S197 Gas Mileage Roundup - V6's, V8's, Autos and Manuals

10010 Views 60 Replies 38 Participants Last post by Cusp, Jun 29, 2009

Stoopy

Discussion Starter · Sep 21, 2005 (Edited)

Submit yo' info, not just another "Gas Mileage" thread....I hope...and NOT about gas PRICES neither!

I could be wrong, but I have not seen a really full comparison-based accounting here of owner experience with gas mileage and the different drivetrain combinations. I am VERY curious about this after reading between the lines of some other owners and also having a co-worker with a V6/Auto that sounds like it's getting the same, or worse, mileage than my GT/Manual car.

Obviously driver habit and conditions have a lot to do with it, but the "Average MPH" reading on the Message Center (for those who have the IUP) can help indicate your environment to an extent. I think it would be very interesting to see where the four different engine/trans combos stack up, if all interested parties can provide some of the minimal information such as:

Average MPG (per tank)
Engine - V6 or V8/GT
Trans - Auto or Stick
Average Speed (from "Message Center" if IUP-Equipped)
Engine/Drivetrain Mods, if any.

And maybe the additional info if willing:
Your own rating as a "fuel-economy-conscious driver" Leadfoot, Occasional Puncher, Lightfoot.
Best MPG you've seen in any single stretch:

Sure, I'll go first:
Average MPG per tank:..... 17.5 MPG
Engine - V6 or V8/GT.......V8 GT
Trans - Auto or Stick......Stick
Average Speed..............28MPH (lotta heavy creeping rush-hour freeway traffic, plus suburban/city stuff)
Engine/Drivetrain Mods.....Stock (aftermarket shifter shouldn't be a factor)

My own rating: ............Occasional Puncher (how can you NOT sometimes?!??!

)
Best MPG I've seen in trip leg: 26.9 MPG

My theory/question here is that the Stick GT's will probably be really comparable to the auto-equipped V6 Mustangs, more than the EPA numbers on the window sticker would indicate. And I'm rooting for the manual-equipped V6's to come in as the winners. Interested in how auto-equipped GT's stack up too. Who knows, maybe the results will have widespread and far-reaching ramifications that may actually influence someone's purchasing decision.....aren't you curious too?

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41 - 60 of 61 Posts

Bigwong23

· #41 · Nov 1, 2005

MrKABC said:
Average MPG per tank:..... 16.8 MPG
Engine - V6 or V8/GT.......V8 Conv.
Trans - Auto or Stick......Stick
Average Speed..............36 MPH mostly on street / some hwy
Engine/Drivetrain Mods.....Stock

My mileage sucks! And that's WITHOUT mods... I wonder if all of my running around with the top down ruins my mileage?

I hear you MrKABC! I have a '06 GT Convertible but with only 160 miles on. The LCD says I get 13.5 mpg OUCH!

I don't know why I am getting such horrible mileage but then again it might be because I need to "break it in".

Does anyone else know why??

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kj_cinci

· #42 · Nov 1, 2005

Bigwong23 said:
I hear you MrKABC! I have a '06 GT Convertible but with only 160 miles on. The LCD says I get 13.5 mpg OUCH!

I don't know why I am getting such horrible mileage but then again it might be because I need to "break it in".

Does anyone else know why??

Me too got under 15 MPG the first 1000 or so miles... then it got better... a tune and flow mods (CAI, exhaust) help too! You might wanna go easy with that right pedal as well... :winks

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sonny1213

· #43 · Nov 1, 2005

Average MPG (per tank) 17.6
Engine - V6 or V8/GT V8
Trans - Auto or Stick auto
Average Speed (from "Message Center" if IUP-Equipped 27mph
Engine/Drivetrain Mods, if any steeda - cai, udp's, axle backs, predator tune, 4.10's

3412.6 miles so far on 193.7 gallons
still only 1 smokey burnout to date. :happyhapp

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stlwagon

· #44 · Nov 1, 2005

Average MPG per tank:..... 23.0 MPG
Engine - V6 or V8/GT.......V8
Trans - Auto or Stick......Stick
Average Speed..............45 MPH avg
Engine/Drivetrain Mods.....SLP axleback, K&N Aircharger
My own rating: ............I try not to step on it too much but it's tough sometimes!
Best MPG I've seen in trip leg: 26

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Ascout

· #45 · Nov 1, 2005

I think Stoopy's been stomping it a bit....why does this not surprize me?:laughlitt

I've only driven ~340 miles, so far....getting 18.2 commuting to work (15 miles at 80-85mph each way....uphill one way, downhill the other) I'll try to note the average speed later....I reset this accidentally. So far, I'm about 3 mpg up on my former '02 Grand Cherokee and grinning a lot more....

