Ford Fusion Hybrid Real World MPG Results

When I went car shopping, I debated between the benefits of the Hybrid versus the additional up-front cost of one.  Now with gas prices at an all-time high, buying a hybrid is the best decision right??  Well, here are my results…

I bought my car in the middle of September last year.  So, I’ve had the car for about 7 months now.  I’ve put on just over 6500 miles on it.  And when I look at my overall MPG, it is 30.8.  That’s right…10MPG less than the advertised 41MPG.

Hybrid efficiency comes from commutes that are driving at or below city speeds, on flat and level roads, and in a moderate climate.  I live in Madison, Wisconsin.  My commute to and from work is half at city speeds and half at highway speeds.  Also, I travel over enough hills on that route that the electric motor is always needing the gas-powered assistance.  Top that off with the recent cold winter where I always had my climate control running to heat up my car ride; maybe the hybrid wasn’t the best choice.  Before this so-called Spring season started, my MPG was at an all-time overall low of 28.4MPG.

I am confident that my driving-style also contributes to my overall MPG.  I prefer driving fast, passing cars on the highway, and accelerating at an acceptable rate after the light turns green.  If I try to drive super-efficient, I cringe at how slow the car creeps along.  So, my instinctual driving habits kick in and that hurts my MPG.

When I drove the most efficient that I could, down a mostly level road and while accelerating at a pace that kept my car in the green zone, I ended my trip with a 46.8MPG usage.  So I know the car is capable of that kind of performance.  But, those driving conditions are very specific and not normal for me.

With my driving being half city and half highway, I could’ve opted for a gas-powered car that got good gas mileage on the highway.  There are a number of options in this category.  Both the Ford Focus and Fiesta advertise 40MPG on the highway (although I would have to believe again that this is the high end of the chart).  Toyota has a number of cars in the mid to high 30’s.  Every car company has their class of cars that fit this category.

But, for me, I didn’t buy the Hybrid solely because of the gas mileage.  There were two other key features of a new car that I was interested in.  I enjoy a quiet ride.  I also enjoy a safe winter car that got good traction.  The sales guy convinced me that the paneling of batteries in the rear of the car would add an extra sound barrier from trunk noise entering the main chassis of the car.  Also, the extra weight from the batteries would make the winter handling of the car much safer.  I can’t disagree that either of those statements are false.  I handled the car well in the winter and the road noise I get isn’t through the trunk, but through the side doors.  So, maybe the reasoning was legit.  However, neither of those reasons should be the reason you buy a Hybrid.

If I were in the market again, I would really focus on the following points:

1. Are my most common commutes on flat/level roads?
2. Can I drive with A/C or heat off during most of the year?
3. Are my most common commutes on streets at city speeds?

If you can answer yes to all three, then Hybrids (or even all electric) vehicles are really a smart eco-friendly choice.  If you can’t answer yes to all three, then make sure you really consider which Hybrid car you choose.  From experience, I can tell you that the Fusion Hybrid isn’t the best choice if you are looking to save as much MPG as possible.  There are a lot of things I really love about my car.  But, I also am not afraid to think that I could’ve made a smarter decision if I had done more research before I bought.