2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid: 39 MPG In Consumer Reports Test

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2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid: 39 MPG In Consumer Reports Test

Antony Ingram

6,984 views Jan 23, 2013

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2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid

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All eyes are on Ford at the moment, following criticism that its hybrid models aren't getting anywhere near official EPA gas mileage.

Consumer Reports has confirmed this, with the result of its testing on the 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid returning a bittersweet 39 mpg figure.

On the one hand, 39 mpg is an excellent result--it makes the Fusion Hybrid the most economical midsized sedan Consumer Reports has ever tested.

On the other, that figure is still 8 mpg short of Ford's official 47 mpg claim for the car, which still backs up the magazine's previous tests of Ford hybrids.

Thankfully, the car has received a thumbs-up overall. The car's powertrain is described as "very impressive", both in terms of refinement and performance, with ride and handling praised--as is the car's styling.

The hybrid model could be the pick of the Fusion range, with both the 1.6 and 2.0-liter EcoBoost engines criticized for poor performance and economy next to competitors.

Cabin space, fit and finish and the MyFord Touch system also received negative comments. Testers say that these "prominent gripes" keep the Fusion from topping the group's list for midsize sedans.

The magazine has also tested Mitsubishi's revised i-MiEV (or "i") electric car, and the Ford Focus Electric.

Save for the former's 111 MPGe rating, making it the most energy-efficient car Consumer Reports has tested, the i-MiEV scored poorly in virtually every area. In contrast, the Focus Electric managed to be fun to drive, and still return a 107 MPG equivalent figure--actually 2 MPGe better than the car's EPA rating.

None of the new vehicles are recommended, however--both for being too new to gather reliability data on each model, and in the Mitsubishi's case, for simply not being good enough...

Finally, Ford's C-Max Hybrid has also been tested. At 37 mpg it again falls behind the 47 mpg official figure, and just loses out to the Mazda5 overall in its class.

Ford is certainly building some great cars at the moment, but niche-market Focus Electric aside, many will still be concerned about the economy of the firm's hybrid vehicles.

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Comments (23)

Reid Hester Posted: 1/23/2013 10:27am PST

Wow. Our Volt gets 40mpg on the highway after its battery charge is depleted (after ~40 mi.)

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John Briggs Posted: 1/23/2013 11:50am PST

"On the one hand, 39 mpg is an excellent result--it makes the Fusion Hybrid the most economical midsized sedan Consumer Reports has ever tested"

Not right.

The Prius is a Midsize (according to the EPA) and got 44 mpg in CR testing.

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Xiaolong Li Posted: 1/23/2013 3:15pm PST

Prius is a "midsize hatchback" or 5 door sedan. Fusion is a midsized 4 door "sedan". I think that is the "small" difference.

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Antony Ingram Posted: 1/25/2013 3:22am PST

Correct. I believe the difference is a technicality.

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John Briggs Posted: 1/23/2013 11:52am PST

Might do well to read the original CR article instead.

http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/12/video-tests-show-2013-ford-fusion-c-max-hybrids-dont-live-up-to-47-mpg-claims.html

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Antony Ingram Posted: 1/25/2013 3:25am PST

Instead, John? ;) We did actually cover Consumer Reports' initial story about the car's economy:

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1080961_consumer-reports-new-ford-hybrids-dont-meet-mileage-ratings

...Though the latest report marks the conclusion of their full review. Sub-EPA economy aside, it actually appears to be a reasonable choice.

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Xiaolong Li Posted: 1/23/2013 3:17pm PST

"In contrast, the Focus Electric managed to be fun to drive, and still return a 107 MPG equivalent figure--actually 2 MPGe better than the car's EPA rating."
This showcases that EVs are better at matching the real world efficiency than the ICE (when heat and A/C aren't taken into consideration).
The more electric, the better.

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Gas Guzzler Posted: 1/23/2013 5:17pm PST

I wonder if they will change their advertising for both the Fusion and the C-Max now?

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Tom Smith Posted: 1/24/2013 6:32am PST

Please keep in mind that all auto manufacturers derive MPG estimates from laboratory testing (not real life road testing)based on EPA guidelines.

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Chris Raber Posted: 1/24/2013 7:26am PST

I don't believe the EPA tests are just "guidelines". Manufacturers are required by law to test exactly as EPA specifies. They are also required by law to print those results on the new car sticker.
If you use a different test procedure than EPA, it is likely you will end up with different results.

