Best real-world MPG achieved?

[DaveInSA]

so I drove around for an entire tank of gas in manual mode and keeping it out of turbo boost...
I did get better gas mileage... But only by like 1-2 mpg. Not worth the effort.

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[Igotsoul4u]

I have not bothered thinking about MPG with a giant metal brick. I don't think i've sniffed 18mpg with my WT. You mentioned having euipment in the back. The bronco is decent cargo wise but much narrower then most SUVs. Switching from my Honda passport yielded a lot less space and less security. I would check out the passport. Seems more like what you're looking for. You can hit the 25mpg range and still have a nice V6 and cargo space. It won't be nearly as cool but should function better for your needs. The Bronco has ALOT of novelty built in especially if you won't be offroading it. If I had no plans to drive in snowy mountain conditions and some light ot medium offroading, the Bronco would make no sense. It does look amazing though.

 

[Big Lig]

I really feel there is a part of this discussion that is being overlooked. Is 25mpg achievable in your situation? I do not believe it is realistic.

Even if you go 2 door base manual... you have to account for the cargo the OP intends to carry. OP mentioned videography gear, and shoots that run in the $10,000 area... with gear 5x that cost. That means transport in something like pelican cases. Neither small or light. That alone rules out the 2 door options. Is OP traveling alone? Probably not if talking 200 mile trips. The more people, the less cargo space, and more weight.

You could get a small trailer to pull your gear around in. But that is most likely the worst thing for your MPG desires.

Realistically it comes down to what you really want, because this won't fit your parameters like you hope.

 

[userdude]

Y'all are haters. Somebody asks a simple enough question and it turns into a pile on.

I have a 23 BL Sas. Early on, when I really tried, I could get 22-24mpg. The thing is, there's an envelope you're looking for and it's a little narrow, depending on how you drive.

Tires: Good road tires, light as possible. You don't want to slide in rain or ice. Off roading tires tend to be heavier and more grippy, which works against mpg. Air those suckers up to 38/40psi and keep them there. This makes a HUGE difference.

Eco mode: I frankly didn't think this was that useful. When I went to driving Normal all the time after maybe 6 weeks of switching to Eco, I lost maybe .5mpg? Maybe none at all.

Turbo: How to actually stay in your sweet spot is to limit turbo use. Which leads to...

Skinny pedal: Obviously, don't mash the gas as much as you can. Stay under 70mph (preferably 65mph) and you'll get your best mpg around 30-50mph when limiting turbo.

Loaded down with video/photography gear, you'll likely lose some in the limiting turbo mode, especially on hill ascents and getting rolling.

Cruise control: Use it. Even around town.

91/93 octane: Use it.

Weight: I don't know losing weight will be very easy. Ford's already done a lot; the best you can figure is to not get lockers, skids plates, rock rails and so forth. Anything for actual off roading, leave it off. (Lockers you'll need to buy it that way.) Remove the rear seats, and if you feel lucky, remove the spare off the back with a spare delete. You might be able to save 100-150lbs to offset your equipment weight somewhat.

If you do those things, you can probably over time keep it above 20mpg, especially if you do a lot of back country road driving that's more sedate in nature. If you really get it tuned in, maybe 22-23mpg.

However, keep in mind with a turbo running it in low rpms all the time isn't that great, especially with the 2.3L injectors. Occasionally, run an "Italian tune up" to knock some of the carbon buildup off and only use a good full synthetic and rotate your tires every oil change.

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