its no slouch and it was actually hard not to jackrabbit start and I'm sure through time I would learn the feel of the throttle and get better gas mileage, but I can't see above 20-21mpg in stop and go but remember this has the Tow package and different gearing
And it rides nice for a Truck..I would consider it more of an SUV ride which I'm fine with

Another bad... MPG never got better than 20-21mpg in the 8 miles I drove it(I saw more 18-19mpg) where the Bronco Sport stayed in the 28 mpg range pushing up to 32mpg in a 45 mph area on the same drive

More later as I let it all sink in
It does have me questioning my XL AWD 4k Tow build and whether take a chance and wait for my Lariat Hybrid or go looking for a low mileage 2WD Toyota Tacoma since the MPG is about the same as 2.0 ecoboost, If I didn't need a truck once in a while for yard stuff I would get the Bronco Sport(I don't remember the seats being hard)
Stuff to think about but I'm sure I probably can't live with 20mpg in a base truck over my current Cowboy Cadillac even at 13.7 mpg, I probably had my hopes up to much on the XL 2WD getting 24-26mpg and then I could live with it......But those seats...boy they are hard and uncomfortable for a FORD

How would you compare the front seats to the Bronco Sport cloth seats?

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