EcoBoost mpg

[Bart]

My son Eric has built his XJ up to where it's not fun to drive to Moab and St George and decided to get a tow rig. He bought a 2013 EcoBoost yesterday with the 3.5. Nice truck but needs a few things and some TLC. Computer says that he's is only getting 15.2 mpg on the freeway. Can that be true? Is there a way to improve that. Not sure if that's adjusted for tire size or if it needs an air filter

 

[Caleb]

IMO, the ecoboost is like a diesel when it comes to fuel mileage. Everyone claims to get 25mpg while towing 10K lbs and in reality, it's much lower. In my Raptor, I get 16-17 empty on the freeway if I baby it. If I drive normal, it's more like 15-16 and if I'm driving like an ass it's more like 12. I haven't towed with it yet but will be this weekend.

EDIT: I will add the Raptor does have 35" tires stock, so I would expect a regular F-150 to be a bit better.

So if that 15.2 is empty, that seems a little low, but I wouldn't expect tons better than that (10-15% better is what I'd shoot for).

 

[Deleted member 12904]

IMO, the ecoboost is like a diesel when it comes to fuel mileage. Everyone claims to get 25mpg while towing 10K lbs and in reality, it's much lower. .

THIS!!! I know 5-6 people with an ecoboost and non of them have seen over 18 and most average 16. The over 20mpg numbers are probably realistic in a 2wd short bed standard cab on stock 235 tires.

My wife drives an "el camino" aka 2wd 2015 crew cab silverado with the 285 hp v6 and averages 23-24 mpg and it honestly does better towing then my 2002 silverado with the 5.3

 

[moab_cj5]

I could get 20 mpg in my 2014 F150 if I was REALLY easy on the gas, and went no faster than 70 MPH on the freeway. Otherwise, I got consistently 16-18 freeway driving. Towing, I got 10-12. The truck was too fun though to keep my foot out of it. I usually got around 14-16 all around driving.

How many miles are on it? I would check the air filter and maybe the plugs (mileage depending). Mine seemed to get better mileage on Midgrade and Premium. The Octane in Utah is low (85) because of elevation, but some vehicles still like the higher octane. I never experienced any knocking or pinging on 85, but the it seemed to get at least 1 mpg better on 87 or 91.

@frieed or @rholbrook could chime in. They are both running Ecoboost trucks.

 

[anderson750]

IMO, the ecoboost is like a diesel when it comes to fuel mileage. Everyone claims to get 25mpg while towing 10K lbs and in reality, it's much lower. In my Raptor, I get 16-17 empty on the freeway if I baby it. If I drive normal, it's more like 15-16 and if I'm driving like an ass it's more like 12. I haven't towed with it yet but will be this weekend.

So if that 15.2 is empty, that seems a little low, but I wouldn't expect tons better than that (10-15% better is what I'd shoot for).

These numbers surprise me a little . I had my '13 Raptor with the 6.2 for about a year and a half and normal freeway driving I was around 14 and driving like an ass it was 12. When I took it to Baja and was towing a fully loaded 7x14 enclosed plus a full bed I was getting 9 while pointing my headlights at the moon.

 

[rholbrook]

I get about 15.4 combined. If I am empty on the hwy doing 70 I get 18ish. If I am doing 80, I get 16. If I pull my jeep to Moab on a trailer I get 12-13 average. It honestly isnt much better than a non-turbo but the difference is the horse power and torque difference.

 

[frieed]

My numbers:
Best was coming back from the swell @65, unloaded, with a tail wind: 22mpg
Pretty consistant 18mpg @74, 16@84 (where I use cruise) (same as Russ)
Typical towing 8k lb 26' travel trailer @65 was 9-11
Worst towing the above was into a headwind in southern Idaho. 4 hrs @2700rpm to maintain 65, 7mpg
The above was with 275/70R18 Michelin LT MS2's (awesome tires for towing)
I've since switched to same size BFG KO2's and lost about 1 mpg.
If he tows heavy very often I recommend putting a Helwig rear sway bar on. My trailer would push the back of the truck a good bit coming down from the Uintas.

 

[frieed]

I get about 15.4 combined. If I am empty on the hwy doing 70 I get 18ish. If I am doing 80, I get 16. If I pull my jeep to Moab on a trailer I get 12-13 average. It honestly isnt much better than a non-turbo but the difference is the horse power and torque difference.

