MKZ Hybrid Economy - or lack of it

wow someone else just posted about buying one, for the same reasons you stated. that is disappointing.

 

You only have 4000 miles on the car. New tires have higher rolling resistance. Yours are just starting to be broken in. Assuming 34.8mpg was your average for the Avalon over its time in your possession, the MKZ is already close to that while still not broken in.

 

Not only that, the last 4k miles have been during peak summer conditions. The OP needs to get a full year of readings for a better comparison.

 

no, the avalon got 348 mpg. mkz is just not up to the task.

 

The EPA estimate is a average only! There are lows and highs! Results will varies! Example: 2 person walks 10 miles one burns 800 calories the other burns 1,200 calories. So the average is 1,000 calories per 10 miles.

 

I cant say I am unsatisfied with my 2015 MKZ hybrid, It averaged 36 mpg for the first 5000 miles, then changed oil and ran it another 7500 miles that averaged 41 mpg. Oil analysis showed the oil is good for the Ford recommended 10,000 miles, so the next change will be at another 10,000 miles Things will free up a bit during the first 10,000 miles and mpg will improve if you allow it to. We do not drive it hard, but run with traffic at the speed limit.(65-75)

It does not match the low to mid 50's mpg of my 2010 Prius, but the quiet comfortable long trip driving with the 1000 pound heavier Lincoln is a good trade in my mind.
My original intent was to replace the Prius with either an Avalon or a Lexus hybrid, but could not find a single Avalon hybrid in the area on dealers lots and there are no Lexus dealers in the entire state. The local Lincoln dealer had two MKZ hybrids on the lot. So far we are happy with the MKZ hybrid and the dealer.

 

What fuel economy have you gotten since August?

You said it was fully loaded. I assume it has the upgraded wheels then. This will lower the fuel economy of any car, Toyota hybrids included.

Car companies only have to display the MPG rating for the most common equipped model sold in the US. If you have the larger wheels, your ire at Ford should be directed to Congress for mandating different wheel sizes get their own MPG rating like is done in other countries.

 

Wheels are unsprung weight. Adding to unsprung weight is worse than keeping too much stuff in the trunk. Larger wheels also add weight farther out from the axle; it takes more energy to spin them up than smaller ones.

Quick look on Google shows that the MKZ is heavier than the Avalon. Ford isn't very good at keeping cars and trucks light.

It is possible to get a good amount of fuel into all cars after the first click. Gerdes of Cleanmpg takes some extra steps to ensure a tank is filled to the brim, and managed to get around 2 gallons more into a F150 after the first click. Then there is the ge2 Prius fuel bladder. I remember a manual for a Ford we used to have recommending filling to the second click.

Was the sport wheel package a Southern Toyota thing, because I don't remember seeing it as an option on Fueleconomy.gov. The Camry hybrid had separate listings there for the LE and XLE. They had different wheel sizes, but I think it could have been because the XLE bumped up into the next EPA weight class that it was required.

 

The larger wheels can be light and strong, but they are heavier ones that the car was EPA tested with. They also may not have the LRR model tire that was on the test car, and that might even be heavier too. It's little changes, but little things look big when you start with a big number.

Ford still uses a tank bladder? Either way, there are components that capture gasoline vapors on all modern cars, and they can get damaged if flooded by overfilling. Then there might be risk to Ford's capless filler.

I don't dive into the gen3 forums, and the option doesn't appear Fueleconomy.gov. Smart that Toyota had s specific window sticker for it. different size wheels don't require posting a different rating under US regulations though.

 

My wifes 2014 MKZ Hybrid gets 40 mpg with boring dependability. She does drive to ma-mile, and the tires are cheap non-LRR imports. We are constantly amazed at the balance of luxury and efficiency. She is going to buy a new one before year-end.

 

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Generic post from new member could work in any comments section from cars to conspiracy theories to cucumbers.

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