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Ted Schmitt Posted: 1/24/2013 7:26am PST

The Prius is most certainly NOT a 5-door sedan. The terms "sedan" and "hatchback" are completely different vehicles.

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Ronald Kramer Posted: 1/24/2013 2:56pm PST

Poor MPG… Don't Except 47MPG or even close to that.

I also lease a 2010 Prius and Insight both of which have far superior MPG.
Performance (40-51mpg). I thought this would be a Prius Killer? As a
cross over buyer I feel deceived. I want to support US companies and US.
jobs. What was Ford thinking when they published 47 / 47 estimates? I
would have been ok with low 40's but low 28-33 is not even in the ball.
park. Mark my words there will be no fix for this. Ford should offer.
to take the cars back or offer cash compensation to offset the.
mileage claims. The EPA estimates will have to be adjusted to the mid.
30's and sell the cars as is.

My dealer's sales and service department were ok at the beginning of the
complaint process, but th

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Bryan Lund Posted: 1/24/2013 6:45pm PST

The Prius is a midsize car? Huh?

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Antony Ingram Posted: 1/25/2013 3:22am PST

While more compact than most midsize cars on the outside, the EPA ranks vehicles by interior volume - and the Prius is therefore a midsize car. By the same token, the Fisker Karma is actually a subcompact...

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1067775_more-fisker-bad-news-epa-calls-20-mpg-karma-a-subcompact

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Daniel Watkins Posted: 2/9/2013 1:56pm PST

Yeah a 5,000 pound sub compact

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Forest Randonneur Posted: 1/25/2013 11:41pm PST

The original 1st-gen Prius was indeed a compact with around 80ft^3 of passenger cabin space.

The Prius has always been classified as a true midsize passenger car since the second generation, with 92ft^3 of passenger cabin space. That was only a couple ft^3 smaller than the Camry model available at that time.

The 2nd-gen Prii are actually relatively big cars compared to the Corolla, Sentra, Jetta, etc. of the same generation.

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eric snyder Posted: 1/25/2013 12:06pm PST

I don't undersatnd how they (CR) can expect to match EPA ratings - do they run the EPA test or just randomly drive the car around town?

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Xiaolong Li Posted: 1/25/2013 1:27pm PST

They don't expect it to match, just "close" enough.

I agree that this is a "bigger" problem with EPA testing instead of Ford. Ford and Toyota just figured out a good way to "game" the EPA test which is flawed in representing the real world MPG.

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Bruce Renick Posted: 1/29/2013 7:00pm PST

Best I have gotten in 2100 miles in fusion hybrid is 36 and averaging a disappointing 31. "For sale!"

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Richard MacMahon Posted: 2/1/2013 9:22pm PST

There are multiple reasons for MPG differences beyond one's driving habits. I have 700 miles on my 2013 FFH and have 41 MPG combined (and climbing) in winter temperatures. As I have just donated my 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid (140000 mi, lifetime combined average 45 mpg- close to the 51/49 under the old EPA test), I know quite a bit about maximizing fuel economy (e.g., opting out of low friction tires can kill 5-8 mpg!). This is a duel functioning vehicle as it rates 188 hp. My Honda was rated a little over 100 hp and driving it hard would not bring my mpg down as dramatically as this new Ford. The CR test is unfair as the electric motor will not kick in if your car is traveling 63+ mph (Look at the CR's test parameters).

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Richard MacMahon Posted: 2/2/2013 12:18pm PST

That's "dual-functioning." That is, you can drive this 3600 lb car spiritedly or drive it as if you only have Prius HP limits. By the way, the car is the best handling mid-size I've ever owned and it is, in my opinion, far more attractive than the competition in its class (Camry, Accord, Optima, Jetta, Malibu, Sonata). Ford has a winner here and I'd wager they conducted the EPA tests correctly. must be logged in to post your comment.

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Richelle Jones Posted: 5/18/2013 5:46pm PDT

I've only had my car a week and was getting 39-40 mpg until I read the owner manual and changed my display to the "Empower" display so that it shows the threshold of how far I can push the gas pedal before it switches out of electric only mode. I have made several trips that have been well over 50 mpg watching this gauge closely. The car lets you get up to about 62 mph on electric only.

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David Carson Posted: 5/28/2013 11:55am PDT

I am currently at 4150 miles with the Fusion Hybrid that I own. I routinely get 50+ mpg gallon and on a couple of occasions I hit 60 mpg. The lifetime average on my Fusion is currently at 45.9 mpg driving style and traffic conditions play a big part on the mpg that you will get.

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