Am I the only one seeing a possible problem including the numbers from a hybrid?
When running without the AC(and assuming the batteries have a charge), the car will minimally run the gas engine, but when you engage the AC, the gas engine will be on all the time. This better explains the radically skewed hybrid Camry numbers. And, personally, invalidates using the hybrid Camry as a test vehicle.
The Camry’s hybridness explains the wide discrepancy in gas mileage at 25 MPH. We doubt the car was running on batteries at 55 MPH, though. Neither vehicle was a typical auto, but you work with what you have.
The Fusion/Escape hybrids (along with the Prius, as I recall) have electric-driven A/C compressors.
Yes. My Prius will turn off the engine even when the A/C is running. I have been parked with the A/C running and the engine will cycle on and off at regular intervals.
Specifically, if I was going a little too fast and needed to slow down (I tried to keep constant speed), when I lifted my foot from the accelerator, the little computer showed me that the battery was kicking in briefly. So, yeah, the battery kicks in. And it’s sort of random when it does that, but the test drives were long enough that it should be evened out, or reasonably so.
The same argument could be made about any car, in one form or another. Is the Mercedes 535 more aerodynamic than the Ford Explorer? We’d get different numerical results with different cars, I have no doubt; the pattern was what was important rather than the specific numbers, n’est-ce pas?
Besides, the numbers that we have should help all you folks who drive gas-guzzlers to convert to more ecological and economical vehicles. 
I know all you young whippersnappers are new here, but it’s good for to include a link to the original column as [del]Ed[/del] Cecil has written many columns.
Has auto AC been improved so much it’s no longer an energy sink?.