Gasoline octane & MPG

[Brian_B]

I've found that tire size, amount of lift, and total weight each make a huge difference in MPG

You can have the same Bronco and see anywhere from 12MPG to 24MPG, depending on those factors.

Engine really doesn't have much to do with it - the i4 and v6 get pretty close to the same fuel economy, all other things equal. Same with fuel type - you can notice the difference, but it isn't huge -- usually.

Usually when someone posts a huge change in MPG, it's because they just went from stock tires to 35s, or just added a 3" lift, or just installed a RTT or something...

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[HighVelocity]

What if you shit your pants since you have the MGV interior?

As long as you have MGV underwear as well.

 

[Brian_B]

I dont know anything about what's considered the best fuel to use in the 2.3 engine.?

Any Top Tier Rated fuel. 87 is fine if you are running stock tune, but if you want the best, get 93 octane.

Top Tier won't give you any power or anything, and it's not rigorously enforced or anything, but it's some assurance of quality and the detergents that get added help somewhat against carbon buildup (maybe not so much on the i4, but it can't hurt either).

 

[Gregus73]

If my vehicle has a turbo, I usually run premium gas.
Run it in my Bronco and WRX. We just run 87 in my wife’s hybrid. Same engine technology as a Prius.

 

[daniel.edwards2019]

I would say the biggest savings to fuel is gonna be driving habits....you want to have a better MPG? Stay out of Boost....... I get 475 Miles to each tank....2023 Big Bend 4 door. I have mixed city, highway, and country though most of it is highway point is if you stay out of boost you wont be using as much fuel.

 

[RHeinz]

I often see people passing me at WOT (wide open throttle) when there is an obvious RED traffic light 1/4 mile ahead. I always wonder if they complain about the crappy fuel mileage their vehicle is getting.

 

[BigHoof]

Checking the mpgs over 50 miles is not going to give an accurate reading.

 

[TX-Dennis]

My Wildtrak is averaging 17.6 with about half highway and half city driving. I only use "regular" 87 octane.

Towing it gets MUCH less.

 

[UncleBrad]

The MOST you can expect from running higher octane is 3% improved MPG—and that is only if that premium fuel is ethanol free. Premium fuel is almost always 3% more expensive than 87, so it you are looking at it from an economics standpoint it is almost always cheaper to run 87.

Any difference you've seen beyond 3% has to do with driving conditions/style.

Personally around town I get about 16.5 MPG. On the highway I can get up to 23 MPG—particularly on the flat-and-boring Ohio Turnpike. Towing I get around 14.1 MPG.

I now have just under 3K on my Big Bend 2.3L manual. I run only 91 or 93 octane (top tier if it is available). Unless I'm towing, or have the air conditioning on, I get 21 MPG persistently. I loose 1 MPG when towing or when the air is on. I am not an "aggressive" driver. This appears to be very close to the calculated range on the window sticker of 20 MPG highway. My milage only dropped about .5 MPG after swapping out the stock Bridgestones with DuraTrac RTs (I stuck with the factory tire size). Makes me wonder if these poor mileage reports can be traced to big tires...

 

[buckingup]

Think the Sasquatch package, and 35's have to impact the mpg.... they do on any vehicle.

 

[Scott R Nelson]

Any difference you've seen beyond 3% has to do with driving conditions/style.

Sometimes it's the fuel.

A couple of weeks ago I filled up at Walmart because my wife noticed the cheaper price there, then drove from Idaho to Utah. I've taken that particular trip multiple times, but this time I got at least 15% lower mileage than on previous trips. This is one of the few times I couldn't get at least 300 miles out of a tank. When I filled it up in Snowville, the first town inside Utah, the mileage immediately improved.

Coming back I filled up at that same station in Snowville and did 4 mpg better than the trip going there. I think I learned that the 8% cheaper price at Walmart was not worth 15% worse mileage.

All trips through this particular section of road were with the cruise control set at 70 mph with tires inflated to around 38 psi. I drove the same way every time, it was the fuel that made the big difference.

 

[Kevin Scarbel]

I often see people passing me at WOT (wide open throttle) when there is an obvious RED traffic light 1/4 mile ahead. I always wonder if they complain about the crappy fuel mileage their vehicle is getting.

The second that traffic light ahead turns yellow, my foot is off the accelerator pedal. Brake wear is reduced significantly. Pads and rotors also last far longer due to less heat build-up.

On a side note, brake pad heat is dissipated out through the sides of the pad. So as the pads become thinner, their ability to efficiently dissipate heat decreases. Thus pads run hotter and inherently the rotors as well. But change your pads more often and they all run cooler.

 

[Kevin Scarbel]

Sometimes it's the fuel.

A couple of weeks ago I filled up at Walmart because my wife noticed the cheaper price there, then drove from Idaho to Utah. I've taken that particular trip multiple times, but this time I got at least 15% lower mileage than on previous trips. This is one of the few times I couldn't get at least 300 miles out of a tank. When I filled it up in Snowville, the first town inside Utah, the mileage immediately improved.

Coming back I filled up at that same station in Snowville and did 4 mpg better than the trip going there. I think I learned that the 8% cheaper price at Walmart was not worth 15% worse mileage.

All trips through this particular section of road were with the cruise control set at 70 mph with tires inflated to around 38 psi. I drove the same way every time, it was the fuel that made the big difference.

I filled up at Buc-ee's four times last week with 93 Super. Mileage maxed out, except for one time. The truck acted like it was 87.

 

[BigHoof]

Think the Sasquatch package, and 35's have to impact the mpg.... they do on any vehicle.

I've got SAS and get a solid 22 mpgs hand calculated since day 1, 4 cyl man.

 

[RagnarKon]

My hand-calculated results.

Very outdated... huge pile a gas receipts sitting on the corner of my desk that need to be plugged into this spreadsheet.... someday.... but not today.

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