-'06 GT coupe, 5-sp.

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Zrullac

· #46 · Nov 1, 2005

Average MPG per tank:..... 22.6 MPG
Engine - V6 or V8/GT.......V8 GT
Trans - Auto or Stick......Stick
Average Speed..............52MPH Mostly commuting
Engine/Drivetrain Mods.....Stock

My own rating: ............Occasional Puncher (how can you NOT sometimes?!??!

)
Best MPG I've seen in trip leg: 27.9 MPG

I have 3300 miles on my baby. I recently did and oil change at 2000 using Mobil1. Thats when I noticed an improvement in my mpg. Not sure if it is related to that or just that the engine is getting broken in.

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OAMAAM

· #47 · Nov 1, 2005

Stoopy said:
Yeah, it's not really "efficiency" - maybe a poor choice of words on my part. What I'm getting at, hopefully, is that I'd expect the mean average MPH to end up being about equal for all four drivetrain combos. I mean, traffic is traffic, we all (as an average) drive in the same stuff sooner or later regardless of vehicle type, right?

So, if the avergae speed of each category finallly averages out to, say, 35 MPH, then we rank 'em by what kind of MPG they get - which is reflective of City/Highway mix, in a general sense, would you agree? Respective to each other, and things being as equal as they can be at that point. Going by MPG alone, well, I don't buy it, because then the person driving cross-country at 65 on cruise control in an Auto-GT whips up on a Manual-V6 driving in the Bronx. Have to factor average speed in, somehow.

Then, in each drivetrain category, you could look at someone who is close to your own average MPH (meaning City/Highway mix) and see how well you are doing in comparison to them in roughly similar conditions.

Maybe "Leadfoot Index" is a better choice than "efficiency"?? Fr'instance if HazMat and ultraclyde both have the same average speed of 27 MPH per tank, meaning their driving conditions are likely similar, but HazMat is getting 20 MPG and ultraclyde is getting 16 MPG, then ultracyde knows he can get wayyy better (if he wants to) and Haz knows he's doing pretty good. And if they cared to, they could talk shift points, etc, and go from there, that's all.

I'm hoping once we get a fair number of responses in the categories (maybe 10 each, hopefully, the stick-GT's are showing a good baseline right off the bat) then maybe it'll be more clear......or, hey, if there's a better formula to use I'm all for it. Learnin' as we go, here.....

Trying to ascertain the peak operating efficiency speed/RPM of each vehicle is a GREAT idea but a bit more beyond what the numbers collected here can accomplish - I absolutely agree that'd be a cool project also. And actually, with the IUP, it'd be easy if someone had the chance, and a long long flat road trip. Just set the cruise to 50, reset the MPG counter, check it 20 or 30 miles later.......then bump the cruise to 60, reset the MPG meter again, check it 20 or 30 miles later again......lather, rinse repeat, y'think?

Once I get my GT, I can do the "Message Center" dance - I have a 61 mile (one way) commute every morning. I cruise at 75 mph in my Taurus in the mornings, slower with traffic in the aftenoon. The miles will be racking up quickley for me 'cause I will be driving this Pony everyday until it dies.

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PurrVert

· #48 · Nov 2, 2005

Average MPG per tank:..... 20 MPG
Engine - V6 or V8/GT.......V6
Trans - Auto or Stick......Auto
Average Speed..............40 MPH
Engine/Drivetrain Mods.....K&N CAI + SCT tune

My own rating: ............Occasional Puncher
Best MPG I've seen in trip leg: 25 MPG (?)

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Bigwong23

· #49 · Nov 4, 2005

Wus Up KJ_CINCI,

I drive normal though. I don't go past 3000rpm's in first and around 2500 for all the other gears. I just do a crap load of regular city driving. I can't go without a mile and not hitting a stop light or sign.

kj_cinci

· #50 · Nov 4, 2005

Bigwong23 said:
Wus Up KJ_CINCI,

I drive normal though. I don't go past 3000rpm's in first and around 2500 for all the other gears. I just do a crap load of regular city driving. I can't go without a mile and not hitting a stop light or sign.

Yea, that will do it... start and stop traffic will give you very bad MPG, even under 10 I've seen!!

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Bigwong23

· #51 · Nov 4, 2005

kj_cinci said:
Yea, that will do it... start and stop traffic will give you very bad MPG, even under 10 I've seen!!

