Window Sticker MPG, ha, just an estimate

[JohnnyO]

I think they test vehicles on a dynomometer so hills and wind resistance don't come into play.
Where I live there are a lot of hills and I've never come close to the EPA ratings on any vehicle I've ever owned. When I drive to Florida my mileage magically gets much better once I'm past Virginia and it gets flat.
With the Ranger I reset the mpg display at every fill-up, I average 20 mpg on most tanks, and I was surprised it was that good. Still almost 50% better than the Sport Trac I had before.

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[paval3]

I put a full tank of gas in on my way home tonight ($4.459/gal for Exxon 93 octane). I reset my gauge and till I got home it read 29.1 MPG. At one point during the drive it was just over 30, but I think my long uphill lane to my house knocked it down a bit. I do have a photo of the MPG for proof!

 

[CB750F]

I got me a gas guzzler one.
Best millage was about 25mpg with tail wind at 60mph.
It was really cold here at end of Jan for 3 weeks & it was at 15mpg for a couple
of tanks. Average highway/city is always 18mpg.
So, nowhere near the 24/22/20 they claim.
&, I drive relax but, my wife drive it most the time so maybe she goes WOT?
Maybe I should check the dashcam?
Next time I go in I'll need to ask them about this & what they can do. Maybe reset
but my assumption is it won't do shit.

 

[Wytchdctr]

Oh, OK. My mistake.
So, folks are really getting 'better' mpg than sticker advertised?
Maybe I just need to have my dealer check out why mine isn't.
Thanks for the info.

If I drive for mpg yes. If I drive for fun, hell no. That sweet sweet boost scares the mpg away

 

[9zero1790]

I was beating those averages before I increased my tire size. I’m still close at 21.5 mpg combined.

mines been hovering at that 21.5 for a few weeks. but, with all the extra stuff i carry all the time and the way id drive i find it impressive. im about to do a pavement only trip down to intercoastal city about nine hours drive. maybe it will go up a bit.

 

[mtbikernate]

I think they test vehicles on a dynomometer so hills and wind resistance don't come into play.
Where I live there are a lot of hills and I've never come close to the EPA ratings on any vehicle I've ever owned. When I drive to Florida my mileage magically gets much better once I'm past Virginia and it gets flat.
With the Ranger I reset the mpg display at every fill-up, I average 20 mpg on most tanks, and I was surprised it was that good. Still almost 50% better than the Sport Trac I had before.

Hills can be your friend, though. I also live in a hilly city. Have lived in Pittsburgh, too. Granted, we don't have as many of the steeps that Pgh has, but still lots of up and down to go anywhere. Going up, just gotta be fairly easy on the gas. Stop signs/lights at the bottom of a hill suck badly. I sometimes adjust my route to minimize these. But when you get to roll downhill and then coast partway up the next one, that'll recover some mpg for sure.

The thing about the flats is that it depends a lot on the wind direction. And you've gotta keep on the gas constantly no matter what you're doing. Only chance to coast is when you're slowing down.

I'm pleased that I still get better than 20mpg towing this:

It seems every time I tow it somewhere, I wind up getting stuck in traffic that kills the mpgs, so I don't really know how high I can get while towing this yet. So far, my best while towing it is 21mpg and it was still creeping up some. So I know my ceiling is a little higher still.

 

[Fitzmotor]

I drive with a lead foot, I'm happy with 16-17 mpg, on the hwy it's up in the 19-20 range if I'm easy on it.

Ford has always struggled to hit the sticker numbers, they even came out with this Rotunda tool where you literally hung a huge glass jug outside on the drivers window, tapped into the fuel lines, filled the jug with a gallon of fuel and go driving, it was crazy.

It finally broke, I was standing right there, the tech filled it up, switched the valve to shut off the tank and the glass jug broke, he freaked, climbed out the passenger side as the gallon was draining down the drivers side of the car.

You could always hit the sticker mileage though, there were couple of things we would do to educate the customer.

