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Does a PB make sense for rural living?

oldrayseasoning

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Stop and go city driving isn’t where the hybrid excels either. It’s really at its best cruising between 30-55mph. I have a 3 inch lift and 305/70/r17s on mine and if you don’t include time spent doing actual off-roading I’m getting about 20mpg.

It’s absolutely affected by cold temperature though, You aren’t getting any electric only miles til the batteries have a chance to heat up. I’m thinking of getting an engine heater installed on my first service visit, as I am moving to northern Michigan in the spring where temps are consistently 20 degree lower than they are here in coastal Delaware.
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Pedaldude

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...Is everyone gonna be like this out there?...
Not everyone, but you'll know what I am talking about when you meet your new neighbors, I moved to the Southwest fifteen years ago when the political climate wasn't half as bad as it is now. At the first house I moved to, the neighbor introduced himself to me and then said he was worried about who would move in to the house and how New Yorkers and Californians were turning Arizona into a cesspool with their politics, fornicating and other shit I can't write. He punctuated his statement by spitting on the ground, shaking his head and looking wistfully into the desert; perhaps longing for the simple times, when Hee Haw was still on the air, casual racism was acceptable and drunk driving laws weren't enforced.

Later, I was driving a friend's car with NY plates late one night and some kid in an old truck tried driving me off the road with his buddy hanging half way out of the passenger side window shouted "Fuck Hillary Clinton." I was only able to get away from them by taking an exit, then swerving back onto the highway at the last moment. This was in 2006! I had even voted against Hillary because I think she's a horrible person. I'd never try to run someone off the road who voted for her though, let alone because I saw a license plate from a state whose counties voted overwhelmingly against her. Full disclosure, I vote third party most of the time.

Seriously, I think that culture shock will be more of an issue than which engine to get, especially when you overlook the tongue in cheek nature of my post. Does anyone still say "city folk" straight faced anymore? I even ended with the smiley with its tongue sticking out.

Though, what I said is supposed to be funny, because it's true :p
 
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JTmass

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Not everyone, but you'll know what I am talking about when you meet your new neighbors, I moved to the Southwest fifteen years ago when the political climate wasn't half as bad as it is now. At the first house I moved to, the neighbor introduced himself to me and then said he was worried about who would move in to the house and how New Yorkers and Californians were turning Arizona into a cesspool with their politics, fornicating and other shit I can't write. He punctuated his statement by spitting on the ground, shaking his head and looking wistfully into the desert; perhaps longing for the simple times, when Hee Haw was still on the air, casual racism was acceptable and drunk driving laws weren't enforced.

Later, I was driving a friend's car with NY plates late one night and some kid in an old truck tried driving me off the road with his buddy hanging half way out of the passenger side window shouted "Fuck Hillary Clinton." I was only able to get away from them by taking an exit, then swerving back onto the highway at the last moment. This was in 2006! I had even voted against Hillary because I think she's a horrible person. I'd never try to run someone off the road who voted for her though, let alone because I saw a license plate from a state whose counties voted overwhelmingly against her. Full disclosure, I vote third party most of the time.

Seriously, I think that culture shock will be more of an issue than which engine to get, especially when you overlook the tongue in cheek nature of my post. Does anyone still say "city folk" straight faced anymore? I even ended with the smiley with its tongue sticking out.

Though, what I said is supposed to be funny, because it's true :p
Fair enough man. Yeah the culture clash is really a concern so your post did rub me the wrong way. Appreciate your candor. I'd really like to get back to treating people like people rather than this ridiculous political hysteria. I've been a Bears fan my whole life and I hate the Packers more than anything but I'll be friends with a Packers fan. Let's just not talk about it all the time heh. Also life isn't sports. Nor is politics.
 
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JTmass

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Stop and go city driving isn’t where the hybrid excels either. It’s really at its best cruising between 30-55mph. I have a 3 inch lift and 305/70/r17s on mine and if you don’t include time spent doing actual off-roading I’m getting about 20mpg.

It’s absolutely affected by cold temperature though, You aren’t getting any electric only miles til the batteries have a chance to heat up. I’m thinking of getting an engine heater installed on my first service visit, as I am moving to northern Michigan in the spring where temps are consistently 20 degree lower than they are here in coastal Delaware.
Yeah you know I was thinking getting the engine block heater would probably be a good idea from the jump. I have some time to figure it out at least. We're in limbo waiting for our employers to give us their blessing to leave the state. I'm about to sell my car for the cash and hold on to it for a bit. I'm looking to order as I'm not willing to pay ADM so who knows when this will happen?
 

gtotco

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I'd suggest if you can afford the extra cost why not?
It has f'n fantastic power!

I'm up at 9500ft and to go to any store (any place for that matter), I have about 1500ft descent down to Hwy 285. Even with cold temperatures (single digits at night), I'm registering an average mpg of 19 (each fuel up) and over 3800 miles also 19 mpg. 19 mpg is what we averaged in our 2020 Honda Passport. I can drive down Hwy 285 mostly on electric, and driving to Evergreen I go about 40% of the way on electric (most times).

I also like to play the game of what mpg can I get going down the mountain (yeah only 2.5 miles when I took the photo but still kinda cool).

IMG_0546.jpeg
FWIW I’m averaging 19.1 mpg over the last 11k miles with the 3.5EB with most of the driving on 285 (live in Denver have a house near Salida and most miles are back and forth between the two). Usually do around 20 in the summer 18 in the winter. There is some towing in there which drags down the MPGs a bit.
 

