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Jim Deveau

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I'm a new ST owner, I just bought a 2005 XLS. I also bought into the estimated 16MPG City/21 Hwy sticker EPA rating. My 2nd tank of gas got me 14 MPG in my commute to work of 5 miles each way which has several stop-lights on a 55 MPH road. So, I guess you can call that city mileage, I was hoping it was combo. Anyway, I'm not real happy with 14 MPG. I'm hoping it will improve, as some have told me, as the motor breaks in (it has just over 600 miles on it right now). I'm a bit bummed because I can get 14 MPG from a V-8 Chevy Silverado or F-150 which will smoke the ST in performance. If I'm going to live with 14 MPG, I want more performance. Or I would live with the current performance if I can get a few more MPG (at least the 16 MPG I should be getting!). So, does anyone have any suggestions, such as KKM intakes, computer chip modifications, etc?



Thanks!:)
 
All I can say is around town MY st gets about 14-15 mpg,, or close to 280-320 per tank....

Out on the highway I have gone well over 500+ miles on a tank and close to 23 MPG....



The little v6 and 5000lb truck are hard to get going around town.



I would like to think all the mods i have ( the ones you mentioned and more ) are helping, But with my right foot through the front bumper all the time, i cant accurately say....

Todd Z
 
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I noticed a little better fuel economy and power once i put the k&n filter and a flowmaster on mine. I get around 18-19 mpg in the city, but i am also at 5000 ft.
 
Over 61K miles on an '01 ST and I am averaging 11.7 mpg with mixed driving in NYC.

A few tanks that were almost all highway on long trips I got between 15-17 mpg. Never got better than 17.15 mpg.
 
Jim, right downn the 5 from ya a few exists. After a few thousand miles, mine went up by around 2 mpg, after that with the mods Ive done (and if I can discipline myself to drive effeciently) its REALLY good mpg 19-21 mixed, but with the mods, its hard to do that.



Oh yeah, go syn. too. I never figured how that could possibly make a difference until I listened to the guys here and tried it. Works.
 
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I've had two Sport Trac's, a 2001 and now a 2003. In both cases, the mileage did not kick in until the odometer hit 10K miles. That seems to be about where the engine loosens up and starts giving the peak mileage for most owners.



Also, the Sport Trac does not give particularly good gas mileage in city driving. You can do 80% of your driving on the highway and put a few city miles on it, and your MPG takes a big hit.



...Rich
 
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My experience and ST ownership is the same as RichardL's. My combo driving is typically 17-19 mpg.
 
i averaged 19-20 mpg 1/3 city 2/3 highway now with tuner i got 23 on my last tank and i fill up at the same station same pump every time. went to premium fuel on my last fill up changed my tune to premium tune and wow 95 miles and i am still above 3/4 tank. my speedo is accurate against 2 different GPS'S 2001 4x4 265 75 16 mud tires.
 
As far as mileage goes, is there a significant difference between 4WD to 2WD, 3.7 to 4.1 ratio, and slip/non-slip rear differentials?
 
allot has to do with the fuel that is being used it seems some states have different types of fuels i am not sure what the differences are but it looks like up north compared to down south the northern fuels suck.
 
As far as mileage goes, is there a significant difference between 4WD to 2WD, 3.7 to 4.1 ratio, and slip/non-slip rear differentials?
Click to expand...



A 2wd will get slightly better mileage because there is less weight and no transfer case adding drivline friction. The gears should be a wash because you get 235/70 tires with the 3.73's and 255/70's with 4.10's so rpm vs. road speed will be about the same. (Then there's me who gets one with the 235/70//3.73 combo and puts on 265/75 tires right away). There might be some added friction losses with a L/S but I doubt it would be enough that you'd notice.



bpoche: As far as fuel, different parts of the country get different gas at different times of the year. In PA we get the RFG crap from June to Sept. My 3.0 Ranger would ping like crazy on the summer gas, my 4.0 Ranger never cared, my 4.0 Trac seems to run a little better and get better mpg if I put 89 in it, enough that it's worth the extra dime a gallon.



Synthetic oils will help a teeny bit. The rear axle has syn from the factory, I'm not sure about the front. At some point I will put Mobil 1 ATF in the t-case like I did my Ranger and Mobil 1 in the engine when my four free oil changes from the dealer run out.



The best thing anyone can do for mileage is just keep your engine maintained and the proper air in the tires. :cool:
 
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After 29,000 0n my 04, total mpg for all gas bought has been 18.2 in mixed driving. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. MPG definitely improved right up to about 10K miles then stayed about the same until I tried Valvoline Syn oil. Got a little better. That was at 20K miles. Now I'm trying the Motorcraft Blend and it seems to be doing even better than the Syn oil as far as mpg. Running 18.9 mpg with 4000 miles on the Motorcraft oil. Of course, time of year makes a difference too. Always does better in warmer weather.
 
Lesson learned, never trust EPA estimate stickers. They are based on 45 mph as a 'highway' speed. Remember, it is an ESTIMATE only.



Check my mpg log... my avg started at 16.9 and only got up to 17.5 mpg. Mine was a 4x4 with the 4.10 rear end. I never saw any 'bump' in mpg at 10K miles like some here have reported.
 
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Darin is correct about the EPA fuel mileage are only estimates. What makes them so inaccurate for many people, is the data they used in their estimates.



The EPA fuel mileage estimates are based on formulas that are well over 20 years old. Several years ago, the EPA admitted that their mileage estimates are inaccurate because the vehicle traffic has increased by over 50% in most urban areas. While this causes the most deviations in the city mileage, the heavy traffic on the rural roads and interstates has also caused inaccuracies in their highway mileage estimates as well.



It's not uncommon to drive on sections of the interstate where the volume of traffic creates miles of stop & go driving that kills gas mileage.



What used to be suburban driving is much like what city driving was 20 years ago, and city driving now is more like a slow moving parking lot. Interstate highways in and around Dallas, Houston, and Austin during rush hour will probably only average about 10-15 MPH, and you encounter this heavy traffic 30 miles outside of town. You move forward one car length and stop...move foward another car length and stop again....etc.



...Rich


 
i guess that would be a reason i get good mpg i go to work at 3 am and get off at 2 pm no traffic and where i live going around town their is no traffic.
 
Ben, the cooler temps of the morning commute also help you out....

Todd Z
 
todd at 3 am in new orleans it is still in the 90's with 100% humidity i know you guy's up in NYC have been geting some heat
 

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