Why is my MPG so "poor"?

[Apples]

If you want good gas mileage, buying any truck isn't going to broaden your smile! The question remains: What did you expect?! Prius mileage with a dump truck weight limit? Let's be serious!

Of course, you could buy an old Chevy Luv, say a 1972 model, and get about 23 or so MPG. But of course, no stereo, no air, no PS, no PB, no connectivity, coupled with a 0 to 60 in a whopping 14 seconds!

Sponsored

 

[silverflash]

If you want good gas mileage, buying any truck isn't going to broaden your smile! The question remains: What did you expect?! Prius mileage with a dump truck weight limit? Let's be serious!

Of course, you could buy an old Chevy Luv, say a 1972 model, and get about 23 or so MPG. But of course, no stereo, no air, no PS, no PB, no connectivity, coupled with a 0 to 60 in a whopping 14 seconds!

i expect to get honestly 25mpg on the trips i do take as , with all my other previous vehicles, i have always gotten 1 mpg over sticker highway mpg on those types of trips. no fail. every other vehicle. but this is only my 2nd ford ever and first ford truck. i need to take a trip down to the coast some weekend to see what i get there. on that particular drive, i'd get3-4 over sticker mpg as it's all flat to and back, and it's 55mph constantly.

one reason i got the ranger was because mpgs were only 1mpg off my 2017 patriot 4x4. the patriot sticker reads 20/25 22 combined. I have the sticker for my particular patriot. the ranger reads 20/24 22 combined. So on the very same highway trip the worst the patriot got was 24.7. many times. usually it saw 26.2 mpg. it saw 29 once to the coast.

so i assumed i'd see 25mpg on the same trip mostly and the rest 23.x mpgs. I have not seen 25mpg yet on that trip. And i fill up right off the highway and drive 160 miles straight going 55-70 but mostly 65 or so. same as the patriot. the patriot's rpm was much higher at 65 than the ranger is. I drive mainly in drive and only in drive on the highway. i use premium gas. i used 87 on the patriot on the way back from mountains- perhaps 87 gets higher mpgs than premium? seems the opposite should be true tho.

i've noticed that the faster i go past 67, the mpgs on the dash seem to rise. i have seen this behavior sort of before on the patriot using the scanguage. going up a hill instant mpgs actually went up.. somehow. but i always confirmed by hand and always got the numbers above....assumed that was just a glitch in scanguage.

i am hoping since my truck isn't broke in yet, that perhaps that the mpgs will increase a bit more.

break-in may be delayed becasue i used synthetic right away at 1500 miles. back to blend since 4500 miles and am at roughly 6700 miles now.....

 

[MinuteMan]

You have to find the sweet spot. For me, the sweet spot is 59 mph to achieve 23 mpg. I have 265/70/17s and have not recalibrated for tire size adjustment yet. You cannot drive 65 much less in the 70s, at all. With all due respect, if you want more mpg, you have to have an extremely light foot. Pay attention to traffic. Let off the gas and coast before you have to brake. It’s a heavy truck, it will roll for a while. Take advantage of that. In “D” the truck will get to a higher gear faster than “S”. Less rpm = more mpg. Get to the higher gear with light throttle application.

 

[silverflash]

You have to find the sweet spot. For me, the sweet spot is 59 mph to achieve 23 mpg. I have 265/70/17s and have not recalibrated for tire size adjustment yet. You cannot drive 65 much less in the 70s, at all. With all due respect, if you want more mpg, you have to have an extremely light foot. Pay attention to traffic. Let off the gas and coast before you have to brake. It’s a heavy truck, it will roll for a while. Take advantage of that. In “D” the truck will get to a higher gear faster than “S”. Less rpm = more mpg. Get to the higher gear with light throttle application.

right, i try light foot. sometimes though it's chugging and a heavier foot is needed to downshift in drive. but that doesn't seem to happen to me once i hit the four lanes. and i fill up right at the start of the 4 lanes. so i am driving lightly, like my other vehicles coming back. now in the mountains, no, i use sport mode alot and enjoy it.

don't get me wrong, i love the truck. jsut trying to see if what i am seeing is normal- with people reporting 26/27++ mpgs on highway makes me think it's not- or if i have some sort of problem, albeit minor...

perhaps ford is more "accurate" with their mpgs claims and the other brands i have had took a more conservative approach- you know- the whole under promise so over deliver...

 

[AzScorpion]

You have to find the sweet spot. For me, the sweet spot is 59 mph to achieve 23 mpg. I have 265/70/17s and have not recalibrated for tire size adjustment yet. You cannot drive 65 much less in the 70s, at all. With all due respect, if you want more mpg, you have to have an extremely light foot. Pay attention to traffic. Let off the gas and coast before you have to brake. It’s a heavy truck, it will roll for a while. Take advantage of that. In “D” the truck will get to a higher gear faster than “S”. Less rpm = more mpg. Get to the higher gear with light throttle application.

