[urnews]

Jan. 18, 2007, update. Our 2007 V6 SEL AWD just finished traveling 197.9 miles and required 13.842 gallons of 87 octane to have a full tank again. Computer readout: 15.5 mpg; Long division: 14.3 mpg; a difference of 1.2 mpg with the computer being more optimistic than real life.

It was all city driving, stop and go, since Jan. 5. Price was $2.05.9 per gallon at Wawa in Salisbury, MD.

"The Guzzler" now has 911.9 total miles on it.

The latest mileage results are not much improved over the 13 mpg we had been getting on previous fill-ups. Obviously this car has a lot of breaking in to do or is in need of a PCM tune-up. Boz

 

[cueball]

Well make sure you post your disappointing mileage update in every other thread on this board so we can read it in every single thread we open.

 

[urnews]

[quote author=Cueball link=topic=66304.msg1156518#msg1156518 date=1169157420]
Well make sure you post your disappointing mileage update in every other thread on this board so we can read it in every single thread we open.
[/quote]
Excellent idea Cueball, or maybe not. LOL.

I am, however, sorry to report in this Official Gas Mileage Thread that the mpg numbers for our 2007 AWD SEL are not improving.

It took 14.328 gallons to fill it up on Jan. 28 after traveling 280.0 miles, 172.5 miles of that (62 percent) for a trip at a constant 55-60 mph. The computer mileage was 20.0 and the long division calculation was 19.54 mpg, which would be great if all the miles had been in-city driving. Alas! It's apparent that "The Guzzler" is still only delivering about 13 mpg in the city.

The car now has 1,191.9 miles on the odometer. I seriously doubt if the gas mileage is going to magically improve to the EPA rating of 19 city, 26 highway within the next 1,000 or 2,000 miles, when it will supposedly be broken in. I would be one happy camper if it did; I just don't believe it will.

The overwhelming majority of Fusion, Milan and MKZ owners on this forum and another one report mileage numbers that meet or exceed the EPA estimate. That's all I want, too, for the car to be average instead of sub par.

My wife and I have very few complaints about the car otherwise. It is difficult to tolerate this gas mileage situation when you know there is a $539.24 difference between 13 mpg and 19 mpg in one year, based on 10,000 miles driven with gasoline at $2.22 per gallon.

Each fill-up leaves me with the feeling that I'm being taken for a ride. It's a bad, helpless feeling, one that makes me sad and mad at the same time. The car has dozens of positive aspects but this one negative is overshadowing them, is downright depressing. Boz

 

[chris06fusion]

You are nearing the 1,500 mile mark. 8) Isn't this when ford will take a look at it?

I was thinking about something the other day. Does anyone here think that maybe the horrible gas mileage may be caused by the AWD system engaged all the time? I just find it hard to believe that the added weight and gearing would cause so many MPG problems. :dunno:

 

[urnews]

[quote author=Chris06Fusion link=topic=66304.msg1175168#msg1175168 date=1170109078]

You are nearing the 1,500 mile mark. 8) Isn't this when ford will take a look at it?

I was thinking about something the other day. Does anyone here think that maybe the horrible gas mileage may be caused by the AWD system engaged all the time? I just find it hard to believe that the added weight and gearing would cause so many MPG problems. :dunno:
[/quote]
Chris,
Yeah, it goes into the shop around 1,500 when they "will put it on the computer," so the service manager told me. We have a 400-mile trip coming up this weekend. Maybe that will improve things, but I doubt it.

How can a driver tell when, or if, the AWD is engaged during normal driving?

Also, what happened to the emoticons on the forum?

 

[otaku]

Well the AWD system probably adds 300+ pounds or so thats pretty significant and then consider passenger weight. EPA estimates are very inaccurate due to the way they achieve the MPG. They do everything perfectly and controlled. The best I've seen is 16mpg and as low as 10 which is discouraging but I have very little mileage (just about 400miles) so I'm waiting a bit longer. 20mpg seems reasonable for the cars top end considering the EPA says it tops at 26 they're usually at least 3mpg off or more. I'm still waiting to hit 20. None of the three cars my family owns get above 20 though (2 V8s and this v6)

 

[urnews]

[quote author=otaku link=topic=66304.msg1175478#msg1175478 date=1170120419]
Well the AWD system probably adds 300+ pounds or so thats pretty significant and then consider passenger weight. EPA estimates are very inaccurate due to the way they achieve the MPG. They do everything perfectly and controlled. The best I've seen is 16mpg and as low as 10 which is discouraging but I have very little mileage (just about 400miles) so I'm waiting a bit longer. 20mpg seems reasonable for the cars top end considering the EPA says it tops at 26 they're usually at least 3mpg off or more. I'm still waiting to hit 20. None of the three cars my family owns get above 20 though (2 V8s and this v6)
[/quote]
Otaku,

Your AWD experience seems to mirror mine as far as mileage goes, though our figure has never been as low as your 10 mpg yet. Knock on wood.

