To Florida via hybrid — not the fastest way, but easy on the budget
It takes a very light touch on the accelerator to keep the car in electric mode
We recently took a trip to Florida — not just for some sun and heat, but to see the elusive manatee in its native habitat and bring back a snowbird relative.
Our ride was a 2015 Ford Fusion, a Hybrid Titanium model powered by a 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine and high-voltage electric motor combination. This 141-horsepower (188 total with electric motor) was ade- quate for the 1,651-kilogram weight of the front-drive, four-door, five-passenger sedan.
Now the Fusion will never win any drag races and was not in its element climbing through the mountains of West Virginia. Driving a hybrid, especially on a long trip, does require indoctrination and patience. From a standstill, a very light foot is required on the throttle to run in electric mode only, which won’t endear you to the traffic in back of you.
Another driveability issue you must get used to is the electronic continuously variable transmission, or CVT. Now gaining more popularity, this type of transmission does not shift as in a conventional multi-speed automatic. It just provides continuous acceleration with no shifting and you must get used to no kick-down when you accelerate hard for more speed.
Coasting the grades along stretches of the I-79 and I-77 interstates, especially down the Fancy Gap grade in Virginia or through the Big Walker Mountain and East River Mountain tunnels south of Wytheville, Va., the Fusion rode along in electric/battery mode, then the little engine would engage and power us up the other side.
By the time we got down through the Carolinas and into southern Georgia, the Fusion was able to run down the road on electric mode at100 km/h. But at speeds any higher and with the use of the air conditioner, the engine would kick in.
After spending the second night of our trip in Saint Augustine, we spent a good part of the next day exploring the Atlantic Coast city, founded in 1565 and laying claim as the oldest European-based community in the continental U.S. The city abounds with history, from the Fountain of Youth to the Flagler era. Henry Flagler, a railroad tycoon of the late 19th century, developed the area as a winter destination with a number of extravagant buildings, including the Ponce De Leon Ho- tel, now part of the 2,500-student Flagler College.
A couple of days later, after getting to our final destination in central Florida, we made our plans to see the manatee, or sea cow.
For many years we have travelled to Florida and our bucket list has included viewings of the alligator, the Key Deer and the manatee.
We have seen alligators many times and the irrigation ditches along Hwy. 29, south of Immokalee on the western side of the Everglades, have provided excellent showings.
Key Deer, about the size of a large dog, are exclusive to Big Pine Key and No Name Key. They are semi-tame, flit
about the residential properties in the area and are an endangered species.
Manatees in the wild was the final quest. With no natural predators except man, this gentle giant is also an endangered species. There are several areas in the state where they can be viewed, but we chose the natural habitat of the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park on the Gulf side, north of Tampa.
Looking like a large fish swimming sideways, the manatees seemingly glide through the water. They are herbivores, weigh between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds and will eat 10 to 15 per cent of their body weight daily. They certainly enjoyed the romaine lettuce fed to them by a park ranger as we watched and took photos.
After a few hours at the park, we headed south and east back to the family home near Lake Wales. Florida is one of the flattest places on Earth, so cruising on battery power alone was possible for long stretches on Hwy. 98. But most Floridians are in a hurry, and we were constantly passed by those behind us when we light-footed it away from traffic lights. Eventually, the battery would run low and the car’s engine would fire up. The air conditioner provided cooler air when the engine was in use.
Packing the Fusion for the trip back to Ontario was a bit of a challenge with an additional passenger and luggage. The trunk in a regular Fusion has a capacity of 453 litres, but the Hybrid offers only 340 litres, the car’s lithiumion batteries taking up the difference.
The Fusion’s cabin was certainly large enough, and we took turns driv- ing and sitting in the rear, which offered adequate room. The leather-faced seats were quite comfortable and the fronts offered a great variety of adjustments. The car’s driving position was good, with excellent sight lines. Most controls were within easy reach, although some of the flat push areas for the radio and ventilation controls were not the easiest to work.
Many of the Fusion’s functions could be controlled with the infotainment and navigation system, known as SYNC with MyFordTouch. It was simple to use and large enough to read. The Fusion was also equipped with all of Ford’s technological driving packages, including adaptive cruise control, blind spot and lane-keeping system and a rear-view camera for backing up.
A couple of nitpicks include the location of the front cup holders. If they held the large cups of sweet tea that we drank repeatedly in the hot Florida sun, they would get bumped when working the central controls on the dashboard. The analog speedometer was very easy to read in km/h, but the m.p.h. figures (needed for U.S. driving) were very difficult to decipher.
The Fusion rode well and quietly with very little road noise. Brakes were excellent and the car was easy to steer and provided an adequate amount of road feel. The little engine would make itself known when accelerating, but calmed down when cruising speed was reached. No tachometer was provided. Our return journey was north through Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky, then east from Cincinnati through Columbus to Pittsburgh, north to Erie and east across the bottom of Lake Ontario to Buffalo.
Now for some costs associated with our 5,451-kilometre trip. About 1,411 of those kilometres were driven using the electric motor. We averaged 5.8 L/100 km.
Our test car, the top-of-the-line Titanium version, has a base price of $34,799. The comparable gas-only model costs $33,699.
The test car was loaded with $7,735 in options, bringing the bottom line to $44,134.
Ford does offer a hybrid package for its base S model and mid-level SE model starting under $30,000. Tim Miller is a regular contributor to Toronto Star Wheels. The vehicle tested was provided by the manufacturer. To reach Wheels Editor Norris McDonald: nmcdonald@thestar.ca