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Shockingly low mpg numbers reported for 2013 Focus

30K views 97 replies 51 participants last post by  CunFFS13 
#1 ·
I'm an owner of a 2012 Focus w/ DCT. I've had some mechanical issues with the car, hopefully resolved, and have averaged over 42 mpg so far. However, I see that 27 owners of the 2013 Ford Focus have reported an average of 28.6 mpg (!) on the Fuelly website. That borders on scandalous for a car touted by Ford for it's good gas mileage. Can they all be driving like idiots? Any thoughts?
 
#2 ·
That doesn't seem too out of line for people in an urban setting who are mashing on the gas pedal after every stop light. Also, they could be driving in a location with a lot of gridlock. I've averaged about 33 mpg on mine here in Colorado, but if I had to take the 405 in LA to work like I used to I'm sure I'd probably be around 28 or so as well.
 
#4 · (Edited)
That doesn't seem too out of line for people in an urban setting who are mashing on the gas pedal after every stop light. Also, they could be driving in a location with a lot of gridlock.
Could well be the above. On my last trip home from the airport my mpg stayed under 20 until I cleared the airport area and had run highway for a few miles. Stop-and-go driving really brings down the numbers. Hills hurt it too.

FWIW, my own mpgs are in line so far with what the sticker predicted.
 
#3 ·
didn't every 2012 mpg thread show that as more miles where put on the vehicles the mpg improved? How long have the 2013's been out and how many miles are people reporting? I bet it comes up in due time ....


If you want to talk about poor reported mpg to the stated mpg look at the 2012+ Impreza.
 
#9 ·
didn't every 2012 mpg thread show that as more miles where put on the vehicles the mpg improved? How long have the 2013's been out and how many miles are people reporting? I bet it comes up in due time ....
Not true, my analysis of fuelly data showed that many owners' fuel economy stayed the same or even went down in some cases from their first fuelly post. On average I think economy can go up 2-3 mpg in the long term due to powertrain breaking in, which matches my experience with my Focus.
 
#5 ·
I've got a 2013 with almost 2000km on it now, and I've been watching my mileage with keen interest. Since I'm in Canada, my car displays L/100km, instead of mpg. My commute to work is through the city, and even though I drive it gently, I still see only around 8L/100km, which works out to a little below 30mpg. If I take a decent drive on a highway, though, the average quickly improves, falling below 7L/100km. I reset the average every time I fuel up, and the best I've seen the average fall to is 6.6 L/100km, or about 35 mpg. That's still mixed driving though. Today, I'm going to be doing a long trip that is almost purely highway, and I'm going to brim it before I depart, so I'm eager to see what I can get.
 
#15 ·
I was able to do 5.2L/100 Km @ 112 Kph using cruise control on a 2 hour flat strech of highway (Montreal/Quebec). 2 adults, some luggage with A/C 'cause it was during summer. Also, my car gets 8.2L/100Km for my daily commute. It's been like this for months. I had a SE 2013 Flex fuel loaner with 3800 Km on it and used it for 2 days to use it to get to work. I got 8.2L/100Km out of it. Same numbers, same usage. The only difference is the flex fuel option the loaner had that I dont have on my car. But then again, the Flex Fuel thing does not much help when stuck in traffic as it is, I beleive, an aero dynamical thing only.
 
#53 ·
This is the first thread I read where the guy is complaining about the Focus, not about his\her car,but other people's Focus. Very inventive to create another negative focus thread.
Agreed but I was not looking for 200 miles on a gallon of water either.

I get about 27 overall (no reset for the last 900+ miles), I'm still assessing since I keep changing the way I drive with the DCT and I put in 93 for the last half tank. It sure is better than the 12 I get in the Saturn in the city, 19 highway so I have no complaints. Currently reading about 28.x but it changes so slowly and there is no real time display. Also, I only have 1400 miles so far and nothing has remained the same so I have nothing definitive to say except that I am happy with it.
 
#7 ·
Don't take my feedback as a complaint, by any means. I'm loving the car, and the mileage is satisfying my expectations. I expect it to improve as the car is more broken in. It's also already better than the 1.6L Civic I replaced, with which the best mileage I ever managed was only about 40mpg on pure highway driving. Admittedly, I drove it a little more vigorously than my Focus, but the Focus has WAY more power, so to be seeing similar or even better mileage, puts a big smile on my face.
 