I beg to differ, see my post #12.

My last fill up was 24.3 and I drive 70-75, if you drive any slower here you'll be run off the highway. Mine is leveled, larger tires and tuned. My lifetime average is 22 but there's so many variables between the way everyone drives it's impossible to get an exact average that everyone should have.

 

[RedlandRanger]

I beg to differ, see my post #12.

My last fill up was 24.3 and I drive 70-75, if you drive any slower here you'll be run off the highway. Mine is leveled, larger tires and tuned. My lifetime average is 22 but there's so many variables between the way everyone drives it's impossible to get an exact average that everyone should have.

Its not just driver behavior, it is WHERE you drive. There are lots of hills where I drive, which significantly impacts MPG - flatter driving = better MPG.

I'm also on my first tank of gas with my new tires (Toyo Open Country AT3) and I love the tires, however it appears it may have signficantly reduced my MPG. I was getting 21+ pretty regularly and on this tank I'm at a little over 18. Time will tell with more tanks, but so far, it seems these tires are putting a dent in my MPG. They are slightly oversized and I have not as yet fixed the computer, but in some quick checks with my phone GPS the speed didn't seem off much if at all.

 

[Langwilliams]

I'm approaching 24K an it seems like the mileage is getting slightly better. Give it some time.

 

[Dgc333]

FWIW, I have gotten better than the EPA estimated highway mileage on every vehicle I have owned since they started making estimated. Also, I have been driving turbo 4cyl cars continuously since 1985, all of them have been tuned and all got the same or better mileage once the novelty of the added power has worn off.

 

[foxunderhill]

My supercrew 4x4 seems to get 18 on average just driving around town. I have a feeling the city MPG is factoring in auto startstop into the rating, where a car without it would be burning more gas on the same drive because 20 is just unrealistic. I live in Iowa, it's all flat and I hit like 8 stop signs/lights on the 15 minute drive to work.

If I get on the highway alone with cruise set to 70, I get about 27, which is better than the 24 highway they promise for the 4x4. If I really try to drive efficiently on the highway, just sitting in the right lane at 65, usually having some cars and trucks ahead of me and not trying to pass anyone, I can keep the average above 30.

 

[Grumpaw]

Maybe with time mine will get better, but I have noticed that every time I get in the Ranger and start to drive, my right foot seems to gain weight. I guess that is what is causing the go pedal to articulate downward faster.
Does seem to play havoc with the gas mileage.

 

[Grumpaw]

left???

WOW...got me !!! I was facing backward when I was typing...got confused !!!
Fixed it...

 

[Cabose-1]

It is a pick up truck. Made for hauling and towing.
Not a prius.


Excuse me a moment, have to adjust my gen y hitch to tow another trailer.

 

[BDoc]

With the stock tires and suspension, I was getting 21-22 consistently with 92 octane most of the time until prices went up and I switched to 89. After the level and larger tires (265/70R18) and speedometer recal'd, I'm now seeing 19-20. Most of this is non-flat highway at 65-67 mph.

 

[AzScorpion]

Its not just driver behavior, it is WHERE you drive. There are lots of hills where I drive, which significantly impacts MPG - flatter driving = better MPG.

I'm also on my first tank of gas with my new tires (Toyo Open Country AT3) and I love the tires, however it appears it may have signficantly reduced my MPG. I was getting 21+ pretty regularly and on this tank I'm at a little over 18. Time will tell with more tanks, but so far, it seems these tires are putting a dent in my MPG. They are slightly oversized and I have not as yet fixed the computer, but in some quick checks with my phone GPS the speed didn't seem off much if at all.

Yes I should've added that too. When we go up north the slightest incline you can see the mpg go down.

I'm surprised your mpg went down so much with those tires. IIRC they're about the same weight as my Nittos and I'm averaging 22 mpg and I have a level too. Has the gas changed over to the winter blend yet? Might be that with the combo of your new tires?

 

[Apples]

In all honesty...

In my in-town driving routine, I get about 17.5 if I drive respectively—as if a cop was behind me. On the highway (I've only made one short trip of about 90 miles). The calculated—not the dash rating—was about 23 and a fraction. Not bad all considering the trip.

Now let us say I like to burn rubber. And there aren't folks around who frown on such things, like at the drag strip. Full tank of E15, 5 passes, then the drive home. Dash said 16, my calculation was 13.5. I would have guessed less.

Do I care? No! In the last 25 years, the only vehicle I never touched under the hood, was a 2006 Honda Ridgeline. It got 14.5 in town, 20 on the highway, and it didn't matter how you drove it!

Sponsored