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Jus Cruisin

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This must be something wrong with your truck... I'm in the coldest town in the lower 48, routinely see temps of -30, and have yet to get that low MPG, even while towing. I'm usually hovering around 19-20mpg when temps are below 0F (most of the past month).
I was at 21.4 on my economy that I've never reset. I was just in the truck and it's now 19.1. I just ran out to the drive thru wash and the summary for that trip was 18.4 with 9.2 miles and 1.7 electric.
Check your trip mpg for 3 miles dead cold. It won't be good
 
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JTmass

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FWIW I’m averaging 19.1 mpg over the last 11k miles with the 3.5EB with most of the driving on 285 (live in Denver have a house near Salida and most miles are back and forth between the two). Usually do around 20 in the summer 18 in the winter. There is some towing in there which drags down the MPGs a bit.
Wow Salida is quite a haul. I feel like we're getting into this at the wrong time. The prices for land have gone crazy high. Hoping we can make this work.
 

Lippy

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I think a PB makes sense for you if you can afford it. The benefits go beyond just mileage and include utility and power. But I do think you’d benefit from better economy too.
 

gtotco

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Wow Salida is quite a haul. I feel like we're getting into this at the wrong time. The prices for land have gone crazy high. Hoping we can make this work.
Yeah - it's a little less than 3 hour drive each way, we usually go up twice a month.

If you are moving from the Northeast its an adjustment, but things are a lot further out here. I grew up in Vermont and Boston was a 3 hour drive and it seemed really far. Here it feels a lot more normal, especially because the roads are for the most part straight and flat (other than going over a mountain pass) so the drives are usually pretty easy.

Also FWIW the 3.5EB was probably my third choice behind the PB and the 2.7. All else equal probably would have spent the extra few thousand dollars for the PB, but I bought off the lot last year and was fortunate enough to get the 3.5 for ~$7k below MSRP, something that wasn't possible with any of the PB's even then. Given we don't really drive around town (its just trips to the mountains and back) I decided it probably didn't matter enough for a few extra MPG. There are definitely situations where I think it would help living rural. For instance we spend a lot of time on low speed dirt roads and light to medium off road trails where I'm sure it would really help out. As others have noted it probably also would help some with passes where the 3.5EB really sucks gas going uphill while in boost and you don't get to recover it going back down like you would with a PB. The generator would have been nice but we are planning to put solar on the house in the next few years and add a backup battery then which solves those issues. Honestly the only backup power we REALLY need is to be able to run the thermostat and water pump in an emergency.

Anyway, good luck and have fun on the move? What part of the plains are you moving to? I'd honestly probably go with the 2.7L out there where its a lot of flat driving and you can keep it out of boost. Saves you a bit of money up front and down the road on gas...

Also see you drive a 2015 GTI - when I bought my F-150 last year I traded in my 2014 GTI for it. I miss that car!

Edit: Sorry it was a 2015 also - I got the first year of the MKVII - purchased in late 2014.
 

gtotco

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Wow Salida is quite a haul. I feel like we're getting into this at the wrong time. The prices for land have gone crazy high. Hoping we can make this work.
One other thing to consider on land prices is real estate taxes are basically non-existent in CO which is part of why housing and land prices are so exorbitant. On a $300k house you are saving $5-$10k per year in taxes vs the north east or TX. At todays rates that equates to $100k-$200k in annual payments which is part of what drives real estate prices here.
 

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Derpado

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Thanks for the advice on the engine. Not sure what politics has to do with this but OK. Is everyone gonna be like this out there? Or is it possible to have a grown up conversation without resorting to name calling and tribalism?
Found the city dweller.

I echo the 2.7 comments. Upgrade to 2.7 payload pckg if you want to tow. People talk about gas efficiency but the price difference from PB to 2.7 can buy a lot of gas.

It can also buy a generator. If you need a back up residential power, the standalone home options are better for rural living where space is less of a concern.
 

SteveP150

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I've only had mine since November, but in the cold, hilly, hi-altitude terrain here in Park City, my experience has been around 19mpg average. I'd attribute that to a combination of the cold and a bunch of short trips. Certainly don't get very good mileage on those short trips in the cold. OTOH, at least once I hit 39mpg on the downhill trip into Salt Lake.
I'd think a more rural and flatter area would be a good place for a PB. Trips would be longer and fewer uphills.
And on the turbo front, my understanding is that they improve performance at altitude so that the lower pressure/oxygen doesn't cause loss of horsepower. Mine definitely still has plenty. But the tradeoff is that to do so, they can use more gas and thus you won't necessarily see great mileage at altitude.
 
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JTmass

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One other thing to consider on land prices is real estate taxes are basically non-existent in CO which is part of why housing and land prices are so exorbitant. On a $300k house you are saving $5-$10k per year in taxes vs the north east or TX. At todays rates that equates to $100k-$200k in annual payments which is part of what drives real estate prices here.
Super helpful info, thank you! I didn't know about the real estate taxes!

The GTI has been a really fun car to drive. I bought it in PA and drove it back to Rhode Island the same day. I will certainly miss it when I sell it, should be about 2 weeks from now. I won't be getting a truck right away as money is a bit tight and the value of my car will never be higher. It's a 2 door too... Damn shame to be selling it to CarMax rather than an enthusiast that will appreciate ba 2d 6mt. But money is money and we need loads of it right now.
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