Goat modes

[Mark S.]

I've tested this many times driving from my city to visit my daughter who lives over 3 hrs away where I'm driving 100% on a high speed tollway ... Eco is my winner each and every time.

Interesting. Just to be clear: you've driven the same route with ECO on and off and you get better economy with ECO on? Do you measure by hand, or just reference the display? Are these back-to-back comparisons, or is there time between?

To get an accurate mileage figure Ford recommends tracking miles driven over three tanks. This provides the best opportunity to average all the factors (vehicle weight, wind speed and direction, temperature, etc.) that affect economy.

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[RodNSA]

Interesting. Just to be clear: you've driven the same route with ECO on and off and you get better economy with ECO on? Do you measure by hand, or just reference the display? Are these back-to-back comparisons, or is there time between?

To get an accurate mileage figure Ford recommends tracking miles driven over three tanks. This provides the best opportunity to average all the factors (vehicle weight, wind speed and direction, temperature, etc.) that affect economy.

Not back to back. Each time starting when I fill up and do mileage. Then I make my trip. When I get there my car is parked and not used and my daughter and son in law drive. Then I leave and go on my trip home ... let's say using Eco Mode the entire round trip. Then when a little less than a quarter tank I fill up and calculate the mileage. It might be 6 months before I go again to see them ... but I follow the exact process but this time using normal driving mode NOT ECO. My experiences have shown a slight increase in mpg using ECO when driving straight tollway speeds on a trip.

 

[davidg4781]

Interesting. Just to be clear: you've driven the same route with ECO on and off and you get better economy with ECO on? Do you measure by hand, or just reference the display? Are these back-to-back comparisons, or is there time between?

To get an accurate mileage figure Ford recommends tracking miles driven over three tanks. This provides the best opportunity to average all the factors (vehicle weight, wind speed and direction, temperature, etc.) that affect economy.

I tested this out a few years back with a Civic and its ECON button.

On a hilly road, I would have worst gas mileage with ECON on. I believe because it was struggling going up hills. On a flat road, I got a couple more mpgs with ECON on.

For reference, this was Texas State Highway 90A between Shiner and Gonzales. Flat road was I-10 around the same area.

 

[Mark S.]

Not back to back. Each time starting when I fill up and do mileage. Then I make my trip. When I get there my car is parked and not used and my daughter and son in law drive. Then I leave and go on my trip home ... let's say using Eco Mode the entire round trip. Then when a little less than a quarter tank I fill up and calculate the mileage. It might be 6 months before I go again to see them ... but I follow the exact process but this time using normal driving mode NOT ECO. My experiences have shown a slight increase in mpg using ECO when driving straight tollway speeds on a trip.

Try doing three trips using ECO, then average the mileage for all three. Then do three without and average those. That should provide the most accurate comparison.

 

[RodNSA]

Try doing three trips using ECO, then average the mileage for all three. Then do three without and average those. That should provide the most accurate comparison.

Makes sense ... but I probably won't do it ?... that's just way too many times to see my daughter and her husband ? ? ?!!!

 

[Mark S.]

Makes sense ... but I probably won't do it ?... that's just way too many times to see my daughter and her husband ? ? ?!!!

You don’t have to do them all at once, you just have to keep records for six trips.

 

[franksmissing]

I don’t believe ECO is beneficial on the highway. It works by decreasing throttle response and upshifting sooner to keep RPM as low as possible. When cruising on the highway you’re already in the highest gear, and downshifting to accelerate faster to pass can save fuel in some situations because you are demanding higher power for less time.

My use pattern is about 60/40 highway/city, and I saw no improvement in fuel economy using ECO. All my data is available at this link.

I also don’t believe that ECO is beneficial on the highway. And I also checked it many times, but it doesn’t save fuel!

 

[Bucko]

Try doing three trips using ECO, then average the mileage for all three. Then do three without and average those. That should provide the most accurate comparison.

What ARE you using on highway trips, if not eco?

 

[Mark S.]

What ARE you using on highway trips, if not eco?

Auto manufacturers have a federal mandate to keep fuel economy numbers as low as possible. When tested for EPA figures, cars that offer driver-selectable drive modes must be in the default mode. NORMAL mode is the default for your Bronco Sport. It provides a compromise between sporty acceleration--which costs fuel--and useable acceleration for everyday driving. Customers are provided an ECO mode to limit acceleration and save fuel at the cost of driveability in situations where you may need more acceleration.

Because of the fuel economy mandates, however, manufacturers will do everything possible to make highway driving as economical as possible. Drivability as regards acceleration is not a concern because in highway driving situations the car will be in the same gear cruising at the same speed for long distances. It stands to reason--to me--if Ford could employ configuration changes that improve economy in those situations it would employ them in ALL driving modes, but especially in NORMAL, because that is the default mode used for EPA testing. If it were possible to get better fuel economy in ECO mode by making the engine more efficient for highway driving then I believe Ford would have the car automatically switch ECO mode when it senses highway driving. I don't think that's the case, however, because the operating changes ECO mode produces have nothing to do with improving engine efficiency, they have to do with limiting RPM and acceleration.

