I was reading a thread on another site this morning (which was about real world MPG numbers for the Ecoboost...at least 145 pages ) and came across this link from Car and Driver discussing them visiting the EPA and talking about how things really work there. It is an interesting read for those of you insisting these truck get what the EPA claims....after reading this I bet you will not feel so strongly about it. It is 4 pages long...happy reading. The article was written in 2009 btw.

The Truth About EPA City / Highway MPG Estimates - Feature - Car and Driver

 

So, are you saying I don't get what the EPA claims????

Last tank, with only 4k on the truck was 20.1mpg on my daily commute.

MPG has been going up every tank so far.

 

Not at all...I am saying that some people think that EPA numbers are gospel...and when you read how they are done it sure sheds some light on those ratings. They even claimed that they allow the manufacturers to do their own ratings..and spot check them here and there. I find it strange that there are such few people to do all that testing. I personally don't take those estimated numbers to heart as my own driving habits and driving area will dictate my milage...not a vehicle on a dyno.

 

Here is a better source on how it works....


Fuel Economy | US EPA

They changed the way things are rated in 2011.

 

People need to understand that the numbers printed on the factory sticker are generic in nature.

The bold print numbers are what Ford expects an Ecoboost 4x2 Scab truck with the 3.15 axle to get.

They do not change the numbers on the sticker because the truck may be an Screw 4x4 with the max tow and 3.73 axles. That's what the smaller numbers are for. They provide a range of expected fuel mileage.

I am so fricken sick and tired of the Ecoboost being ridiculed to death by naysayers and journalists who don't take all the facts into account.

The engine needs a proper break-in period for starters. For CR, C&D, Edmunds, etc to take a truck fresh off the press and test it for MPG's is simply wrong and shows poor journalism.

Furthermore, if people bought what they needed vs what the testosterone in their systems told them to get, they would get better MPG's. If you don't tow heavy then why buy a tow rig? If you do tow heavy and have a rig built for such duty, you have no business complaining about MPG's.

 

I'm with ya there Tim. Sure I would like the truck to get decent mileage but let's face it...it is a truck! If I didn't have the possibility of a heavy trailer in the future I would already have my truck! I can't wait to get my ecoboost and feel the POWER!

 

I've seen the same poor mileage on every EB I've been in or driven so far. That's why we don't own one. They should have three mileage ratings on these trucks City/Highway and Freeway. They would be 13/19/16. The engine is too small having to rely on too much boost to often. That will kill MPG's. We'll see how they last.
Have they ever fixed the IC issue?

 

Most of what you say is true, but the monroney sticker on 4x4s IS different from the one on 4x2s. The 4x2 EB is rated at 16/22, with 4x4, it's 15/21.

I agree with everything else you said though.

-John

 

I used to work for one of the big three (which one doesn't matter) and you would be amazed at how much care is taken and how precise everything is done when determining numbers like that.


I took care of all the speed and distance measurements mainly. But I know that when they would test the decibel sound of the car they would wait for a low humidity day because sound waves don't travel as far in low humididty. They will go to extremes to get the numbers to come out the way they want...but I never saw them cheating.

I haven't been doing that work for about 12 years but I bet it is still the same. Every brand (we tested the competition) of vehicle I ever measured speed in was always reading 80 mph when going 77 mph. I think that light difference is on purpose so a speeding ticket will never be their fault.

 

Good catch, thank you sir.

 

No problem!

I ought to know - my truck is an EB 4x4

With 3.55 gears, I get pretty much what the EPA states for city and highway, except it's lower during the winter (the truck takes half my commute to warm up fully) and higher in the summer (the truck warms up super quick).

-John

 

I don't put much faith in the numbers on the sticker. I do know that I just did a 250 mile round trip last week in my 2009 4.6 SCREW and got an average 23.4mpg. This is flat, Louisiana interstate driving with the windows rolled up and the a/c on low. At one point the mileage was up to 24.5! My regular commute is 48 miles, and I normally get around 19-20. Considering this is a heavy, full sized pickup I can't complain.

 

This is true! Like I said, it takes half my commute to warm up in the colder months, since it's only 11 miles each way - this is why I get a big swing in MPGs from summer to winter.

I was on the DC Beltway last summer and averaged 27 going around about 1/3 to 1/2 of it, around noon. By no means am I complaining

-John