I could tow my trailer, total weight of about #8200, up to Strawberry res. with cruise on, holding speed @2700 rpm.
Unloaded, it doesn't go above 1700 rpm, cruise on, going over Soldier Summit.
Another odd thing. If cruise is on, the truck favors boost to maintain speed, cruise off, RPM.

 

[frieed]

One more note. When I sold the trailer 2 years ago I immediately located a new JKUR that I was going to trade the truck for. After a test drive in the Rubi I realized that I couldn't part with the truck. New plan, look at a jeep after the truck is paid off.

 

[Caleb]

These numbers surprise me a little . I had my '13 Raptor with the 6.2 for about a year and a half and normal freeway driving I was around 14 and driving like an ass it was 12. When I took it to Baja and was towing a fully loaded 7x14 enclosed plus a full bed I was getting 9 while pointing my headlights at the moon.

I think the difference would be the 3.5 Ecoboost in mine. The 5.7 in my Tundra was similar to your 6.2 numbers...maybe a little less.

 

[rholbrook]

Try plugs and new plug boots, run some injector cleaner through. I have 135K miles on mine and just recently put plugs and boots in. I normally get a new truck every couple of years but this one I love. Been putting tires and brakes on it. I did have a exhaust manifold crack but it was warrantied on an extended plan I purchased which I normally would not have done. I still love my ecoboost and I love the 35 gal tank.

 

[Kevin B.]

^ So jealous of that 35 gallon tank. We wants one, precious.

 

[mbryson]

Try plugs and new plug boots, run some injector cleaner through. I have 135K miles on mine and just recently put plugs and boots in. I normally get a new truck every couple of years but this one I love. Been putting tires and brakes on it. I did have a exhaust manifold crack but it was warrantied on an extended plan I purchased which I normally would not have done. I still love my ecoboost and I love the 35 gal tank.

Does the 35 gallon tank come with the 6.5' bed or is it also in the 5.5' bed? (would consider a 6.5' but am sure the 5.5' would drive me nuts)

 

[DAA]

Yeah but my LJ got better MPG and used less fuel in The Maze than Eric's EB did and has only a slightly smaller tank .

- DAA

 

[TRD270]

I could average 20mpg regularly in my ecoboost, I had the 3:31's though. I drive the work mobile like an ass and still average 14, it has 3:73's and idles a lot.

 

[frieed]

Does the 35 gallon tank come with the 6.5' bed or is it also in the 5.5' bed? (would consider a 6.5' but am sure the 5.5' would drive me nuts)

36 gal tank is an option for either bed length (mines 5.5')

Yeah but my LJ got better MPG and used less fuel in The Maze than Eric's EB did and has only a slightly smaller tank .

- DAA

could be because every time we hit smooth dirt I was trying to drift the rear end

 

[Caleb]

I will say the 36 gal tank is one of my favorite things. I can go forever without refueling considering I drive maybe 5 miles a day...it's literally like less than once a month I have to fill up.

 

[anderson750]

I think the difference would be the 3.5 Ecoboost in mine. The 5.7 in my Tundra was similar to your 6.2 numbers...maybe a little less.

It being an EcoBoost with those numbers is what surprised me.

 

[Pike2350]

It being an EcoBoost with those numbers is what surprised me.

As the saying goes..it's either Eco or its Boost. It's hard to get the highest mpg on these things because the boost kicks in and if it doesnt it's a turtle.

I average 16.5 during the summer months with a fair bit of freeway driving... in the winter i average 15.5. I've towed my Rodeo to Moab... with the hard doors on it i got 11.2 average the and back maintaining 70 the whole way....with half doors on i got around 9.7 doing the same. I can see the 18-19 range on the freeway but thats doing 65-70. At 75-80 it drops quite a bit to mid-high 16's. If you can handle a very slow acceleration or slow going on the freeway and dont have max tow i can see getting over 20...but thats too difficult for me

Mine is a 2012 FX4 CC 5.5' bed with max tow (3.73 gears) and 20" wheels with stock size tires.

 

[Bart]

Thanks for the replies. I think he has about 140k on this one. I was surprised at how big the tank was when he put 29+ gallons in it and it wasn't empty. He is looking at a tuner, intake and exhaust and I'll tell him about the plugs and boots.