Is a hybrid car still the most ecologically friendly vehicle?

[Yo_Mama]

12. It depends on your usage.

As to battery life, I think the 2013 warranty in most states is 8 years or 100,000 miles. The battery will gradually lose ability to charge, which happens with all these batteries, but you may not notice much of a difference. The battery warranty only covers failure rather than loss of maximum charge. However actual expected time until battery failure is a lot longer than the warranty - well over 150,000 miles.

A lot of people don't seem to be getting the 47 mpg, but I think it kind of depends on how quickly you accelerate and how fast you normally drive. Leadfoot drivers seem to get lower mileage.

I know that people say the brakes last forever on these vehicles.

Ford may be revising its mileage rating. If you have to drive a lot at speeds above 60, you may see a pretty big average loss. If you have to strongly accelerate a lot, you may see a loss. If you have to drive a lot in very cold weather, it's not realistic to expect anything above about 42. A lot of the testers were coming up with around 39.

There are lawsuits pending about the mileage rating, but people really do seem to like driving this car.
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2013/03/ford-being-sued-over-c-max-hybrid-fusion-hybrid-mpg-claims.html'

As the battery ages and maximum charge in the battery declines, you may see your mileage decline somewhat, but usually not that much. If you test drive it and watch the leafy indicator thingie, you'll get an idea of how your driving style matches the car.