One was, gently speed up before the hills and then slowly lift off the throttle up the hill to keep up speed, not depress the pedal on the hill to maintain speed.

Cruise control will hurt the mpg in hilly regions, (like here) it tries to keep MPH by giving it as much throttle as needed to maintain speed, on the older cars you could feel the pedal drop to the floor trying to keep the MPH.

The other was never run in 5th gear at low RPM, most complaints were manual trans where the owner would bog it in higher gears, thinking it was better to run at low RPM, which was terrible, I tried to teach them that high manifold vacuum was the only way to get the efficiency out of a engine.

Anybody remember the Sun vacuum gauge with the 3 colors? we actually got one and ran a vacuum line out the hood and into the passenger compartment to show the customer that 5th gear at 55 mph was almost zero vacuum.

The all time toughest vehicles to hit the number were the F150 with the fuel inj 300 six (not the carb version, they were great)and the 2.3/2.5 Rangers both with manual trans, we would get the guy who skipped 4th and drop it into 5th thinking he was smart.

 

[landiscarrier]

Im at 21-22 in winter and 23-24 in summer. Unleashed 93 octane performance tune. But I don't have a lead foot....just like the extra punch when I need it.

 

[Jason B]

I put a full tank of gas in on my way home tonight ($4.459/gal for Exxon 93 octane). I reset my gauge and till I got home it read 29.1 MPG. At one point during the drive it was just over 30, but I think my long uphill lane to my house knocked it down a bit. I do have a photo of the MPG for proof!

Yeah, don't go by the display of instant MPG. When driving at 70 on the highway, I read 27-29 MPG. On a long trip of 450 miles, all interstate at 70-75, I calculated MPG at 24. My lifetime MPG displays 24.5, so pretty close to real average.

 

[paval3]

Yeah, don't go by the display of instant MPG. When driving at 70 on the highway, I read 27-29 MPG. On a long trip of 450 miles, all interstate at 70-75, I calculated MPG at 24. My lifetime MPG displays 24.5, so pretty close to real average.

One time last Summer though I made a longer trip, mostly level roads, some winding hills, 30 minute drive one way and 30 minutes home, I averaged just over 30 MPG. Was going about 55 MPH most of the trip. Winter time short distance to work weekdays, heater running, warm truck up about 3 or 4 minutes in driveway, I travel a long hill part of the way to work, I only averaged 19 MPG. Not complaining though.

 

[MXGOLF]

I have a gas guzzler. Mainly in the winter with the crappy gas. 15-16mpg SAD. But even in warmer times 19-20. My commute is only 4 miles each way to work so that doesn't help either. I did get 23 from Portland to Seattle and back once at 75 mph most of the way.

 

[stringbreaker]

HA Ha indeed I've never gotten better than 17 in town since I have owned this truck. On the freeway different story, took a drive from the Tacoma area to Seaside oregon mostly freeway and got 27.9 according to the computer.

 

[taildraggerpilot]

 

[Peragrin]

I got me a gas guzzler one.
Best millage was about 25mpg with tail wind at 60mph.
It was really cold here at end of Jan for 3 weeks & it was at 15mpg for a couple
of tanks. Average highway/city is always 18mpg.
So, nowhere near the 24/22/20 they claim.
&, I drive relax but, my wife drive it most the time so maybe she goes WOT?
Maybe I should check the dashcam?
Next time I go in I'll need to ask them about this & what they can do. Maybe reset
but my assumption is it won't do shit.

My wife kills my MPG. she likes to think she is a better driver but she stomps the accelerator and brake pedal, and if she drives a lot I notice the MPG decrease. Her 2018 Kia sorennto gets worse mileage compared to my Ranger because of her driving style.

I didn't think to check until she borrowed my truck one day and the my kids where like go fast up hill like mommy.

come to find out she would floor it up the hills.

 

[mtbikernate]

my wife is also more aggressive on the pedals than I am under most conditions.

I do like to get after it from time to time, especially on the ramps to the freeway (occasionally sending her reaching for stuff to hold onto), but I also do lots of coasting.

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