rydfree
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I do 90% short around town trips and started using tow mode exclusively 3 months ago . I average at least 2 mpg more than before plus I like the way it upshifts and holds the gear longer on downshifts. If only it would remember the last mode I drove it in instead of having to press the button every time it would be perfect .
Grumpaw
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Actually less...much less...about 11-12 mpg....
towpro
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In tow mode hit the gas hard like to speedup at merge, then letoff to cruse at 45 and trans will forget to shigt and your running higher rpm. Because of this dont use tow mode
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I get about 2 mpg better in tow vs drive. Ran a full tank of each plus Sport mode for giggles as an experiment.
HarryManback
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I have a hard time attributing changing gas mileage to the drive mode. At least where I am the temperatures have been wildly changing, the gas stations are switching away from winter blend gas (which gets worse mileage), and I hardly have to use the climate control system.
My mileage up through April has varied from 14mpg to 19.5mpg (verified by Fuely and the truck which has the MPG calibrated). I'm currently getting 21mpg. Yes, I've been using Tow mode a lot. No, I don't think that's the main reason for the mileage improvement.
14mpg = middle of winter, using remote start, heat + a/c to defrost, local trips only.
21mpg = late spring, perfect temperatures, windows down most of the time, more driving to further destinations
My mileage up through April has varied from 14mpg to 19.5mpg (verified by Fuely and the truck which has the MPG calibrated). I'm currently getting 21mpg. Yes, I've been using Tow mode a lot. No, I don't think that's the main reason for the mileage improvement.
14mpg = middle of winter, using remote start, heat + a/c to defrost, local trips only.
21mpg = late spring, perfect temperatures, windows down most of the time, more driving to further destinations
Blue Streak
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I have posted somewhere else that I have tried all 3 options. My best is in tow mode (with no trailer) I feel that throttle response is more responsive so it does not take as much throttle to maintain speed. Works for me.
NotBudule
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I am mostly in tow for those same reasons , except when I leave work , 1st half of that drive is downhill , tow holds it back too much for me there , and just hit it at the bottom for the rest of the way home , on the WAY to work , tow all the way ? this truck LOVESI have posted somewhere else that I have tried all 3 options. My best is in tow mode (with no trailer) I feel that throttle response is more responsive so it does not take as much throttle to maintain speed. Works for me.
scootin up these WV grades , I'm impressed every time...
Fitzmotor
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I use it for the shift quality, I never thought about a fuel mileage difference, tow mode is the only way I drive it unless I'm in S mode.
Frenchy
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In general I was able to get just a little more. How much? 1-2. How did it happen? Simple, the tow.mode strategy help keep a more optimal gear for extra load. Do such makes it easier when going through mountain passes and stuff.
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I fill up about once every 5 days. My drives are always the same. I did my test over 3 consecutive tanks in Nov/Dec.
Same pump, same gas, same drive, same weather, same driver. I eliminated all variables that I could think of. What did I miss?
HarryManback
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That's a great start. Now repeat all of the experiments 10 times to look for intrinsic variability.
I am a product engineer, I analyze test data. I can't remember all of the times people freaked out that some test was broken because we would get different answers. Then you do an experiment where you run the same part through the same test at the same conditions 50 times. Then you realize you get 50 different answers, and sometimes they will vary by +/- 10%. So until you can show me that your MPG in D doesn't vary by more than 0.5MPG, then I'm skeptical.
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Over the 150 days it would take to complete your request you wouldn't really be eliminating things like weather and fuel mixes. You'd more so be taking them into account.
I dislike D VERY much. I could not stand to drive it another 10 weeks exclusively. And while S is fun, 16mpgish is not fun @ $5/Gallon.
Even giving .5mpg margin of error both ways Tow/Haul wins out. And logically it makes sense that at low to moderate speeds tow/haul returns better economy.
I'm just a milkman. One round of experiments is good for me.
HarryManback
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My point is that I expect that margin of error to be more like 2mpg, which would render the results of you experiment as "within the margin of error".
I agree that Tow is far better than D for a number of reasons, and I really dislike D. But I just don't believe the MPG savings is a universal thing and may just be expected variation due to the large number of factors that are at play.
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