We have been spoiled by our 2000 Focus station wagon when it comes to mileage. The 2.0-liter Zetec I4 (almost 93,000 miles) averages 26 mpg no matter what. Even our 1997 Thunderbird (85,000 miles) gets around 16 mpg in town. It has a 3.8-liter V6.

Supposedly the EPA is going to change its calculation method to something more realistic beginning with the 2008 model year.

 

[HEVeng]

2006 SEL I-4 manual.

22.5 mpg for this tank so far, 280 miles. 10,600 total on odo. Ambient temps at 15-25 deg F.

It was up around 25.5-26 in the summer.

 

[urnews]

[quote author=HEVeng link=topic=66304.msg1179270#msg1179270 date=1170275970]
2006 SEL I-4 manual.

22.5 mpg for this tank so far, 280 miles. 10,600 total on odo. Ambient temps at 15-25 deg F.

It was up around 25.5-26 in the summer.
[/quote]
Stop already! You're making me cry.

 

[HEVeng]

I filled the tank yesterday.

Computer read 22.7 mpg for the tank. My calculation was 20.8 mpg.

 

[urnews]

[quote author=HEVeng link=topic=66304.msg1181052#msg1181052 date=1170356371]
I filled the tank yesterday.

Computer read 22.7 mpg for the tank. My calculation was 20.8 mpg.
[/quote]
That must be mostly in-city driving, huh? Boz

 

[HEVeng]

[quote author=urnews link=topic=66304.msg1181104#msg1181104 date=1170357374]
[quote author=HEVeng link=topic=66304.msg1181052#msg1181052 date=1170356371]
I filled the tank yesterday.

Computer read 22.7 mpg for the tank. My calculation was 20.8 mpg.
[/quote]
That must be mostly in-city driving, huh? Boz
[/quote]


Mostly city, but I have old ladies in Grand Marquis beating me in the 1/4 mile I am driving it so easy. Hardly ever hit 2300 rpm trying to see how much I can boost fuel economy. Getting this mileage with a little 2.3L makes me miss the 13.5 average of my F-150.

 

[A.Cadenas]

2.3 4cyl 5spd. 5800 miles. Currently 18.7 around town, 23.6 all highway. Was getting 24 around town, 30 all highway. Got to be the weather. Hasnt gotten out of the 20's here lately.

 

[captainhook]

It seems that I have dropped off too with the cold weather.

 

[otaku]

Maybe thats why my MPG seems so bad (16 is my record since buying the car two months ago) its been cold here, snow and teens, twenties are our normal temps with occasional 30s-40s I need to check my tire pressure to I guess what is recommended for best fuel economy and performance?

 

[hwm3]

I'm still getting 23mpg with a 50/50 mix of city/highway driving.

 

[shan07]

I've got about 2300 miles on my car ('07 SE V6) and it is getting the gas mileage it is supposed to be getting - with mostly city driving too ... I'm pleased with it!

 

[urnews]

Mixed bag results obtained on a Friday-Saturday highway trip. Computer indicated 26.5 miles per gallon for the 265 miles of highway travel at 65-80 mph which is fine since the EPA highway estimate for a V6 SEL AWD is 26 mpg. Computer indicated 24.2 mpg for 93 miles following fill-up, which is still reasonable.

However, this tankful (Jan. 28-Feb. 3) also included 46.2 miles of stop-and-go city driving prior to the weekend trip. This was only 14.8 percent of the total. The long division method (14.156 gallons used divided into 311.2 total miles driven) yielded an overall result of 21.98 mpg.

Translation and conclusion: The really wretched in-city mileage, 13 mpg, is apparently still with us after 1,596 miles. Car goes into the dealer Wednesday to be put on the computer. Perhaps it is still going through its break-in phase.

 

[Plucky2035]

Now that it's really cold out, it seemed to have gone down a bit to 19.8 MPG instead of it's normal 21+ MPG. We'll see how it does when it's summer or when the temp isn't this cold. I was using BP gas like Ford wants us too but I stopped for a while, maybe I'll use them again and see if it makes a difference.

 

[cos]

4 cyl/manual trans, 75% hwy driving @ 70-80 MPH:
- summer average is....29 MPG
- winter average is......27 MPG

Notes: I slow down in neutral and coast when possible.

Do I think a Camry or Accord would get better MPG? NO!