47.5 MPG on Big Bend using Eco Mode 🍃

[Bronclahoma]

54mph is a neat experiment. 40 mpg is remarkable

But it’s just not practical for most freeway, interstate driving. You try that in any metro area, you are putting yourself and others in danger. Most of us don’t leave 10-20 minutes early so that we can play with our experiment. Drivers need to go with the flow. Hell, that’s why minimum speeds are posted. You wanna try that out in the farmlands of OH or driving thru the sticks in WV… knock yourself out. One might Become a victim of road rage or worse, cause an accident. I hope you are in the slow lane! Maybe get some shoe polish and jot out “experimental“ on your back window.

At my age I figure I have more dollars than I do days. I'm damned sure not going to drive 55 to save chickenfeed money.

I often drive on a two lane to a nearby state park. Speed limit is 50. Most of the time I set my cruise at 52. I have 245 tires so that knocks mileage a bit. I average 33 mpg almost every time.

For those with larger tires, I run WAZE gps. It shows your gps speed and almost every speed trap, stalled vehicle, debris on the road and of course construction. At 70-75 speedo is off about 2 mph. Waze has become my go to road trip app.

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[Bronclahoma]

Holy cow! Hill country areas in Texas are always above 60mph. I used to get 30+ mpg in PNW now i’m only getting 20-22mpg combined using normal or sport mode.

With the BS aerodynamics, they are affected even more with higher speeds. Going into a headwind on a recent trip driving 75-80 I only got 21 mpg. I'm OK with that. It is what it is.

I drove around in the HIll Country this week and got about 25.

 

[V8 Yankee]

Definitely, headwinds are a big factor in mpg. Tailwinds are your friend. A lot of shaming in this thread for driving the speed limit. My self I just dont care, stay to the right, set cruise and go. I drive 80 miles a day r/t, over the course of a year the savings add up and I still get to a enjoy the unique little Bronco that only a Ford lover can appreciate.

 

[Bronclahoma]

Definitely, headwinds are a big factor in mpg. Tailwinds are your friend. A lot of shaming in this thread for driving the speed limit. My self I just dont care, stay to the right, set cruise and go. I drive 80 miles a day r/t, over the course of a year the savings add up and I still get to a enjoy the unique little Bronco that only a Ford lover can appreciate.

To each his own. I'm not shaming you. But on most hiways 55 is not the speed limit. It's as dangerous to drive slower than the flow of traffic as it is above IMO.

 

[westcoaster818]

I get half that in my BL. But I’m on the eco mode delete crew

Im only getting 21 mpg

 

[V8 Yankee]

To each his own. I'm not shaming you. But on most hiways 55 is not the speed limit. It's as dangerous to drive slower than the flow of traffic as it is above IMO.

I totally agree, whatever the posted limit is stick to it or get over. The thing is you never see all the people driving the limit and on the other side there's the ones doing 20 or 30 over, weaving and tailgating, flashing and honking. At some point you just have to tune out the others and drive as you like. Its not the slow ones causing the accidents. Ask any State Patrol, its excessive speed 90% of the time where fatalities occur. Having driven millions of miles over the course of 50 years I've seen it all. And to be honest Americans tend to drive safer them the dozens of countries I've lived and worked.

 

[Mark S.]

And to be honest Americans tend to drive safer them the dozens of countries I've lived and worked.

Most drivers in Italy consider traffic rules more as suggestions. If there ARE traffic rules in Saudi Arabia (other than women can't drive) no one knows what they are.

 

[johnardsg]

With the BS aerodynamics, they are affected even more with higher speeds. Going into a headwind on a recent trip driving 75-80 I only got 21 mpg. I'm OK with that. It is what it is.

I drove around in the HIll Country this week and got about 25.

I just discovered my BS can do 99.9mpg, we beat hybrids and EVs.

 

[DemonGT]

Id rather drive my vehicles how i want to and enjoy them instead of worrying about MPG. If someone is really that concerned about saving on gas then buy a EV.

 

[V8 Yankee]

Personnelly its not about worrying about my mpg. Its more about driving effectivly. For example, being the first person to the red light, you won, yahoo! I roll up a few seconds later and sit there with everyone else waiting for the green light. Now times that 1000 times over the course of the year and the cost savings add up. Leave for work where you need to drive 10 or 20 over the speed limit to get to work one minute before you start, yahoo, you made it. Or, leave 10 minutes earlier, drive the speed limit or a tad above and you arrive 10 minutes early. Allowing for accidents, congestion, red lights, etc. After a year the savings add up. In my case enough savings to pay for insurance for a year or new tires, trick modifications or 3 months of groceries. And at the same time still getting to enjoy the Bronco. To each his own I guess but in my case its a challenge to maximize mpg and still drive a cool little Bronco Sport.

 

[cprcubed]

For example, being the first person to the red light, you won, yahoo!

I'll take that victory every time! Here around the DFW metroplex, one usually ends up waiting for the freaking morons on their cellphones to finally get moving on the green (while only about 3-4 cars actually make it across the intersection without running a red light). Cheers!

 

[V8 Yankee]

Sounds the like city needs to extend the light timings. Here in S. Florida plenty of morons as well, thankfully long lights and no cameras so traffic flows fairly good. Its never going to be perfect and the closer you get to downtowm Miami it gets much worse, probably like DFW. All in all I've seen everything imaginable. Not to say I like the pole position myself when it happens.

 

[Mark S.]

Leave for work where you need to drive 10 or 20 over the speed limit to get to work one minute before you start, yahoo, you made it. Or, leave 10 minutes earlier, drive the speed limit or a tad above and you arrive 10 minutes early.

I used to commute 35 miles every day. It takes roughly 28 mins at 80 mph. At 70 mph, it’s roughly 3-and-a-half minutes longer. One is a frenetic rush trying to keep up with the maniacs in the fast lane. The other is a relaxed, leisurely drive where I could enjoy the smell of fresh bakes doughnuts driving by the bakery.

 

[Rawah652]

I've gotten some really awesome mpg numbers on short little trips like the 60 miles in the OP's photo (mostly on the down-hill trip through a canyon). Call me skeptical, but I won't believe those numbers unless the trip odometer is at least over 1000 miles.

 

[brotherbronco]

Most drivers in Italy consider traffic rules more as suggestions.

Does that also apply to foreigners driving in Italy, @Mark S.? I read somewhere before that sometimes they enforce traffic rules using automatic cameras without police stopping the cars directly. You can check here for more details: https://it.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/transportation-driving/. Fines are then mailed to the driver's home address in USA. This indirect enforcement approach could create misunderstandings for visitors unfamiliar with Italian road norms. Wondering if this has happened to some drivers here from USA. This will also be my first time visiting Italy, I was also considering hiring a local guide from https://gowithguide.com/Italy at least for the first couple of days in my driving in Italy to be familiar with local traffic laws then I’ll explore on my own with my rental car for the rest of my stay.

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