My wifes 04 escape with the v6 only gets 16 mpg no matter if your driving in the city or on the highway. I was just wondering if anybody knew what the problem was or if it was normal. Its pretty bad that my 04 f150 5.4L 4x4 gets the same or better mileage than this small suv. I need some help bad, this thing is draining my pocket book as fast as its draining the gas tank. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Some people have reported low numbers. I got 24mpg on my 02 V6 Escape and now get 27mpg on my 05 I4 Escape but it's 90% highway.

You've got the normal items related to the driver - how fast they drive, aggressive acceleration, etc. Other items relate back to maintenance - how many miles does it have, what maintenance has been performed, etc. There isn't any specific issue that anyone has found or admitted to when they've had low mpg numbers. I know running E10 kills my mpg number by 1mpg versus non-E10 gas.

Also, you might reset the computer...especially if someone else was the main driver before your wife. Disconnect the battery for 15+ minutes. This will reset the "learned" aspects of the driver back to when the last time the truck had a flash performed (most likely at the factory). Look in your owners manual about how to let the truck relearn the fuel trim and tranny shift strategies. I believe you let it idle w/o a/c for at least one minute then idle at least one minute with the a/c. Then drive her normal style for 10 miles or so.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm definately going to try the thing with the battery. That may be what it is because we bought it used with 52000 miles on it and we have put about 20000 on it and the mileage has always been the same no matter if I drive it or my wife is driving it. I would say we both drive it fairly easy so I don't think that is it but you never know how the wife drives when your not in the car. Thanks for the good input.

 

I have never gotten 16 mpg unless I'm pulling my 2000 lb boat. Does she have the O/D turned off? She oughta get at least 22 on the highway - even at a steady 80 mph.

 

driving from pittsburgh, pa to kitty hawk, nc (with a 3'x3'x12" roof cargo bag), we got 18.5 on the first tank (driving the pa turnpike @ 70-75mph up and down hills, when I go I normally put the hammer down), 20 on the 2nd, 21 on the 3rd, and ~20 on the 4th...

 

That cargo bag will cost you at least a couple of mpg. When I put two bikes on top of our Tribute it knocked off 3 mpg. Now we put the back seat down and put the bikes in the cargo area. Probably a bit wet in Kitty Hawk right now.

 

That's definitely below average. We're getting 20mpg with a pretty typical mix of city/highway driving, multiple drivers, a/c use and cruise control, so I feel that's a fairly good representation of what these things should be getting. This is in an '05 V6 AWD model.

I say check the moron(s) behind the wheel doing that is what got me from 8mpg in my late Bronco to nearly 14, I was driving like the idiots around here and started to relax it a bit instead. One tactic I like to use is watching the tach to manage when you let the tranny shift. The V6 Escapes can drive easily shifting under 2200rpm, and with a little patience can do it shifting at 2000.

 

The low mileage was the only thing I hated about the '04 V6 Escape that I had for a year. I got about 16 mpg in my 48 mile round trip commute.

Have you checked the tire pressure? A few psi can have a significant impact on mileage. I think the book recommends 33 or 34 but I run mine ar around 38-40 in my hybrid Escapes and it makes a big difference in mileage.

You can safely run them up to the max pressure listed on the tire but I've found that anything over 40 makes the ride a little stiff. I have also seen no abnormal tire wear caused by the higher pressure.

 

mines say to inflate to 30 psi... needless to say, I run 33-34 psi..

 

Thanks for all of the input. I'll try your suggestions and see if it helps.

 

I think its really hard to give advice on Fuel Mileage because there are so many variables to consider. However, driving style, ie. smooth acceleration vs. jack rabbit style, stop and go vs. highway driving, elevation, terrain, wind, season and fuel blend, tire pressure, vehicle load, synthetic oil weight, and on and on are just a few of the variables.....Average out several tank loads of fuel and take extra care to observe your driving style.
My Wife's 06 Escape AWD 6 cylinder XLT gets 28 or 29 on the highway and closer to 22 stop and go. We live at 6400 ft elevation and most driving is long range rather than stop and go.

I know I haven't helped.... just wanted to reiterate.....SO many variables to consider when fretting over mileage.

GARY
Stanley Idaho
06 Escape
2K Superduty V10 4x4
66 F100
34 Tudor Sedan
31 Victoria

 

lots of good suggestions in this thread. Make sure the fluids are all up to snuff - engine oil, tranny fluid, differential fluid etc... . Might want to consider cleaning out the engine with some of the over the counter cleaning products since the truck was used when you bought it. Give the injectors a good cleaning with a coupld doses of injector cleaning. Run a few extra psi in the tires over the recommended pressures - 2-3 psi is safe IMO. My escape recommends 30 psi, I run at least 32-33. Make sure there is a clean air filter in the engine. Re-set the pcm as discussed above. Make sure you guys aren't running with the ventilation system on defrost all the time as it uses the air conditioner and saps more fuel. Use it only as needed . Ensure that your brakes are properly lubed so they don't drag, the guide pins need to be properly lubed from time to time, if they run dry the brakes can bind up and drag things down.

Biggest thing I notice with driving habits is that these trucks can coast for a long distance after you let off the gas. If you are approaching a red light or stop sign or backed up traffic let off the gas a good distance before you get to the stopped location, you can coast a good distance and not need to use the throttle and lessen the need to brake heavily. Smooth driving, avoiding jack rabbit starts and keeping rpms low makes a big difference IMO.

 

might also consider new spark plugs , sometimes factory plugs aren't gapped properly or perhaps someone swapped the plugs in the past without success. I'm thinking of swapping the differential fluid with a higher quality synthetic fluid, that may help fuel economy in cold weather conditions.

 

I Agree with JFUSION

 

My wife and i get a constant 22mpg in our 05 V6 4WD. We do mostly highway with most of that around 70mph. A fifth gear would work wonders in this truck (in fact that's about the only thing i'd change). But i guess 22mpg ain't bad for an SUV. Would an aftermarket intake help out any?

JFUSION: how long are the spark plugs supposed to last?