Damn, I was hoping it would be around 16-17mpg at least like it says on paper. Usually Ford is pretty close to it's advertised value but 13mpg from 18mpg is a decent difference. Ah well, at least I have the car finally hehe :-D

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Stoenr

· #52 · Nov 4, 2005

Average MPG per tank:..... 17.5 MPG
Engine - V6 or V8/GT.......V8 GT
Trans - Auto or Stick......Stick
Average Speed..............29MPH
Engine/Drivetrain Mods.....Stock
My own rating: ............Lead foot
Best MPG I've seen in trip leg: 27.2 MPG

1100 miles on it.

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Bigwong23

· #53 · Nov 7, 2005

Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oak Forest, Il
Posts: 997

Average MPG per tank:..... 16.5 MPG
Engine - V6 or V8/GT.......V8 GT
Trans - Auto or Stick......Stick
Average Speed..............20MPH
Engine/Drivetrain Mods.....Stock
My own rating: ............Occasional Puncher
Best MPG I've seen in trip leg: None MPG

I got about 300 miles on my Vert :-D

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4

Ascout

· #54 · Nov 7, 2005

OK, I've got some more useful numbers now (still with only about 500 miles on car)

Average MPG per tank:..... 19.2 MPG
Engine - V6 or V8/GT.......V8 GT
Trans - Auto or Stick......Stick
Average Speed..............42 MPH
Engine/Drivetrain Mods.....Stock
My own rating: ............Mostly mild, occasionally picante
Best MPG I've seen in trip leg: 20.5 MPG

Mostly for commuting (which I do at generally no less than 80, sometimes a bit more). A little bit of around town, which can really hurt mileage.

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Sleeperstang07

· #55 · Dec 7, 2008

I drive a stick 06 and I get an average of 16 miles a gallon

06Roadstarman

· #56 · Dec 8, 2008 (Edited)

Stoopy said:
Submit yo' info, not just another "Gas Mileage" thread....I hope...and NOT about gas PRICES neither!

Average MPG per tank:..... 22 MPG
Engine - V6 or V8/GT.......V8 GT
Trans - Auto or Stick......Stick
Average Speed..............don't know....car is in storage for winter
Engine/Drivetrain Mods.....Stock (aftermarket shifter shouldn't be a factor)

My own rating: ............Occasional Puncher
Best MPG I've seen in trip leg: 27.7 MPG

Sweet....I responded to a 3 year old post......:bigthumbsup

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RetroGT2006

· #57 · Dec 8, 2008

Average MPG per tank:..... 16.0
Engine - V6 or V8/GT.......V8 GT
Trans - Auto or Stick......Auto
Average Speed..............23mph (only stop and go from work and school).. I only drive highway on weekends due to going out to see friends if im free.)
Engine/Drivetrain Mods.... JLT II Intake/ Evolution 87/93 tune.

My own rating: ............I usually drive it fast, i like to feel the pony stretch her legs..
Best MPG I've seen in trip leg: 28.9 MPG (going to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina last summer)

Although it only lasted a few hours, due to me being at a much much higher speed

.. Although it did not drop below 23 mpg the whole trip.

Damn this is an old thread! We are almost in 09!!

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Night Rider KIT

· #58 · Jun 3, 2009

2003 coupe
You should keep track of what the convertibles get as well :bigthumbsup
Average MPG (per tank) 23
Engine - V6 or V8/GT V6
Trans - Auto or Stick Stick
Average Speed 40
Engine/Drivetrain Mods, if any. CAI, SCT Tune, Pypes X Pipe and mufflers
My own rating: ............Occasional Puncher
Best MPG I've seen in trip leg: 33 MPG

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beargap

· #59 · Jun 3, 2009

Looks like a very old thread, but I'll add my experience from a couple of 1200 mile trips this year:

Average MPG per tank:..... 26.7 MPG
Engine - V6 or V8/GT.......V8 GT
Trans - Auto or Stick......Stick
Average Speed..............70MPH
Engine/Drivetrain Mods.....Stock
My own rating: ............Occasional Puncher
Best MPG I've seen in trip leg: 29 MPG

Trip

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beargap

· #60 · Jun 3, 2009 (Edited)

I see this thread is pretty old, but I'll post my experiences from a couple of 1200 mile trips this year:

Average MPG per tank:..... 26.7 MPG
Engine - V6 or V8/GT.......V8 GT
Trans - Auto or Stick......Stick
Average Speed..............70MPH
Engine/Drivetrain Mods.....Stock
My own rating: ............Occasional Puncher
This trip with 2 passengers and a full trunk of luggage both times. In winter was 27mpg for the distance, and this week was 26.5 with A/C running. Car is '08GT with 3.31 rear. Note, this is the car computer average mpg report from fillup at the trip beginning to arrival at destination, but my experience is that this report is 5% higher than actual mpg as the computer always under-reports the gallons used by 5%.

=Vic=

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