Ford Ecoboost Real World Experience

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Recently I was in the market to buy a new F-150. I was going to get either a 6 cyl. Ecoboost or V-8 engine. I posted a thread asking for opinions about the two engines. As you would expect there were lots of opinions. The thread got somewhat contentious as the GM guys were downgrading the Ecoboost and the Ford guys were fiercely defending it. One of the main areas of contention was fuel mileage. The GM guys were indicating that the Ecoboost was not living up to mileage claims.

Well I decided to get an Ecoboost. It is 2wd and the sticker rating is 18 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. I have had it a little over a month now and so far am very satisfied. Most of the early driving has been around town and the overall mileage is 17.5 mpg. I have not reset the trip A setting and will probably just leave it as is so I'll always know my overall mileage since day one.

I took my first road trip last week. My estimate of the driving breakdown for the trip would be as follows; 45% highway non interstate highway miles 55-60 mph, 40% interstate miles cruise set at 70 mph, and 15% town miles once at the destination area. The trip was home and back in the same day.

Attached is a trip odometer reading for the entire trip. I averaged 21.5 mpg for the trip. Not too bad in my mind. You can draw your own conclusions.

 

[wny770]

Good for you. As far as you mentioning asking questions on here, I sometimes laugh at forums like these. It seems like everyone's brand is the best, and all others are junk. I hope you enjoy your new truck. I know a few guys with the ecoboost and they really like them.

 

[jejeosborne]

Don't worry about trying to maintain a trip computer for life time MPG. It is stored in the diagnostics display which you access by holding the "ok" button down and turning on the ignition.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I don't know how accurate your MPG calculator is, but I know in my cummins it was wildly off at times meaning 2-4 mpg. Please hand calc your mileage.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Don't worry about trying to maintain a trip computer for life time MPG. It is stored in the diagnostics display which you access by holding the "ok" button down and turning on the ignition.

Thanks for the tip. Learning how to use all the bells and whistles is a bit of a task. I'm not sure I'll ever learn everything. A ten year old would probably have it all figured out by now.

 

[terryknight]

I don't know how accurate your MPG calculator is, but I know in my cummins it was wildly off at times meaning 2-4 mpg. Please hand calc your mileage.

i'm with him. sometimes they're close lots of times they're not. drove a Subaru crosstrek two tanks full one was off by 1.4 and one was off by 1.9. both higher on the computer than hand calculated

 

[jejeosborne]

i'm with him. sometimes they're close lots of times they're not. drove a Subaru crosstrek two tanks full one was off by 1.4 and one was off by 1.9. both higher on the computer than hand calculated

I have a similar truck and hand calculate every tank and it is never more than two tenths of a MPG off. Amazed at how accurate mine is. I agree though it is vehicle specific.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

I have a similar truck and hand calculate every tank and it is never more than two tenths of a MPG off. Amazed at how accurate mine is. I agree though it is vehicle specific.

I'll manually calculate my next tank of fuel and compare to the computer. Just so I'll feel comfortable (or uncomfortable) with what the vehicle is telling me.

 

[haveissues]

I have a similar truck and hand calculate every tank and it is never more than two tenths of a MPG off. Amazed at how accurate mine is. I agree though it is vehicle specific.

Mine is the same. Usually within a 10th. If my trip meeter says I used 30 gallons it will take almost exactly 30 gallons.

 

[wmonroe]

Recently I was in the market to buy a new F-150. I was going to get either a 6 cyl. Ecoboost or V-8 engine. I posted a thread asking for opinions about the two engines. As you would expect there were lots of opinions. The thread got somewhat contentious as the GM guys were downgrading the Ecoboost and the Ford guys were fiercely defending it. One of the main areas of contention was fuel mileage. The GM guys were indicating that the Ecoboost was not living up to mileage claims. Well I decided to get an Ecoboost. It is 2wd and the sticker rating is 18 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. I have had it a little over a month now and so far am very satisfied. Most of the early driving has been around town and the overall mileage is 17.5 mpg. I have not reset the trip A setting and will probably just leave it as is so I'll always know my overall mileage since day one. I took my first road trip last week. My estimate of the driving breakdown for the trip would be as follows; 45% highway non interstate highway miles 55-60 mph, 40% interstate miles cruise set at 70 mph, and 15% town miles once at the destination area. The trip was home and back in the same day. Attached is a trip odometer reading for the entire trip. I averaged 21.5 mpg for the trip. Not too bad in my mind. You can draw your own conclusions.

That's great to hear your truck is doing well. Most of the threads on here with people asking which truck to buy crack me up as I sit and read the replies. Lots of people who aren't making the payment have strong opinions about what other people buy.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have a similar truck and hand calculate every tank and it is never more than two tenths of a MPG off. Amazed at how accurate mine is. I agree though it is vehicle specific.

