I've starting to look for a good used '04-'08 truck, and I really like the FX4's just 'cause I like the cut of their jib. I really value leather seating, and they seem to mostly come with leather.

BUT, they all seem to come with the 5.4 and 3.73 axle. Is this standard on the FX4's? Wouldn't care, except I'll bet that 3.73 gets AWFUL gas mileage.

 

I have a 2007 FX4 extended cab. My fuel mileage is slightly lower than 12 but it's a fair amount of stop and go, on and off. I do drive it longer to work too but it's seems to be consistently a bit less than 12 mpg. I have the leather but the back seats aren't the same material as the front, I assume they are nice vinyl.

 

If you can afford it, I'd go for an '09 so you get the 6 speed transmission. That will give you a little better fuel mileage.

 

13.9 mixed about half road half city. Best is about 15.

 

This is something I posted to a question last year someplace, I made a copy to keep ..... with some minor touch ups, here is my experience. Keep in mind, I do not live in the city, most of my miles are on a 55 mph state road or US Highways and occasionally, Interstates running 65 .... maybe 70 max ..... as I'm never in a hurry. I know it's more than you asked, but mileage depends hugely on the driver and roadway.



I have a '07 FX4 5.4 with 3.55s and stock size 275/55-20 rubber. It is in excellent tune, and even today 11-23-14 has just 48,300 miles on it. When I purchased the truck it had a FM cat back system and a store bought version of "The Gott's Modd" made by True Flow that still uses stock filter mounting box, etc. When I got it I watched mileage really close, many tanks, long and short trips. I live in a very rural area, nearest big city is an hour though there are two small "cities" 15 minutes away. I tend to use U S Rt 11 but will use I-81 sometimes. I drive to Georgia sometimes, and have had it to Indy and other places as well.

Best mileage I saw back then was 18-18.5 mpg. (I do always plug in my ScanGageII and keep instant and avg mpg displays on and drive to maximize instant MPG readings like I used to try and keep a VAC gage high. I check mileage tank to tank when on the road, deviding miles by gallons and find the SGII to be within a tenth or two always as long as no stops between that reset the SGII. After all, SGII just monitors GPH and Speed MPH and simple devide MPH by GPH at any moment = MPG. Monitor over the constant time and you get AVG.)

Later I added a SuperChips FP 1865, I use the tuner to improve shifting and was told it'ld likely help mileage (no guarantees). I use the 87 octane tune. Mileage on same road trips to Ga. using same stops, same routes, better than 20 mpg as run 150-200 miles between stops. No question in my mind, the FP 1865 gave me a solid 1-1.5 mpg gain on 87 tune. I can see 17-18 mpg averages in just local driving now, even with some slow downs and stop and go. Better response, better shifting, less throttle needed.

I later lowered my FX4 2 inches frt and rear, easier access to bed, easier for wife to get in (me too ), handles better (maybe my alignment did that), feels better in winds, and first trip afterwards to Ga. saw it hit 20.5 avg MPG (math and SGII agreed) from Monroe, Ga to Athens and up 441 to I-85 over to I-77 up to Hillsville, Va. running right on 65 with steady foot .... and I made a stop along I-85 to get wife a slurpee that surely hurt my avg mpg some small bit. Since then, in some trips here up to Winchester, to Wytheville, etc .... I can almost guarantee 20 and look for more. I can't swear lowering helped gas mileage enough to see it, but it certainly did not hurt and logic tells me it would have some small benefit.

Any stops you make hurt mileage, almost any brake application period for that matter. Using a vacuum gage or the instant MPG reading and training your right foot to maximize it will improve your figures. I have used vacuum gages for years in some vehicles and I drive with as steady a foot as anyone (and much steadier than many I know), but a VAC gage reading was an instant reading and you always waited for the "test time at fill up" when you saw "how well you done" ..... with SGII I can monitor progress instantly and as an average.

It's a fun game to play .... but if you like to stomp on it now and then .... expect lower numbers. One little "temper tantrum" as you pass a slow moving car at wide open will easily cost you a half or full mpg in a 50 mile drive. Whether you find your SGII or other monitor to be spot on or not when doing the math, it still provides a great "relative" yard stick to gage your habits. You can also see by comparison, try your mileage from start up / warm up / leave home / to work .... and record.