So, long answer short, I use NORMAL mode for highway driving. In fact, since I don't have a heavy foot, I leave the car in NORMAL mode all the time. My fuel economy testing showed that, for my driving style at least, there is no benefit from ECO mode even in city driving. The two main things I do when driving to limit fuel use are I'm not in any particular hurry to get to the next stop light/sign, and I coast as much as possible before applying the brakes.

 

[RushMan]

Auto manufacturers have a federal mandate to keep fuel economy numbers as low as possible. When tested for EPA figures, cars that offer driver-selectable drive modes must be in the default mode. NORMAL mode is the default for your Bronco Sport. It provides a compromise between sporty acceleration--which costs fuel--and useable acceleration for everyday driving. Customers are provided an ECO mode to limit acceleration and save fuel at the cost of driveability in situations where you may need more acceleration.

Because of the fuel economy mandates, however, manufacturers will do everything possible to make highway driving as economical as possible. Drivability as regards acceleration is not a concern because in highway driving situations the car will be in the same gear cruising at the same speed for long distances. It stands to reason--to me--if Ford could employ configuration changes that improve economy in those situations it would employ them in ALL driving modes, but especially in NORMAL, because that is the default mode used for EPA testing. If it were possible to get better fuel economy in ECO mode by making the engine more efficient for highway driving then I believe Ford would have the car automatically switch ECO mode when it senses highway driving. I don't think that's the case, however, because the operating changes ECO mode produces have nothing to do with improving engine efficiency, they have to do with limiting RPM and acceleration.

So, long answer short, I use NORMAL mode for highway driving. In fact, since I don't have a heavy foot, I leave the car in NORMAL mode all the time. My fuel economy testing showed that, for my driving style at least, there is no benefit from ECO mode even in city driving. The two main things I do when driving to limit fuel use are I'm not in any particular hurry to get to the next stop light/sign, and I coast as much as possible before applying the brakes.

I do wonder if Ford's reason for only allowing the 2.0 L engine in the highest end models ($$$$) is to discourage its sales which would negatively impact their CAFE numbers.

 

[Mark S.]

I do wonder if Ford's reason for only allowing the 2.0 L engine in the highest end models ($$$$) is to discourage its sales which would negatively impact their CAFE numbers.

It could. I think it has more to do with torque. The Badlands is the "off-road" version of the Bronco Sport, but due to the design of the 4WD system it doesn't incorporate a low-range gearbox. The bigger engine offers a great deal more torque at low RPM, which offsets the lack of a low-range to a degree.

 

[RushMan]

It could. I think it has more to do with torque. The Badlands is the "off-road" version of the Bronco Sport, but due to the design of the 4WD system it doesn't incorporate a low-range gearbox. The bigger engine offers a great deal more torque at low RPM, which offsets the lack of a low-range to a degree.

That's nice but doesn't explain why the 2.0 l is only offered in the high end Escape.

 

[Mark S.]

That's nice but doesn't explain why the 2.0 l is only offered in the high end Escape.

Well, this is a Bronco Sport forum, so I answered in that context. For other car models Ford may have different motivations, which almost certainly include fuel economy considerations.

 

[BourbonRunner]

I do wonder if Ford's reason for only allowing the 2.0 L engine in the highest end models ($$$$) is to discourage its sales which would negatively impact their CAFE numbers.

It is exactly why the 1.5L 3-banger is the more common motor in the BS and low-spec motors across all models are most common. FoMoCo is subject to CAFE standards like every other manufacturer. The lower spec/lower power motors actually allow the manufacturer to offer HiPo offerings because at the end of the day it is all about the numbers. By offering it only on the top trims (BL, HL) they ensure they're not going to have to pay the Feds a massive fine annually or buy "offsets" from Tesla. Yes, that's correct: CAFE standards offsets can be purchased.

And some companies don't care about CAFE standards and willingly pay the fine annually but they're typically high profile, low volume like Porsche and Ferrari.

I recall reading somewhere the Mach-E being called a Mustang falls under the same- the "economy" of the Mach-E and the EcoBoost models offsets the Coyote-based performance V8 cars from the factory. Not entirely sure if that's accurate but logically it could make sense when dealing with relatively illogical bureaucratic red tape.

Far as Eco vs Normal mode: I don't really use Eco unless on a long highway drive and in cruise control. Not entirely sure its delivering better fuel economy when its on the gas accelerating up hills, passing, etc.

 

[RushMan]

Well, this is a Bronco Sport forum, so I answered in that context. For other car models Ford may have different motivations, which almost certainly include fuel economy considerations.

Gov't regs and corporate level decisions apply across all product lines, so I keep an open mind about product changes and offerings. The removal of options and colors on other models predicted the changes to the BS. That's why people read Ford Authority, for example, looking for future changes to their favoritevehicle.

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