#12 ·
I see that 27 owners of the 2013 Ford Focus have reported an average of 28.6 mpg (!) on the Fuelly website. That borders on scandalous for a car touted by Ford for it's good gas mileage.
It is just a couple mpg's behind the 2012's, I am sure with more stats they will soon be similar.

http://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/focus/2012

I just looked at the charts, there isn't even enough data to form any good averages yet, and I also noticed upon a quick perusal that several of the 2013's are ST's which will have lower mpg's.

http://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/focus/2013

I just sent Fuelly an email suggesting a different filter or engine class for the ST's so as not to skew the data. We will see what happens.
 
#13 ·
I have a full 100 miles (yes, one hundred) on my 2013. And with incorporating the idle time at the plant and dealership to prep the car (I didn't reset the MPG when I took delivery), winter gas blend, and the fact that I've only driven city, I'm shocked that I am only getting 24 MPG! [giggle]

In all seriousness, I wouldn't be too worried about the 2013 fuel economy right now. Many people are still within the break-in period, winter gas, colder temps, etc. Around this time next year I think you would see the average 2013 MPG up a good big higher, probably very in line with the 2012 MPG.
 
#19 ·
It all is how many stop lights, and driving stop and go. vs never having to stop.
100%

If you reset your in dash mpg you can see the mpgs drop every stop light,and every time you have to reaccelerate. simple physics.
It take a lot of enegy to accelerate. having to do it over and over every few minute eats up an amazing amount of gas.
So does sitting idling. but not nearly as much as accelerating.
So say you have a city commute of three miles at 35 to 40mph with only one stop. Your mpg over that distance will be in the 38mpg range. The same distance at rush hour, with a stoplight every other block..Your mpg will be in the low 20's at best.
Same car. and person.
THAT is the only difference.
Yeah mashing the pedal makes it worse, but the real problem is the stopping and accelerating over and over.
Ther is no conspiracy, no magic involved. Just stopping and accelerating. is the problem.

I would also say that most cars I had driven this issue was never so clear as it is in the 3rd gen Focus.
Probably has to do with the high mpg which CAN be gained, vs the usual mpgs.. and the way the engine is designed etc.
 
#20 ·
Fuelly's response to my suggestion..

My suggestion: Under 2013 Ford Focus, you should add a filter, or engine class for the ST since it is a high performance turbocharged version that is rated at a lower MPG than the other trim levels for 2013. Right now the ST's are mixed in with others, skewing the data. Just a thought.

Fuelly's response: Thanks for the suggestion. We don't track vehicles past the model level and that's a blanket rule across all vehicles. There are
instances like this where it might be nice to track trim levels, but
with our small staff we need to have rules to keep things manageable.
Many people include details like this in the vehicle name. So
sometimes you can spot differences that way.
 
#21 ·
My suggestion: Under 2013 Ford Focus, you should add a filter, or engine class for the ST since it is a high performance turbocharged version that is rated at a lower MPG than the other trim levels for 2013. Right now the ST's are mixed in with others, skewing the data. Just a thought.

Fuelly's response: Thanks for the suggestion. We don't track vehicles past the model level and that's a blanket rule across all vehicles. There are
instances like this where it might be nice to track trim levels, but
with our small staff we need to have rules to keep things manageable.
Many people include details like this in the vehicle name. So
sometimes you can spot differences that way.
It's an even bigger deal with many other models where they throw in hybrids and diesels with the base gas versions. I was trying to compare the focus to the jetta but couldn't because of all the TDI's.
 
#23 ·
Poor Mileage

I have a 2013 Focus Titanium Hatchback (Dual clutch auto) and I have around 2000 miles on it now. I have filled up 6 times now. My commute is around 85% highway (55mph + without stops) and I only average 28.5mpg. The window sticker for my car reads 28 city, 38 highway so I would expect to get well above 30mpg with my driving habits. This mpg value has not increased since I have owned the car.

BTW I am not only relying on the trip computer, I also calculate mpg every time I fill up.

Also I hear a rubbing noise coming from the transmission periodically in third gear while accelerating. My dealer tells me that the sound is normal, but I have driven many cars in my life and have never heard this noise before.

Additionally, my car will "buck" sometimes if I try to accelerate from a stop on a hill. I think there is a problem with my car but the dealer does not want to admit it. Im not too happy right now.
 
#27 ·
I think there is a problem with my car but the dealer does not want to admit it. Im not too happy right now.
Give it some time. These transmissions can exhibit some pretty weird behavior, mine did. That should clear up and the fuel mileage will come up. I do all city driving and when it was new I have gotten as low as 19mpg. I am at 4,500 miles now and my last tank was 26.4mpg. It seems like it has way more power than it did and I wind up giving less throttle to get the job done.
 
