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I bet that Eco mode would make zero difference if you were totally highway driving. But, I do think it makes a difference in city/suburban driving.
Eco mode on the highway is best, especially if you have adaptive cruise control. It settles the truck down when accelerating.
As an example, set your cruise to 70mph and slow down to 40mph. If you hit Resume, the truck will take off and get you back up to 70 swiftly. If you're in Eco mode, it'll get you back up to 70 but at a much better pace (better is subjective, some people like the surge lol).
It's the same with Adaptive Cruise. Let's say your cruise is set to 70mph but you've got a slowpoke ahead of you doing 60mph. He/She decides to get out of your lane, which the truck detects, so it brings you back up to 70. In Normal mode, the truck will surge you back up to 70. In Eco it's a much smoother acceleration that feels more natural.
At least that's my observation with the 6.7 where it puts out significant torque at highway speeds without downshifting. May not be as noticeable with the 6.2 or 7.3 due to torque curve differences.
I am assuming there was no snow/ice, just traffic? Interesting off label usage.
It’s like ECO MODE on steroids. The other thing I noticed is if you set your speed at 40 miles an hour using the throttle pedal and switch through the modes the truck will accelerate and decelerate. I specifically noticed this going between normal and slippery ice mode. Kind of like the wife’s BMW between regular and sport mode. Not as aggressive though.
I like the ECO mode when empty. With the S&B tank on my 2020 I drove from Denver to Louisville. 1100 on one tank. It helps smooth out acceleration and jack rabbit starts. Cruise at 65 in the far right lane. I dont have the attention span for 75-80
.4 to .6 mpg increase over 3 different seasons. Observed.
3 seasons. Which includes a lot of starts and stops; accelerations; daily use. I can agree with that. But, I'll still bet that at constant speed on the highway; no effect.