Same here. I have had over a dozen Ford's and never off by any applicable amount. My current one and my father's have never been off .2 per gallon.

Chris

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

That's great to hear your truck is doing well. Most of the threads on here with people asking which truck to buy crack me up as I sit and read the replies. Lots of people who aren't making the payment have strong opinions about what other people buy.

The funny thing about that thread is that I had already decided I was getting a F150. I was just asking for opinions regarding the 6 cyl Ecobost vs V8 Ford engines. It quickly deteriorated into a Ford vs GM vs Dodge discussion. No problem though; it was interesting and I enjoyed the banter. I appreciate all opinions, even those that don't necessarily align with my own.

 

[EddieWalker]

I went with the 5.0 V8 engine in my F150 and started out with 14 mpg on the computer reading, but every week, in increased. I've been steady at 18mpg for awhile now. I'm at 20,000 miles and I think that's the best the computer is going to give me. What I have found is that the computer is wrong. Every time I do the math myself with how many miles I've driven from one fill up to the next and dividing that with the number of gallons I use, I always come out with better mileage then the computer says I'm getting. Sometimes it's as much as 2 mpg better!!!!

Eddie

 

[jejeosborne]

I went with the 5.0 V8 engine in my F150 and started out with 14 mpg on the computer reading, but every week, in increased. I've been steady at 18mpg for awhile now. I'm at 20,000 miles and I think that's the best the computer is going to give me. What I have found is that the computer is wrong. Every time I do the math myself with how many miles I've driven from one fill up to the next and dividing that with the number of gallons I use, I always come out with better mileage then the computer says I'm getting. Sometimes it's as much as 2 mpg better!!!!

Eddie

What is you fueling method? Once the pump automatically shuts off, I always force it to click off once more. It is not good on the emissions system to stuff the tank so I just do it once. Probably get in close to an additional half to full gallon.

 

[bajabum]

On my '04 F250 (6.0L diesel0, I can easily get another 4 gallons in after the first click.
I started out (new) at 20MPG, but every time I took it in (several recalls, and a new rear spring, Port list), they flashed the chip and I lost milage.
It steadied out at 14.8 after I stopped taking it in.
The one thing I wish I'd have done at the start would be to have an Aux overdrive put on, @ 20% overdrive.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've tried to get a second burst into it once it clicks off, but every time I do this, I get fuel coming out onto the ground. It's a hard habit to break, but with enough wasted gasoline, I'm hoping I'll learn it fairly soon!!!

Eddie

 

[NWOH_Grizz]

Having had my Ecoboost for over 3 years now and watching the fuel mileage closely, I can say that the fuel mileage is dependent on several factors. Fuel octane, whether its summer fuel or winter fuel, ambient temperature, pulling any weight, and driving technique all have noticeable effects on fuel mileage in regards to the Ecoboost engine. I get from 10 to 27+ mpg with my Eco. GENERALLY, in warm weather I get 18+ in normal combined driving, and in winter, its just below 15. That winter fuel and lower temps make a big difference. Highway mileage is very dependent on speed. At <60 mph, I can get 27, but that is unusual. Normal there is around 24 with 87 octane. From 60-65, its 22 barely. 70 or over its about 20 -20.5. I did one run where I kept 80-90 mph for quite a while, and was rewarded with 14 mpg, but I wasn't very steady on the go-pedal.

Towed my 25' travel trailer for 3 weeks from Ohio to Arizona and back last September, averaged 11.1 mpg over the 4300+ miles. That was going about 63-65 mph most of the way. About the same towing as my 2005 F250 6.0 diesel got.

Ford has hit a home run with that 3.5 Ecoboost, I just wish the F150 suspension was a bit more robust. Its at the top or very close to the top as compared with the other comparable 1/2 ton pickups, but after going from a F250 to the F150, I really notice the difference. Now if Ford would only put the Eco in the F250...... Maybe a 5.0 Ecoboost V8? Sure would like to see that.

The indicated mpg on the F150 display is extremely accurate. Within .1 mpg. The 2005 F250 was hit and miss, sometimes off by as much as 2 mpg.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I have a 2012 4wd supercrew with 355 gears. Usually get about 2 mpg less than you in comparable driving. Curious about model gearing etc

 

[bajabum]

Large veer OT..

I wish that someone would come out with a solid half ton, with a Turbocharged Isuzu 4 cylinder, such as installed in most of the big Box trucks!
What a killer combination that would be!

Back to the OP's topic...:thumbsup:

My 1992 F150 with the straight 6 gets ~ 12 MPG
My 2004 F250 6.0L gets 14.5 MPG, HWY, Towing, round town, still 14.5.

 

[TomSeller]

Attached is a trip odometer reading for the entire trip. I averaged 21.5 mpg for the trip. Not too bad in my mind. You can draw your own conclusions.

Very nice