#25 ·
On Fuelly, my average is 30 mpg, but my last few tanks ranged from the low to mid-20s. Nothing wrong with my car -- just a change in where I drive. My new commute is shorter but it involves lots of idling through city streets. It takes me about 30 minutes to go 4 miles. Biking would be faster, but I've been too lazy.
 
#28 ·
(without offense) I'm coming off of 20 years with a 5.0-liter Mustang that never got more than 17mpg. I've had the 2013 S sedan for one week, still on the original tank of gas, and my average mileage has been slowly climbing up to (now) over 27. This is with a good mix of traffic, highway, and "spirited" driving. I'm loving it! I've also been on vacation this week, and go back to my regular commute of 30 miles traffic and 30 miles highway starting tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to seeing what I get with the next tank. I don't ever expect to see the projected 36mpg on the top end, but 27mpg for how I drive is a revelation. And I drive like an idiot.
 
#29 ·
I live in constant fear of misguided scientists extracting velociraptor DNA out of dino juice so I make it a point to burn up as much as I can so they can't get to it and take over the world.

That is the reason for my low MPG rating.
 
#33 ·
Don't quit your day job for comedy just yet. Oh, and oil does not come from dinosaurs, sorry. [giggle]

The notion that petroleum or crude oil comes from dinosaurs is fiction. Surprised? Oil formed from the remains of marine plants and animals that lived millions of years ago, even before the dinosaurs. The tiny organisms fell to the bottom of the sea. Bacterial decomposition of the plants and animals removed most of the oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur from the matter, leaving behind a sludge made up mainly of carbon and hydrogen. As the oxygen was removed from the detritus, decomposition slowed. Over time the remains became covered by layers upon layers of sand and silt. As the depth of the sediment reached or exceeded 10,000 feet, pressure and heat changed the remaining compounds into the hydrocarbons and other organic compounds that form crude oil and natural gas.

The type of petroleum formed by the plankton layer depended largely on how much pressure and heat were applied. Low temperatures (caused by lower pressure) resulted in a thick material, such as asphalt. Higher temperatures produced a lighter petroleum. Ongoing heat could produce gas, though if the temperature exceeded 500°F, the organic matter was destroyed and neither oil nor gas was produced. http://chemistry.about.com/b/2012/05/23/oil-comes-from-dinosaurs-fact-or-fiction.htm
 
#34 ·
Don't put too much faith in the MPG read out on the dash...they are notoriously inaccurate in many cases. On my Focus, the dash-indicated MPG is typically much greater than actual MPG (as computed via miles driven since last fill, divided by volume of gas required to fill). In some cases, dash-indicated MPG is less than actual; but in most cases, it is greater than actual. Much greater. The dash-indicated MPG reading should be used for purely amusement purposes only. If the speedometer was as inaccurate, we would all be getting tickets!
 
#32 · (Edited)
I filled up yesterday, and then drove a 400km round trip. Despite a lengthy highway traffic jam (stop and go, took about 30 minutes to travel 2 km or so), most of the trip was between 80 and 110km/h in 5th, with occasional slowdowns when passing through residential areas, leaving me with an average for the day of 6.3L/100km, or around 37-38mpg. I wasn't driving with maximum efficiency in mind, either. Call me satisfied. I think with smooth and trouble-free highway driving, I could break 40mpg easily.
 
#37 ·
Hey folks,

Just a reminder that if you're concerned about the fuel economy of your vehicle, you can always take your Focus to the dealership so they can take a look. Also keep in mind that winter fuel blends usually translate to lower fuel economy in your car.

You can also check out Ford's tips for improving your vehicle's fuel efficiency here: http://owner.ford.com/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1097497476823&pagename=Owner%2FPage%2FArticleDetail&recid=1251387049618&parentheadlineimageid=1233677327701&parentrightrecid=1239636411265

Let me know if you have any questions!
Crystal
 
#40 ·
Take a look at this: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fe_test_schedules.shtml
This chart shows the tests that the EPA uses to determine the rating for cars. If you notice the highway portion of the test the average speed is only 48 mph with a top speed of 60 mph. We all know that the faster you drive the resistance created by the air increases exponentially, not in a linear fashion. Those ratings are only to give a point of reference from one car to another for comparison, not to tell you what you will get from your car the way YOU drive it. Personally I have a 2013 SE manual, and I get around 30-31 driving at 75 mph. Here in Michigan. It makes me wonder where people live that they get MPG ratings in the upper 30's to near 40, if they are living in places that have much lower speed limits than the 70 here. Like they say "Your Mileage May Vary" [driving]
 
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